The moment Song Jia Shu caught sight of Shen Chi Yan, his smile vanished, replaced by a cold mask of hostility.
Rising to his feet, he fixed Shen Chi Yan with an icy glare. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Song Qi Nian hadn't anticipated Shen Chi Yan's appearance at the hotel. Sensing the building tension between them, she instinctively moved to shield her brother, gripping his arm as she positioned herself between the two men.
She watched Shen Chi Yan warily, her wide eyes betraying her unease. His sudden appearance made no sense, and the darkness in his expression sent a chill through her. Someone had clearly pushed him over the edge—but who?
Shen Chi Yan was already seething, and the sight of the siblings huddling together, treating him like some kind of monster, only intensified his rage. Then his gaze fell on the lunchbox, taking in its contents: braised pork, pan-fried steak, lotus root pork rib soup, and sweet and sour cabbage. His anger exploded.
The realization hit him like a slap. He'd foolishly believed Song Qi Nian had been practicing her cooking for him. Instead, all that effort had been for her precious little brother.
The betrayal of his expectations, the sting of exclusion, the shame of his own misplaced feelings—it all crystallized into white-hot fury. His face hardened as he strode forward. Without warning, he kicked the table, sending dishes crashing to the floor in a spray of food and soup.
Song Qi Nian could only stare at the destruction, frozen in shock.
It was Song Jia Shu who reacted first. Seeing his sister's and Zhang Qiaoqiao's hard work destroyed so callously, he balled his fists and lunged at Shen Chi Yan.
Song Qi Nian snapped back to reality just in time, grabbing her brother and yanking him back. Song Jia Shu glanced at his sister and felt his stomach twist—her face had gone completely ashen, fear written across her features.
He rubbed her back gently. "It's okay, sis. Don't be afraid."
Turning to Shen Chi Yan, he snarled, "Have you lost your mind? What's wrong with you?"
Shen Chi Yan's eyes locked onto Song Jia Shu's hand on Song Qi Nian's back, his irritation mounting. Without warning, he yanked Song Qi Nian into his arms.
"Get your hands off my sister!" Song Jia Shu's voice cracked with rage.
Ignoring him completely, Shen Chi Yan addressed Song Qi Nian in a glacial tone. "Make your choice. Either come with me now, or stay here babysitting your worthless brother."
"I am not worthless!" Song Jia Shu's face flushed with anger.
"Oh really?" Shen Chi Yan's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Then why does your 'dear sister' need to hold your hand through something as basic as college entrance exams? What kind of grown man needs that?"
"That's—that's because she cares about me! And what do you mean 'basic'? Are you telling me you weren't nervous when you took your exams?"
"Nervous?" Shen Chi Yan barked out a laugh. "I wouldn't know. I was recruited directly into Jinghua University's combined bachelor's, master's, and doctoral program when I was sixteen."
Song Jia Shu fell silent. Damn it. He'd walked right into that one.
Shen Chi Yan turned his attention back to Song Qi Nian, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Well? Is this really such a difficult decision?"
Song Qi Nian recognized the dangerous edge in his voice. Now wasn't the time to push back. She shook her head quickly.
Looking at her brother, she gestured urgently: [Jia Shu, have someone clean this up later. Focus on your studies, okay? I'll come back tomorrow—]
A piercing glare cut her off mid-sentence. She hastily amended: [I'll visit another time.]
Song Jia Shu's blood boiled watching his sister cave to Shen Chi Yan like this. But he knew he was outmatched and didn't want to make things worse for her. His nails bit into his palms as he watched helplessly while Shen Chi Yan led her away.
In the car, Shen Chi Yan sat in stony silence, jaw clenched, radiating anger.
Song Qi Nian kept quiet, not daring to break the tension. She couldn't make sense of it—he'd been fine when they left work. What had triggered this sudden fury?
People say women's thoughts are hard to read, but men can be even more confusing!
The car pulled up outside an upscale farm-to-table restaurant.
Only then did Song Qi Nian realize Shen Chi Yan had dinner plans. But instead of taking her along, he ordered Gao Kunlun to escort her to the hotel next door.
Her room was on the second floor, with a view of a sprawling lotus pond below.
Song Qi Nian rested her arms on the windowsill, watching the lotus flowers drift in the moonlight and soft lamplight. Their pristine blooms rose above the murky water, swaying in the evening breeze. The peaceful scene helped quiet her troubled thoughts.
After working up a sweat earlier, she decided to take a bath, not knowing when Shen Chi Yan would return.
The hot water washed away her exhaustion, and drowsiness began to set in.
She noticed a message from Song Jia Shu and quickly wrote back: [Don't worry, I'm fine.]
"Prove it. Send me a picture!
Song Jia Shu was still worried Shen Chi Yan might hurt her and that she'd hide it to keep him from worrying.
With a sigh, Song Qi Nian stepped onto the balcony, snapped a selfie, and sent it to him.
Only after seeing she was unharmed did Song Jia Shu finally relax.
Shen Chi Yan still hadn't returned. Not daring to sleep in the bed, Song Qi Nian curled up in the hanging chair on the balcony and soon drifted off.
A phone's ring jolted her awake.
Her eyes fluttered open to find Shen Chi Yan's face inches from hers, his dark gaze boring into her, his sharp features cast in shadow.
He had his hands planted on the chair's armrests, boxing her in. The space between them felt suffocating.
Song Qi Nian's breath caught in her throat, her pulse thundering.
The sharp smell of alcohol hit her—he'd clearly been drinking heavily.
When Shen Chi Yan got drunk, he lost control, and his intoxicated state terrified her.
Her mind raced, wondering what he would do next.
She must have been staring, because Shen Chi Yan's throat tensed and his eyebrows drew together. "What are you looking at?"
Song Qi Nian's eyes darted to his pocket. She pointed hesitantly. [Your phone is ringing.]
"I'm not deaf. I don't need you to tell me that."
Shen Chi Yan straightened up and pulled out his phone, checking the screen. Lin Qiu Tong.
After throwing Song Qi Nian a pointed look, he answered the call right there. "Qiu Tong..."
The tenderness in his voice when he said Lin Qiu Tong's name sent a stab of pain through Song Qi Nian's chest.
"Ah Yan, are you home? Did work keep you busy today?"
"It wasn't too bad. How was your rehab session?"
"I managed to walk for five whole minutes! Pretty good, right?"
"That's wonderful. You're amazing, Qiu Tong."
Their intimate conversation continued, each word like a needle in Song Qi Nian's heart. She couldn't take it anymore and tried to stand.
But Shen Chi Yan's hand shot out, shoving her back into the hanging chair.
His lips formed silent words, a clear threat: "You sit here and listen!"
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