Chapter 53 p1
Xu Jingyu hated the sea.
Not a fear, not the indifference she felt towards most things, but a distinct, visceral dislike. Instinctively, she felt she should like the sea, but her body, her very being, rejected it.
So, she never went to the beach.
Despite owning numerous beachfront properties, they were just assets, managed by others, rarely visited by her.
But if Xin Yao wanted to go, then her own preferences were irrelevant.
Xu Jingyu was a cold, aloof person, her presence intimidating, her gaze chilling.
She didn’t care what others thought of her, her indifference a shield against the world.
But Xin Yao was different.
All her tenderness, all her affection, all her passion, were reserved for Xin Yao.
Although, at this moment, Xin Yao wasn’t feeling particularly cherished.
She lay on the bed, Xu Jingyu’s weight pinning her down, her head tilted back, her slender neck exposed, a vision of vulnerable beauty.
Her eyes, gazing at the sunlight streaming through the window, were unfocused, her lips slightly parted, a thin sheen of sweat on her collarbone.
Below that, she couldn’t see.
Her white swimsuit, its ties undone, lay discarded somewhere.
A head of dark hair was buried between her legs, its owner occasionally lifting her head, her profile illuminated by the sunlight, her tongue tracing Xin Yao’s skin.
Soft moans echoed through the room.
The sounds were so intimate, so arousing, that Xin Yao bit her lip, suppressing her own moans, her cheeks burning with shame.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, her teeth leaving a faint mark on her lower lip, she pushed against Xu Jingyu’s shoulder.
“Are you a dog? Why are you biting me?”
Xu Jingyu loved her resistance, yet she wouldn’t allow it.
Whenever Xin Yao protested, Xu Jingyu would…
If Xin Yao had to describe it, she would say that Xu Jingyu became strangely aroused by her resistance, her possessiveness intensifying, her grip tightening, forcing Xin Yao to meet her gaze, refusing to let her look away.
Like now.
As Xin Yao pushed against her, Xu Jingyu lifted her head, her dark eyes intense and predatory, her hand reaching for something.
She grabbed Xin Yao’s wrists, pinning them above her head, then used the object to tie them together.
Xin Yao glanced at the makeshift restraints. It was her discarded swimsuit top. She couldn’t help but laugh, a mixture of amusement and exasperation in her voice.
“My clothes have become your weapons now?”
Xu Jingyu, having secured Xin Yao’s wrists, didn’t reply, her gaze tracing the curves of Xin Yao’s body, her fingers gently tilting her chin up as she kissed her.
The kiss was long and deep, their tongues tangling in a passionate dance.
When they finally parted, Xu Jingyu’s breath coming in short gasps, her hair falling around Xin Yao’s face, tickling her skin, she looked at Xin Yao, her eyes soft and warm, her voice a husky whisper.
“Yaoyao, let’s get married.”
Xin Yao, her mind still hazy from the kiss, her body relaxed and pliant, smiled lazily.
“You’re saying this now? In this position? Is this a proposal?”
“Yes,” Xu Jingyu’s gaze was intense, “will you marry me?”
“No,” Xin Yao’s reply was swift.
Xu Jingyu’s lips found hers again, a demanding kiss that left Xin Yao breathless, her eyes darkening as she looked at Xin Yao.
“Will you marry me?”
“No.”
Xu Jingyu leaned closer again, her lips seeking Xin Yao’s.
Xin Yao, however, bit her lip, a silent protest, her teeth leaving a faint mark on her swollen, reddened flesh.
Xu Jingyu’s fingers, cool and smooth like jade, traced Xin Yao’s lips, gently parting them, her touch a teasing caress.
Her voice, low and sensual, was a husky whisper.
“Don’t bite.”
Xin Yao’s eyes filled with tears, but she couldn’t speak, her voice trapped in her throat.
Xu Jingyu, seizing the opportunity, leaned closer, her lips brushing against Xin Yao’s ear, her voice a seductive murmur.
“Yaoyao, let’s get married.”
This marriage maniac.
It was practically blackmail.
But Xin Yao, weakened by Xu Jingyu’s touch, her body trembling with a mix of desire and frustration, could only nod, her eyes shining with a soft light.
“Really?”
Xu Jingyu’s eyes lit up, her breath catching in her throat as she withdrew her hand, her eyelashes fluttering, her excitement palpable.
She seemed momentarily flustered, her usual composure shattered.
She reached out as if to touch Xin Yao, then hesitated, pulling her hand back, her desire for a more intimate connection overwhelming her as she leaned down to kiss Xin Yao again.
Xin Yao gently pushed her away, holding up her bound wrists.
“Untie me first. I can’t talk like this. It’s uncomfortable.”
Xu Jingyu, eager to please, quickly untied her wrists.
Xin Yao sat up, rubbing her wrists, then slowly put on her swimsuit top.
She looked at Xu Jingyu, a playful smile on her face, and kissed her cheek.
Then, she got out of bed.
She glanced at the bright sunlight streaming through the window, then turned to look at Xu Jingyu, who was sitting on the bed, waiting patiently, her gaze fixed on Xin Yao’s face.
Xin Yao raised an eyebrow, her fingertip tracing Xu Jingyu’s forehead, her voice a playful tease.
“You want to marry me?”
Xu Jingyu, lovestruck, nodded.
Xin Yao’s smile widened, and she leaned closer, her lips brushing against Xu Jingyu’s ear, her voice a husky whisper.
“Let me teach you something, then. Never trust a woman in bed.”
“I was just kidding.”
Then, afraid of being caught, she quickly slipped away, waving at Xu Jingyu.
“I’m going for a swim!”
Xu Jingyu sat there, watching her go, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
Then, she shook her head, a soft laugh escaping her lips.
She had been completely seduced, completely played.
Just as Xue Ning had said, Xin Yao could sell her, and she would happily help count the money.
But even knowing this, Xu Jingyu wouldn’t have it any other way.
Xin Yao ran downstairs and onto the beach.
It felt like summer.
The ocean stretched before her, a vast expanse of blue, the two coconut trees swaying gently in the breeze, their fronds a vibrant green, the air filled with the fresh, salty scent of the sea.
The housekeeper had thoughtfully set up a beach umbrella and two lounge chairs, a small table with drinks waiting for them.
After a while, Xu Jingyu, also changed into her swimsuit, joined her.
Wanting to be more covered up, she had chosen a more modest swimsuit, its dark color a stark contrast to Xin Yao’s white bikini. The fabric, however, clung to her body, revealing her perfect figure.
As she walked towards Xin Yao, her black hair swaying in the breeze, her long legs gleaming in the sunlight, she looked like a model on a runway.
Xin Yao, having already moved on from their earlier encounter, ran towards her, a bright smile on her face, and took her hand.
“Let’s go for a walk.”
Xu Jingyu, looking at Xin Yao’s smiling face, then at the ocean, her hand tightening around Xin Yao’s, nodded.
As they walked along the water’s edge, a wave crashed against the shore, the water swirling around their ankles, then rising to their knees.
Xu Jingyu looked down at the churning water, its salty scent filling the air, her brow furrowing slightly.
She didn’t like the sea.
And in that moment, memories flooded back.
Xu Jingyu was the eldest daughter of the Xu family.
The Xu family was wealthy and influential, their business empire spanning the globe.
Such wealth and power inevitably attracted unwanted attention, especially towards their vulnerable children.
When she was ten years old, Xu Jingyu had been kidnapped.
The kidnappers had warned her family not to contact the police, threatening to kill her if they did.
The Xu family, however, known for their ruthlessness, had pretended to comply while secretly contacting the authorities.
By the time the kidnappers realized they had been betrayed, it was too late. They were surrounded.
But they were desperate and ruthless, having targeted the Xu family and successfully kidnapping Xu Jingyu, and seeing their plan foiled, they had decided to take her down with them, detonating the boat they were on.
Xu Jingyu had been thrown into the ocean.
The water, usually so gentle, now pressed against her from all sides, crushing her chest, filling her lungs, making it impossible to breathe.
She had struggled, but her movements had been futile, her body like a weight, sinking into the depths.
She had looked up at the fading light, her body slowly sinking, until she lost consciousness.
The police had searched for her, but they had only found the bodies of the kidnappers. They had declared her missing, presumed dead.
The Xu family had been saddened by the news.
Their eldest daughter, so intelligent and capable, had been the perfect heir to their empire.
But their grief hadn’t been profound. After all, they were wealthy and influential. They had other children, including a younger son.
And there were plenty of other relatives.
To ease their pain, they had adopted another child, a more obedient and compliant daughter.
And so, their perfect family had been restored.
And the child lost at sea, buried in their memories, forgotten.
But Xu Jingyu hadn’t died.
She had been incredibly lucky, rescued by a fishing family in a small, remote village.
But her luck had been short-lived. The family hadn’t saved her out of kindness.
They had seen her beauty and had decided to keep her, to make her a child bride for their simple-minded son.
The village was isolated, and while Xu Jingyu was intelligent, she had been adrift at sea for too long, her memories hazy, her sense of direction lost.
And the family, fearing she would escape, had chained her up, keeping her captive.
She was trapped in hell, with no hope of escape.
So, the ten-year-old Xu Jingyu had changed her tactics, feigning obedience to gain their trust, waiting for an opportunity to escape.
She had been treated like a slave, forced to work from dawn till dusk, beaten and locked away in a dark room for the smallest infraction.
She had spent countless nights sitting on the cold floor, her eyes open until dawn, waiting for her parents to come and rescue her.
But they never came.
So, she had saved herself.
With a patience beyond her years, she had waited for a year, then, seizing an opportunity, while the family was distracted, she had set fire to their warehouse. As they rushed to put out the fire, she had escaped, following a route she had carefully memorized, and had contacted the police.
She had returned home.
The family who had kidnapped and abused her had been arrested and punished.
But for Xu Jingyu, returning home had been like stepping from one hell into another.
After two years, she had returned to find a complete, happy family: her parents, her younger brother, and their adopted daughter, their lives intertwined, leaving no space for her.
She had fought so hard to return, only to find herself even more alone.
Two years.
A short time, yet long enough for her memories to fade, for her mother to forget her.
On the day Xu Jingyu started high school, her mother had ordered a large strawberry cake.
But Xu Jingyu didn’t like strawberries. It was her adopted sister’s favorite flavor.
They had almost forgotten her birthday, remembering only the anniversary of her supposed death.
And even more absurdly, her adopted sister had been terrified of her return.
Afraid that Xu Jingyu would reclaim her place in the family, she had tried everything to push her away, hoping that everyone would dislike Xu Jingyu and love her instead.
She had even faked an accident, falling down the stairs and accusing Xu Jingyu of pushing her.
Then, she had feigned illness, threatened suicide, resorting to every trick she could think of.
She had even put cockroaches in Xu Jingyu’s bag.
Xu Jingyu, her patience finally wearing thin, had confronted her, holding the cockroach in her gloved hand, her face impassive, her voice cold and calm.
“I don’t have a good temper. I don’t like arguing, I don’t like fighting, and I don’t like talking.”
“So, please be quiet. Don’t say a word in my presence. Ever again. Is that clear?”
“Oh, and that wasn’t a request. Understand?”
Her adopted sister had been terrified.
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