Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

"You make me feel...so scary..."

Liu Yunshu's voice was as light as a gust of wind about to dissipate, carrying a deep-seated despair, and every word trembled.

"Yoo Seung-yeon...you're really...scary..."

Liu Chengyan's fingertips paused slightly, and a very faint pain flashed in his eyes, so quick that it was almost impossible to catch.

He released her, but pulled her even tighter into his arms, as if he wanted to press her into his chest.

His chin rested on the top of her soft hair, and his low, husky voice sounded above her head, carrying a strange tenderness: "Was it scary?"

He chuckled softly, a laugh tinged with self-mockery and a chilling obsession.

"If this can keep you by my side forever, I don't mind becoming more terrifying... like Lin Chuchu."

"No!"

Liu Yunshu suddenly raised her head, tears instantly streaming down her face. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, her eyes filled with fear and pleading.

"Please, please don't touch Chuchu... She's my only friend! You can't..."

Liu Chengyan's fingertips paused on the top of her soft hair, his eyes scrutinizing her reddened eyes and trembling lips with a deep and melancholic gaze.

After a long pause, a cruelly gentle smile appeared on his thin lips.

"So, Yunshu needs to learn to be more obedient, understand?"

His voice was as gentle as if it were soaked in honey.

"Chuchu is a good girl, and she has a mother who has been ill for a long time. She's been very good to you, hasn't she? If..."

"Please stop...please stop!"

Liu Yunshu covered her ears in despair, tears blurring her vision.

The world seemed to collapse into the suffocating cage in his arms.

All her strength was drained away, and her body went limp in his arms, her voice broken and fragmented.

"I promise you... I'll promise you anything... Please don't hurt them..."

She knew she had no other choice.

Jiang Chi's future and Chu Chu's livelihood were both transformed into invisible threads, which Liu Chengyan casually twirled between his fingers.

And the other end of the thread was firmly tied to herself.

Liu Chengyan's arm suddenly tightened, with such force that it felt as if he wanted to crush her and melt her into his bones.

He lowered his head, his nose brushing against her sweaty temples, his breath hot and scalding, yet his voice was soft and almost seductive:

"Good girl, that's my good girl."

His fingertips gently stroked her tear-streaked cheeks, wiping away her tears with incredibly tenderness.

But the obsession in her eyes was like an impenetrable net, trapping her firmly.

"I won't restrict your visits to Jiang Chi."

He suddenly spoke, his tone as indifferent as if he were talking about something trivial.

"However, you must tell me the time and place when you meet in the future."

Liu Yunshu froze, looking up at him in disbelief, tears still glistening in her eyes: "You..."

Don't look at me like that.

Liu Chengyan interrupted her, gently stroking the corners of her reddened eyes with his fingertips.

"I'm just protecting you. You're too naive and easily deceived."

He paused, then added, "And also, you're not allowed to let him touch you again."

Liu Yunshu's eyelashes trembled violently, and tears welled up uncontrollably again.

She bit her lip, her fingertips gripping the hem of her dress so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"I...I understand."

His voice was as faint as a candle flickering in the wind, with a heavy nasal tone, and every word seemed to be squeezed out of his throat.

Liu Chengyan then smiled with satisfaction.

He lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on the corner of her lips, a kiss that carried an irresistible sense of possession.

He raised his hand and gently tidied her messy hair, his fingertips tracing her reddened earlobe, the movement so tender it was almost cruel.

"Sweetie," his voice was deep and husky, carrying a honey-like allure, "go down and have some soup, Mom's still waiting for us."

Liu Yunshu tried to stand up, but her legs felt weak and she almost fell over.

Liu Chengyan swiftly reached out and grabbed her slender waist, steadily supporting her.

The scalding heat of his palms penetrated the thin fabric and pressed against her waist, making her involuntarily flinch.

He helped her stand up, but his fingertips did not leave her.

Instead, he gently caressed her delicate skin on her waist, almost imperceptibly.

His tone was as gentle and concerned as ever, with no hint of anything unusual.

"Why are my legs going weak already? Looks like I'll have to get used to it more in the future."

Liu Yunshu's face instantly turned bright red, and a blush spread to her neck and the roots of her ears.

Overwhelmed by shame and fear, she flung his hand away like a cornered animal.

She staggered back two steps, tears still glistening in her eyes.

The gaze directed at him was a mixture of anger, humiliation, and a deep-seated fear.

"You..." Her lips trembled, her voice shaking uncontrollably, yet she couldn't even string together a complete accusation.

Liu Chengyan quietly watched her, her face contorted with shame and indignation, yet utterly powerless to resist.

The stubbornness surging in his eyes faded slightly, replaced by a deep, almost satisfied tenderness.

That gentleness sent chills down her spine even more than the previous coldness.

"Go change your clothes."

His gaze swept meaningfully over the hem of her skirt, a faint, knowing smile curving his lips.

"Besides, Yun Shu... your body doesn't seem to be as resistant to me as you say, does it?"

These words were like a red-hot branding iron, burning fiercely into Liu Yunshu's heart.

Her face instantly turned bright red, almost as if it were about to bleed, and she abruptly lowered her head.

Her hands gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, her knuckles turning a horrifying bluish-white from the excessive force.

Overwhelming shame and unventable grievances nearly drowned her.

Tears welled up in her eyes again, but she forced them back with all her might.

She dared not cry, fearing that her fragile tears would only earn her more mockery and further encroachment from him.

"...I, I'll go change my clothes."

Her voice was barely audible, with a heavy, suppressed nasal tone.

After saying that, he practically fled in panic, rushing out of the suffocating study without looking back.

Liu Chengyan stood still, his gaze slowly turning to the mark on the carpet.

A dark glint flickered in his eyes. After a moment, he reached out and picked up the glass of milk on the table, which had long since gone cold, and poured it over the glass.

The original traces are cleverly covered and blended in, making them impossible to see.

He turned around calmly, went back to his bedroom, and changed into clean pajamas.

Then he summoned the maid and casually instructed her, "There's milk spilled on the carpet in the study. Go and clean it up."

When he came downstairs again, Liu Yunshu was already sitting in the restaurant.

She changed into a beige long-sleeved dress with a very high neckline.

The warm yellow light fell on her high-necked dress, completely concealing the ambiguous red mark on her neck.

Liu Chengyan walked calmly to the dining table and sat down in the empty seat next to her with complete ease.

Shen Wan was serving soup when she saw him come down and waved with a smile: "Chengyan, come and have some soup. I specially saved a bowl for you."

Liu Chengyan responded gently, "Thank you, Mom."

Liu Yunshu lowered her head and sipped the soup in her bowl, but she couldn't taste it; it was as if she were chewing wax.

Suddenly, the fingertips holding the spoon trembled violently, her pupils contracted sharply, and she almost screamed out in alarm.

While chatting with Shen Wan about company matters, Liu Chengyan silently reached under the table with his hand.

His palms were burning hot, and his fingertips even lightly caressed her delicate skin.

She dared not raise her head, dared not make a sound, and could only bite her lower lip tightly, burying her face even lower.

Her long eyelashes trembled violently, and tears welled up in her eyes again.

Shen Wan was talking about taking her to order a custom-made birthday dress next week, and she smiled as she said to Liu Chengyan:

"It's your sister's birthday, so as her older brother, you'd better put some thought into it."

Liu Chengyan responded, a gentle smile playing on his lips, his eyes full of obedience as he looked at Shen Wan.

The fingertips under the table became increasingly audacious, slowly moving upwards to trace her sensitive and delicate skin.

Their movements were tender yet carried a chilling possessiveness.

"Don't worry, Mom," his voice was clear and gentle, without a hint of anything amiss, "I've already prepared Yunshu's birthday present."

"By the way, Yunshu," Shen Wan suddenly turned to her daughter and said with a smile.

"Remember to tell Achi to make time for us to come over for dinner next week."

Her fingertips continued to roam slowly under the table, their burning heat caressing her delicate skin.

Every touch felt like a hook, making her tremble all over, yet she didn't dare to dodge.

"I..." She opened her mouth, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, with a heavy nasal tone, "I understand."

Shen Wan didn't notice anything unusual in her voice, assuming she was still worried about Jiang Chi's training, and smiled as she added a piece of pork rib to her bowl:

"Eat more, you've lost weight these past few days."

Liu Yunshu mechanically opened her mouth and chewed the ribs, but couldn't taste any flavor at all.

A faint smile played on Liu Chengyan's lips, unnoticed by anyone, while his fingertips moved with increasing gentleness, as if he were handling a rare treasure.

He looked up at Shen Wan, his tone as natural as if he were talking about the weather: "Mom, I'll go with you to order your dress next week."

"Okay," Shen Wan smiled, her eyes crinkling, "With you here, I can help make decisions."

Liu Yunshu lowered her head, her long eyelashes concealing the despair in her eyes.

Her hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly, her knuckles turned bluish-white, and she almost dropped the ribs she was picking up back into the bowl.

"Why aren't you eating?"

Liu Chengyan's voice rang out at the right time, gentle as if concerned, but his gaze fell on her tense profile, with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Shen Wan looked over as well, her eyes full of concern: "Is it not to your liking? There are other dishes in the kitchen, Mom will have the housekeeper make them for you."

"No...that's not it."

Liu Yunshu hurriedly shook her head, swallowed the rib in her mouth, but her throat was dry and sore. "I...I'm full."

"Are you full?" Liu Chengyan raised an eyebrow, his fingertips under the table gently pinching the table, the force carrying a hint of warning.

"You've only eaten a few bites, how can you be full already? Yun Shu, don't be picky about food."

Liu Yunshu trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes again.

She dared not disobey, so she could only pick up her chopsticks again and mechanically stuff food into her mouth, which tasted like nothing at all.

Shen Wan was still rambling on and on:

"You're too thin, you need to eat more. You're getting your dress made next week, you need to look your best in it."

Liu Chengyan responded, his gaze falling on Liu Yunshu's slender wrist peeking out from under her high-necked dress, his possessiveness intense.

"Yes, my little girl, she looks good in anything."

This seemingly cozy dinner was, for Liu Yunshu, like a long and silent torture.