I agreed to be a kept man, but I'm still being punished by the system.

The deep blue Cayenne silently glided into the underground parking garage of Tianheng Garden, and the two got out of the car and took the elevator to the 12th floor.

The elevator ascended smoothly, and when the elevator door opened with a "ding," revealing the fire door that had been temporarily sealed with tape by the property management, Su Man's body stiffened slightly.

The broken lock on the door, like an ugly scar, serves as a reminder of everything that happened not long ago.

Pushing open my front door, a mixture of disinfectant and cleaning agent wafted out.

The living room, which once housed an imported Italian sofa, was now empty, leaving only a gleaming floor and a few glaring holes in the walls. The broken dining table and the mess on the floor had been cleaned up, but this emptiness only served to send a chill down one's spine.

Hearing the noise, Aunt Chen came out of her room, her eyes still red.

"Miss, you're back."

"Manager Li brought people to clean it up, and he said that's all we can do for today."

Su Man's gaze swept over the empty living and dining room, and she nodded, her voice revealing a hint of weariness.

"Well, that's the only way."

"The lock on the fire door in the elevator lobby has been pried open. Manager Li said that it can only be repaired after the new fire door is delivered."

Aunt Chen's voice trembled with lingering fear.

"I'm afraid... I'm afraid someone else will come up..."

Su Man looked at her; her usually sharp eyes were now filled with weariness.

"Aunt Chen, why don't you go home and stay for the next few days?"

"I'll be staying in a hotel for the next few days. I'll pack my clothes and leave."

"Oh, miss, you..."

Aunt Chen looked at her with concern.

"I'm fine."

Su Man interrupted her, as if saying even one more word would exhaust her energy.

"I'll lock the room door and close the windows later."

"Um."

Aunt Chen didn't ask any more questions and silently went back to her room to pack her things.

Lin Yang remained silent, went into the second bedroom and study to check the windows, and then locked the doors one by one.

Su Man walked into the master bedroom and dragged a silver suitcase out of the walk-in closet.

She mechanically opened the wardrobe, took out a few changes of business suits, and then took some basic skincare and makeup products, as well as her usual jewelry, from the dressing table. Her movements were quick but lifeless.

Soon, she locked the door to the master bedroom as well.

Lin Yang carried his suitcase, and the two took the elevator back to the underground parking lot.

Lin Yang opened the trunk of the Cayenne, where the three black travel bags containing three million yuan in cash were still lying there quietly.

His gaze shifted to Suman.

Su Man's gaze lingered on the travel bag for a second before shifting away.

"It's too late now, let's talk about it tomorrow."

"Um."

Lin Yang closed the trunk without asking any further questions.

The car drove towards the Junfu Hotel.

The crystal chandelier in the lobby still shone brightly, and well-dressed men and women strolled around. The air was filled with the scent of high-end fragrances, making it seem like a completely different world from what it had been just a few hours earlier.

They were greeted by the same lobby manager surnamed Luo.

Manager Luo put on a professional and respectful smile and personally checked her in, booking her a top-of-the-line executive suite.

The suite is located on the top floor of the hotel. Upon entering, there is a small foyer, with a spacious living room and floor-to-ceiling windows on the left, and a separate bedroom and bathroom on the right. The entire room is decorated in a calming dark wood tone and beige soft furnishings, exuding understated luxury.

Lin Yang placed his suitcase in the entryway, his chest and side ribs still throbbing with pain from the blows.

All he wants now is to go back to Tianyue Huafu and have Chen Wanjun bring out the imported ointment from last time and rub it on his skin.

He was about to say goodbye.

"Xiao Lin."

Su Man's voice came through, losing its usual coldness and becoming softer.

He turned his head and saw Su Man standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the city lights outside, her figure appearing particularly thin.

"Will you stay with me tonight?"

Her voice was very soft, as if she were pleading.

Lin Yang felt as if an invisible hand had gently squeezed his heart.

He looked at Su Man's profile; those eyes, which were always clear and wise, were now filled with only confusion and vulnerability.

He felt that if he said "no," this woman would shatter at any moment.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally nodded.

Suman ordered dinner at the hotel, a set for two.

Not long after, Manager Luo personally pushed the food cart up, bringing not only exquisite dishes but also a bottle of red wine from a French winery.

During dinner, Lin Yang was still somewhat worried about the huge sum of money in the car.

"That three million..."

Nobody knows.

Su Man picked up the wine glass and gently swirled the crimson liquid inside, seemingly regaining a bit of composure.

"I'll go deposit it tomorrow morning; I've already made an appointment with the bank manager."

Lin Yang was finally relieved.

After finishing dinner, Su Man walked into the bathroom without saying a word.

Soon, the sound of rushing water came from inside. All the fear she had experienced that day needed to be washed away repeatedly with scalding hot water to barely suppress it.

Lin Yang sat on the sofa in the living room and took out his phone.

He first sent a message to Zhang Wei.

I'm not going home tonight, I'm working overtime.

Zhang Wei replied instantly.

Oh, don't overwork yourself. Working overtime on the weekend.

Lin Yang smiled and then clicked on Chen Wanjun's profile picture.

I'm not going home tonight, I'm working overtime.

A moment later, a simple word appeared.

【Oh. 】

Lin Yang could picture the girl's disappointed expression on the other end of the phone.

He tapped his fingers on the screen.

Did you apply the medicine properly?

Yes, I just applied some ointment, and it doesn't hurt as much anymore.

Upon seeing this, Lin Yang felt a sense of relief.

"Okay, that's good. I have a question for you."

【you say.】

"The quantitative model you created for the company is profitable; can I invest in it?"

This question had already formed in his mind the moment he saw the ten million yuan balance in his bank account. Two hundred thousand yuan in "soft rice" points were certainly tempting, but he wanted to make that money generate even more.

"Yes, but I heard their minimum requirement is five million."

【So high? 】

【Um. 】

five million.

Lin Yang looked at the number, a slight smile playing on his lips. What was once an insurmountable barrier was now nothing more than half the amount in his account.

"Then you should get some rest and not overwork yourself."

【Um. 】

After finishing my chat with Chen Wanjun, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

Su Man came out wearing an ice-blue silk robe, her long hair loosely wrapped in a towel, her face without makeup, her skin glowing with a thin layer of pink from the steam, less sharp than usual, and more gentle and domestic.

Lin Yang also went in and took a shower.

When he came out of the bathroom, only a dim bedside lamp was on in the bedroom.

Su Man was already lying in bed, curled up in the blankets, with only the back of her head showing.

Lin Yang lay down on the other side of the bed, the soft mattress instantly enveloping him.

He had just settled down and hadn't even had time to adjust to the excessively spacious distance.

The figure beside me suddenly moved.

Su Man practically pounced on him, her soft body carrying the warm scent of her bath, tightly hugging his arm and pressing her entire body against his.

Her body was trembling slightly.

"Kobayashi, I'm scared."

Her face was buried in his arms, and she saw the bruises on his chest.

She touched it.

Lin Yang's body stiffened for a moment, then relaxed.

He reached out his other hand and gently patted her back, as if comforting a frightened little animal.

"It's okay, I'm here."

His voice was steady and powerful, like a reassuring balm in the quiet night.

Su Man didn't say anything more, but hugged him tighter. The scars on this man's body were caused by her.

Lin Yang could clearly feel her body trembling, which gradually subsided.

As Lin Yang's heartbeat filled the air, Su Man's nerves, which had been tense all day, finally relaxed completely, and an overwhelming sense of weariness washed over her.

The two fell asleep in each other's arms.