First, then, love.

Shu Yao's back was pressed against the cold wall, and her body slid down little by little.

Finally, she collapsed onto the hard, cold floor tiles in the entryway.

Shopping bags were scattered all over the ground, and fresh tuberoses had their branches broken, petals shattered, and juice seeping out, emitting a bittersweet fragrance.

She buried her face in her knees.

His shoulders shrugged violently.

Tears could no longer be held back, streaming down like water bursting its banks.

Feeling wronged, angry, and ashamed that one's self-esteem has been brutally trampled on.

"Alumni who slept in the same bed?"

These words were like a barbed knife, repeatedly cutting into her mind.

What right does he have to think of her like that? What right does he have to use such vulgar language to insult her?

From childhood to adulthood, Shu Yao had always been proud and noble; when had she ever suffered such humiliation?

She gave him her pure and innocent self, only to be met with his possessive and insane slander in return.

"Bastard... barbarian... bastard..."

She cried and cursed through gritted teeth until her voice became hoarse.

In the empty living room, only her suppressed sobs could be heard.

The God of War hid on the balcony, too afraid to come over, while the dog let out soft whimpers.

The princess suddenly appeared from some corner, walked over to her with cat-like steps, and rubbed her arm with her fluffy head.

Shu Yao ignored it.

After crying enough, the tears dried, and the skin on my cheeks felt tight and sore.

She stood up, leaning against the wall, her face cold, and walked straight back to the master bedroom.

With a "bang," the door was locked from the inside.

first day.

He Zheng didn't come back.

The house suddenly felt terrifyingly large.

The underfloor heating was still set at 24 degrees Celsius, but Shu Yao felt cold, as if a chill was seeping from her very bones.

She slept alone in the middle of that big bed.

The space beside him was empty; there was no longer that chest that burned like a furnace, nor those rough but powerful hands.

She wrapped herself in a silk quilt, tossing and turning, not closing her eyes all night.

Habits are a terrible thing.

In just two months, her body had completely adapted to the man's presence, to his body temperature, his scent, and his domineering confinement.

Shu Yao took out her phone.

The WeChat interface is clean and tidy.

There was no movement from "He Lao Er".

The chat history still shows the line: "Okay, I'll watch it with you."

Shu Yao sneered and threw her phone at the foot of the bed.

If I don't want to reply, I don't want to reply. Who cares?

If you're so capable, then never come back.

the next day.

He Zheng was still nowhere to be seen.

Shu Yao went to work at the Starry Sky Art Center as usual.

She put on a full face of makeup, using foundation to cover the alarming dark circles under her eyes.

She was wearing a turtleneck sweater and a long coat, completely wrapped up.

But when he played the cello in the practice room, he made several wrong notes.

The bow rubs against the strings, producing a harsh, dry sound, like sawing.

Qiaoqiao walked in with a cup of coffee and leaned against the door frame.

"Wow, that violin playing today is brimming with resentment," Qiao Qiao raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong, Captain He? Didn't you deliver your duties last night? Still unsatisfied?"

"Shut up."

Shu Yao gave her a cold look, her face grim.

"They had a fight."

Qiaoqiao paused for a moment, then put away her joking expression and walked over.

"You really had a fight? What happened?"

"For no reason other than personality clashes, we just can't get along anymore," Shu Yao pushed her cello aside and rubbed her aching wrist.

"Nonsense, you were all smiles just two days ago, and now you're saying you're incompatible?" Qiaoqiao pulled up a chair and sat down. "Did he hit you?"

"He wouldn't dare!" Shu Yao's eyes reddened as she gritted her teeth.

"So he cheated on me?"

"no."

"That settles it then." Qiao Qiao sighed. "When a couple lives together, there are bound to be disagreements. Special police officers are already under a lot of pressure, so just go along with him a bit."

"Why should I go along with him!" Shu Yao's temper flared instantly, her voice rising, "Why did he insult me! He's just an unreasonable bandit!"

Seeing that she was in a bad mood, Qiaoqiao quickly shut up, patted her shoulder, and didn't try to persuade her anymore.

That evening, Shu Yao returned to Jinxiu Huating.

Push open the door.

The room remained completely dark.

The shopping bag was thrown on the kitchen floor; the steak inside had long since thawed, was bleeding, and smelled fishy.

The tuberoses withered completely, turning into a pile of yellowed garbage.

Shu Yao stood at the door, looking at the mess on the ground.

My heart suddenly sank.

Three whole days.

He Zheng slept at the SWAT team's residence and never stepped into this home.

The house instantly turned into an icebox, devoid of any sign of life.

The God of War was so hungry that he circled around the food bowl, and the princess, unusually, didn't make a sound, instead lying on the sofa pretending to be dead.

Shu Yao didn't cook.

After serving the food to the God of War and the princess, I ordered a salad delivery.

Sitting at the marble dining table, the food tasted like chewing wax.

Swallowing the raw, cold vegetables triggered a spasm in my stomach.

She threw the fork down and pushed the takeout box into the trash can.

On the third night of the Cold War.

Shu Yao's health completely collapsed.

A few days ago, I stood on a street corner and got caught in that icy rain; the chill had long since seeped into my internal organs.

In addition, I've been so angry these past few days that I haven't been able to eat or sleep, and my emotions have been fluctuating wildly.

Her health was already poor, and now all sorts of problems have come knocking on her door.

Two o'clock in the morning.

Shu Yao was woken up in bed by excruciating pain.

A sharp, cramping pain shot through my lower abdomen, as if countless tiny knives were churning inside.

I felt a dragging, aching pain, and my lower back felt like it was broken.

My period came early.

Shu Yao clutched her stomach and curled up like a shrimp on the bed.

A fine layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

The back of my silk pajamas was completely soaked, sticking to my skin in a sticky, uncomfortable way.

She bit her lip and forced herself to get up.

I went to the restroom to take care of it.

Go back to bed.

My whole body started shaking uncontrollably.

cold.

Extreme cold seeped into my bones.

Besides menstrual cramps, I also caught a full-blown cold.

My throat feels like I've swallowed shards of glass; even swallowing a single saliva makes my scalp tingle with pain.

My head feels heavy and dizzy, like it's filled with lead.

My nose was completely blocked, so I could only breathe through my mouth.

The air we breathed out was scalding hot.

I have a fever.

Shu Yao wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, her teeth chattering and making a "clucking" sound.

She reached out to touch the thermos on the bedside table.

I want to pour myself a glass of hot water.

My fingers have no strength at all; they're limp and weak.

"Bang."

The glass water cup was overturned and shattered on the ground, splashing water everywhere.

Shu Yao's hand froze in mid-air.

Looking at the shards of glass on the ground, tears streamed down my face without warning.