Gu Qingtong had originally meant to retort defiantly, but it wasn’t until Yan Chi began to invade her body that fear doused her arrogance like a bucket of cold water. Only then did she realize that beneath that woman’s cold indifference lay an even more unhinged side.
When Gu Qingtong saw that sickly pale, long, slender hand propped up beside her, she knew something was about to happen. Instinctively, she tried to dodge Yan Chi’s dominating, enveloping presence.
“Aren’t you the one who loves it most? What are you hiding for?”
At that moment, Yan Chi’s cool, detached voice—uncharacteristically flippant—struck each word into Gu Qingtong’s heart. With those words, the tips of Yan Chi’s hair fell onto Gu Qingtong’s neck. Unlike playful, ambiguous teasing, the hair felt cool as it grazed her easily marked skin, instantly leaving a faint, rosy imprint.
Her cold-blooded nature seemed to be perfectly summed up in that moment; not a single part of her body was free from an icy chill to the bone. Yan Chi’s words also reached Gu Qingtong’s ears, making her heart skip a beat in fear. She knew all too well that this wasn’t seduction at all—it was simply stating the facts.
Although every encounter appeared to show Yan Chi taking the initiative, it seemed that ever since the time Gu Qingtong, after being drunk and drugged, had actively sought to seduce her, she was doomed to repeatedly indulge Yan Chi. No matter how much she disliked and feared Yan Chi, her body was honestly craving that familiar taste. That ineffective resistance wasn’t so much that she truly didn’t want it—it was more an excuse to console her own cowardly self: “See, I did resist too; I just couldn’t overcome that wicked woman. She forced me; besides trembling under her fingertips, what other choice did I have?”
And, quite rightfully, Yan Chi is now her wife. Ever since their one-night affair was exposed before both the Gu and Yan families, their union naturally shifted from Yan Song to Yan Chi. Gu Qingtong had always both disliked and feared Yan Chi for what their second “spring” had become.
Once she was off the bed, her mind cleared up immediately. There was no longer any trace of the tearful, pleading woman begging to be with her. She didn’t even have time to avoid Yan Chi, let alone agree to a marriage with her.
She had originally thought that someone like Yan Chi, so high and mighty, so independent, would never agree to marry her. But unexpectedly, Yan Chi not only agreed but was also able to easily deceive the elders with her own excellence, without even needing to act.
Whether it was for the cooperation between the Gu and Yan families, or to get rid of the troublesome Gu Qingtong, the Gu family was very satisfied with this marriage.
It was only then that Gu Qingtong understood: the reason Yan Chi had agreed was to continue their previous relationship in bed. As mentioned before, Yan Chi never got emotionally involved. Even when they slept together the second time, it was under the pretext that Gu Qingtong owed her a debt for helping her when she was drugged.
Perhaps because of the coldness in her gaze, Gu Qingtong had naively believed that the woman who had slept with her twice would have no desire or intention towards her. As she tried to cover up their fleeting affair, Yan Chi only stirred the waters, dragging her down into a deeper mess.
Afraid of the woman’s coldness and oppression, yet also terrified that she would lose control of her own body’s desires, Gu Qingtong ran away that very night, using her escape from the wedding as a way to show her rejection of Yan Chi.
Of course, the forced love was accompanied by the typical plot from novels: “She ran, she chased, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t escape.”
But in the end, Gu Qingtong only made things worse for herself. Yan Chi didn’t even have to chase her; she returned of her own accord, defeated. The reason? The head of the Gu family played his trump card, saying that only by marrying Yan Chi would the shares that originally belonged to Gu Shuyu be handed over to Gu Qingtong.
This was the very reason why Gu Qingtong had initially agreed to marry Yan Song. Ever since Gu Shuyu had been cut off from financial support, the Gu family had fallen into poverty at lightning speed. Gu Qingtong’s income from being a small-time actress in the entertainment industry couldn’t even cover the cost of a single dress.
Anyone with a bit of dignity would never bend for a few coins, but being broke was the fatal flaw of a pampered young lady. After struggling with it for a long time, Gu Qingtong finally decided to endure the humiliation and marry Yan Chi, planning to divorce her as soon as the shares were secured.
As expected, this led to the current situation.
After their marriage, the two lived under the same roof, yet whether in or out of bed, the atmosphere was always charged with tension—it hardly resembled that of loving partners at all.
Although Yan Chi had known from the very first time that Gu Qingtong was high-maintenance, every time she made her move she deliberately targeted spots that would hurt so badly that Gu Qingtong would end up feeling utterly aggrieved. Yan Chi was as cold as ice, yet she meticulously noted every instance.
Still, every time Gu Qingtong reacted so violently, she would inadvertently wound Yan Chi—leaving all kinds of scratch and bite marks on her. But Gu Qingtong clearly considered her own loss of control as part of being wronged, and she incessantly blamed Yan Chi. There were indeed moments when she felt so deeply bullied and enraged that she wanted to run away once again. But then she thought: if I really run away, how will I ever be able to get my revenge?
The pampered young lady had never suffered such indignity in her life—she simply couldn’t swallow that anger. Even if the scratching and biting only left a few trivial little wounds, it was enough for Gu Qingtong to relish her misfortune for a while. Thus, their relationship had grown so entangled and inextricable up to now.
Although Gu Qingtong was well aware of her own perverse pleasure, she could never admit defeat by being conquered by Yan Chi. It was as if once Yan Chi grasped this leverage, Gu Qingtong would never be able to recover. Every time she struggled and resisted, declaring her determination to despise Yan Chi—even though, deep down, she was the one who simply couldn’t help but endure. Truly, her wild, untamable nature demanded that she always flash her claws and act ferociously in order to intimidate back, so that she wouldn’t feel like a loser.
Gu Qingtong had always believed that the secret of her body was well hidden by her overt, hateful resistance. Little did she know that Yan Chi had always seen right through her, silently watching her performance, without saying a word—until now, when Yan Chi’s patience for playing along finally ran out and she effortlessly exposed Gu Qingtong’s most unbearable secret.
“I—I could never possibly like this! It’s all because you…forced me!”
Gu Qingtong blurted out, as all her pretensions seemed to shatter in an instant. Reflexively, she tried to retort, but in her panic her usually proper, coarse voice turned dry and stuttered—she even forgot her fear and struggle.
Hearing her retort, Yan Chi let out a low laugh. Beneath that husky tone was an inexplicable air of deliberate teasing. Until that moment, Gu Qingtong had never seen Yan Chi smile; that icy figure had always seemed as if she were born completely devoid of emotion. And Gu Qingtong had never imagined that a single low laugh from Yan Chi could evoke an emotional response in her.
“So?” Yan Chi’s lips tightened, the earlier mockery vanishing in an instant, as she slowly and deliberately uttered those three words. She truly had no interest in arguing any further with Gu Qingtong, but she made it perfectly clear to her so-called wife: whether it was affection or force, it wouldn’t affect what she intended to do next.
Gu Qingtong guessed that the other hand hadn’t continued resting by Yan Chi’s side but had instead begun to toy with her. The sensation was unmistakable—stirring yet another surge in her already agitated state.
Sensing what Yan Chi intended to do, Gu Qingtong’s entire body tensed and heated up. She could only muster the fierce look from before and blurt out, “I’ve already got your leverage—I’m not afraid…”
It was less about intimidating Yan Chi and more about bolstering her own courage.
But before she could finish, Yan Chi’s actions interrupted her, and the rest of her words were drowned out by overwhelming sensation. In an instant, her peach-blossom eyes blurred with tears, tormented by unbearable anguish.
Perhaps because she had just been pushed into a frenzy by Gu Qingtong’s bite earlier, Yan Chi was lax with her nails this time and did not forcefully restrain her. Gu Qingtong forced herself to extend her hand and tightly grab Yan Chi’s wrist, trying to stop her actions. However, Yan Chi countered by grabbing her back, forcing their fingertips to meet at the same spot. The sensation transmitted from her fingertips—and worse, this unexpected contact made Gu Qingtong shudder violently, as if it welcomed everything without discrimination.
She had never witnessed such a scene: while desperately trying to pull her hand back, she simultaneously, without care, scratched the back of Yan Chi’s hand with her nails.
“I told you, if you grab again, I’ll personally cut your nails,” she warned. Yan Chi’s eyes remained a deep, unyielding shade, her desire not eased in the slightest as she stared intently at Gu Qingtong.
Those words made Gu Qingtong hesitate for a moment, her fingertips hovering over Yan Chi’s hand, unable to advance or retreat. Over the past few days together, she knew all too well that Yan Chi always kept her word. And she recalled how every time she left scratch marks on Yan Chi, they were always in hidden places. Even if she had painstakingly left countless marks the previous night, Yan Chi could still wear a turtleneck sweater to work the next day as if nothing had happened. Yet now, Yan Chi’s bare hand was right before her eyes.
If only she could leave some scratch marks on that pale hand… Gu Qingtong was desperate to expose that wicked, degenerate side hidden beneath Yan Chi’s cold, divine façade. She had secretly tracked Yan Chi’s schedule and knew that she was about to be invited to an internationally renowned film festival abroad. Now was the perfect opportunity for revenge. But her thoughts were cut off abruptly at that moment.
Just because in her moment of hesitation, Yan Chi’s actions showed not the slightest hint of mercy—or any intention of stopping.
Gu Qingtong never imagined that one day she would be made to “bloom” under the pressure of her own fingertips.
Their fingertips became so entangled amid a searing heat that it was impossible to tell whose fingers belonged to whom.
But that didn’t matter anymore—she was already crying and struggling, desperate to clutch at two completely different sets of fingers.
Before she completely lost herself, she was nearly overwhelmed by all the sensations—but she still recalled the vengeful thoughts she’d been plotting just moments before.
So, without a sound, Gu Qingtong let her free hand creep over and cling to the back of Yan Chi’s hand that rested by her side.
That instant seemed to act as the perfect catalyst.
Using that hand as her support, she mischievously transferred the trembling and the sense of falling onto Yan Chi.
Discarding Yan Chi’s warning entirely, Gu Qingtong finally lashed out in a burst of pent-up emotion and grabbed her.
The two were no different from bitter enemies—no room for conscience, each blow striking hard, instantly leaving several scratch marks.
But Gu Qingtong no longer had the energy to focus on her own “victory”; her vision was already filled with countless bursts of dazzling, chaotic fireworks.
Then, in the very next second, she found herself suspended in midair. When Gu Qingtong opened her eyes in terror, she discovered that Yan Chi had scooped her up in a sideways embrace.
She now had no strength left at all—utterly at the mercy of the other.
“You… what are you going to do?”
She weakly flailed about; even though the answer was already clear in her heart, she couldn’t help but ask.
“What do you think? Weren’t you grabbing me with such vigor just now?”
Her voice was as imperious and haughty as ever—even in this intimate hold there was not the slightest trace of tenderness.
The scratch marks on Yan Chi’s hand had already broken the skin and were oozing blood.
But she acted as if she felt no pain—as if this was merely the measure for deciding whether to punish Gu Qingtong.
Gu Qingtong exclaimed in disbelief, “Are you a beast? I just got here!”
“You sure know how to enjoy it—you only get handsy when you know it’s coming. If it had happened earlier, it wouldn’t have been so comfortable,” Yan Chi replied coldly, her tone laced with mockery that left Gu Qingtong feeling utterly humiliated.
Yan Chi placed Gu Qingtong on the sink and, without allowing any resistance, forcefully pulled her fingers away to rinse them. Her fingertips rubbed repeatedly against Gu Qingtong’s skin, nearly scrubbing away a layer of it.
The icy rush of water and the slight pain made Gu Qingtong instinctively want to pull away, but Yan Chi held her so tightly that she couldn’t move.
Yan Chi merely glanced at her, her thin lips pursed, as she washed her hands with meticulous care.
Gu Qingtong knew that this, too, was part of the punishment.
It wasn’t until now that Gu Qingtong noticed the scratch marks she had left behind. The blood hadn’t clotted, and Yan Chi showed no sign whatsoever of intending to treat them. They were simply left to drown in the water along with Gu Qingtong’s fingers.
Already having been so harshly bullied, Gu Qingtong felt no sympathy. Yet, seeing Yan Chi’s indifferent attitude toward her wound made her involuntarily focus on whether those scratch marks were serious—she almost blurted out, “Aren’t you going to treat your wound first?”
That momentary lapse made Gu Qingtong forget the discomfort in her own fingers, and she finally managed to calm down a bit.
Even when Yan Chi took out a pair of nail clippers from the cabinet, she still did not let go of Gu Qingtong’s hand, holding it firmly in her palm.
After the cold water washed over them, the warmth in their palms became almost identical, tightly clasped together in an unexpectedly tender manner—yet between them, there wasn’t the slightest bit of love.
The moment Gu Qingtong saw the nail clippers, she began to resist violently, stubbornly refusing to comply. Losing her nails was trivial; what Yan Chi really wanted as punishment and a lesson was to break her remaining means of resistance and pride.
It even left her with a strong sense of humiliation, as if she were nothing more than a pet cat being coddled by Yan Chi—after all, she had only ever heard of people being afraid that their cats would scratch them when it was time to trim their nails.
“I don’t want my nails cut—let go of my hand!”
Gu Qingtong’s voice was still a bit hoarse, and as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt utterly powerless.
Yan Chi acted as if she hadn’t heard, her eyelashes trembling slightly without even lifting her eyes.
Instead, she simply continued her movements, straightening Gu Qingtong’s fingers while her fingertips, deliberately or not, brushed along the smooth edges of her nail beds.
Gu Qingtong was beautiful in every way—a refined, pampered young lady whose hands had never known hardship. Even her nails were soft pink and tender, with lunulae smaller than usual and only a tiny white tip.
“I scratched you because you bullied me…Now we’re even, so you’re not allowed to cut my nails any further!”
She could feel the cool, sharply pointed blade of the nail clippers pressed against her fingertips.
In that moment, Gu Qingtong panicked; the once obstinately proud girl now revealed a hint of cowardice. As she spoke, she frantically wiggled her fingers, trying to prevent Yan Chi from making her move.
“If you want to cut into your flesh, then go ahead and move some more.”
But all she received was a flat warning from Yan Chi.
At first, Gu Qingtong didn’t think much of it, but when that woman—without even so much as a furrowed brow—actually shaved off not only her nails but also a layer of skin, she finally realized that Yan Chi would never show any mercy. Even if her flesh were truly cut, she wouldn’t get a single word of comfort.
Fear of the pain eventually forced her to cease struggling, yet she glared at Yan Chi through gritted teeth, mentally tallying every humiliation and grudge of the day.
Their ten fingers brushed against one another as if sculpting a work of art, while Yan Chi continued to clip them all the way down to the very base, leaving Gu Qingtong no chance to grab or defend herself.
Yet even after all her nails were gone, Yan Chi wouldn’t let go—instead, she pressed her hand against the mirror behind the sink.
“What else do you want?!” Gu Qingtong finally shouted, though she had long suspected this was the perverse intention ever since Yan Chi had carried her over to sit at the sink.
“I always keep my promises—this is exactly what I meant to do,” Yan Chi replied, bending down as she spoke.
In the mirror, the deep hue in her eyes churned and swirled until it completely enveloped Gu Qingtong.
❖❖❖❖❖
It was as if Yan Chi knew exactly what Gu Qingtong was thinking—intentionally scratching her hand.
During Yan Chi’s public schedule for the few days she flew abroad to attend the film exhibition, she didn’t even bother to cover the marks with gloves.
The scratches were almost too obvious, and everyone was speculating about where they had come from.
Gu Qingtong had initially thought that this would expose Yan Chi’s true nature to the public, but the outcome wasn’t what she had expected.
Instead, this act of leaving a mark made her feel nothing but shame and frustration amidst the widespread speculation.
She gradually realized that Yan Chi simply didn’t care.
What Gu Qingtong thought were childish acts of revenge, clawing at her as if to scare her, were, in Yan Chi’s eyes, undoubtedly childish.
It felt like throwing a punch at cotton.
Looking at her delicate hands, now without any protection from her nails, everything she did hurt.
Annoyed, she declared that she would starve herself.
But…
She could only helplessly call the other female mistress of the villa to report.
What she didn’t realize was that when she was on speakerphone, she was unknowingly eavesdropped on from behind.
“If she doesn’t want to eat, let her. Let’s see how long she can hold out,” Yan Chi said, her tone as indifferent as ever, as if dealing with an unimportant trivial matter.
Gu Qingtong was not hiding behind to listen to such words.
Feeling both disappointed and angry, she decided then and there that she would stand her ground against Yan Chi.
Yan Chi’s words reached her assistant, Xiao Jun, as well. After the call ended, Xiao Jun spoke up:
“Miss Gu is throwing another tantrum?”
As Yan Chi’s assistant, Xiao Jun naturally knew that Yan Chi had married into the Gu family.
At first, Xiao Jun often saw marks on Yan Chi’s neck and thought that Yan Chi had a terrible relationship with her wife. She had even worried deeply for her boss.
But as time passed, Xiao Jun gradually noticed that the once solitary and indifferent Yan Chi, after finishing work, would return to the villa in the northern part of the city, where she would stay for several days at a time.
It wasn’t a matter of dislike.
Clearly, Yan Chi had spent all her free time on her little wife!
Xiao Jun had an epiphany—those marks were probably just playful signs between the wife and wife.
“Girls need to be spoiled more. If she’s not eating, buy something that Miss Gu likes, coax her a bit, and everything will be fine.”
Maybe it was because Yan Chi’s behavior was so awkward—clearly clingy to her wife, yet acting colder than anyone else.
Xiao Jun couldn’t help but feel the urge to teach Yan Chi how to woo her wife properly.
In Yan Chi’s life, there was no option to spoil others; other people’s emotions had never been her concern.
Logically, Yan Chi would have scoffed at Xiao Jun’s suggestion.
But for some reason, her mind was oddly fixated on the image of Gu Qingtong being picky at the dinner table, acting spoiled, and sulking at her.
“…She doesn’t have anything she likes to eat.” Only things she dislikes.
“How can that be? Then try buying cake or sweets? Most girls should like them, right?” Xiao Jun mumbled.
Perhaps it was truly a moment of obsession; Xiao Jun’s words inexplicably lingered in Yan Chi’s mind.
It wasn’t until Yan Chi finished her event and flew back to the country that she decided to take action.
After arriving at the airport and driving home, she suddenly spoke, murmuring softly,
“Forget it, consider it a compensation for the nail clipping.”
She turned the steering wheel abruptly and drove in the opposite direction of the GPS.
To get the famous ice cream cake, Yan Chi even took a detour through the busy streets, stuck in traffic for two hours.
By the time she returned home with the cake, it was already late at night.
But surprisingly, the lights in the villa were still on.
Yan Chi opened the door and walked in, immediately spotting Gu Qingtong, who was curled up on the sofa, sound asleep.
The TV screen was still playing a video, and a familiar voice could be heard.
It was a full recording of the film exhibition she had attended.
She was…watching videos about her?
It seemed that Gu Qingtong had heard Yan Chi’s return and slowly woke up from her sleep, still dazed when she lifted her head.
As her thoughts cleared, she finally remembered that she had known Yan Chi was coming back today.
She had been determined to let Yan Chi see that she was still on a hunger strike, so she stayed curled up on the sofa, waiting.
The background sound of the video also caught her attention, and it was then that she realized she had forgotten to turn off the TV.
It felt as if Yan Chi had caught her in the act of secretly keeping track of her schedule.
At this point, Gu Qingtong decided to just accept it. If she had been discovered, then so be it; Yan Chi knew full well that she hated her.
Watching Gu Qingtong’s expression shift from dazed and soft to one that seemed like she was about to bare her teeth in a pout, Yan Chi knew she was fully awake.
“I bought cake.”
“I’m still on a hunger strike today!”
They spoke simultaneously, and the coincidence caused an awkward silence between them.
Upon hearing Gu Qingtong’s words meant to prove herself, Yan Chi immediately realized what had happened.
The words she had spoken to her aunt had likely reached Gu Qingtong’s ears.
The thought of it made Yan Chi’s mood drop further, and after a long silence, she spoke:
“…I heard. If you’re hungry, you can eat this.”
She placed the cake in the refrigerator.
Aside from that, she had no intention of offering any further explanation about the cake’s origin or purpose.
“I’m! Not! Hungry!”
Gu Qingtong gritted her teeth and said each word with emphasis.
But the next moment, her stomach rumbled, sending an immediate wave of embarrassment.
Facing Gu Qingtong’s flushed face, Yan Chi silently took half a step back in her heart and spoke faintly,
“The cake was bought specifically for you, as compensation for cutting your nails. If you don’t like it, just leave it there. I’ll take care of it tomorrow.”
Without waiting for Gu Qingtong’s reply, she began unbuttoning her shirt and walked toward the bathroom.
“Ah…?”
Gu Qingtong never expected Yan Chi to say something like this. She froze, staring dumbfounded at her retreating figure.
Yan Chi…is she someone who would make amends? Does this mean she acknowledges that cutting my nails was a really over-the-top thing to do?
Suddenly, she wasn’t as angry anymore.
She had always been picky about what she didn’t eat, but she’d never really had anything she particularly liked.
Not to mention things—somehow, all the things she liked never seemed to be something she could consider.
As for sweets, she was an artist, so naturally, she avoided them like the plague.
But whether it was because she was so hungry that she broke through her limits, or because of Yan Chi’s words about “compensating for cutting nails,” it seemed like it would be a loss not to eat it.
Still, she had her pride. So, she waited until the dead of night when Yan Chi was no longer around.
Gu Qingtong crept downstairs, carefully took the ice cream cake with the blue packaging from the fridge.
It was small, about the size of her palm, but exquisitely crafted, capturing all the girl’s hearts in an instant.
She picked up the little silver fork and, with a bit of hesitation, scooped a small bite, bringing it to her mouth.
The cream and ice cream melted together, the dense, rich taste of milk spreading across her tongue. The sweetness was just perfect, almost as though it flowed straight into her heart.
Her eyes sparkled with delight after that first bite, and she let out a satisfied “mmm” sound.
She eagerly scooped up a second, then a third bite.
Gu Qingtong, who hadn’t eaten in five days, finally understood what it was like to enjoy something she liked, even if it was just a small dessert.
“Then… I’ll forgive you.”
As she took the last bite of the small cake, Gu Qingtong whispered, not even sure who she was talking to.
Her voice wasn’t loud, but in the quiet of the night, it still clearly reached the dark second floor.
Yan Chi was leaning against the railing on the second floor, quietly watching Gu Qingtong below.
She observed every little expression from hesitation to surprise and joy that bloomed across Gu Qingtong’s face.
And finally, that soft “forgive you.”
A strange, unfamiliar flutter stirred in Yan Chi’s chest, causing her pinky finger to tremble.
She slowly closed her eyes and, in a voice only she could hear, murmured,
“Mm, don’t go back on your word.”
Misericórdia