He Yan no longer cared about Fu Shenxing’s sarcastic remarks. After suffering such brutal humiliation and abuse, these barbs felt utterly powerless—like mosquito bites to someone already beaten and flayed by the enemy every few days.

With one hand resting on the door, she gazed coldly at him, not showing the slightest intention of letting him in.

Fu Shenxing gave a faint smile, then reached out and unceremoniously pushed her aside, stepping directly into the room. Noticing she hadn’t followed him in, he chuckled and said, “Ms. He, don’t you think it’s better for us to have this conversation with the door closed?”

She said nothing, though it was obvious she took a deep breath before pressing her lips together and shutting the door.

He particularly relished seeing her look of bitter indignation masked by forced composure. Lips curled, he let his gaze sweep over her from head to toe—face, neck, chest, waist—his eyes slowly, shamelessly devouring her. She was dressed modestly: a black turtleneck and pale blue jeans. Except for her face and hands, everything else was completely covered.

He knew perfectly well why she dressed like this, and the thought alone filled him with perverse satisfaction.

But to He Yan, his gaze was repugnant, especially after he had deliberately left those marks on her body the night before. She silently reminded herself not to provoke this scum. Suppressing her nausea, she asked coolly, “What brings you here, Mr. Fu?”

“To check on you,” he said, his eyes briefly flicking to the television, which was showing a famous foreign romance film. Even he had heard of it before. He leaned casually against the vanity and remarked with a laugh, “I’m surprised, Ms. He. You still have the mood for romance films?”

He Yan hadn’t been watching at all. The TV was only on to mask other sounds. She gave a mocking laugh. “What did you expect me to do? Hang myself? Or weep bitter tears in remorse?”

He chuckled, letting her sarcasm slide, and changed the subject. “You only took three days off. Is that enough?”

She blinked, momentarily puzzled.

His eyes drifted meaningfully over her chest. With a slow tug of his lips, he drawled, “I don’t think those marks on your body will fade in three days. Something like that takes at least a week to heal. What are you going to tell your husband then, hmm?”

“I’ll come up with another excuse,” she replied, her tone as calm and detached as ever. “Does that answer satisfy you?”

Her indifference irked him. The corners of Fu Shenxing’s mouth flattened before lifting again in a cold smile. “And if I leave more marks? Will you keep lying? Never see your husband again?”

Now she truly felt a flicker of rage. She couldn't fathom what this beast wanted or how to deal with him. Pleading didn’t work. Toughness failed. Even staying calm and composed seemed to displease him. Exasperated, she snapped, “More marks? Will it be you again, or will you let your friends have a turn? Mr. Fu, doesn’t playing the same game over and over bore you?”

He didn’t respond, but his mouth tightened and a chill surfaced in his eyes.

He Yan knew better than to provoke him, but the sight of his expression gave her a wicked sense of release. Still, she dared not continue. Pressing her lips together, she lowered her gaze and said nothing more.

The room fell into silence, the only noise coming from the TV. Then suddenly, a cellphone rang from beneath the bed.

He Yan froze. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. No one had that number—who could be calling?

A flicker of surprise crossed Fu Shenxing’s face too. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow when he saw the panic in her expression. “How did your phone end up under the bed?”

She steadied herself and replied blandly, “Must’ve fallen when I was changing. I probably kicked it under without noticing.”

“Oh?” His eyes narrowed slightly. “Well, you’d better retrieve it quickly. You don’t want to miss the call.”

Since his suspicion had been aroused, she had no choice but to retrieve the phone in front of him. Clenching her jaw, she walked to the bed, praying she wouldn’t reach it in time—and that he wouldn’t detect anything wrong with the device. It was identical to her old phone, after all.

She knelt on the carpet and stretched an arm under the bed, slowly feeling around for it.

Kneeling there with her back arched, hips raised, and sweater riding up to reveal her slender, fair waist—along with bruises he had deliberately left the night before—she made for a dangerously seductive sight.

He moved toward her, as if drawn by a spell.

The carpet was soft, and she was completely absorbed in retrieving the phone. She didn’t hear him approach. As she pulled the phone out, she suddenly realized someone was behind her and jumped—only to slam the back of her head into his chin with a dull thud.

It was a brutal hit. Off guard, he grunted and staggered back a couple of steps, clutching his chin. She too had cried out, tumbling forward onto the bed, hands instinctively protecting her head as she turned to glare at him, eyes brimming with tears.

The two stared at each other in silence. The atmosphere turned bizarre.

The ringtone finally died. He Yan, regaining her composure, decided to take a gamble. She tossed the phone to him and snapped, “Go ahead and check it. Just don’t sneak up on people like some damn thief—trying to scare someone to death?”

He caught the phone effortlessly but didn’t look at it. His eyes remained fixed on her.

At first she was only anxious that he’d discover her secret, but gradually she noticed something more alarming—his gaze was thick with desire, burning and nearly overflowing. Panic surged within her. She rose quickly and backed toward the window, wary and cold. “Fu Shenxing, have some decency. Stop using women’s bodies as your means of revenge.”

His expression shifted slightly. He gave her a long, unreadable look before lowering his gaze. When he looked up again, the lust in his eyes had vanished, replaced by icy detachment.

He sneered. “He Yan, you really think you’re that irresistible?”

With that, he tossed the phone back into her arms and walked out.