“I’m leaving!”

She nearly ground her teeth over the phone. He let out a faint chuckle, his voice still indifferent as he replied, “Alright, I’ll wait for you.”

She was quick to appear. As soon as she stepped out the back gate of the complex, she spotted the conspicuous black car parked on the street. It was a winter's night, the streets unnervingly quiet, with only a few pedestrians walking by. Still, she glanced around cautiously before quickly jogging over, pulling open the back door, and giving him a cool look as she asked, “What do you want?”

He tilted his head slightly, his voice cold. “Get in.”

She bit her lip, lowered her head, and climbed into the car. The moment her leg was inside, he suddenly leaned over, grabbing her arm and yanking her inside. He sat her on his lap and immediately tilted her head back, kissing her forcefully. She froze, shocked, her body stiffening as she struggled and pushed away from him. “Fu Shenxing, what the hell is this?”

“Bed,” he corrected her, his hands already tugging at her clothes.

Perhaps because it was her birthday, she had dressed more brightly than usual. Her wool coat was a vibrant magenta, paired with a creamy white cashmere sweater underneath, and even her inner layer was soft pink. The colors made her skin appear even fairer and more delicate, a striking contrast to her glowing red beauty, like a seductive work of art.

Under the influence of alcohol, he lowered his head without a second thought, nipping at one of her exposed breasts.

She was startled, furious, but unable to break free. Her eyes darted to the half-open car door, panic creeping in. Pushing him away, she pleaded, “Close the door! Not here!”

Only then did he pause, his eyes locking with hers. He raised his hand to press the automatic button above them, closing the door. Then he pressed the intercom button on the center console and ordered A-Jiang to drive. The car smoothly glided forward, the double-glazed windows isolating them in their own quiet world. His voice, low and hoarse, drifted into her ears: “You undress yourself. "It’s better than me tearing your clothes apart, don’t you think?”

Her face went pale, but her eyes burned with simmering anger and hatred as she glared at him. Slowly, she began to remove her clothes, starting with her half-unbuttoned coat and the rumpled sweater. As she reached behind to undo the hook on her skirt, he suddenly grabbed her hand, leaning in close, his warm, slightly drunken breath grazing her neck. “Let me do it.”

His hands traveled behind her, slowly undoing the button, his fingers lingering on her delicate skin, savoring each moment. It was as if he treated her body like a rare delicacy—his mouth watering, yet unwilling to taste it too quickly.

Her patience was reaching its breaking point. She gritted her teeth and snapped, “Is this all you want? Can’t you hurry it up?”

She forced herself to stand, bending slightly to remove her leggings.

Even in the most luxurious cars, space was limited. She wasn’t steady on her feet, and with a slight stumble, she fell toward the floor. Only then did he reach out to catch her, pulling her back onto his lap and continuing what she had failed to finish.

The scene was too humiliating, too degrading. Her body trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. She lowered her voice, barely audible, “Fu Shenxing, just kill me. Do it for a good cause, will you?”

“No,” he answered, his voice deep and almost cruel.

There was a soft metallic clink from behind her, the sound of his belt buckle. She closed her eyes, resigned. Sure enough, the next moment, he thrust inside her. The sudden intrusion caused her to gasp in pain. She clenched her teeth and hissed through her pain, “Fu Shenxing, if you don’t kill me, I swear I will make you regret this one day.”

“Is that so?” He smirked, enjoying the sensation of tormenting her. He was doing everything he had fantasized about doing with her in the car that night, everything he had dreamed of for days, everything that made him almost addicted to her.

But she just gritted her teeth and endured. The only sound she made was when she couldn’t bear it anymore, but even then, she swallowed it back down. Her defiance made him both hate and love her more, and he began to torment her even more fiercely, finally reclining the seat and pinning her down, staring at her as he panted. “Cry out. I want to hear you scream!”

This time, it lasted longer than all their previous encounters. The pain brought her back to her senses. No longer as stubborn as before, she began to submit to him, letting out soft moans. When he increased his speed, she cried out, pushing herself to the brink in an effort to hasten his release.

But just when she thought he was about to finish, he suddenly stopped, his arms caging her in. He leaned down, looking at her, his lips curling into a mocking smile. “What’s this? You think I can’t tell whether you’re being real or fake with me?” His fingers gently traced her cheek. Though he was still breathing heavily, his words were icy cold. “You know, Miss He, even professional actresses do a better job at pretending than you.”

He was right. She wasn’t pretending—she was enduring. The tiny bit of wetness was simply her body’s natural protective response. She had no more strength to hate him; she simply stared at him and asked, “So what do you want me to do? What do you want from me?”

He wanted to conquer her. He wanted her genuine emotions, to see her cry out in his arms, her face flushed, her body trembling, to have her gasp for air as they reached the peak together. He wanted everything, but in the end, he only mocked her with a sneer and roughly whispered in her ear, “I want you to beg me, to beg me for it like a slut.”

“Okay, I beg you.” She repeated his words, lifelessly.

He wasn’t satisfied. He pressed harder, “Beg for what?”

“Beg you for it,” she repeated.

He wouldn’t let go, his voice cold as he asked, “Are you a dead fish? Is this how you react when you’re with your husband too?”

Her body shook uncontrollably, the tremors so intense it felt like her bones would come apart. But she still gritted her teeth, turned her head, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. Her voice trembled as she begged, “Fu Shenxing, I beg you. Please give me pleasure.”

“Okay, I’ll give it to you,” he responded slowly.

But he didn’t give her pleasure. What he gave her was humiliation and pain. Her body became drier, and even her basic self-protection reflexes failed her. Every slight movement from him caused her excruciating pain. He soon noticed the change in her, frustration and shame filling his heart. He laughed mockingly and said, “It’s alright, I have plenty of time to spend with you. Don’t worry about my stamina or endurance.”

He leaned down to kiss her.

This time, she didn’t resist. She released her mouth and allowed him to enter, trying to relax her body and close her eyes, tricking herself into believing that he was Liang Yuanze, that he was her husband, the one she loved, the one who gave her everything.

He was surprised by her change, and his movements softened involuntarily. His rough actions turned into careful, teasing caresses. From top to bottom, he didn’t miss a single spot. She kept her eyes closed, burying her face in his neck, immersing herself in her own fantasy. The mental suggestion, combined with the physical stimulation, gradually opened her up to him.

She followed his pace, finally lost in the madness. In the crashing waves of ecstasy, he took her to the peak. At almost the same moment, he groaned and held her tightly, kissing her lips as he gave himself fully to her in a tidal wave of passion, love, hatred, and a soul lost at the moment.

When the frenzy ended, he didn’t want to move. She, too, remained still, eyes closed and silent. He lifted his head and gazed at her, his expression full of regret as the flush on her face slowly faded. He kissed the tip of her nose and murmured, “It would’ve been much easier if you had just listened from the start.”

She suddenly opened her eyes and pushed him away. He didn’t get angry, only silently watching her in her panic. He reached for a tissue from the car and handed it to her. “Want to take a shower?”

She couldn’t. How could she explain to her family if she went from the dinner table to a shower and then back? She was burning with anger but had nowhere to vent. Too afraid to anger this tyrant, she didn’t even dare to scold him. She simply lowered her eyes and replied indifferently, “No need. Please take me home. My family is waiting for me.”

He thought she was being ungrateful. His moment of tenderness vanished, and his heart grew cold again. He sneered and pressed the intercom button, ordering, “A Jiang, take us back to where we came from.”

A Jiang’s voice was calm as always. “Understood.”

The car turned and headed back along the same route, eventually reaching the same quiet street. The car hadn’t even stopped when the door opened, and He Yan quickly jumped out, not looking back as she walked away. But after a few steps, she heard Fu Shenxing call her. She turned around to see him getting out of the car, hands in his pockets, looking impeccable as always. He smirked at her, saying, “Miss He, be careful while walking. You wouldn’t want your husband to catch on to anything.”

She stared at him and replied coldly, “Okay.”

Liang Yuanze hadn’t noticed anything. He trusted her completely and never doubted her. He only noticed her tired expression and was concerned. Once home, he even suggested, “If you’re feeling stressed, why not quit your job for now? You’ve completed your PhD, and you’ll be changing jobs anyway. Don’t work yourself to death for those kids. You deserve a proper birthday.”

He Yan wanted to cry, guilt and shame overwhelming her. She couldn’t even bear to meet Liang Yuanze’s eyes. She forced a smile and grabbed some clean clothes, heading to the bathroom. It was just for a while. It’ll be over by the end of the year.”

She locked the bathroom door behind her and cried alone for a long time. She showered multiple times, trying to wash away the pain. When she finally came out, Liang Yuanze was sitting in the living room watching TV. He noticed her red eyes and asked, “What happened to your eyes?”

“Nothing. I got some foam in my eyes while washing my hair.” She kept her expression neutral, sitting next to him and leaning on his shoulder. She stared at the TV screen for a while before suddenly saying, “Yuanze, let’s divorce. How about it?”

Liang Yuanze was stunned. “What did you say?”

She looked at him with red eyes. After a long pause, she suddenly laughed, and the laughter grew louder, eventually causing her to collapse onto the sofa. He was shocked and reached out to grab her. “What’s going on? What are you laughing at?”

She just laughed, seemingly crying through her laughter, wiping her eyes, and told him, “I was just joking. I heard a funny story at school today. The wife suddenly proposes a divorce, and the answers are all bizarre. So we made a pact to try it at home.”

He, ever the trusting husband, didn’t suspect a thing. He smiled helplessly and ruffled her hair, saying, “You little rascal, don’t scare me like that. You can’t just joke about ‘divorce.’”

She wiped away the tears and brought up the question again, asking, “You still haven’t answered me.”

“What answer?” He asked, confused. “Divorce?”

“Yes.” She nodded, her expression turning serious. “Yuanze, you have to give me an answer. If I want to divorce you, what will you do?”

Liang Yuanze frowned, clearly reluctant to answer, but seeing her insistent look, he sighed and said, “Fine, I’ll answer you. If you want a divorce because you don’t love me anymore, I’ll let you go because I love you. But if you still love me and want a divorce because of other issues, we’ll solve them together. If I can solve it alone, I’ll handle it. If not, I’ll solve it with you because we love each other.”