"Hey!" Tang Lingyi protested, fed up.
Qin Xiu turned to look at her. "What is it?"
"You—!" Tang Lingyi had just mustered the courage to flare up, but the moment she met Qin Xiu's cold, indifferent gaze, her resolve instantly crumbled. She could only meekly ask, "Why are you suddenly taking it all away...?"
"It's simple—because you've been playing."
"...!"
Tang Lingyi was genuinely angry now. Being locked up here was already infuriating enough, and in this suffocating confinement with no way out, she'd poured all her energy into the gaming world. Those games had become her entire focus—every boss she'd painstakingly defeated, every hard-earned achievement, was proof of her effort and dedication.
Yet now, Qin Xiu wasn't just about to erase all that effort in an instant—he was also snatching away her only emotional refuge. No wonder she couldn't control her emotions.
Still, she didn't dare truly lash out. After all, Qin Xiu carried a gun. So even in her anger, her tone remained timid and submissive.
"If you didn't want me to play, then why leave the console here in the first place!"
"Because I never imagined you'd actually waste your time on such things. That was my oversight. So now, I'm taking it away."
"But what about all the progress I've saved...?"
"Hah!" Qin Xiu sneered. "Tian Suqing, let me make one thing clear—I didn't lock you up here for a vacation. You're here to atone for your sins for the rest of your life. And yet here you are, letting video games shoulder your guilt?" He turned and ordered, "Go tell the men downstairs to come up and haul everything out. And from now on, they're to check on you regularly. If they find any other forms of entertainment, report it to me immediately."
"You—!" Tang Lingyi clenched her teeth, fists tight, eyes already reddening with suppressed fury.
She was truly furious—but what infuriated her most was that she couldn't even vent her anger at Qin Xiu. In the past, whenever something upset her, she'd always confronted it head-on. Never once had she swallowed her pride like this. But now, with a gun in his hand, she had no choice but to endure it for the sake of survival. The helplessness alone brought tears to her eyes.
Seeing Tang Lingyi gritting her teeth in silent rage, Qin Xiu felt oddly pleased. He wanted her miserable—her unhappiness was his joy.
"Hurry up and move it," he commanded. "Take the TV screen too."
"Got it!" Lu Qicheng, Qin Xiu's most obedient follower, rolled up his sleeves, revealing thick forearms, and stepped forward to unmount the TV.
"Wait!" Just as Lu Qicheng reached for the television, Tang Lingyi suddenly shouted.
Qin Xiu looked at her, a faint, mocking smile playing at the corner of his lips. "What is it, Qing'er?"
Ignoring him completely, Tang Lingyi shoved Lu Qicheng aside. She grabbed the controller, took one last look at the gear her character had painstakingly earned, then—heart wrenching—deleted the entire save file for Monster Hunter.
But that wasn't enough. She opened every other game installed and systematically erased every character she'd built through hours of dedication.
With each deletion, memories of her efforts flooded back—the late nights, the strategies, the triumphs. Coupled with the suffocating reality of her captivity and the crushing disappointment that, after more than ten days, no one from her organization had come to rescue her, her eyes grew increasingly watery.
All this time, she'd been clinging to these games just to keep herself sane. She'd longed endlessly to escape—but reality offered only helplessness.
Sister Yang, Brother Long… everyone… why haven't you found me yet?
In that moment, overwhelmed by homesickness and despair, she finally broke.
After deleting the last character, she looked up, eyes blazing with hatred, and thrust the controller into Qin Xiu's hands.
"Here—take it back!"
Qin Xiu glanced at the controller, then at the tearful girl before him. "Why are you crying?"
"I'm not crying! And even if I were, what's it to you?" Tang Lingyi wiped her eyes fiercely.
She hadn't meant to cry—it was just that the rage toward Qin Xiu, the injustice of being misunderstood, and the suffocating isolation had all surged up at once, overwhelming her until her eyes reddened.
Her words struck Qin Xiu like a ghost from the past.
Long ago, when he'd still cared for Tian Suqing, she'd answered him in exactly the same way:
"Why should my mood concern you?"
"Why should who I eat dinner with concern you?"
"Why should whether I come home at night concern you?"
For a fleeting moment, Qin Xiu saw again the old version of himself—the man who'd once swallowed his pride and begged for her affection.
A flicker of fury sparked in his eyes. On impulse, he yanked Tang Lingyi into his arms and bit down hard on her lips.
"Ahh!" Before she could react, sharp pain shot through her mouth, forcing a cry from her throat. She pushed desperately against his chest with both hands.
Qin Xiu released her, spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor, and stared straight into her eyes. "Remember this: you no longer have the right to speak to me with lips that have kissed countless other men. If you insist on saying such things, wash your mouth clean with blood first."
Tang Lingyi clutched her bleeding lip, glanced at the faint streaks of red on her fingers—and finally snapped.
Her beautiful eyes blazed with fury as she glared at him. "Are you some rabid dog?! What gives you the right to bite me!"
"Do you think I enjoy biting you? With that filthy mouth of yours—used by gods-know-how-many men—it took every ounce of willpower just to bring myself to do it."
"Someone like you deserves every bit of humiliation! No wonder your wife cheated on you! You're so pathetic, you probably need several green hats to match your worth!"
Qin Xiu stared at Tang Lingyi expressionlessly—then laughed. "Tian Suqing, are you really trying to die today?"
He couldn't fathom what kind of shameless woman would say such a thing—wishing more infidelity upon her own husband.
Clearly, Tian Suqing still saw him as the weak, spineless man he used to be. Well, he'd show her just how wrong she was.
"I'd rather die than stay silent!" Tang Lingyi, beyond caring now, shouted the secret she'd hidden for over ten days: "Because I'm not Tian Suqing at all, you bastard!"
At those words, everyone in the room froze.