Chapter 13 Woken by the Pain
Wen Zhi forced herself to suppress the sensations overwhelming her and said coldly into the phone,
"What I'm doing has nothing to do with you. Stop pestering me. There's no future for us."
Her words struck hard at Mo Tingjue's pride. He refused to believe this woman could really escape from the palm of his hand.
"Impossible, Wen Zhi! I'm confident—if you could fall in love with me once, then you can fall in love with me a second time! You will forgive me. In the end, you will be mine!"
Wen Zhi couldn't be bothered to listen to that garbage and hung up immediately.
Mo Tingyan had heard every word Mo Tingjue said. Disdain flickered across his eyes.
Mo Tingjue would never get his woman in this lifetime. Scum didn't deserve it.
When everything was finally over, Mo Tingyan looked perfectly satisfied, while Wen Zhi lay on the bed, not wanting to move a muscle.
She gave him a blunt dismissal: "I'm tired."
Mo Tingyan pulled out a cigarette from his pack. He looked at her, a lazy smirk on his face but pretending to be wronged.
"Using me and tossing me aside right after crossing the river? That's not very nice, my little pearl. At least let me sleep here for one night."
Wen Zhi didn't bother wasting breath and simply turned her head, staring at him seriously.
They stared at each other for a full thirty seconds.
Seeing that Wen Zhi truly meant to kick him out, Mo Tingyan stuffed the cigarette back into the pack, propped his head on his arm, and asked lazily:
"I was just drained of all my yang energy by a little goblin. I'm too tired to walk. Why don't you answer one question and I'll leave?
Why did you fall in love with Mo Tingjue before?"
The question made Wen Zhi pause.
Fall in love with Mo Tingjue?
She had never felt like she'd truly loved anyone.
Back then, she agreed to date him because when she was young, her stepsister had pulled a prank and sprayed chili water into her eyes.
If Mo Tingjue hadn't happened to pass by and helped her, her eyes might've been permanently damaged.
When they later met again as adults, Mo Tingjue pursued her persistently.
Because she subconsciously felt grateful toward him, she eventually agreed.
She gathered her drifting thoughts and said calmly to Mo Tingyan:
"My personal matters are none of your business. That was our agreement. Just like how I'm curious why, as the eldest son of the Mo family, your relationship with them is so bad—but I don't ask."
Mo Tingyan chuckled.
"He never told you?"
Wen Zhi shook her head.
Mo Tingjue talked plenty, but rarely mentioned Mo Tingyan.
And whenever he did, it was always with condescension.
She never cared about other people's affairs, so even if she was occasionally curious, she would never bother asking.
Mo Tingyan sat up lazily. The blanket slipped from his chest down to his narrow waist.
Combined with the thin sheen of sweat that hadn't faded from earlier, he radiated a dangerously seductive aura.
"Well, since you don't want to say, I won't force it. But my little pearl refusing to clear up someone's doubts… how stingy."
He got out of bed completely nude, not the slightest bit guarded around her.
Wen Zhi, however, was very self-aware and looked away immediately.
Not long after Mo Tingyan left, Wen Zhi—exhausted—drifted into deep sleep.
She didn't know how long she slept.
When she rolled over, a sharp ache shot through her waist and legs…
The pain woke her.
She opened her eyes tiredly, feeling parched, and dragged her newly "assembled" body out to the living room for water.
After drinking, she turned to return to her room—
when she suddenly heard strange murmuring coming from Mo Tingyan's room.
His voice didn't sound right.
Curious, she walked to his door and gently pressed down on the handle.
The door opened.
She stepped lightly inside.
Under the dim bedside lamp, she saw Mo Tingyan tightly frowning, eyes shut, hair damp with sweat.
He kept muttering in pain…
"No… don't… run…"
He was clearly trapped in a nightmare—one that looked agonizing.
Wen Zhi hesitated, then reached out to push his shoulder, intending to wake him.
But instantly, her wrist was yanked—
In one swift motion, the man on the bed flipped over and pinned her beneath him, his hand tightening around her throat!
The moment he saw that the person under his control was Wen Zhi—
All the alertness and hostility in his eyes vanished.
In less than half a second, his expression returned to his usual lazy indifference.
He released her, raising an eyebrow with casual mischief.
"What are you doing in my room? Miss me already?"
Wen Zhi was still stunned.
It had all happened so fast she didn't even know how she'd been pinned.
Hearing his voice, she finally came back to herself and said seriously:
"I got up to drink water. I heard you having a nightmare. You were murmuring nonstop…"
Mo Tingyan raised a brow, smirking, his emotions unreadable.
"Oh? What did I say?"
"Don't… no… run."
Wen Zhi didn't hide anything.
Mo Tingyan's expression stiffened for a split second before he shrugged casually.
"What a terrifying dream. I dreamt a beautiful snake demon fell in love with my face, chased me, and tried to eat me.
Tsk… men really shouldn't be too attractive. Disaster follows, don't you think?"
Wen Zhi wasn't stupid.
His reaction earlier had already told her—this man had a story.
Not a single word he just said could be trusted.
But if he didn't want to speak, she wouldn't pry.
If it didn't concern her, she wouldn't involve herself.
That was her principle: mind her own business, avoid unnecessary trouble.
She got off the bed, not even looking at him.
"Go back to sleep. I'm going back to mine."
"Not sleeping together?"
Wen Zhi ignored him, closed the door behind herself, and left.
After she left, Mo Tingyan's smile slowly faded.
He no longer felt sleepy.
He pulled a cigarette from the nightstand and walked to the balcony.
Thin smoke curled from his lips as he looked up at the pitch-black night.
Behind the haze, his expression was cold and distant…
He checked the time, took out his phone, and dialed.
"It's me. The thing I asked you to investigate about her—any progress?"