Stealing Your Love [Complete] - 7

The yacht

slowly cruised on the calm sea. Jingzhi sat on a chair at the bow, holding Little Squid in her arms. Little Squid cuddled with her, babbling and soon fell asleep from exhaustion.

Jingzhi's mind gradually calmed down. She looked up at the yacht's wheelhouse. You Shiqun was learning to steer, and a local man who looked like a captain was talking to him while looking ahead through binoculars.

Where were they going?

After hesitating for a long time, Jingzhi finally climbed the gangway to the wheelhouse with Little Squid in her arms.

"Oh dear, don't go to the wheelhouse!" A woman in her sixties emerged from the lower deck and called out to Jingzhi, "It's windy at sea, be careful the young master doesn't catch a cold."

Jingzhi turned around, and the woman looked up at her as if she had seen a ghost. Suddenly, she covered her mouth with her hands and exclaimed, "My God!"

"What is it, Aunt Wu?" The wheelhouse door suddenly slammed open, and You Shiqun's footsteps came down the gangway. He stopped behind Jingzhi. "Don't make a fuss. Take Jingzhi and Squid to the cabin to rest. Is dinner ready?"

"Yes, yes," Aunt Wu still looked at Jingzhi with great surprise. "Dinner will be ready soon, Jingzhi... Miss, please come with me."

You Shiqun watched Jingzhi follow Aunt Wu around the deck, let out a long sigh of relief, and turned back to the wheelhouse.

"Boss, Shrimp Island is just ahead." The Burmese captain, Kun Sha, was a gentle-looking middle-aged man, about the same age as You Shiqun. He had been the one maintaining You Shiqun's yacht when You Shiqun wasn't in Myanmar.

“Let’s not go ashore yet, let’s wait until after dinner.” You Shiqun squinted at the outline of the small island in the distance, the island he had bought with his first pot of gold earned in Myanmar. His

first pot of gold…

He gazed at the vast expanse of sea and sky. Nearly 30 years had passed. Back then, he was not yet 20, a brave and reckless young man, serving two years in the border defense force stationed in Myanmar

. Later, upon his discharge, he faced a crucial choice: transfer to civilian life or join the police force like his fellow veterans.

You Shiqun and a few more quick-thinking brothers, however, refused to take the

secure government jobs and instead plunged into trade within Myanmar. At that time, trade between Myanmar and mainland China was limited. Leveraging their connections in Myanmar, they established a foothold, selling Burmese jade and valuable rosewood to relatively developed Southeast Asian countries. Taiwan and Japan had a high demand for timber, and Myanmar was a major producer of teak.

Of course, another highly profitable industry in Myanmar was the Golden Triangle's drug trade, but You Shiqun knew that was off-limits.

In the blink of an eye, the accumulation of money was rapid and dangerous, like a snowball rolling downhill.

In just a few years, he completed his initial capital accumulation; this island, Shrimp Island, was the one he bought back then. Meanwhile, his comrades who went to Myanmar to do business around the same time became jade tycoons, drug lords, or smugglers.

Back then, You Shiqun didn't want to get too involved in the power struggles of the country, so as soon as he earned his first pot of gold, he began to seek better development.

Nearly 30 years have changed many people and many things. You Shiqun vigorously developed his business, gradually shifting the focus of his company back to China, but his business empire still spans various countries in Southeast Asia.

Myanmar has always held a special place in his heart.

On his Shrimp Island, You Shiqun gazed at the small island reflected in the perfect sunset, an island with a dazzling pure white beach and villas half-hidden deep in the tropical rainforest.

For years, Shrimp Island had served as a resort for the senior executives of the You Group. It boasted a fully equipped business club and a pristine natural environment, producing its own fruits and vegetables—almost like a small, independent kingdom.

He and his wife had spent their honeymoon there.

"Mr. You, dinner is ready," Aunt Wu's voice called from behind him. "Please go to the restaurant."

You Shiqun snapped out of his reverie and turned to instruct Captain Kunsha, "Maintain a distance from Shrimp Island and circle it at a steady pace."

"Yes, boss."

Jingzhi settled the soundly sleeping Squid. A young Burmese boy knocked on his door and said in broken Chinese, "Dinner starts at six o'clock sharp. Mr. You requests that you wear formal attire."

Formal attire?

Jingzhi suddenly had an impulse to slam the cabin door shut, locking herself and Squid inside, and then never open it no matter what happened outside.

However, it was a childish move. She took a deep breath and told herself that You Shiqun wasn't a monster; she couldn't let him see her fear.

Fortunately, there was a simple little dress in her luggage. Jingzhi took it out and compared it to herself in the mirror.

A good dress is a woman's armor and weapon, and now she wished she had brought jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, and then put a bulletproof vest on top. Finally,

Jingzhi

picked up a soft silk scarf from her luggage and casually draped it over her shoulders, mentally using it as armor.

The dining room was luxuriously decorated, with low-hanging crystal chandeliers, a table with legs fixed in place, and hand-embroidered napkins…

After Jingzhi entered, You Shiqun pulled out a chair for her and sat opposite her.

Jingzhi knew he was scrutinizing her, but she calmly spread out her napkin and skillfully picked up her knife and fork—thanks to Patrick's old Italian family tradition, she could use the entire set of cutlery skillfully and without error.

One dish after another was served, all relatively light Burmese dishes, quite spicy, similar to Sichuan cuisine in China.

Jingzhi used a small fork to pick up the dishes in front of her, chewing slowly in small bites.

At this moment, You Shiqun was also secretly observing her across the table.

In a brief eye contact, Jingzhi seemed to see a strange glint in his deep eyes.

"Are you a little nervous?" You Shiqun put down his knife and fork. "Is the food not to your liking?"

"Oh, no, it's delicious." Jingzhi picked up a napkin and dabbed it at her lips. "Especially this last soup, it's very delicious."

"Oh, that's good." You Shiqun responded casually, still staring intently at her.

"I'm finished eating," Jingzhi almost stammered, "I'm going to check on the squid..."

"Don't worry about him, Wu Ma is taking care of him." You Shiqun pushed back his chair and stood up. "It's still early, we can go for a walk on the deck."

Jingzhi couldn't refuse, so she nodded.

The sea breeze was cool and pleasant as night fell, and their yacht, the "Morning Star," a well-maintained pure white vessel, swayed rhythmically with the waves under the bright night sky.

Jingzhi gripped the railing, gazing at the small islands in the distance. The sea breeze ruffled her hair, and You Shiqun stood close enough to smell its fragrance.

For many wealthy Chinese businessmen, owning a yacht was a symbol of status and wealth, a synonym for luxury and extravagance. But for You Shiqun, owning such a yacht was as commonplace as buying a new car. In recent

years, You Shiqun had frequently brought squid to Myanmar for short stays, taking them out to sea to sunbathe and vacation on small islands.

You Yang has always been busy with work these past few years, and he's never had time to accompany him on a sea voyage, let alone pilot a yacht!

You Shiqun knows that You Yang is a stubborn young man, as evidenced by how wholeheartedly he was captivated by Wu Yanya back then.

Now it's Jingzhi…

You Shiqun can sense Jingzhi's wariness and caution towards him. He doesn't know if his sudden idea to invite Jingzhi to Myanmar was right or wrong, but he needs a neutral environment to talk to Jingzhi.

This environment must be completely unfamiliar to Jingzhi—neither in China nor in a hotel room in Myanmar. Therefore, this yacht and this small island are the best setting.

He and Jingzhi can spend a few hours at sea, and perhaps these hours can help Jingzhi relax and get used to what she's about to hear.

Moreover, if things don't develop as he expects, Jingzhi won't be able to escape him immediately.

“Mr. You, what exactly do you want to tell me? Can you tell me now?” Jingzhi stiffened. “What are you up to?”

“Wrong, I’m not hiding anything.” You Shiqun stood beside her, and Jingzhi could feel the natural elegance emanating from him.

What a joke! Five years ago, hadn’t she and he strolled together on the beach? Back then, Jingzhi only saw him as a moving company worker, but now…

the situation was dangerous and delicate.

Jingzhi gripped the railing tightly. She noticed that You Shiqun wasn’t keeping a proper distance from her; instead, he was standing almost shoulder to shoulder with her, his shoulder nearly touching hers.

Jingzhi secretly glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. His gaze, surveying the sea, held a hint of wariness. His face was indifferent, giving her the impression that he wasn’t on vacation, but rather like a pirate who had conquered the seas—dangerous, yet possessing a deadly allure.

Jingzhi's feminine intuition kept warning her to be wary of this man. Although You Shiqun's attitude towards her was ambiguous, he remained cold and distant, behaving naturally, a stark contrast to their encounter at the airport. This change in him troubled Jingzhi.

To be precise, based on past experience, her first reaction to You Shiqun was to take a defensive stance, solely focused on self-preservation.

Now, however, he was completely in control. He claimed to know Jingzhi's background, and Jingzhi was skeptical.

But this alone forced her to yield and see if she could get an answer.

You Shiqun showed no intention of speaking, so Jingzhi's first action was to break the silence. She looked up and smiled sweetly at You Shiqun: "Thank you for letting me see the child."

"The child is yours, that cannot be changed," You Shiqun said, his lips pressed tightly together.

He clearly didn't want to discuss this topic.

“Uh, I…I’m so sorry,” Jingzhi continued, “I didn’t know what was going to happen. Could you explain it to me?” You

Shiqun lowered his head. Jingzhi’s face became hazy and holy in the night. He had always thought that after this series of changes, Jingzhi would hide like a frightened little rabbit. He never expected…

Now, he knew that Jingzhi was using a feigned retreat to test his true intentions!

Unfortunately, even he himself didn’t know what his true intentions were.

He now knew that Jingzhi might be that girl—the girl he had been searching for for over twenty years. Back then, he wanted to send the child away, out of sight, out of mind. However, he didn’t expect that in the days that followed, his wife, who had lost her own flesh and blood, would become depressed and slowly lose her life.

Several years before his wife’s death, he had begun to inquire and search everywhere. He just wanted to know what had happened to the baby girl who had been taken away by the maid and thrown at the hospital gate…

Until his wife’s death, he had not found even a single clue.

To be precise, the weight of the missing baby girl in his heart slowly grew. Countless times, he would wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, dreaming that the baby girl was growing up, blossoming into someone just like his wife in her youth…

And five years ago, when he first saw Jingzhi, heavily pregnant, he was shocked. Jingzhi reminded him so much of his wife in her youth. Then, when he learned that the girl You Yang had met was Jingzhi, he was even more shocked.

He didn't know if You Yang had noticed the resemblance between Jingzhi and his deceased mother—not just in appearance, but in temperament and demeanor, every smile, every glance, the more he looked, the more alike she became.

For some reason, he didn't have the courage to reveal the truth. At the time, he only wanted to remove Jingzhi from his and You Yang's lives in a very decisive way.

And so… came that agreement.

An agreement built on fragile lies and fear.

You Shiqun smiled bitterly; the terrifying thing was that the agreement would ultimately punish him.

He had thought a single agreement would end everything, but as Squid grew older, and You Yang became increasingly cold and withdrawn, the aftereffects of that agreement remained evident.

It was time to uncover the truth…

You Shiqun closed his eyes. He knew that deep down he truly loved Jingzhi. He loved the thin dress she was wearing now, especially the soft, clinging fabric that accentuated her alluring curves. To be precise, he had been attracted to her the first time he saw her standing beside the moving company truck, heavily pregnant.

He had once said he wouldn't share a woman with his son, especially since Jingzhi was a woman of mysterious origin, and moreover, he was Squid's mother.

He knew all of this…

By the time he found out, it was too late, all too late. He wanted her, even if only for one night…

“Jingzhi,” You Shiqun heard his voice hoarse as he spoke, “If there were no You Yang, no Youyu, would things be different between us?”

Jingzhi was startled by his abrupt question, then she softly said, “If there were no You Yang, no Youyu, we would never have met.”

“Then don’t think about them,” You Shiqun grasped Jingzhi’s hand gripping the railing,

“Can we pretend to be strangers tonight, meeting on a cruise ship, just for one night…”

62

Jingzhi felt the scalp on the back of her neck about to explode!

What… what… what was going on?

A cruise ship? Strangers?

What was You Shiqun suggesting? What was he plotting?

Jingzhi raised her face and only saw You Shiqun's profile in the darkness. The outline of his face looked very much like You Yang's...

"If we were strangers..."

Jingzhi's voice was as calm as the still night, "then I might talk to you, but I won't let you get this close."

"Why?" You Shiqun asked in a low voice, "Why?"

"Because..." Jingzhi suddenly felt an urge to cry, "Five years ago, a stranger entered my life, and he took care of me like an older brother. He even stayed with me when I gave birth... I trusted him so much back then..." "

At that time, I didn't know who you were..." You Shiqun said softly.

“Yes, so when you found out who I am, you made the right choice.”

Jingzhi’s voice was low. “Five years ago, it was because I trusted you that I showed you that agreement. Even though I later found out that you drafted that agreement, I still hate you, but I also understand you.”

“Understand me in what way?” You Shiqun asked curiously.

"You're thinking of your son, aren't you? You don't want him to be tied down by a woman with no family background and no emotional connection, because of a sense of responsibility or anything else."

Jingzhi took a deep breath. "In fact, I should probably thank you for the education fund you gave me, which allowed me to leave here and continue my studies. If you hadn't done that back then, perhaps I would have become someone who could only rely on others for the rest of my life."

"Is that really what you think?" You Shiqun gave a hoarse, cold laugh. He turned her around and grabbed her shoulders. "Why didn't you think that I sent you far away because I was afraid of being attracted to you?"

"No, Mr. You, believe me," Jingzhi firmly removed his hand from her shoulder. "You won't be attracted to me... because we've already met, nothing happened then, and nothing will happen in the future. Besides, Squid is your grandson! And I'm his mother."

You Shiqun withdrew his hand as if burned, the cold sea breeze instantly blowing through his feverish mind.

A thin layer of sweat beaded on his forehead…

“Heh,” he chuckled hoarsely and melancholy, “You’re right. On a cruise ship on the high seas, a lonely old man meets a gentle and charming woman, but she doesn’t like this old man?”

“You’re not an old man, Mr. You,” Jingzhi retorted with a smile, “I believe many women more outstanding than me would be attracted to you. As for me… I’m just a passerby in your long life.”

“Then…” You Shiqun took her hand and gently kissed it, “I hope I’m not just a passerby in your life. Okay, I understand.”

Jingzhi could feel his tense limbs relax instantly. He was still standing very close to her, but the tension and pressure that had enveloped them seemed to have vanished…

“Is that island ahead the island we’re going to?” Jingzhi pointed to the distant Shrimp Island, “I’m curious, who chose to hold their wedding on that island?”

“Hmm,” You Shiqun looked down at her, “If your answer just now had been different, perhaps you would never have known the answer.”

"Hmm?" Jingzhi paused, tilting her head back to gaze at the mysterious smile on his lips, unsure of his meaning.

The yacht's engine stopped, the anchor deeply embedded in the shallows…

You Shiqun turned his head, the night casting a perfect profile of his head: "It's late. I'll take you back to your room to rest. Let's go to the island early tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow, will you really tell me the secret of my past? Or… you don't know my past either? Or is this just an excuse?"

"What do you think?" You Shiqun's tone was gentle: "Do you think this is an excuse?"

They stopped outside Jingzhi's cabin door. You Shiqun lowered his head, looking at her again with that enigmatic gaze.

Jingzhi had encountered many self-proclaimed Casanovas in Italy. For example, at the Venice Carnival, the exchange of glances between passionate men and women was always like that—an uncontrollable restraint?

Suppressed, yet full of passion.

This kind of gaze was the most terrifying. If there was even the slightest spark in his eyes, it might ignite into a raging inferno.

"Goodnight," Jingzhi grasped the doorknob. "Please don't look at me like that. I won't play adult games with you."

"What kind of look?" You Shiqun asked, bracing himself against the doorframe beside her.

What could Jingzhi say? The suppressed emotion in that look was even more intense than the gaze You Yang had given her during his most passionate moments!

You Shiqun smiled, seemingly unfazed by Jingzhi's tension. Good heavens!

"Believe me, I won't force a woman. Besides… once a woman rejects me, I won't make a second request…"

Jingzhi felt her throat tighten. "Thank you, but I don't think that's a good idea."

You Shiqun took a step closer to her. "Why wouldn't it be a good idea?"

If he took another step closer, Jingzhi knew she would start trembling with nervousness. She was terrified of the look he would give her, terrified to death…

"Goodnight," You Shiqun placed a small, cool object into her palm, then turned and slowly walked towards the front cabin.

Jingzhi stared intently at his departing figure, then turned the doorknob. The door opened, and she stumbled into the cabin, her legs trembling.

She opened her clenched hand; a broken jade disc lay in her palm, engraved with the two words, "My Beloved."

Chapter Sixty-Three: Origins.

This jade disc looked so familiar. Jingzhi took off a jade disc she wore around her neck.

The two semi-circular jade discs, placed together, fit perfectly into a complete circle…

Jingzhi remembered the old jade craftsman she had met at the Golden Pagoda that day:

“Years ago, a young couple came to me to order a jade disc. It was originally a single piece, but the two young people were quite trendy;

they insisted I split the perfectly good jade disc in half. Half for each of us, that's what the man said at the time. Even if it was separated, the jade disc would still serve as proof.”

How did this other piece of jade disc end up in You Shiqun's hands?

The next morning, the yacht slowly started moving. Jingzhi got up, and Wu Ma knocked on the door, saying she needed to take Squid to the front cabin, saying the ship was about to dock.

Jingzhi hurriedly changed into some casual clothes and stepped out of the cabin. As she watched, the distant, shadowy island of Shamian gradually came into focus.

Shamian is one of the scattered islands off the coast of Myanmar, bordered by Myanmar's inland sea on one side and the Bay of Bengal on the other, shielding the coast from the storms.

In the distance, she could see rolling hills, a few scattered tropical-style villas, pure white sand beaches, palm trees, banana trees, and lush tropical vegetation.

Jingzhi leaned against the yacht's railing, gazing at the island as it gradually became clearer.

The yacht moved slowly forward. Jingzhi could see a pier on the island, with several smaller speedboats moored nearby.

The quiet beach was deserted, but in the distance, she could see people moving about inside the villa complex.

A fresh sea breeze carried a slight fishy smell. Jingzhi looked up at the wheelhouse; You Shiqun was holding a squid, while a child gripped the helm, intently studying the techniques of steering.

Jingzhi quickly averted her gaze, seemingly both eager and afraid of learning the secret of her origins.

Several crew members on the yacht were busy on the lower deck, including Wu Ma, who directed the local indigenous crew to unload packages of food and vegetables of various sizes from the hold and pile them on the deck.

The ship docked, and a small group of people, mostly local indigenous people, gathered to welcome them.

You Shiqun came up behind Jingzhi and pointed to the largest villa in the distance, hidden among tropical plants, saying, "That's our destination."

Jingzhi nodded without speaking.

The gangway was lowered, and Jingzhi followed Wu Ma, who was carrying the child, off the yacht. Then came a huge pile of luggage, boxes of canned goods, frozen food…

A small truck pulled up and loaded the cargo.

Jingzhi felt dizzy from the sun. A battery-powered cart with a sunshade arrived, and Jingzhi, Wu Ma, and Youyu got on.

All the luggage was loaded, including Jingzhi's.

“Mommy!” Youyu jumped into Jingzhi's arms, snuggling against her. “Mommy, hug me.”

Jingzhi hugged him back. It was so hot; the air was thick with the salty smell of sweat and a faint fishy odor. Jingzhi held Youyu tightly and habitually turned to look for You Shiqun.

You Shiqun's figure flashed across the yacht's deck before she saw him climb into the wheelhouse.

The crew unloaded the ship's supplies, and the small truck was soon full.

The electric scooter carrying Jingzhi started moving first, traveling along a neatly planned road before soon entering a spacious courtyard.

Inside stood a grand tropical-style villa, surrounded by coconut palms, palm trees, and other unidentified tropical plants.

Most outrageous of all was the outdoor swimming pool in the very center of the courtyard, with a miniature mountain made of several smooth, light green boulders.

The villa was built in a typical tropical style; to protect against the humid climate, the entire house was built on upright pillars—more precisely, like a stilted house in a Miao village—

with a roughly one-meter-high open space at the base.

Typical tropical houses have floor-to-ceiling windows that can be opened, and open balconies at both the front and back.

Jingzhi got off the scooter and examined the villa. Having grown accustomed to the thick-walled villas of Italy built for insulation and the small windows of Gothic churches,

she couldn't help but be surprised by this bright, spacious tropical house with its pillars and large windows.

Upon entering the room, furniture covered with dust covers was everywhere. Aunt Wu directed the servants to clean, and soon all the dust covers were removed, letting in a fresh

breeze through the bright and clean hall.

Local indigenous girls busily arranged flowers throughout the hall. The Mekong River region of Myanmar is a major producer of tropical flowers, especially orchids.

Pots of blooming orchids were placed throughout the hall, their delicate fragrance filling the air.

Jingzhi, holding a squid, stood by the railing watching the yacht moored at the dock, expecting You Shiqun to disembark immediately. Unexpectedly, the yacht slowly retracted its gangway, weighed anchor

, and turned away.

"Huh?" Jingzhi was taken aback and quickly asked Wu Ma beside her, "Why did the boat leave?"

Wu Ma, who had been busy directing things, glanced at Jingzhi hastily at her question, her eyes darting away. "Perhaps the master has other matters to attend to."

"But, he... but... he hasn't said anything yet..." Jingzhi was confused. She could tell that Wu Ma was determined not to say anything more, and Jingzhi immediately deflated, hugging her child tightly.

What exactly was You Shiqun planning?

Why did he go to such lengths to trick her into coming from the country, only to abandon her on this small island?

And what about that jade from yesterday...

what did that jade from yesterday mean?

A simple breakfast was quickly prepared. Youyu wasn't eating properly, running around the dining room. Wu Ma insisted that she was a servant and wouldn't eat with Jingzhi, only following Youyu around, feeding him spoonful by spoonful of porridge.

Jingzhi hurriedly ate a bowl of porridge, and seeing Wu Ma busy, she didn't greet her and decided to go upstairs to check on the bedroom.

The upstairs rooms maintained the spacious, bright, and elegant style, divided into a master bedroom and several guest rooms.

Jingzhi looked at each room one by one; each bedroom was simply and brightly decorated, indicating that the house was regularly cleaned.

When Jingzhi pushed open the door to the last room, she couldn't help but hold her breath. It was a room draped in pale green gauze, with a faint fragrance of orchids wafting in the air. Jingzhi's heart skipped a beat. This room…

why did this room give her such a familiar feeling, as if she had been here before?

As if possessed, Jingzhi turned past the large bed, which was decorated with huge seashells and covered the bed, and stopped in front of a huge oil painting.

It was an oil painting of a young girl, reclining on an antique-style armchair, wearing a Greek-style robe, holding an orchid in her hand, just like the orchid in the vase on the dresser in front of the painting…

Jingzhi's gaze was drawn to the painting, not by its delicate style, but by the girl's slightly furrowed brows and pitiful expression…

Involuntarily, Jingzhi picked up an orchid and gently smelled it—just as the girl in the painting was doing.

Suddenly, she heard a gasp of surprise behind her.

When she turned around, she saw Wu Ma standing behind her, pale-faced, and was also startled: "I'm sorry, this orchid…"

Wu Ma took a deep breath: "I'm sorry, I just lost my composure. It's understandable, you look a lot like her…"

"Me?" Jingzhi repeated in bewilderment, looking up at the woman in the painting on the wall… She was beautiful, much more beautiful than her, her eyebrows, eyes, and nose all exquisitely beautiful.

Jingzhi laughed: "How could I resemble her? Such a beautiful girl, perhaps the artist added some artistic embellishment when painting her."

Aunt Wu stared at her blankly: "That's because our young lady spends three hours every day on skincare and makeup. Your natural features are excellent, but you never deliberately enhance them."

Jingzhi blinked uncertainly: "Really? Thank you for the compliment."

Aunt Wu breathed heavily, her hands fidgeting nervously: "I'm sorry, young lady, this is the deceased lady's room, please..."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I..." Jingzhi was about to apologize to Aunt Wu when her gaze was drawn to the ornament on the woman's chest in the painting—a warm, semi-circular piece of white jade...

so familiar!

Jingzhi stared blankly, then asked in a dry voice, "Who is she?"

"An oil painting of the deceased lady. It was painted when she was just married, when she was only 18."

The painting was quite large. Jingzhi moved her feet tremblingly. She reached into her chest and took out the jade disc, placing it in front of the painting…

almost the same size, with the same pattern, the same shape…

Wu Ma cleared her throat: "Excuse me, Miss, your jade…"

Jingzhi stared blankly at the woman in the painting, clutching the jade disc tightly in her hand, her face pale as she repeatedly scanned the painting.

The door clicked open, and a slow, steady footstep entered.

Jingzhi didn't turn around. She was bewildered by the woman in the painting. The old jade craftsman's words echoed in her ears… a young man and woman, each holding half of the jade disc, the other half in You Shiqun's hand… and the half in her hand…

The person who entered the room waved gently to Wu Ma. Wu Ma hesitated for a moment, then bowed and left the room, closing the door behind her.

The person slowly walked up behind Jingzhi and looked up at the oil painting.

He spoke: "I've hardly ever looked at this painting since I was a child. I've long forgotten what she looked like. In my memory, she's always been synonymous with haggardness and decay."

Jingzhi was startled by the voice, but she didn't turn around: "You... also have doubts?"

"Not doubts, but certainty." He gently raised his hand and grasped her shoulder: "You... are the girl she gave birth to..."

"No!" Jingzhi turned around abruptly and slapped You Yang's cold face hard!

"You're lying! How could such an absurd thing happen?"

"I'm not lying," You Yang pursed his lips, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. "You are my sister. My mother gave birth to you, and who your father is, none of us know..."

"Lying, lying!" Jingzhi covered her ears, hysterical. "I'm not, I'm not..."

"Calm down, Jingzhi..." You Yang gripped her wrist, forcing her to calm down. "Marry me, here, on this island, we're isolated from the world, no one knows our identities. Marry me, Jingzhi!"

Chapter Sixty-Four: Madness

"No... what you're saying isn't true..." Jingzhi stared blankly at him. "If this is true, then wouldn't we be..."

incestuous?

Jingzhi's eyes widened in surprise, but she dared not utter those two words.

"Who said that?" You Yang frowned slightly, his expression arrogant. "I have no blood relation with you."

"Huh?" Jingzhi was stunned. Everything was in chaos. What was he saying?

“I’m not her biological son. My mother was Mantou’s mistress before she met your mother. She was taken in when I was very young, and she always raised me as her son.”

You Yang looked up at the oil painting on the wall. “She was very good to me, but I know I’m not her son.

” “What?” Jingzhi took two steps back and slumped onto the bed.

“She was so beautiful. My father loved her very much. Even though she later betrayed him, he never said a harsh word to her.”

Jingzhi was stunned. She finally realized all the strange things You Shiqun had said and looked at her before, and why You Shiqun had said those strange things…

You Shiqun knew her identity, which was why he took her to find that old jade craftsman and gave her that jade disc…

She was his wife’s child, but he wasn’t her father.

What was going on?

No wonder You Shiqun looked at her like that at times…

Jingzhi stared blankly as You Yang leaned down, listening to his voice, distant yet clear: “Jingzhi, are you listening to me?”

“I am listening…”

“We are not related by blood, did you hear me?”

“I…I heard you.”

Jingzhi repeated blankly, “But what can I do? No wonder, no wonder he said that…”

Jingzhi’s last sentence made You Yang frown: “What is he saying?”

He slowly sat down beside Jingzhi, his heart clenching with pain, because he knew the answer—You Shiqun’s consistent style; he never hesitated to do anything to the women he liked!

“He…” Jingzhi looked up in a panic, “He didn’t say anything.”

“I don’t believe it!” You Yang grabbed her shoulders, “What are you hiding? Why did you only come here now? Last night, you and him on the yacht, you two…”

He suddenly shook Jingzhi wildly, “You two wouldn’t?! You, did you agree to him? Huh? Answer me?”

Jingzhi stared blankly at him, “What are you talking about?”

“I’m saying!” You Yang’s face twisted, “Did you, did you sleep with him? Did you, did you give him what you once gave me? Your heart, and your beautiful body…”

“What are you talking about?” Jingzhi’s voice was weak, her teeth chattering as You Yang shook her, “Let go, what are you saying!!”

“What am I talking about?” You Yang seemed to have gone mad, pushing Jingzhi down onto the bed, “Don’t you understand? I thought, I thought you rejected me because you were really afraid I wouldn’t love you, but it turns out, you’ve fallen for him?”

“Ah!” When his body pressed down on her, Jingzhi’s mind suddenly went blank. Who was this crazy man?

His face was contorted with an uncontrollable wildness, and his eyes held a bloodthirsty glint…

“Wait, You Yang, are you crazy?”

Jingzhi pushed against his chest. “You can’t, you can’t do this here…”

“Haha, why can’t I?” You Yang paused slightly, staring coldly at her. “No wonder you wouldn’t agree when I begged you to marry me, no wonder he… Tell me, did you two already have an affair last night…”

“You’re crazy!” Jingzhi exclaimed in surprise, raising her hand and slapping him hard across the face. The resounding slap made him freeze.

“Did I hit a nerve?” You Yang slowly wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “How dare you…”

“I didn’t do anything to make you despise me!” Jingzhi hissed in protest. “Now, don’t do anything to make me despise you.”

“What if I wanted to?” You Yang suddenly whispered dangerously. “Anyway, you’ve never really looked at me, so what does it matter if you despise me or not?” You Yang’s dangerous whisper

terrified Jingzhi. She looked up at his face.

After a few days apart, his face was no longer as pale as when they first met; the sea sun had tanned him, and the tropical heat made him look like a pirate—cold, hard, and savage—with his shirt collar open and sleeves rolled up.

As if sensing Jingzhi's fear, You Yang lowered his head slightly to examine her closely, a thoughtful expression on his face and a strange light in his eyes.

"You really didn't do it?" His tone was gentle. "He always gets the women he wants. I could tell from that auction. He wanted you, otherwise he wouldn't have fought for that necklace."

"He's your father..." Jingzhi said softly, "Why do you talk about him like he's a stranger?"

"In a woman's eyes, he's first and foremost a mature and charming man."

You Yang raised his hand and stroked Jingzhi's dark circles from not sleeping all night. "You didn't sleep well last night. You couldn't sleep? What kept you awake?"

You Yang's tone was too gentle and calm. The moment his slender fingers touched her cheek, Jingzhi's stomach immediately clenched and knotted. She lay stiffly beneath him, sensitively smelling the familiar musky scent of his sweat.

You Yang was dangerous now. She should be afraid, but for some reason, she wanted to hug him, to melt into his arms like this. This intense impulse almost made her faint.

“There’s only one explanation: you were with him last night.” You Yang looked down at her, his face expressionless, but his eyes were filled with pain.

Jingzhi gasped in surprise; You Yang’s arrogant and somewhat arbitrary tone sounded like a heavy blow to her.

“If you’ve given me such a judgment,” she said calmly, “I have nothing more to say.”

“But I have!” You Yang grabbed her wrists, pinning both of them to the sides of her head: “Then, if you can be with him, who has no blood relation to you, why can’t you be with me? I’m the father of your child.”

"Why would you think that?" Jingzhi struggled. "I didn't, I wasn't with him." Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Didn't you?" You Yang's hand reached into her chest, taking out the jade pendant You Shiqun had placed in her hand last night from her cleavage. Afraid of losing it, Jingzhi had tied it together with her original jade pendant and hung them both around her neck.

"Then how do you explain this? Why would he give you this jade pendant?"

"How should I know?" Jingzhi looked at the two jade pendants. "How should I know..."

"Because he wants you!" You Yang roared. "He wants a substitute for his dead wife, even if this woman was someone his son had used."

"Used? You actually said 'used'?" Jingzhi murmured.

"What else could it be but used?" You Yang questioned angrily and incoherently. "Otherwise, how do you explain our relationship? Is it love? What a joke!"

If Jingzhi had ever harbored a sliver of hope for You Yang before, she now knew that without understanding and communication, all goodwill or love was utterly futile. Terrible suspicion and anger had completely corroded their relationship.

Jingzhi was furious: "If you think that because I once let you touch me, I won't resist others, especially your father who's like a Casanova, you're sorely mistaken!"

"Wrong?" You Yang narrowed his eyes: "Believe me, I'm not wrong, because if I were in your shoes, I would have done the same."

"What?" Jingzhi's eyes widened.

"Kiss you, love you, possess you..."

You Yang's hands slid to her waist, lifting her hips, pressing her closer to him. With each word he spoke, he moved an inch closer to her.

Jingzhi should have felt humiliated and angry at his words, but his warm and powerful kiss made her momentarily oblivious to the meaning of his words.

"Give it to me, I can't take it anymore, now!"

You Yang roughly tore open her clothes. Jingzhi instinctively struggled, but it was all in vain.

In an instant, Jingzhi was left only in a small pair of panties. You Yang used his legs to clamp her struggling waist, freeing his hands to take off his own shirt.

No, she couldn't let him succeed again. Jingzhi clenched her fists and punched his chest, but he didn't seem to feel any pain. On the contrary, he grinned.

"Resist? The more you resist, the more excited I get. Tell me, does he excite you like this?" He seemed to be annoyed as he pressed down on Jingzhi's struggling body.

Jingzhi changed her fists to scratches, leaving five bloody marks on his well-built chest muscles. But he didn't stop her; instead, he began to leisurely grope her underwear.

"I hate you, I hate you..." Jingzhi cried out, her heart clenching in fear—siblings, she and You Yang were siblings, even if they weren't related by blood, she couldn't...

But Jingzhi already felt ashamedly aroused. Under You Yang's passionate kisses and teasing, her body trembled, and her legs became hot and wet, as if she was automatically preparing for his invasion.

"Don't want it? Why are you wet?" He withdrew his probing fingers, displaying the translucent strands on her cheek. "You've become quite sensitive these past few days."

"You, you beast..." Jingzhi blushed and turned her head away, too humiliated to look at him.

"Beast?" You Yang chuckled softly. "You're not my biological sister. If I don't tell, no one will know... By the way, last night..."

He grabbed Jingzhi's chin, forcing her to look at him. "Did he tell you who you are last night? Hmm? Or, does this forbidden relationship excite you more?"

"No, I said no!" Jingzhi knew he was deliberately trying to humiliate her. She turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

"No?" You Yang stepped back, slightly raising himself, then pulled down his pants. "Didn't tell you? That's a shame..."

Jingzhi tried to escape while he was backing away, but You waited patiently until she had crawled several steps before grabbing her ankle. "Don't run, it won't be fun if you run."

His burning body pressed back against her, kissing her neck and breasts, then pressing his body between her forced-open legs.

"I hate you, I hate you," Jingzhi bit his shoulder, biting hard until she tasted blood.

"Bite, harder!" You Yang sighed. "The harder you bite, the more excited I get."

"Pervert..."

Jingzhi's gaze swept over the oil painting on the wall. The beautiful, gentle woman in the painting quietly watched this scene—two naked men and women entangled in the most primal way, and legally, or perhaps more accurately, they were siblings.

“Don’t resist me,” You Yang said, holding her wrists firmly with one hand while his other hand reached between her wet legs. “It’s no use resisting. Only I can touch you here.”

“You’re crazy…you’re crazy.” Jingzhi choked back tears, trying to close her legs, but his knees firmly parted them.

“You call me crazy? I don’t care,” You Yang sneered. “I just want you to know that no matter what happened before today, from now on, only I can touch you here…”

His gaze swept over her trembling body, lingering on the deep pubic hair between her legs, and for a fleeting moment, a hint of vulnerability flashed in his eyes: “Unless I die.”

By the time Jingzhi realized what he was about to do, he had already gently but firmly parted her legs, revealing the wet, folded flesh beneath…

“No, you, you… what are you going to do…” Jingzhi’s lower abdomen spasmed as he leaned down: “Please don’t humiliate me like this.”

Chapter Sixty-Five Curiosity

“How could it be humiliation?” You Yang sighed as he touched her small, sensitive clitoris: “You are so beautiful… tell me…”

His fingers teasingly probed into her tight, burning passage: “Do you like me touching you like this?”

Jingzhi gritted her teeth. She knew he wanted to deliberately humiliate her, and she couldn’t, couldn’t…

Her toes curled up because of his deliberate stimulation, her knees trembled, and the muscles in her calves almost spasmed, but she was determined not to make a sound, not to let him succeed…

“Why aren’t you making a sound?” You Yang frowned and asked in a low voice, his face slightly puzzled, like a child encountering a new and interesting toy: “Let me take a good look at you…”

Jingzhi closed her eyes tightly. She resisted his torment, but… it was no use…

A wave of pleasure, deliberately aroused by him, erupted within her, and she arched her body to meet him.

Jingzhi could feel You Yang quickly covering her. She closed her eyes, wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders, almost expectantly awaiting his entry.

Just then, the door creaked open, followed by the sound of footsteps…

You Yang, who was practically ready to pounce, froze. He grabbed the sheet and wrapped himself and Jingzhi together.

The footsteps stopped and started, and then a small figure appeared behind the sheer curtain.

Jingzhi, trapped beneath You Yang, their bodies pressed intimately together, heard the small footsteps. She turned around and saw a tiny squid head peeking out from behind the curtain.

Oh my god…

Jingzhi stared in surprise, her tiny squid-like hands gripping the edge of the curtain as she peered out, her eyes wide: "Daddy, Mommy, what are you doing?"

Good heavens, Jingzhi's face flushed instantly to her neck. Would the way she and Youyang were behaving like this... would the child even understand such things?

"Good girl, Squid." You Yang's tone was incredibly gentle, a stark contrast to his earlier harsh words to Jingzhi. "Daddy and Mommy are talking about something."

"Oh? What are you talking about?" Squid stepped forward, lying on the edge of the bed, blinking its big eyes. "Daddy, you're bad! You're bullying Mommy! You're on top of Mommy..."

"I... I didn't..." You Yang's face flushed red, from embarrassment, but even more so from his unfulfilled desire. He pulled Jingzhi to the side, lying down beside her. "Squid, good girl, go find Mommy."

"I don't want to..." Squid didn't leave; instead, it grabbed the edge of the bed with its little hands and climbed onto it with a burst of strength. "I want Mommy! Daddy, get away..."

Before You Yang and Jingzhi could react, little Squid had already climbed onto the bed, grabbing the sheet covering them both.

"My goodness..." You Yang groaned...

The child, like a tiny octopus, climbed onto them and then comfortably squeezed into the narrow gap between them.

Jingzhi breathed a sigh of relief. Squid's intervention eased the tension between them, and You Yang's attention was now focused on the troublesome child. She could finally catch her breath.

She slowly crawled under the sheets, trying to get away from You Yang.

"You unlucky child~~~~~~~" You Yang groaned, but he couldn't let the little child lie between them like that.

He reached out, grabbed the child by the collar, and lifted him up like a chick, placing him on the other side of the bed: "Be good, stop making a fuss, go find Mommy."

"No..." Squid climbed onto You Yang again, "I want Mommy to hold me!"

"I said, go away!" You Yang grabbed his little collar and placed him on the other side of the bed.

"No~~~~~~~~~~" Squid climbed again...

You Yang lifted him even further away...

"Waaah..." Clearly at a physical disadvantage, Squid realized his father was determined not to let him near his mother, and he burst into tears, his rosy cheeks glistening with tears: "I want my mommy."

You Yang helplessly picked him up and let him sit on his stomach: "Sigh, you child..."

Squid was indeed still a child, instantly forgetting his earlier unpleasantness, and he climbed onto Jingzhi: "Mommy..."

Jingzhi blushed, hugged Squid, and under the thin sheet, she and You Yang were entangled naked, but the innocent and kind child didn't understand at all.

You Yang looked at Squid snuggling in his mother's arms, his gaze darkening.

He sighed and lay down, trying his best to suppress the throbbing in his waist. What was wrong with him? If Squid hadn't suddenly appeared and interrupted him, he might have impulsively raped Jingzhi...

Was it jealousy?

He smiled bitterly; he wasn't jealous of anyone else, but of his own father.

After a few deliberate knocks, Aunt Wu whispered outside the door, "Squid, come out quickly, Grandpa's on the phone."

"Oh? Tell Grandpa to wait, Mom and Dad are talking about something." Squid hugged Jingzhi's neck. "Mom..."

Jingzhi held Squid tightly, tears welling in her eyes. She had been terrified by You Yang; if Squid hadn't suddenly barged in, would she have died of shame from the humiliation?

"Huh? Why is Dad angry?" Squid seemed to sense You's stiffness and anger. "Mom..."

"We didn't talk about anything." Jingzhi closed her eyes and hugged her child tightly. "

Mom..." Squid murmured in Jingzhi's ear, "Mom knows Squid is lonely, so she wants to give me a little sister?"

"Huh?" Jingzhi was amused by this childlike question and couldn't help but laugh, "Why does Squid want a little sister?"

"Because when I grow up I can protect my little sister. If it's a little brother, I won't need to protect him." "And..." Squid leaned close to Jingzhi's ear, "Your little sister is prettier..."

Children say the darndest things, and Jingzhi turned away, secretly shedding tears.

Little did Squid know, getting a little sister wasn't as easy as getting a toy.

The phone on the bedside table suddenly rang. You Yang reached out and answered, "Hello? This is..."

Jingzhi turned her head, tentatively reaching for her clothes lying to the side, but they were already torn, and with little Squid beside her, she didn't have the courage to put on clothes naked in front of the child.

You Yang spoke in a low voice, only saying a few words before hanging up.

Then he sat up, grabbed his trousers, pulled them on, scooped up Squid, rolled off the bed, ignoring the child's cries, opened the door, and handed the child to Wu Ma, who was waiting at the door.

"Take him downstairs to play, prepare lunch."

"Yes, young master." Wu Ma's voice was low, "Should we bring him up, or..."

You Yang paused, glancing back at Jingzhi, who was wrapped tightly in the sheet: "Bring him up in two hours."

"Yes."

Then the door slammed shut.

You Yang strode to the bedside, and Jingzhi's heart clenched. She clutched the sheet covering her body, her panicked gaze accidentally catching sight of his bare chest and the bloody scratches she had just made. "You..." Jingzhi tried weakly to stop him as his body pressed against hers, "No..." You Yang's bare chest made her heart race, and then the sound of him pulling down his zipper sent a rush of blood to her face. "Too late ,

"

he

said, his lips pressed against hers, "I can't hold back anymore, Jingzhi, let me have you..."

In truth, he didn't give her a chance to stop. He covered her lips with his, his long fingers gripping her chin, forcing her to open her mouth, his tongue invading her...

"Don't resist me, Jingzhi, open your eyes..."

The inexplicable sadness in You Yang's voice made Jingzhi involuntarily open her eyes. His burning gaze made her unable to move.

Under his gaze, Jingzhi felt a burning, hungry pain deep within her lower abdomen. The next second, his hard, hot body pressed her firmly into the deep mattress. Before

Jingzhi could even gasp, his burning lips were already kissing her hard, sensitive breasts, causing her to involuntarily arch her body towards him. A

deep, hoarse groan escaped You Yang's throat, his teasing fingertips lightly touching the heat between her legs. Jingzhi clenched her legs in fear, but the fiery sensation he had aroused made her tremble, welcoming his touch.

"Please!" "She no longer knew what she wanted; her sobs were like unconscious groans.

You Yang could wait no longer. A deep sorrow suddenly surfaced in his mind… If only they loved each other deeply!

He wanted to hold her in his arms, he wanted to grow old with her like that, but why did so many things have to happen?

It shouldn't always be like this; he was tired of always having to force or seduce Jingzhi.

'You Yang, this time, if you can't win her heart, then you must set her free. Don't blame me for not warning you then.'"

You Shiqun's words echoed in his ears. You Yang knew that behind every word You Shiqun spoke lay boundless determination.

No, he wouldn't allow Jingzhi to drift further and further away from him. You Yang buried himself deeply in her, thrusting repeatedly, as if their intense physical union could dissolve the sorrow…

1

Jingzhi strained her eyes, staring at the oil painting on the wall behind his shoulder. The girl in the painting had watery eyes. Jingzhi tried to distract herself, pretending she wasn't still trembling and struggling from the intoxicating pleasure she had just experienced.

You Yang reached out and brushed the sweat-dampened hair from her face. Jingzhi frantically found her voice: "I… I want to get up."

"No," You Yang whispered in her ear, "Wait a minute…"

He desperately wanted to hold her in his arms, to be together from day to night, and then until dawn.

But when he had just been hot-headed, repeatedly humiliating Jingzhi with that cold tone, he had already relinquished that right.

He silently cursed himself for acting so irreversibly out of jealousy. He could understand Jingzhi's stiffness after the passion subsided.

Jingzhi lay quietly, neither resisting nor struggling, unaware of how much time had passed. She felt Youyang lean over her, his fingers tracing her face, his fingertips touching the tears on her cheeks.

"Jingzhi, are you alright?"

She tried to force a smile, but couldn't. "Let me get up. I need to wash up."

"I'm sorry, I forgot what I said earlier." Youyang hugged her tightly, filled with remorse and urgency. "I shouldn't have doubted you."

"Oh?" Jingzhi's tone was cautious and polite. "How can you be so sure of my innocence again?"

"Don't say anything," Youyang hugged her tighter. He knew it; he had felt it the moment he entered her. He might suspect Jingzhi was lying, but her body couldn't lie.

Jingzhi pulled away from his embrace, turning her back with as much dignity as possible. Youyang reached out to touch her, but his hand clenched into a fist in the air.

Jingzhi gracefully got out of bed, struggling to change into her torn clothes, trying to ignore her aching muscles, and staggered to the dressing room door.

"Jingzhi..." You Yang called softly.

She stopped, not turning around: "What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Can we..." You Yang tried to whisper, his voice strained, "Can we try to accept each other? Can you... for Squid... can we... not always..."

"For Squid?" Jingzhi felt as if she were walking on cotton, light and airy. She instinctively murmured, "Okay, I'll try..."

She went into the bathroom, quickly washed her aching body, and when she came out, You Yang was already gone.

Chapter Sixty-Six: Warmth

. Jingzhi hadn't slept all night and was now too tired to keep her eyes open. She yawned, climbed into bed, and fell into a deep sleep, sleeping and sleeping until she woke up to find it was already dark.

She woke up in confusion, briefly wondering where she was, then remembered You Yang's words—for Squid, try to accept each other, and she had already agreed to it?

Try to accept it?

The sudden sound of the door opening startled Jingzhi. She turned around and saw You Yang's tall figure standing in the doorway, the light from outside casting his shadow on the floor.

After their passionate encounter, Jingzhi felt slightly embarrassed to see You Yang, neatly dressed, appear in the doorway.

Through her long eyelashes, Jingzhi secretly sized him up. You Yang's attire could be described as impeccably dressed... This calmed Jingzhi's wildly beating heart a little.

You Yang's voice was deep: "You missed lunch, you won't miss dinner too, will you?" Jingzhi

clutched the sheet to her chest, watching You Yang walk into the room step by step with slight nervousness. She didn't know what was hidden behind her calm tone.

You Yang slowly stopped behind the bed curtains, parted the draped sheer curtains, and stared intently at Jingzhi, his expression as if he had never seen her before.

Jingzhi's heart pounded in her chest. You Yang's resolute gaze seemed to declare—whatever he wanted, he would have.

To be precise, You Yang's piercing gaze was fixed on her, a gaze that roamed over her with an almost unbridled, burning desire, a gaze that nearly suffocated Jingzhi.

Everything seemed to freeze, in an endless silence…

"I told you not to miss dinner, but you don't seem to mind," You Yang asked in a low voice. Jingzhi

looked at You Yang in confusion, watching his slender fingers slowly reach his collar, abruptly untying his perfectly knotted tie, then the buttons of his shirt collar, and then his cuffs.

As he untied his shirt, You Yang's gaze burned intently on Jingzhi's fragile and hesitant face, never leaving it for a moment.

"No, no," Jingzhi could barely breathe; if it happened again, she would die.

"Don't want what?"

You Yang tossed his tie aside, then, with a graceful shake of his broad, muscular shoulders, flung off his expensive coat. His gaze remained fixed on Jingzhi. "Or are you unsure yourself?"

"Didn't you say there would be dinner? I'll get up right away."

You Yang's sharply defined lips curled slightly. "No rush," he said, slowly removing his shirt to reveal his strong, muscular chest.

Jingzhi's fingers gripped the sheets tightly. You Yang couldn't be serious; he was just trying to make her nervous. She rested her head on the pillow, trying her best to appear calm and collected.

What was You Yang up to now?

"You Yang, what are you up to now?" Jingzhi looked at him calmly. "You didn't come here specifically to put on a striptease for me, did you?"

"A striptease? Maybe??????" You Yang was amused by Jingzhi's composure and humor. He elegantly walked to the other end of the room and tossed his coat and shirt onto the chair in front of the dressing table.

“You Yang, if you want me to try to accept you, please don’t act so frivolously, okay?” Jingzhi hated the tremor in her voice.

“Frivolous? No??????” You Yang realized that taking off his clothes had worked. He pursed his lips and smiled, a rare sight. He walked to the open wardrobe at one end of the room and opened the door.

“You misunderstood. I wanted to change out of this old-fashioned outfit. I just met with a tribal chief.” You Yang opened the wardrobe, took out a tropical-style short-sleeved shirt, and neatly put it on.

“Jingzhi, do you remember?” His voice was full of reminiscence: “The first time we met, you were in a car accident, your head was covered in blood, and you were lying unconscious on the ground. I noticed then that you had a beautiful face.”

Jingzhi was stunned. This was the first time she had heard You Yang recount their first meeting. Actually, she didn’t remember much about that meeting. At that time, she was just an ignorant little girl anxiously trying to earn money as soon as possible.

You Yang continued, recalling:

"The second time we met, you were being chased, and when I pulled you from the water, I remember thinking, 'This girl has a really great figure.' Even though... you were already pregnant at the time, I still couldn't control myself..."

He stopped buttoning his shirt, almost blankly, his voice hoarse.

Jingzhi stared at him, both surprised and embarrassed by You Yang's sudden confession.

After a moment, he seemed to have made a huge decision: "You don't know how much I struggled inside. Your beauty and kindness were revealed to me little by little, and at that time, I didn't even know you were carrying my child??????"

"Everything happened so coincidentally," Jingzhi murmured, "Who would have thought?"

"Sometimes when I think about it, our relationship is really ironic." You Yang turned to look at her.

"Wh-what relationship?" Jingzhi suddenly stammered.

"Didn't you realize? If we weren't destined to be together, how could we keep meeting?" You Yang murmured in a low voice. "Our first meeting in the darkness, your awkwardness and helplessness, shocked me in a way I'll never forget. Even then, I naively believed I loved another woman."

"Her??????" Jingzi suddenly remembered that woman: "Is she alright? You two...broke up?"

"Broken up, not really, because it never even started." You Yang slowly walked towards Jingzhi: "Don't talk about her, let's talk about how we felt back then."

"What could I have felt back then?" Jingzhi's eyes welled up with tears: "I was just a gold digger girl who wanted to make money."

"Wrong," You Yang climbed onto the bed, lay down beside Jingzhi, cupped her chin in his hands, his gaze focused and full of tenderness:

"When I first held you in the dark and saw you standing naked in the bathroom, in that instant, I thought, this is the woman I want, but I can't have her... forever?"

Jingzhi's mouth dropped open. Was this gentle-eyed You Yang the same cold-hearted You Yang from just now?

"You Yang? What's wrong?" In a moment of impulse, she reached out and touched his forehead. He was actually saying that he had thought about having her back then? Then Jingzhi noticed his forehead was cool, not hot. "Don't explain what happened back then. I was wrong too. I shouldn't have encouraged you."

"What did you say?" Youyang grabbed her hand. "You think that time, that time my uncontrollable hormones ruled everything?"

"I didn't say that," Jingzhi bit her lip. "I never said that."

"But you still think that," Youyang stepped back, shaking off her hand. "No wonder, every time you see me, I act like a beast driven by hormones."

Jingzhi could feel his anger, her face turning pale. "I'm sorry, is it because I hurt your pride?"

"Do I have pride?" Youyang smiled bitterly. "After doing stupid things time and time again, my pride has been completely lost."

"It's precisely because I hurt your pride," Jingzhi repeated nervously, "that when I left back then, it was when you were most hurt. You must think I abandoned you and the child??????"

“Yes,” You Yang said expressionlessly, “From the moment I heard you left, I haven’t thought about anything else…”

His slender fingers slid down her delicate cheek, stopping at her lips. “I understand. Back then, you thought a large sum of cash was much more reliable than a man in a coma. But… things are different now…”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the distribution of profits…” You Yang looked into her eyes. “Now that we have a child, our future life should be more colorful.”

Jingzhi heard the longing for a happy sex life in his tone, but she didn’t want it. “I… please… please, don’t touch me again until I truly accept you.”

“Hmm?” You Yang raised one eyebrow. “Why? Don’t you think we’re naturally compatible in this respect?”

“No, don’t use sex as a weapon anymore.” Jingzhi looked directly into his eyes. “Sometimes I wonder, what exactly do you like about me? You don’t understand me.”

“That’s because you never give me a chance.”

“Then, from now on, let’s each give each other a chance.” Jingzhi bit her lip: “Don’t touch me until I’m willing.”

“Your suggestion seems quite challenging.” You Yang stared at her quietly: “I agree, but not indefinitely, one month. If you use this as an excuse to resist me indefinitely, I have the right to take the initiative after one month.”

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Confusion

and Taking the Initiative?

You Yang gracefully left the room, giving Jingzhi time to change her clothes.

Jingzhi wondered with a hint of curiosity, what was You Yang’s purpose in saying all this? Was You Yang truly interested in her, or was it, as he said, just for the child?

Wu Ma sent a servant to bring Jingzhi’s luggage into the room, leaving behind a clean silk robe.

The constant shocks of the past few days had almost robbed her of her objective judgment. Jingzhi got up to look for her underwear in her luggage, then picked up the silk robe.

The silk was as soft as water, feeling as light as nothing, and wearing it felt like a cloud or a cool stream.

Jingzhi tidied her appearance in front of the mirror, carefully combing her hair. She tried not to look at the oil painting on the wall, but she couldn't help but comb her hair in the same way as the woman in the painting.

Jingzhi forced herself to scrutinize herself harshly with the eyes of a stranger—the girl in the mirror had a pair of bright, dark eyes with long eyelashes, and her deep pupils were full of sorrow.

She had no makeup, a small mouth, and a slightly upturned nose. If she looked like the woman in the painting, it would be more accurate to say that she and the woman in the painting both had classical features.

You Yang said that she was the illegitimate daughter of You Shiqun's wife?

Jingzhi couldn't verify whether this was true, but if it was, then it would explain why she was abandoned almost immediately after birth.

Jingzhi clutched the jade, recalling her mother's account of finding her…

The door clicked open, and You Yang entered the room. Jingzhi turned around and looked at him.

Standing in the doorway, You Yang momentarily confused Jingzhi with his father—they did look very alike.

Although You Yang had changed out of his formal attire, his thin tropical casual wear accentuated his broad chest and shoulders, making him appear tall. His sun-tanned face revealed a resolute determination.

At this moment, You Yang seemed somewhat cold—like You Shiqun, a man born to win through plunder.

You Yang was very different from five years ago. Jingzhi hadn't noticed this change; in fact, she had deliberately ignored it. Every time she encountered him, she was thinking of how to escape and hide.

"What's wrong?" You Yang raised an eyebrow, asking suspiciously, "Is there something on my face?"

"No," Jingzhi shook her head. She stood there, wringing her hands, watching him walk towards her step by step.

While changing clothes, she had carefully considered everything You Yang had done these past few days. These past few days he's been deliberately trying to get close to me, even though his methods aren't exactly wise.

But are my methods wise?

Jingzhi stared blankly as he approached. She had thought that in the years she had been away, she had become mature and confident, but what had happened?

Seeing You Yang and You Shiqun, the fear of that surrogacy contract from years ago overwhelmed all other emotions. She felt as if, overnight, she had become that pitiful little girl again, vulnerable and easily manipulated.

Yes, back then, she had nothing—no name, no identity, no money. But now it was different. She was a woman with an independent will. How could she be placed in that awkward situation again?

No, not this time. If she agreed to play the game with him, she would participate in setting the rules, not be at his mercy like before.

"You're beautiful," You Yang stopped in front of her, lowered his head, and his gaze lingered intimately and tenderly on her silk robe. "I knew this dress suited you perfectly."

Jingzhi's heart tightened. Was this the look a man gave a woman he loved? And should she feel grateful for the tenderness in his words?

Jingzhi raised her chin and smiled, "Thank you, this dress is beautiful."

"Then," You Yang took her hand, "let's go, the judge is waiting."

"What did you say? The judge?" Jingzhi pulled her hand back, muttering.

“Wedding,” You Yang pursed his lips, “This is Myanmar. Myanmar’s wedding customs are different from those in China. In Myanmar, when a young man wants to marry a woman, they can live together for a while. Even if they have children, the woman is still considered unmarried. If they haven’t changed their initial intentions after living together for several years, they can hold a wedding. Our situation fits that description perfectly.”

Jingzhi’s eyes widened; she could hardly believe her ears. “But I don’t want to get married. Besides, we didn’t even talk about this… wedding.”

You Yang stared at her. “This doesn’t conflict with what we just discussed. I’ll give you time after we get married, but the wedding must be held first.”

“No!” Jingzhi retorted almost defiantly. “When did I agree to marry you? What did I say or do that made you feel I had to marry you? Do I look like I’m in a rush to get married?”

You Yang frowned, confused by Jingzhi’s sudden firmness. “No, of course you didn’t… but…”

"You think I'm being dramatic?" Jingzhi tilted her head back, looking at his tightly pursed lips, and smiled slightly, a hint of mockery in her expression. "I am who I am. I can try to accept you, but don't try to manipulate me. I have my own thoughts; I'm not a doll."

"What did you say?" You Yang frowned. "What else do you want? For this wedding, even, I'll persuade my father????"

"Persuade him to seduce me?" Jingzhi interrupted him. "Or, your father likes me too? You seemed to be making that assumption when you humiliated me just now. I really don't know what kind of agreement you and your father reached to manipulate me like this? Is this the game of you rich people?"

"You????" You Yang gripped her wrist. "I never play games." He frowned resentfully. "Yes, I admit I was blinded by jealousy just now, but???"

"Stop talking??????" Jingzhi smiled. "Those things we had were just adult sex, nothing serious."

You Yang seemed unhappy with Jingzhi's retort, while Jingzhi felt a surge of confidence, a sense of control:

"Honestly, You Yang, you're still as immature as you were back then. Even if we had a child, so what? Many divorced parents raise excellent children. Let's just be friends, besides, we're nominally siblings."

You Yang looked at her, surprised. "You're joking." He said almost rudely.

Jingzhi smiled, but her eyes were very serious: "I'm not joking. I promise I'll try to accept you, but I won't make any promises to you."

You Yang was enraged by her words. He shook off her hand, turned and left, seemingly truly

angered.

Jingzhi wasn't afraid of his anger; on the contrary, she was happy to provoke him.

Soon, You Yang returned. He stood there quietly, watching her pick up the comb and continue brushing her hair. She could sense he was pondering her.

Jingzhi deliberately feigned indifference to the threat posed by his tall figure. After finishing her hair, she opened her suitcase, found a pair of soft stockings, and slowly put them on, showing off her beautiful, long legs to him.

Marriage? Did he think she would faint with joy upon hearing the word "marriage"?

The You father and son were truly arrogant and disgusting, especially You Shiqun, who had acted like an omnipotent God from the beginning. As for You Yang, he was merely bestowing marriage as a handout—for the sake of the child, a laughable excuse.

It was more like for sexual happiness, but without love, only sex, such a marriage was practically a dead end.

Jingzhi slowly put on the stockings, then found a pair of designer high heels in her luggage and put them on.

After putting on her three-inch heels, Jingzhi turned around and looked him straight in the eye. "Okay, I'm ready. We can go to dinner now."

You Yang looked at the radiant Jingzhi. "Why are you so resistant to a wedding? I'll be good to you because you're Squid's mother, and...?"

"I understand," Jingzhi's clear eyes were filled with pride. "Squid needs a mother, but that's not an excuse, not an excuse for a wedding. I promise to try to accept you, that's all I can promise for now."

You Yang's brows furrowed slightly. "I understand. Are you implying that you still love your fiancé?"

"Oh," Jingzhi was startled. She had almost forgotten about that excuse. "At least I don't dislike him. He's a very suitable marriage partner."

"Who is he?" You Yang didn't even notice the jealousy and frustration in his tone. "Do I know him?"

"Of course not, he's a very... perfect person," Jingzhi said softly.

Chapter Sixty-Eight: The atmosphere at the stormy

dinner was rather somber. This dinner was originally prepared by You Yang for his wedding, but the invited judge was informed that the wedding was canceled.

So the lavish candlelight wedding banquet became a simple dinner for the family of three.

As if sensing the awkwardness between his parents, Squid behaved extremely obediently throughout the meal, constantly asking Jingzhi and You Yang to serve him food.

"Mom, I want lobster porridge! Can you get Dad a bowl too? Dad, can you help Mom crack open that crab leg?"

Jingzhi blew on the lobster porridge to cool it down and fed Squid spoonful by spoonful. The only sounds besides Squid's cries were the clinking of glasses and plates.

You Yang ate very little. He toyed with the wine glass in his hand, staring at the shimmering light and shadow projected onto the crystal glass. He gazed thoughtfully at Jingzhi and their child sitting at one end of the long table. The warm candlelight illuminated her hair and cast a mysterious shadow over her eyes.

They didn't talk much, partly because they still felt awkward, and partly because there were servants present.

The island was bought by the You family, but You Shiqun hadn't driven away the native inhabitants. Many of them also worked in the house, managing affairs. You Yang had arrived in a hurry three days ago, and the servants had rushed to tidy up and clean the rooms. Even so, they only cleaned the upstairs bedrooms first.

Then Jingzhi and Youyu arrived. A wedding that had been planned for three days and then suddenly canceled left the servants even more bewildered.

Although Wu Ma kept the young boys and girls busy, she couldn't stop them from casting curious glances at Jingzhi.

The last dessert was taken away by the servants, and then after-dinner drinks were placed. You Yang looked up and gestured to the servant serving them that they didn't need him anymore.

Jingzhi glanced at him but didn't say anything.

The servant quietly left the room and closed the door. Jingzhi picked up her glass and took a small sip of the clear liquid.

The wine tasted light and bitter, and the silence after the servant left was even more unsettling. Wu Ma immediately came up and said that she was taking Youyu to bed.

Jingzhi suddenly began to worry about how they would cope after Youyu was taken away. She pushed back her chair and stood up, avoiding his gaze: "I think I'm sleepy too."

"Me too," You Yang stood up, put his empty glass on the table, and followed her towards the door.

"No, I don't want to sleep??????" Squid struggled in Wu Ma's arms. "I want Mommy and Daddy to tell me stories."

"Daddy, I brought storybooks!" Squid peeked out from Wu Ma's shoulder, looking pitifully at You Yang and Jingzhi. "I've always read those books by myself, no one has ever read them to me??????"

"Okay, Daddy will tell you a story," You Yang reached out and took Squid from Wu Ma's arms, placing him on his shoulder. "Ask Mommy if she's going too."

Although he spoke enthusiastically, his gaze didn't even glance at Jingzhi.

Jingzhi secretly glanced at You Yang, who quickly noticed. A smile appeared on his lips as he took a step back, letting her go first.

Wu Ma quickly disappeared around the corner of the corridor. Jingzhi turned her head away from him. She couldn't be sure what he was planning tonight, but she couldn't refuse the child.

The nursery upstairs was at the end of the corridor, and the bedroom was on the other side. Jingzhi reluctantly followed You Yang towards the nursery.

"Ah, I'm so happy!" Squid seemed to be home, leaping onto the bed. The crib in the nursery wasn't small, about 1.5 by 1.8 meters.

Squid quickly kicked off her shoes, burrowed under the covers, and neatly placed her little hands outside the blankets. "Okay, I'm ready! Quick, quick, tell me a story! Daddy and Mommy, one on each side, please?"

Seeing the child's eager eyes, Jingzhi and Youyang exchanged a glance, and reluctantly climbed onto the bed, one on each side. Because the bed was small, the three of them squeezed together.

Squid eagerly took out the picture book from under her pillow. "Tell me a story! Daddy will tell you, and Mommy will tell you too. You can play the characters in the book, please?"

"Once upon a time..." Jingzhi read softly, "In the big forest lived a family of beavers..."

The picture book was opened, with Youyang and Jingzhi each holding half. Jingzhi read the narration and the dialogue of the female character, Youyang read the dialogue of the male character, and Squid played the role of the child.

Squid was actually very familiar with the contents of this picture book. Although he couldn't read, his memory was excellent. Someone had probably read it to him before, and he remembered it clearly. Every time he turned a page, if his character appeared, he could recite it word for word.

As You Yang read the picture book, he secretly glanced at Jingzhi. Under the lamplight, a faint blush graced Jingzhi's face, her long eyelashes drooping. The three of them together truly resembled a loving family.

In an instant, his chest overflowed with a mixture of frustration and reluctance towards Jingzhi.

He couldn't say whether he truly loved her.

Since Wu Yanya's deception and Jingzhi's sudden departure years ago, he had been utterly disillusioned with women.

But when he saw Jingzhi again, heard her voice, and looked at her, a savage desire to possess her welled up deep within him.

Was this love? You Yang didn't know, but he knew that this time he would never let Jingzhi go again.

You Yang had long sensed You Shiqun's affection for Jingzhi, but he knew his greatest advantage was You Yu. Even if You Shiqun was unconventional, he wouldn't disregard his beloved grandson.

"Daddy, Daddy, it's your turn to tell the story!" You Yu grabbed his arm, bringing him back to reality.

"Oh," You Yang focused his gaze on the picture book, about to begin, when a sudden gust of wind whipped the curtains of the French windows open.

Then came the clanging of glass against the glass…

"It's probably going to rain," You Yang thought, getting out of bed and walking to the French windows. Sure enough, after a loud clap of thunder, the downpour began .

You Yang closed the windows, turned back to the bed, and Jingzhi put a finger to her lips, gesturing for him to be quiet.

You Yu had been playing all afternoon and was exhausted. He had forced himself to stay awake and have stories told to him by Jingzhi and the others after dinner, but now, without warning, he had fallen asleep.

Jingzhi lowered her head, her gaze tenderly fixed on the little squid nestled in the blankets. Its rosy cheeks were adorably adorable, with dimples appearing and disappearing—her little angel.

This child was hers, the child she had carried for over eight months, almost losing her life to give birth to…?

You Yang slowly sat down beside her, watching her gently kiss the child's forehead. "No matter what, you love him very much. I always misunderstood that you didn't like this child."

"It's not a misunderstanding," Jingzhi looked up. "Actually, your father deliberately wanted you to think that way, right? That agreement, anyone who saw it would misunderstand..."

You Yang nodded thoughtfully, watching Jingzhi carefully remove the child's coat and tuck him in. "You'll be a good mother."

"You flatter me," Jingzhi smiled. "Alright, the child is asleep, I'll go back to my room to rest. Which bedroom should I stay in?"

"You can stay in that one," You Yang opened the door, letting Jingzhi go first. "I'll stay in the other one."

"Okay," Jingzhi walked with him to the stairs, turning back to say, "Goodnight then, thank you for making my time with the child so pleasant." "I'm glad you're happy,"

You Yang replied calmly. "Goodnight."

Jingzhi looked up, the dim light illuminating the desire in his eyes. Jingzhi knew what he was thinking, but...? She couldn't?

She looked up at his face, at his sensual lips, his strong, angular jaw, and the unwavering look in his eyes.

That gaze almost had a hypnotic quality: "Jingzhi, are you afraid of me?" You Yang asked softly. Her voice

was as low as a whisper: "No..."

You Yang walked firmly towards her, pulled her into his arms, and then bent down to pick her up.

Jingzhi knew she should protest, but she seemed unable to speak for a moment.

You Yang's arms held her tightly, his steps steady, his will equally resolute. Jingzhi's body reacted immediately to his touch. When could she resist him?

The room felt like a dream, filled with familiar darkness.

You Yang put Jingzhi down, everything still felt like a dream, as if he had returned to the dark wooden house.

Of course, there was moonlight tonight, and You Yang used the moonlight to look down at her face. Jingzhi didn't avoid his gaze, and a confident smile gradually appeared at the corners of his eyes and mouth.

Jingzhi gazed at him, watching him slowly turn on all the lights.

The room instantly brightened as if it were daytime, illuminating the pale green curtains and drapes. You Yang calmly looked at her and said, "I've always dreamed of a world where it's just the two of us, no longer a dark place, no longer a hurried, hormone-driven lovemaking."

Jingzhi was hypnotized by his voice. She stood there quietly, looking up at him, waiting for him.

You Yang also looked into her eyes, his gaze burning with desire. He slowly took off his coat, slowly and painfully.

Jingzhi froze. She had never seen a man undress before. In their brief encounters, she had been too passive or too engrossed to notice how he did it.

But now, she was almost forced, watching him slowly reveal every part of his masculine body. Her pulse quickened involuntarily, her cheeks burning.

"You can't...?" Jingzhi tried to regain her composure, to act nonchalant and mature again, but it was too late.

When You Yang casually tossed his shirt aside, revealing a large expanse of his muscular chest, Jingzhi almost gasped in disbelief as he immediately unbuckled his belt.

However, You Yang instead walked to the bedside, pulled the curtain aside to cover the oil painting, as if not wanting the woman in the painting to see it. Then, leaning against the bed, he finally pulled off his trousers, turning to face her completely naked.

Jingzhi was stunned by his strong, muscular body; a spasm ran through her lower abdomen, and her muscles throbbed with pain.

"Here," You Yang said, his throat dry, "this time, let's do it with our eyes open and clear-headed."

Before he finished speaking, suddenly, the lights in the room went out with a violent shaking.

For a moment, the room shook violently, furniture and vases crashing and overturning. Jingzhi felt as if she were on a yacht.

"Ahhhhhh!" Jingzhi lost her balance and fell to the ground, followed by the sound of furniture or small ornaments falling to the floor.

"Earthquake!" You Yang's firm voice pierced the darkness: "Stay put and don't move."

As if to confirm You Yang's words, the shaking continued, accompanied by a powerful gust of wind and torrential rain. The glass of the French windows shattered in pieces!

Jingzhi lay amidst the chaos, feeling the shards of glass pouring into the room like snowflakes.

"Squid!" Jingzhi instantly remembered the child in the room at the other end of the corridor. She groped for something, trying to get up and rush out to save the child, but...

A strong body pounced on her, pinning her down. You Yang's voice was hoarse but calm: "Don't move, you'll hurt yourself."

"Let go! Let go of me, child!" Jingzhi struggled against him, but... Tears streamed down her lips, tasting bitter: "My child... my child, all alone?"

URL 1:http://localhost:909/htmlBlog/14835.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=14835&aspx=1

Previous Page : The Divine Doctor Captures a Beauty [Complete] - 15

Next Page : Stealing Your Love [Full Text] - 9

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

Stealing Your Love [Complete] - 7

comment Open a new window to view comments