Beyond Reach - Chapter 16 - Will He Hate Her?

A surge of tense and anxious emotions rose within her. Shi Sui’s mental fortitude had always been lacking, and after a whole night of high pressure, the string finally snapped at this moment.

Shi Sui’s vision went dark, her nose wrinkled slightly.

She couldn’t hold it in-her eyelashes trembled, and tears fell down her cheeks.

Yan Tingli paused, looking a little dazed.

“Pa.” He turned on the light.

His gaze fixed on her, lips pressed into a tight line, clearly restraining himself. “What are you feeling wronged about? Did I scold you?”

Sometimes, crying was nothing more than a momentary collapse, not truly Shi Sui’s intention. At this moment, she could still control herself.

But through the blurred vision behind her eyelids,

Shi Sui seemed to sense that the frightening aura around Yan Tingli had dissipated a little.

Her soft sobs paused, her heart fluttered.

She blinked a bit harder, and the tears fell even more.

From Shi Sui’s past experience, crying sometimes worked on Yan Tingli, sometimes didn’t.

She hoped it would work this time, she thought silently.

Yan Tingli’s gaze landed on her gently fluttering lashes and her eyes, which she thought were secretly darting around.

Seeing he had no reaction, Shi Sui began to falter, sneaking a glance at him from the corner of her eyes.

She met his even colder expression, his lips curled in a mocking sneer. “Not fed enough? Cry louder.”

Shi Sui was dumbfounded.

Her sobs stopped, stuck in her throat.

Yan Tingli suddenly didn’t seem in a hurry for answers anymore, leisurely pulling out the wine cork.

He poured half a glass, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he took a sip.

“Since you insist on wasting your chance to speak the truth,” he set down the glass with measured indifference, a cold glance sweeping over her, “then I’ll just have to put in the effort and check for myself.”

“Until I find out the truth, I won’t listen to another word of explanation from you.”

“…………..”

Shi Sui could no longer keep calm. She rushed over in two steps, grabbing his sleeve at the desk.

She spoke quickly, “He’s my old neighbor, I haven’t seen him in years, tonight was the first time.”

“I didn’t know Gao Linhan’s roommate was him, that’s all there is to it.”

Yan Tingli showed no special reaction, looking down at her. “Just a neighbor?”

Seeing him behaving normally, Shi Sui felt a little relief inside and nodded at once.

“Got it.” Yan Tingli set the wine glass to her lips. “Wet your throat first.”

Shi Sui hesitated, but parted her lips, holding the rim of the glass.

The wine’s flavor was strong and overbearing, filling her mouth at once, the alcohol burning straight to her brain, making the base of her tongue go numb and bitter.

Shi Sui couldn’t drink much, only able to take small sips.

Yan Tingli watched her absentmindedly. Suddenly, his hand lifted.

A large gulp was forced in by him, Shi Sui frowned, trying to push the glass away, but in the next second, Yan Tingli grasped the back of her neck, bending over her entirely.

His tongue stirred in her mouth.

Saliva mingled with wine, flowing messily down.

Shi Sui couldn’t take it, unable to dodge, she could only reach out to push him away.

Yan Tingli didn’t budge.

It was only now that Shi Sui clearly saw the dark shadows in his eyes.

Even deeper than before.

Their gazes met, and only then did he pull back a little, lips pressed to hers as he asked, “Do you drink at your neighbor’s house?”

The topic shifted too fast; Shi Sui’s heart skipped a beat.

Her memory flashed back to the evening, to that casual comment from Fang Huaijing-she couldn’t hold her liquor.

She did get drunk at Fang Huaijing’s place once, mistaking fruit wine for juice, and was drunk all night.

Yan Tingli pinched her chin, licking as he whispered, “Do you drink like this too? Hm?”

Utterly absurd.

Shi Sui suppressed herself and said, “No, I just drank the wrong fruit wine, accidentally had too much.”

Yan Tingli: “Oh.”

He fed her another mouthful of wine, his tongue tangled with hers.

The taste of wine soaked her tongue, bitter and numbing.

When she was kissed until dizzy, she suddenly heard him again, “How long did you stay at Fang Huaijing’s house?”

The wine was too strong. He finally pulled away, and Shi Sui panted lightly, answering without thinking, “Not long.”

As soon as the words left her lips, Shi Sui realized something was wrong.

A chill crept up her spine-

Wrong again.

Just now she had affirmed his words: just a neighbor.

Shi Sui held her breath, trying to salvage, “I misspoke, I didn’t stay there.”

Yan Tingli let out a low laugh from his throat, sighing, “Are you sure you want to keep lying to me?”

His hand slipped beneath her sweater.

In stark contrast to his gentle tone, his fingertips moved coldly, ruthlessly.

Her sweater rose and fell, Shi Sui bit her lower lip, suppressing a whimper.

Her face was defiant, determined to resist to the end: “…Believe what you want.”

Yan Tingli’s patience seemed to finally snap. He clicked his tongue, lifted her with one arm, and strode into the shower.

…………………………………………………….

That night.

Shi Sui once again confirmed a truth.

Never hold onto any illusions.

If Yan Tingli wanted to know, he would always find out.

Any tricks or concealment.

Were all futile.

What she wouldn’t say,

He would pry out of her by any means.

Clothes scattered everywhere, drenched and forced, not even Shi Sui’s strongest will could withstand it.

“What did you use to call him?”

“Fang Huaijing.” She sobbed.

“Hmm?” His voice was low.

Thinking she’d been caught lying again, Shi Sui, delirious, stammered, “Huaijing-Ge. I called him Huaijing-Ge.”

Yan Tingli said nothing.

His answer was relentless, forcing his way into that narrow passage.

Yan Tingli grasped her chin.

In his pitch-black eyes, not a glimmer of light. At this moment, he even curled his lips, smiling without anger.

His palm pressed down on her head, forcing her to look clearly at the ground. He whispered slowly and deliberately in her ear, “What a pity, Huaijing-Ge isn’t here.”

“Now it’s Tingli-Ge feeding you.”

Shi Sui felt her entire body flush with shame, almost biting her lower lip to the point of bleeding.

“Don’t,” she murmured, “Don’t say such things.”

Yan Tingli seemed indulgent as he nibbled on her earlobe, “Then Ge will say it differently.”

His hand suddenly pressed against her stomach.

“Here, it’s all shaped by Tingli-Ge.”

“How does it feel?”

Shi Sui couldn’t bear listening any longer and simply closed her eyes.

The bottle of red wine wasn’t wasted either.

When he asked about all the details of her stay at Fang Huaijing’s house, he let the red wine flow into her mouth.

Shi Sui’s remaining consciousness made her clench her teeth, mumbling indistinctly.

“Such a tight mouth,” his fingers moved downward, “Let me try somewhere else.”

A “pop” sound.

The cork of the wine bottle opened.

He glanced down casually, his eyes filled with deep black desire.

The sound of flowing water.

When the icy liquid filled her, Shi Sui couldn’t believe what was happening before her eyes.

It was the red wine that had been on the table tonight!!!

The mix of shame and tingling sensation made her angrily scratch at his arm.

Yan Tingli held her down with one hand, preventing her from moving.

When he lowered his head, his Adam’s apple rolling as he swallowed, the sensation of ice and fire surged simultaneously, and Shi Sui whimpered.

In that instant, fireworks exploded in her mind, leaving her with no basic sanity, unable to outwit him.

A bottle of wine, continuously poured and tasted by him, reached its bottom.

He drank while asking questions.

If she pretended to be ignorant, he would deliberately pass the liquid into her mouth.

So dirty, so sticky, so chaotic.

It felt as if she was soaked inside and out by Yan Tingli.

She shed tears.

He licked the crystal from the corner of her eye, puzzled, “Do you cry like this in front of Huaijing-Ge too?”

She cursed him.

He pressed his fingertip against her mouth, “Do you curse your Huaijing-Ge like this too?”

Shi Sui tried to bite him, “I would never curse him!”

Yan Tingli squinted slightly and chuckled.

“Then don’t curse me either.”

Shi Sui had long reached her limit, “You deserve to be cursed-”

“Shh.” Yan Tingli said softly, expressionless, “Curse me one more time, and I won’t mind using something else to block your mouth.”

As he spoke, his fingers probed her throat, using a difficult tone, “So shallow, it would break Suisui.”

Realizing what he was saying or intending to do, Shi Sui immediately shut her mouth tight.

She never dared to overestimate his limits.

In this dazed state, answering questions scattered here and there.

Whenever she lied, he would apply more force.

Yan Tingli’s tone was casual, and towards the end, Shi Sui really didn’t have the energy to think or argue; she answered whatever he asked.

On the surface, it seemed like idle chat, but the questions made Shi Sui almost fall asleep, yet when pieced together, they made her break out in a cold sweat.

Even the watch given many years ago didn’t escape his interrogation.

“Did Fang Huaijing treat you to dinner tonight?”

“Probably.” Shi Sui replied in a muffled voice. She saw him paying, not knowing if he was going back with Gao Linhan.

“What favor did you do for him?”

His questions jumped too quickly for Shi Sui to keep up, “The watch, Xue Jing helped find his watch.”

Yan Tingli appeared curious, “What brand?”

He had a hobby of collecting watches, and to him, only rare and expensive ones were worth collecting and retrieving.

Not from the same world, Shi Sui answered carelessly, “Just a small brand.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Yan Tingli suddenly laughed.

He leisurely tossed the watch from the bedside next to her, “What about mine? Recognize the brand.”

Shi Sui fell silent.

“Not even recognizing Patek Philippe,” he said coldly, looking down at her, “What small brand do you recognize?”

“…………………………………………………..”

Unknowingly, she fell into another trap he set.

Feeling the danger, Shi Sui shrank slightly, instinctively retreating.

“Let me guess,” he gripped her calf, not letting go.

Her fair skin sank inward, unable to escape, “Was the watch a gift from you?”

At that moment, Shi Sui’s breath almost stopped.

With just a few words, he pieced together the whole truth, and she only realized it now.

Cold sweat dried and reappeared on Shi Sui’s back, completely silencing her.

She stared blankly, with no other options, resorting to her last tactic, looking at him pitifully with wide eyes.

Yan Tingli didn’t ask further.

His eyes lowered, casting a shadow with his raven-black lashes, obscuring his expression.

Shi Sui’s heart pounded like a drum.

Her hand clenched the bedsheet.

The waiting process was too long, and thinking that facing it head-on or avoiding it would both result in the same, she was about to admit when Yan Tingli suddenly said, “What about me?”

“What gift have you given me?”

“…………..”

The question left Shi Sui speechless.

Blinking, her mind raced.

Finally, a word flashed through her mind-doomed.

She hadn’t given Yan Tingli anything.

Even Yan Tingli’s birthday was something her parents had found out in advance, bought gifts, and asked her to deliver, representing their family’s intentions.

After all, gifts for Yan Tingli couldn’t be cheap; they were the best her family could offer.

As for Shi Sui herself, she couldn’t think of anything Yan Tingli might lack. What she could offer would likely be cheap trinkets he wouldn’t even glance at.

She hadn’t thought about it before, but suddenly being reminded by Yan Tingli made Shi Sui feel guilty.

After all, he had never been stingy with her daily needs.

Or rather, he had always been good to her.

Shi Sui glanced at Yan Tingli’s expression, feeling uncertain.

Whether it was the alcohol making her hallucinate or a sudden surge of compassion, she thought he looked sad.

Shi Sui’s expression instantly turned flustered.

Tentatively, she leaned closer.

“Then… is there anything you want?”

Yan Tingli’s dark pupils fell on her face, and Shi Sui shifted her gaze slightly.

At that moment.

He pressed her nape, and a fierce kiss landed on her.

“Say,” his voice was muffled, drowned in the kiss, “you want to be in a relationship with me.”

Shi Sui froze, unable to react.

Yan Tingli’s patience was too thin to wait even a second.

“Say it, say it to me.”

Shi Sui was urged into a panic, her mouth uncontrollably following, “I want to be in a relationship with you.”

“With whom?” he asked.

“With Yan Tingli.”

Accompanied by the distant chime of the city’s midnight bell.

Monday arrived.

It was also the deadline for her promise of a week.

He re-entered her, along with his clear, deep voice.

“Suisui, remember, today is our first day.”

“Love me more.” The latter part was lost in the rising sound of breaths.

“Mm.” She heard her own voice.

At this moment, Shi Sui couldn’t tell what kind of mood she was in when she agreed to this.

By the time she realized, Yan Tingli had already become quiet, burying his head in the crook of her neck.

A night of mental and physical battles had left her exhausted from his torment.

But this stormy tide ended in such gentle rain.

To appease him.

Sometimes it was as hard as climbing a mountain.

Sometimes it was so easy.

Always leaving her puzzled.

……………………………………………………………………….

After a night of chaos, when Shi Sui finally regained clarity, the morning light had already seeped through the curtains, sprinkling into the bay window of the room.

The entire bedroom was filled with a heavy, sticky smell, indescribable in words.

Her whole body felt weighed down, especially her head.

Shi Sui propped herself up, slowly reacting, her mind finally returning.

The next second.

She jumped up from the bed, rushing to check her phone.

Seven twenty-eight-there was an early class at eight today.

…………………….

Shi Sui threw off the covers and jumped out of bed, her movements large.

Yan Tingli, who had been holding her from behind, was awakened, his head buried in the pillow, frowning.

He had severe morning irritability, with a picky temperament and a low tolerance for mistakes from others.

Once, a new housekeeper at Yan Mansion used a vacuum cleaner to clean the third floor during his designated quiet time and was fired that day.

But Shi Sui had no time to indulge him, quickly changing clothes and washing up.

Yan Tingli made a light clicking sound, turned over, and covered his ears with his arm.

Ultimately, he said nothing.

Shi Sui thought he was like a large feline.

Unhappy, he would scratch without mercy.

When pleased…like now, stretching lazily meant the matter was over.

As everything ended, just before closing the bedroom door, Shi Sui knocked on the door to remind him.

She remembered Yan Tingli also had an early class today.

“Not going.” He only showed the back of his head.

“…………………….”

Used to his whims, Shi Sui turned and left.

Rushing back to school, she had several large classes in succession, only finding leisure by noon, when she saw a message from Gao Linhan sent last night, asking her to report back safely to the dorm.

Shi Sui replied with an emoji.

Gao Linhan: [Busy person, only replying now]

Shi Sui: [Sorry, I was a bit tired yesterday, slept as soon as I got back]

Gao Linhan: [I’m just kidding]

Gao Linhan: [Oh, Fang Huaijing said he didn’t add your contact yesterday, asked me to push your card to him, just letting you know]

Almost at the mention of Fang Huaijing’s name, Shi Sui’s fingers uncontrollably curled, memories of last night’s chaos resurfacing.

[Hey? Why did you disappear again?]

Gao Linhan’s message popped up.

Shi Sui took a while to calm down before typing on the screen: [Okay, push it]

A red dot appeared in the contacts, it was Fang Huaijing’s friend request.

Shi Sui immediately changed the note, marking it as the school’s communication business hall, blending it among other merchants, no longer conspicuous.

Fang Huaijing wasn’t one for idle chatter.

After a few simple pleasantries, he said they’d talk next time they met, ending the conversation.

After chatting, Shi Sui immediately deleted the chat record.

Just as she was about to turn off her phone for a nap, Gao Linhan sent: [Oh, almost forgot to add you to the group]

Shi Sui: [What group?]

Gao Linhan: [Just a group for those of us staying in Jing City for school]

Shi Sui replied with an okay.

Then she said she was going to sleep, closing the chat box.

Upon waking, Shi Sui saw the phone’s notifications and realized she had been added to the group.

But the discussion wasn’t about her.

Rather-

She saw Yan Tingli joining the group later, followed by a screen full of greetings and welcomes.

He replied a few lines, superficially polite and distant. But it didn’t stop others from eagerly continuing.

Shi Sui casually scrolled through, then closed her phone and retreated.

With some time before afternoon classes, she buried her head back into the covers.

Yan Tingli, Yan Tingli, Yan Tingli.

These three words.

This period.

Had become a mantra, surrounding her at all times.

When did it start?

He had already infiltrated her life so thoroughly?

Shi Sui closed her eyes.

Her mind was filled with last night’s endless darkness.

His murmured, dream-like words: “Love me more.”

Shi Sui felt like she was sinking into a heavy deep pool, emotions entwining her.

Every step forward was pushed by him.

Unclear, unfathomable.

As if the next moment was a bottomless abyss.

Shi Sui couldn’t be sure of anything.

Except knowing that one day, she wouldn’t be able to fulfill this promise.

When that day comes. Would he hate her?