Beyond Reach - Chapter 2 - Nowhere to Go.

A sudden gust of wind stirred outside, swaying the trees and brewing a spring rain.

Shi Sui, not tall enough, craned her neck uncomfortably, humming as she dodged.

Yan Tingli, annoyed, lifted her up with one hand.

Her cartoon slippers thudded to the floor.

Just below was Mrs. Yan’s room, causing Shi Sui to shudder in fear.

Her misty eyes darted in panic, pushing him away.

He gripped her chin firmly, forcing her to face him: “Look at me, I’m kissing you.”

Yan Tingli’s hand boldly slipped through her cardigan, his fingers icy cold, inescapable.

Tears welled up in Shi Sui’s eyes, anger flushing her face.

She wanted to curse without care.

The curses reached her throat when Yan Tingli leaned in close, his breath tickling her earlobe: “Shh.”

“Mother might hear.”

A whimper escaped her.

Instantly, the façade crumbled.

“This is the home you chose, isn’t it?”

“I didn’t choose… mm!”

Regrettably, her body responded before her words, betraying her true feelings.

“…gently, please.”

“Don’t pinch.”

Shi Sui was placed on the small sofa in the bedroom.

The wind grew stronger, whistling through the loosely shut window.

Yan Tingli stared at her, his expression unnervingly cold, but his hands told a different story.

Just as Shi Sui was about to scream, he withdrew his hand, covering her mouth just in time.

“Quiet.”

“Mother is coming upstairs.”

Shi Sui’s face paled with fright.

Yan Tingli’s eyes drooped; the unlit bedroom cast shadows across his brow.

He calmly smeared his fingers across her face.

Despite his appalling actions, Shi Sui dared not make a sound.

After a tense moment, aside from the ticking clock, there were no sounds of footsteps upstairs.

“Ah, I heard wrong,” Yan Tingli said.

Angered, Shi Sui lunged to bite him.

Yan Tingli, seizing the moment, pinched her chin and kissed her.

“So much, it won’t wipe off,” he said as he tasted something on her face. “So sweet.”

How perverse!

Embarrassed, Shi Sui burst into tears: “I was wrong, truly wrong.”

“Why are you crying?” Yan Tingli frowned slightly.

It seemed like concern, though his gaze remained cold.

Yan Tingli, with his pale skin and refined features, possessed a deceptively gentle appearance.

Shi Sui sobbed, wrapping her arms around his neck: “Tingli-Ge, I was wrong.”

“I shouldn’t have gone plein air sketching without telling you, shouldn’t have not returned with you, shouldn’t have kept the door closed.”

Yan Tingli glanced at her, unmoved: “What’s wrong? We aren’t close.”

Shi Sui didn’t understand.

She didn’t understand why, despite her apologies, he still wasn’t appeased.

Huddling closer, she kissed the corner of his lips in a placating manner.

Yet, Yan Tingli appeared uninterested, barely responding.

The atmosphere was unusually strained.

Shi Sui had admitted her mistakes, yet she still didn’t understand what still angered him.

As she started to retreat, Yan Tingli’s eyes finally showed a flicker of emotion, his broad hand pressing against the back of her head, biting from her earlobe down to her cheek.

He had this perverse habit of biting her; when Shi Sui felt pain, she would emit muffled cries.

His leg wedged in too, his knee pressing against her, grinding.

He might look slender, but years of elite education and consistent fitness made his leg muscles tough, causing her pain.

Fearing any sound might escape, Shi Sui bit down on her finger.

It was always like this; a disagreement would lead to anger and these dreadful actions.

What was more infuriating was that her body had grown accustomed to this chaos.

“Shi Sui,” Yan Tingli suddenly called her by her full name, right in the midst of their chaotic moment.

His voice, at first, reminded her of the faint spring rain, so light that it seemed to vanish upon touching the skin, much like the first time he stood before her.

In a black turtleneck sweater, his neck long and elegant, he stood on the stairs, looking down at her as if she were invisible.

After Uncle Yan introduced her, Yan Tingli had casually repeated, “Shi Sui?”

Yan Zecheng asked, “Do you know her?”

“No, I don’t.”

Shi Sui’s heart, which had skipped a beat, settled back into place.

He didn’t know her, but she knew him-famous throughout the school as an exemplary student, admired by countless girls.

She never imagined that when night fell, even a good student could turn predatory.

Shi Sui’s eyes were covered by Yan Tingli, filled from behind.

She stifled a muffled groan, not daring to make a sound. Suddenly, she heard Yan Tingli ask, “Thinking of going back to Hang City?”

Shi Sui froze.

In a flash, she recalled the conversation with her mother about returning after graduation, overheard by him.

She didn’t respond for a long time, and Yan Tingli turned her face towards him.

“Is that it?”

“…No.”

She was terrible at lying, her eyes darting around.

Yan Tingli looked at her with little emotion, his eyes a cold shade of black.

“Stay here. You’re not going anywhere.”

He often said such domineering things, but it didn’t stop her rebellious spirit.

What she wanted to do was not for him to decide!

A whole night of absurdity.

When she woke again, it was just dawn. Shi Sui opened her eyes, her body weak and enveloped in a deep fatigue.

Yan Tingli was no longer by her side; he had changed the sheets and her nightwear.

As for where the original sheets went, she neither knew nor cared. He would handle it.

Shi Sui wrapped herself in the blanket, sinking back into the pillow.

She closed her eyes.

Though still exhausted, sleep eluded her.

It was a failure.

As early as half a month ago, or perhaps even earlier, she had vaguely wanted to end this relationship. But she only dared to think about it; she was surprisingly timid.

During the half month she spent on plein air sketching, Yan Tingli hadn’t contacted her once.

Shi Sui even thought that their absurd entanglement might come to an end, that Yan Tingli might have grown tired. They had started with a fleeting indulgence, and perhaps it would end quietly.

But she had underestimated Yan Tingli’s audacity.

Last night was his most outrageous act yet. Right in the Yan Family home, with Song Jie still downstairs, he had barged in.

At seven-thirty, Shi Sui finished washing up.

The high-necked sweater concealed the mottled marks on her neck.

She looked in the mirror for a moment, then applied some foundation and lipstick to brighten her complexion.

The door was knocked on.

“Who is it?”

A “click” sounded.

The fingerprint lock disengaged, but no one entered.

The identity of the visitor was obvious.

Infuriating.

Shi Sui went to open the door.

Yan Tingli: “Come down for breakfast.”

Shi Sui’s face was tight. “How did you unlock the door?”

“Do you want the truth?” Yan Tingli asked coolly.

“What?”

“I practiced on my family’s smart locks in high school.”

Shi Sui was speechless.

She followed Yan Tingli downstairs, one after the other.

At this time, Song Jie was still practicing yoga, so only the two of them were at the dining table.

Shi Sui had no appetite.

She aimlessly sipped some porridge and sat in silence, waiting for Yan Tingli to finish eating before they left together in the car.

Yan Tingli glanced at her.

Until they got into the car, there was no conversation between them.

Old Chen drove in front.

The car moved smoothly, the warm air from the air conditioning was on, and Shi Sui felt drowsy.

Suddenly, a hand reached across her waist, massaging her lower back.

Before the college entrance exams for the arts, Shi Sui would sit all day long to paint, which often led to chronic back pain.

It had flared up again last night because of him.

Old Chen concentrated on driving and did not notice what was happening in the back.

His touch was soothing.

The faint cool scent of Yan Tingli lingered at her nostrils.

Shi Sui hadn’t expected that she would fall asleep on such a journey, next to Yan Tingli.

It was only for twenty minutes.

When she opened her eyes, she met Yan Tingli’s gaze.

He was staring at her and didn’t look away in time; after a brief pause, he turned his face away.

Shi Sui suddenly remembered a small incident.

It was when she had just moved into the Yan Mansion.

For a teenage girl, sensitive and new to the household, it felt like living under someone else’s roof, especially after seeing the level at which the Yan Family operated.

Shi Sui was careful with every word and action.

Yan Zecheng also arranged for Uncle Chen to drive them to school.

Back then, due to the stress of school exams, Shi Sui’s menstrual cycle was irregular.

One day, when the temperature dropped, she caught a cold and felt lethargic. After school, she fell asleep as soon as she got into the car.

When she woke up, the unusual feeling beneath her reminded her of what had happened.

Her hand stealthily explored, finding a wet spot.

The car had already entered the Yan Mansion, and Uncle Chen was parking.

Yan Tingli sat beside her, his shoulders and neck straight, noticing her hesitant gaze, he took off his headphones.

They were still strangers to each other.

Shi Sui’s face was ashen.

Her lips quivered, unable to speak.

She didn’t know what to do.

This car, she had only seen in magazines before; it was a brand her family couldn’t afford.

She had soiled it, and it was a white leather seat.

Yan Tingli’s gaze briefly touched her fingers clutching her school trousers.

He lowered his gaze, picked up a teacup, and took a sip.

When he closed the lid, his fingers slipped, tipping over the teacup, spilling the water on the seat.

“Uncle Chen, I spilled the tea.”

Old Chen waved it off: “No worries, I’ll get it cleaned later.”

Yan Tingli got out of the car. Shi Sui quickly stood up, her face flushed, and wiped the red stains off the seat with a wet wipe.

She was relieved that the large tea stain covered it up; the blood stain was hardly noticeable, disappearing with a wipe.

It was a minor episode, barely noticeable, and Yan Tingli never mentioned it again. It was as if the tea had actually been spilled accidentally by him, dirtying the seat.

When Shi Sui snapped back to reality, she was already in her dorm room.

Shi Sui glanced at her buzzing phone. Yan Tingli was reminding her to go to the apartment the day after tomorrow. That would be Friday. She always told others she was going home, but in reality, she spent the entire weekend with this “good student.”

He had a few redeeming qualities, but his flaws were many.

Her phone buzzed again. It was a message from her mother, letting her know they had just landed in Hang City and reminding her to behave at the Yan Family’s house. After a long pause, Shi Sui replied, “Got it.”

She had always been well-behaved at the Yan Family’s house. It was precisely because she was too obedient that Yan Tingli often bullied her.

The rain had lasted for two days and finally cleared up by Friday. Spring had officially arrived last month, and after a few showers, the temperature was warming up.

Before class in the afternoon, Shi Sui changed out of her turtleneck sweater. As she did, Xue Jing, who was passing by, stopped and touched the back of her neck. “Hey, did a bug bite you? It’s all purple.”

Shi Sui froze for a moment, recalling how Yan Tingli had left marks on her back the last time. She quickly pulled on a jacket. Xue Jing clicked her tongue, “That bug is pretty venomous.”

“Very venomous,” Shi Sui agreed.

“Come on, we’re going to be late for class,” Lin Anran urged, having waited long enough.

It was peak class time, and the teaching building was crowded. The three of them were stuck on the stairs. Lin Anran, not missing a beat, was scrolling through her phone and suddenly nudged Xue Jing with her elbow. “Mystery solved!”

“What?”

“The group chat is guessing that Yan Tingli might have chosen ‘Western Art History’ because of our department beauty, Su Han.”

“How do they know?”

“Check the group chat.”

Their dorm was on good terms with the neighboring one, so they had a group chat for teaming up on assignments. But now, it had become a hub for gossip.

“Really, they’re sitting together,” Xue Jing enlarged a photo from the chat. “But if you say Su Han is the department beauty, our sweet Suisui would be the first to disagree.”

Xue Jing and Su Han were both class officers and didn’t see eye to eye, often sparring verbally in the dorm.

Xue Jing held Shi Sui’s shoulders and pinched her snow-white cheeks. “Look at this little face, these big eyes, this fresh look-doesn’t it deserve the title of department beauty?”

People around them turned to look, curious about the commotion.

Shi Sui felt embarrassed and pushed Xue Jing’s hand away.

Lin Anran chimed in, “Su Han is always participating in events, while our Suisui is too low-key.”

“Hmph.”

“Hmph what?”

Xue Jing pouted, “Why should Su Han get to date the heartthrob? That’s Yan Tingli we’re talking about! He seems like a gentleman off the bed but wild on it…”

Shi Sui couldn’t take it anymore and covered Xue Jing’s mouth, pulling her through the crowd at a jog.

Lin Anran caught up, teasingly asking, “How can you tell someone’s wild in bed?”

“By looking at their hands and nose. Those long fingers, that prominent nose, and it’s big…” Xue Jing glanced at Shi Sui, deliberately teasing her, “Suisui, why are you blushing? Even when painting nude models, you weren’t this-”

Shi Sui interrupted, “Let’s hurry, we’re going to be late!”

As they chatted, the three of them arrived at the back door of the classroom.

From their vantage point, they could easily spot the most conspicuous pair sitting in the middle.

The young man had his eyes lowered, his shoulders and neck straight, his exposed skin possessing a frosty, snow-like pallor.

“So handsome,” Xue Jing squinted, eyeing the curly-haired girl beside Yan Tingli with a hint of envy. “Su Han really scored.”

She tugged Shi Sui forward. Shi Sui frowned, “Where are you going?”

“To sit closer and gather some intel.”

No, no, no! Shi Sui wanted to escape, but Xue Jing was stronger. After a brief struggle, she looked up and met Yan Tingli’s gaze as he turned towards the sound.

It was a fleeting glance.

His eyes quickly moved on.

Shi Sui didn’t dare to dodge anymore, letting Xue Jing drag her straight to the seat next to Yan Tingli.

“Is this seat taken?” Xue Jing asked with a sweet smile, ignoring Su Han’s glare.

Yan Tingli replied, “No.”

“Suisui, you sit here.” Xue Jing nudged Shi Sui into the seat.

Shi Sui sighed almost inaudibly.

Oh well.

Once seated, Xue Jing and Lin Anran squeezed in beside her.

The row had five seats, just enough for them all.

Their phones buzzed continuously as Xue Jing and Lin Anran typed away in the group chat.

Lin Anran: [Ahhh, he looks even more handsome up close!]

Xue Jing: [I really want to ask him how he keeps his skin so fair and smooth!]

Shi Sui took out her book from her bag, while the sound of a conversation between a man and a woman drifted over.

“Thanks so much for your help. It’s my fault for not having time to see my dad, and making you go on my behalf.”

“No problem.”

Su Han continued, “I don’t know how to thank you. Let me treat you to a meal after class.”

Shi Sui placed her book on the desk. She forgot to be gentle, and it landed with a loud “thud,” drawing attention.

Beside her, Su Han persisted, “Do you have time to eat together after class?”

Yan Tingli withdrew his gaze.

“Unfortunately, I have plans.”

Su Han paused for a few seconds, seemingly not expecting such a straightforward rejection, and responded with a touch of disappointment.