Beyond Reach - Chapter 4 - Can You Hear Me?

Shi Sui didn’t know where his anger came from.

She had deliberately avoided him, not helping Zhu Wei to ask for his WeChat ID-it was he who had given it out himself.

And yet, he was upset after adding her, and when upset, he took it out on her!

Even a cornered rabbit will bite; Shi Sui, driven to her limit, bit down on Yan Tingli’s neck.

Yan Tingli’s dark eyelashes fluttered down as he calmly watched her actions.

The fierce bite Shi Sui had intended to deliver softened under his gaze, and she slowly withdrew her teeth.

Oh.

Shi Sui resigned herself to her timidity-it was inborn.

Instead, she turned her frustration towards scratching the expensive genuine leather sofa beneath her. She’d scratch it all up! Scratch him into bankruptcy!

Yan Tingli seemed oddly pleased by this pathetic gesture, his chest quivering slightly.

He moved closer.

He enveloped her cheek with his lips, inhaling every inch of her skin’s scent.

His other hand squeezed the nape of her soft neck, messing up her breathing. Shi Sui’s back bristled with sweat, a natural reaction of prey when faced with a predator.

She felt like she was about to be devoured.

In a literal sense.

Yan Tingli’s lips trailed down from her cheek.

Shi Sui, petite with soft skin, felt his fingers press into her, creating small dimples, the touch like ripples on water.

Just as she resigned herself and closed her eyes, waiting for the storm to hit, she suddenly heard Yan Tingli say, “Say you love me.”

Caught off guard, Shi Sui’s expression blanked for a second.

“Say it,” he insisted, gripping her chin, “say you love me.”

There was a threatening tone in his voice.

Given that Yan Tingli always liked to play his games, forcing her to say absurd things, Shi Sui opened her mouth but couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Love and lust were not the same.

“…Why should I say that?”

“Do you love me or not?”

“I don’t-uh!” She was suddenly pinched.

“I love you,” Shi Sui said, her voice trembling-she was not one to foolishly resist. These words were just words, after all; why bother making things difficult for herself.

Yan Tingli’s pupils fixed, and he suddenly smiled. Normally so cold, his smile was like the melting of snow.

“Then delete her,” his voice still cool, but his actions softened.

“Me?!” Shi Sui couldn’t believe it. After all this, he just wanted her to delete a contact?!

“Yes, you.”

Shi Sui felt absurdly stubborn, “What’s the difference if I delete it or you do?”

“I want you to delete it.”

“No, you delete it yourself,” Shi Sui instinctively resisted.

Yan Tingli stared at her for a few seconds, scoffed, and suddenly pressed the voice message button: “Sorry, Shi Sui asked me to delete you-”

Shi Sui jolted, first covering his mouth, then scrambling for the phone.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” she exclaimed, unable to snatch the phone, “I’ll delete it, isn’t that enough?”

Yan Tingli tossed the phone to her.

Shi Sui didn’t even know if he had sent the message, frantically worrying, and in a blink, she was flipped over beneath him.

In an instant, the sofa was filled with her breaths.

After a bath, Shi Sui held Yan Tingli’s phone for a long time before she crafted a reply that was as dignified as possible: [Sorry, I want to focus on my studies in college and am not planning to date right now. Sorry for taking your time, you can delete me.]

This was in response to Zhu Wei’s last question about having a girlfriend.

[OK, let’s delete each other.]

Zhu Wei replied succinctly.

At the same time, a message popped up in the group chat.

Zhu Wei: [No chance]

She sent a screenshot of the recent conversation.

Xue Jing: [My intuition told me Yan Tingli would be hard to pursue, and it turns out I was right…]

Lin Anran: [Actually, this kind of straightforwardness is quite likable. At least he made things clear and didn’t lead anyone on.]

Zhu Wei: [True, he does have some class.]

Xue Jing: [So what kind of woman can conquer him?!]

Zhu Wei: [I haven’t deleted him yet. Want me to ask him for you?]

Xue Jing quickly backed down: [Maybe not…]

The group chat continued to buzz with messages, gradually shifting to other topics. Shi Sui turned off her phone, feeling a bit uneasy.

Though she hadn’t intentionally kept it a secret, she hadn’t been entirely honest either.

Yan Tingli emerged from the kitchen, placing two bowls of noodles on the dining table.

It was already past eight, and Shi Sui wandered over to eat.

The noodles were in a clear broth with a fried egg. Shi Sui lowered her lashes, quietly slurping the noodles.

There was no housekeeper here, and she hadn’t seen anyone else in this house.

The food Yan Tingli made was just passable.

But Shi Sui wasn’t picky; she found everything delicious, especially now that she was starving, her cheeks puffed out as she ate.

When she looked up, Yan Tingli had already finished eating and was watching her.

He had taken a shower, his hair still damp and hanging over his forehead. His skin was very fair, and his features were gentle.

Sensing he was in a good mood, Shi Sui quickly swallowed the last of her noodle soup. “I just used your WeChat to explain things to Wei.”

“Okay.”

Shi Sui hesitated but spoke up, “Actually, if you didn’t want to add her, you could have refused back then.”

The air was silent; Yan Tingli showed no reaction.

Shi Sui continued, “You shouldn’t do that again.”

Yan Tingli: “Do what? Add girls on WeChat?”

Shi Sui felt a sting, “You know that’s not what I mean.”

“Then what do you mean?”

His demeanor was relaxed and casual, and Shi Sui couldn’t help but say, “I just don’t want you to drag me into this. Wei is my friend, and doing this behind her back is really strange.”

Yan Tingli said nothing, his lips curving slightly with a hint of self-mocking coldness.

Shi Sui didn’t dare look at him, continuing on her own, “Just because you chose this class, my roommate talks about you every day, and I’m caught in the middle. I really don’t want to lie to them.”

“And you always leave noticeable marks. They’ve seen them on my back many times.”

“Plus, I have to come here every weekend. I tell them I’m going home, but it’s becoming too frequent…”

“Are you done?” Yan Tingli asked.

Shi Sui nodded silently, sneaking glances at him, her heart pounding.

“Let me summarize,” he said. “You want me to stay away from you, preferably disappear from your life, just like the first half of the month.”

He leaned closer, asking in a calm tone, “Is that what you want?”

Shi Sui felt breathless, stammering, “That’s not what I meant…” Her words didn’t match her feelings.

Her cheek was lifted, and Yan Tingli asked, “Then what do you mean?”

Shi Sui’s throat felt dry as she spoke, “I just hope we can keep a proper distance when we’re outside.”

“That won’t do.” Yan Tingli chuckled lightly, “How can I look after you if we keep our distance?”

“Whether you’ve added someone of the opposite sex, chatted a few words, or had any physical contact with them, I need to know about every single thing.”

His expression was calm, but a chill suddenly rose behind Shi Sui.

Her rebuttal seemed weak and powerless, “But you always appear around me, I’m afraid it’ll give us away. I’m not good at acting; what if others find out about our relationship?”

“It’s simple,” Yan Tingli said, “You can make our relationship public.”

Shi Sui: “But we agreed not to let others know-”

“Did we? When did I ever agree to that with you?”

Shi Sui was stunned, her mind flashing like lightning. Right, he never did say that.

She thought their understanding was unspoken, but it was just her assumption.

Her expression changed, “Aren’t you afraid that Uncle Yan and the others will find out?! They won’t agree.”

She couldn’t even bear to think about it- once their relationship was exposed, how her parents, friends, Uncle Yan, and Mrs. Yan would react.

Uncle Yan was a benefactor to their family, and she had secretly been with his highly regarded son for two years. And Mrs. Yan, so dignified and elegant, how would she view her? How would her own parents cope?

Shi Sui didn’t want her parents to be looked down upon, not even slightly.

“Then we might as well elope,” Yan Tingli said slowly.

“I don’t want that!” Shi Sui’s emotions got somewhat out of control, her voice involuntarily raised.

Yan Tingli’s eyelashes fluttered.

Shi Sui, upset to the point of misspeaking, tears involuntarily started flowing, and she angrily wiped them away.

She always made a lot of noise when she cried, it was rarely quiet.

In the silence, he was the first to speak.

“Come here.”

Shi Sui didn’t move.

“You don’t want me to be upset, right?”

Still, Shi Sui ignored him.

Yan Tingli paused, “Come here, and I won’t be mad.”

With reddened eyes, Shi Sui felt helpless.

After a long standoff, she finally slowly started moving towards Yan Tingli.

Compromising again, she sat on his lap, nestled into his embrace.

Yan Tingli, freshly bathed, carried a faint scent of mint, his body temperature neither too cold nor too warm.

He brushed her long hair to one side and kissed her ear, whispering, “Just scaring you.”

It was clearly a threat, leveraging his complete control over her. His propositions remained unaltered, yet he still managed to threaten her.

She had to soften, so things could settle down, and they could maintain the status quo for now.

“You’re really too much,” Shi Sui’s voice choked up.

“You’re even more,” Yan Tingli said.

Shi Sui raised her voice, “It’s you who’s too much!”

Yan Tingli: “It’s you.”

“You!”

“Not me, it’s you.”

“It’s me, not-”

Shi Sui suddenly stopped, realizing she almost laughed, instinctively tensing her face.

She was really angry, but Shi Sui hated that she almost laughed at that moment.

Yan Tingli: “Hmm, you’re more.”

Absolutely absurd!

Shi Sui once again realized that Yan Tingli was essentially a shameless rogue, always causing trouble first, never at a loss for words.

Even though the first time they argued, it was he who coaxed her.

Post-Gaokao Graduation Ceremony

Yan Tingli was called back to school to deliver a speech, and that day Shi Sui received a bouquet of flowers from a junior brother.

In the middle of it all, Yan Tingli suddenly asked her to meet him backstage.

At that time, Yan Tingli was still the exemplary student, bathed in glory and honor. Whatever an exemplary student said was right, even if it meant heeding his words and sneaking backstage during the ceremony.

While the school leaders were still speaking, she was pushed into an empty rest room.

The air conditioning was broken, leaving only a fan running, making the room unbearably stuffy. Yan Tingli held her on his lap and began to kiss her. The inexperienced Shi Sui was petrified.

The junior brother who had followed her backstage knocked on the door. Yan Tingli’s hand slid under her clothes, caressing her lower back, and the thrill peaked.

The junior brother knocked and called out “senior sister” twice, as if he wanted to say something.

Yan Tingli continued to kiss her, his fingers caressing her spine, causing Shi Sui to tremble. Men seem to have an instinctive knowledge in these matters; it only took him a moment to find her sensitive spots.

She even thought Yan Tingli might have been drugged without suspecting it was his own doing.

“What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” she whispered.

Yan Tingli moved closer to her neck and bit her lower lip.

The door handle turned as the junior brother seemed about to burst in.

Shi Sui struggled fiercely, but to no avail, her mind went blank.

Seconds later, footsteps faded, and unbeknownst to her, the door had been locked from inside.

“He’s gone,” Yan Tingli said, sounding somewhat regretful.

She gasped for air, still shaken: “What are you trying to do?”

“Did you like the flowers?”

Shi Sui was speechless: “He was just-”

Yan Tingli’s impatience reached her buttons.

This action startled Shi Sui, and she even tried to find evidence of drugging on Yan Tingli, touching his forehead and cheeks: “Are you really okay?”

“You’re smiling so happily,” Yan Tingli responded off-topic, “must be pretty then.”

He then bit open the first button of her blouse.

“Stop,” Shi Sui looked at him incredulously, “are you insane?”

The second button was also undone.

“If you dare do anything here, I will never speak to you again, ever!”

“How will you never speak to me?”

“I’ll change my university application. I’m going back to Hang City, my parents are waiting for me there.”

He paused.

Just when she thought her threat had worked, her collarbone was sharply bitten: “Suit yourself.”

“I mean it, if you dare, I’ll go back and pack my bags. I don’t need to stay at your house anymore!” she blurted out.

Yan Tingli gave her a deep look, finally let her go, and stood up to straighten his collar.

Shi Sui thought her words had an effect, but he merely checked his watch; it was time for his speech.

To this day, she couldn’t be sure what he would have done if it weren’t for the time constraint.

Shi Sui took this as a sign to part ways.

That evening, she packed some of her bags, ready to return to Hang City after completing her university application.

The Yan Family hadn’t treated her poorly, but who likes living under someone else’s roof?

And then there was Yan Tingli.

It was because he said that A University offered more opportunities and even planned her future professional development that Shi Sui hesitated so much.

But now, feeling utterly alone and with Yan Tingli proving to be a scoundrel, she preferred to be back with her parents.

The next morning, Shi Sui started sending out some parcels, just as Yan Tingli came downstairs.

He leaned against the fridge and took a sip of ice water, his thin eyelids drooping as he watched her quietly.

A layer of sweat formed on Shi Sui’s back, and she felt unreasonably guilty-it was nothing, she was just sending some parcels.

Yet, she kept her gaze fixed straight ahead and quickly returned to her room.

They were arguing now, and they might become strangers soon; she didn’t need to care what he thought. Shi Sui psyched herself up.

That evening, however, she suddenly heard Yan Tingli playing the piano in the music room.

Shi Sui had been here for half a year, and Tingli seldom played the piano; this was only the second time.

She was surprised that Tingli would play a pop song-one that she had played once in her room while she was drawing, having forgotten to close the door.

In the music room, only a floor lamp was on, casting half his face in light and shadow.

The joints on the black and white keys were distinct, the veins prominent.

“Close the door,” Tingli said.

Unaware, Shi Sui complied.

As soon as she approached, he grabbed her hand, and Shi Sui forgot to resist.

“Do you like it?”

“Mm.”

“I’ll teach you.”

Yan Tingli embraced her from behind, his cool palms guiding hers.

Shi Sui was dazed.

“Do you remember the lyrics?”

“I remember.”

“You can sing.”

Shi Sui felt awkward: “My singing is really terrible.”

“Not at all.”

Shi Sui: “I’m serious.”

“Only I can hear it.”

Shi Sui: “Then can you sing?”

“I don’t remember the lyrics.”

“But you can play it?”

Yan Tingli didn’t reply, correcting a note she had played incorrectly, prompting Shi Sui to suddenly remember something.

Her father had told her that Yan Tingli was exceptionally good at piano, and if not for his excellent academic performance, he could have pursued it professionally.

There was a term for it, perfect pitch, able to play a song after hearing it just a few times.

When Shi Sui started singing, she promptly shut her mouth.

Nothing else; she was terribly off-key, and she saw Tingli’s fingers pause.

In defiance, Shi Sui switched off the lyrics: “I won’t sing, you do it.”

Tingli seemed to chuckle, leading her fingers across the keys and starting over.

After the intro, his voice began.

Shi Sui had always thought Tingli’s distant, aloof demeanor stemmed largely from his voice.

Like thin snow, fine ice.

Yet as he began to sing, the usually cold spring water flowed by her ear, and Shi Sui’s heart suddenly started racing.

“Who knows better than I do,”

“Your gentleness like a feather,”

“Secrets lying in my embrace,”

“Only you can hear,”

“Is there anyone else who knows,”

“Your smile like an embrace,”

“Wanting to keep your goodness hidden,”

“Only I can see,”

…

Then, inexplicably, they began to kiss.

It wasn’t until his kiss landed where it hadn’t managed to the other day in the lounge that Shi Sui realized, “No, we’re still arguing-”

“We’ll argue after.”

“This is a piano…”

“The height is just right.”

At that time, she didn’t know it was a Steinway worth 3.8 million, or even found it uncomfortably cold.

Downstairs, the housekeeper was around, and the summer heat was stifling, not even the air conditioning could block it.

Shi Sui dared not make too much noise.

Her eyes tearful, she said: “You really are too much.”

Yan Tingli bit her neck.

His expression obscured, his voice somewhat muffled: “You’re even more so.”

Past grievances, though painful to recall, oddly overlapped with the present.

Many details Shi Sui could neither remember nor wanted to, but it was nothing more than Yan Tingli realizing he couldn’t fully control her back then. Using a bit of trickery, he clouded her judgment, making her dizzily switch her first choice to A University.

And he always insisted she was “even more so.”

Where was she excessive?

No one in the world was more unreasonable than he.