Ten Rules to Bind Her Heart - Chapter 57
Xia Zhiyao’s back went rigid.
The man stood inches away, his black eyes shifting between light and darkness as his powerful presence aggressively surrounded her.
The air instantly froze.
“Mr… Mr. Shen…”
Her voice shook. Unable to withstand his immense pressure, she instinctively tried to retreat, only for his long arm to circle behind her waist and block her escape.
At the sight of the frightened little thing’s bloodless face, the amused curve of Shen Yu’s lips deepened.
He bent, covering her in his towering shadow, his voice low and dangerous.
“As I recall…”
His fingers slowly climbed her vulnerable throat. For two seconds, his fingertips stroked the faint pulse of her carotid artery.
Then his thumb and forefinger pressed beneath her chin, forcing her to raise her face and look into his deep eyes.
“Doesn’t someone still owe me a beating?”
Boom!
Xia Zhiyao felt as though she were shattering.
The humiliating images from last night and the terror of his domination and cruel punishments flooded her mind.
Her face lost all color, even her lips turning white.
“Mr… Mr. Shen…”
Her voice trembled and her eyes instantly reddened. Her legs weakened so badly she nearly collapsed to her knees, and only Shen Yu’s supporting arm kept her upright.
“I… I won’t ask. I truly won’t ask anymore… Please don’t punish me. Please…”
Large tears gathered in her eyes, ready to fall.
She was genuinely afraid.
Before this all-powerful man, she had no room to negotiate.
Shen Yu looked down at her.
For a long moment.
The girl’s trembling, frightened obedience subdued some of the dark violence inside him.
Such a tiny amount of courage.
The slightest fright, and she was ready to cry again.
He did not actually want to scare the little thing to death.
Straightening, he released her and withdrew the pressure he had deliberately imposed.
“Don’t test me. Do you understand?” he warned coldly.
Xia Zhiyao nodded frantically, without even remembering the tears clinging to her face.
She did not dare wipe them away, afraid a large movement might disturb him. She stood rigidly and tried to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.
“Your parents are safe.”
The deep voice drifted down without warning.
Xia Zhiyao jerked her head up. Her long, tear-laden lashes trembled as she stared at Shen Yu in disbelief.
Had she imagined it?
At her blank expression, Shen Yu’s lips curved in a rare smile. His violence disappeared, replaced by the faintest trace of gentleness.
“They crossed the border yesterday.”
“Happy now?”
Xia Zhiyao remained caught between fear and shock.
How did he know what she wanted to ask?
She had never spoken the question…
Her lips trembled, but for a long time she could not produce a word.
Then grievance surged through her without warning, like a rising tide. She wanted to cry, to release all the fear she had endured these past days, but she did not dare do so in Shen Yu’s presence.
She could only bite her lower lip and let tears fall soundlessly, hastily wiping them away with the back of her hand in case they displeased him.
“Thank you… Thank you, Mr. Shen…”
Her voice broke through her sobs.
She knew no words except thank you. In this conflict-ridden land, a single sentence from him had provided her entire family a path to life.
“Enough. Stop thanking me.”
Shen Yu turned and strode back to the nearby display rack.
“Come look.”
Xia Zhiyao quickly stopped crying and followed in tiny steps, her uniform skirt swaying gently.
“Have you handled one before?” he asked.
Xia Zhiyao shook her head rapidly.
She had seen antique mechanical pieces of this caliber only from a distance in art-history books.
“Hold it.”
Shen Yu handed the object directly to her.
Xia Zhiyao instinctively extended both hands.
The instant she received it, her wrists dropped sharply.
So heavy!
Shen Yu had handled it so effortlessly that she never imagined it would feel like a solid block of lead.
Her face reddened. She adjusted her position with some difficulty and barely managed to cradle it.
It was a nineteenth-century solid-brass marine chronometer.
The casing had been cast from a single piece of brass, its lines both strong and elegant. Delicate engraving decorated the dial, while the internal gearwork was extraordinarily precise. It was unquestionably a museum-grade treasure.
He had purchased it through a legitimate auction, and its provenance and documentation were entirely legal.
Shen Yu watched her struggle.
The delicate body in a dark green uniform held a massive, cold mechanical clock against her chest.
The contrast between rigid steel and feminine softness was striking.
Shen Yu’s Adam’s apple moved.
“Do you recognize it?” he asked casually, expecting no answer.
In his experience, women rarely understood objects of this kind.
Holding it with effort, Xia Zhiyao’s fingers absently traced the smooth casing and the cover over its intricate gears.
She studied it for a moment before answering uncertainly in a soft voice.
“The overall silhouette is long, and the beveled lines are exceptionally clean… It resembles the standard design of an old European marine chronometer. Is that right?”
Silence lasted for two seconds.
Shen Yu raised a brow, surprise clearly entering his indifferent black eyes.
“You recognize it?”
He released the object, leaving her to support its full weight.
Xia Zhiyao’s arms began to ache, but she answered honestly.
“I saw it… in an art magazine in my room.”
For the past few days, she had done little except stare into space and read the business and art magazines.
She might not understand the complex specifications, but as an art student, she possessed an instinctive sensitivity to form and structure.
“The lines of its casing are distinctive, and the curve of this cover looks as though it was designed to resist shock…”
Xia Zhiyao pointed to the upper section with sudden delight.
“Look. It’s exactly like the museum piece in the magazine. The article said marine chronometers like this were once precision instruments used to ensure accurate navigation on ocean voyages…”
Halfway through, she abruptly realized what she was doing.
Heavens, what was wrong with her?
Was she showing off the scraps of knowledge she had picked up from a magazine before this all-powerful business magnate?
Her voice grew softer until she stopped completely and anxiously stole a glance at Shen Yu’s face.
Shen Yu did not mock her.
“You have a good memory.”
He smiled faintly in approval.
“It is exceptionally well made, and very few survive.”
He reached out and effortlessly lifted the heavy object from her arms, placing it steadily back on the display.
With the weight gone, Xia Zhiyao exhaled in relief and secretly massaged her aching wrists.
“Let’s go. I’ll show you something else.”
Shen Yu turned and headed deeper into the vault.
