Chapter 64 She Was Terrified of Him

Furious, Shang Wende left the apartment and had no choice but to return to the hospital. He wanted to discuss the matter with his wife before deciding on their next steps. Seeing him return, Yu Xiufen asked, "Where is Qiqi? Why didn't she come back with you?"

Shang Wende replied, "She... she..."

Noticing his stuttering, Yu Xiufen sensed something was wrong. Anxiously, she said, "Don't hide anything from me, tell me the truth!"

Forced to speak, Shang Wende said, "Worried that your health might take a turn for the worse, Qiqi agreed to marry Luo Yichen. Their wedding is scheduled for tomorrow."

Yu Xiufen was so startled she nearly sat straight up. "How can that be? She cannot marry Luo Yichen!"

With a heavy sigh, Shang Wende said, "I was furious just now and scolded Qiqi. To think she actually spent last night with Luo Yichen—it infuriated me to death!"

Weeping, Yu Xiufen said, "My foolish child! How could she sacrifice her own happiness just for my sake? And you too—knowing the child is already suffering inside, how could you still scold her?"

"I wanted her to come back with me, but she stubbornly refused. Tell me, how could I not reprimand her?" Frustrated, Shang Wende could not keep the harshness out of his tone.

Overwhelmed by anger and anxiety, Yu Xiufen's complexion turned ashen.

Urging her to calm down, Shang Wende said, "Stop dwelling on it, recovering your health is what matters most! At this point, we can only leave it to fate."

Returning to the Luo Corporation, Mu Lichen began preparations for the press conference. At that moment, Yin Guizhen called him. "Is Luo Yichen going to announce his marriage to Shang Qi this afternoon?" she asked.

"Guizhen, they have already obtained their marriage license; announcing it is only a matter of time. You must stop meddling in this!"

"Can you just answer my question directly?"

Mu Lichen fell silent. The success of the press conference would determine whether the Luo Corporation's stock prices could rebound. Fearing that Yin Guizhen would disrupt the event, he wanted to withhold the truth. Yet, unwilling to lie to her, he hesitated, unsure how to respond. Highly perceptive, Yin Guizhen immediately guessed his thoughts.

Yin Guizhen's love for Luo Yichen had turned into hatred. No matter how fierce the conflict between them, she had never been intimidated by him. Yet, when facing Mu Lichen, she always lacked confidence. She was neither able to accept this man's tenderness nor willing to let go of the solace he provided.

She could not help but challenge him: "Lichen, are you going to keep secrets from me too? I always thought your feelings for me over the past five years were genuine and without any ulterior motives. But now it seems you don't trust me at all."

With deep emotion, Mu Lichen said, "My feelings for you have never changed. If you wished, I would give you my very heart. However, as the assistant to the president of the Luo Corporation, I cannot blur the lines between public and private affairs!"

Without another word, Yin Guizhen hung up the phone to evade his confession.

After hearing her phone call, Yin Guinong said, "Guizhen, at this rate, if the Luo Corporation's stock drops for just one more day, we will be able to acquire a 51 percent stake. For them to dream of turning the tide with a single press conference is pure delusion."

"Brother, if Luo Yichen loses everything, will he truly surrender to me?"

With absolute certainty, Yin Guinong replied, "As long as he wants to save the Luo Corporation, he will have no choice but to cooperate with the Yin Corporation. When that time comes, he will naturally extend an olive branch to you."

Overwhelmed with sorrow, Yin Guizhen's eyes grew slightly red. "I never imagined I would have to resort to such methods to win him over," she murmured.

"My foolish sister, who told you to fall in love with a wolf-like man? If Luo Yichen were so easily tamed, anyone could become the president's wife of the Luo Corporation. That Shang Qi overestimates her own abilities—how could she ever be a match for you?"

Swallowing back her tears, Yin Guizhen declared with determination, "Brother, I understand. I will reclaim the position that rightfully belongs to me."

Inside the apartment, the fallout between Luo Yichen and Shang Qi left an icy silence, with neither speaking to the other. He had arranged for a tailored gown to be delivered so she could attend the upcoming press conference. Meanwhile, Yao Minzhi sent a stylist over to do Shang Qi's makeup. Feeling hungry, Luo Yichen remembered that Shang Qi had barely eaten anything either.

"You should eat something first," he said.

Ignoring him entirely, Shang Qi followed the stylist directly into the bedroom. Rebuffed and stubborn, Luo Yichen felt thoroughly ill at ease. As the makeup artist applied her cosmetics, she offered compliments: "Miss Shang, your eyes are truly stunning. Your deep-set eyelids especially accentuate your expressive gaze."

Lost in her own thoughts, Shang Qi offered no reply. As the final touches of her styling were completed, the stylist retrieved a jewelry case from a locked box. Opening it, she revealed a diamond necklace featuring a classic loop design with five glittering main diamonds, exuding an unmatched elegance and grace. Furthermore, it was equipped with a tiara-mounting structure that allowed it to be worn as a crown at a moment's notice.

Having never seen such an exquisite piece of jewelry, Shang Qi asked, "What is this...?"

"Madam Luo instructed that this is a welcoming gift for Miss Shang."

Hesitating slightly, Shang Qi tried to guess Yao Minzhi's true intentions. At that moment, someone knocked, and Luo Yichen entered the room. Normally too busy with work to wear makeup, Shang Qi possessed a natural, unadorned beauty that had captivated Luo Yichen so deeply in the first place.

With her makeup now applied, she looked like a royal princess from the Victorian era, radiating breathtaking beauty and noble grace. Upon entering, Luo Yichen was momentarily stunned, barely recognizing her. He gestured for the stylist to leave and walked over to Shang Qi, his eyes filled with intense affection.

Shang Qi remained utterly unresponsive. Avoiding his gaze, she stepped toward the window. Outside, the early spring landscape was vibrant and alive; nature was awakening, pulsing with vitality. Yet her own heart remained a stagnant pool, incapable of stirring a single ripple. Only by numbing herself this way could she face the reality of her marriage to him.

Luo Yichen picked up the necklace and fastened it around Shang Qi's neck. Feeling a cold touch against her skin, she tried to pull away, but it was already too late. Luo Yichen embraced her from behind and pressed a passionate kiss to her cheek. Just as he attempted to deepen the kiss, sudden terror gripped Shang Qi. In her panic, her arm struck the window frame, scraping her skin.

Tears welling in her eyes, she pleaded, "No, please no, let me go!"

Sensing how truly terrified she was, Luo Yichen loosened his grip. "Qiqi, I didn't mean anything by it. Please don't be tense!"

Trembling with fear, Shang Qi stared at him as if looking at the most terrifying monster in the world. Taking a step back, Luo Yichen raised his hands slightly and said, "Don't be afraid! I won't come near you again."

Shivering, Shang Qi retreated to the corner, her complexion pale. She sat down on the sofa in heavy, unbroken silence. A thin trail of blood slowly oozed from the scratch on her arm, glistening against her skin. Because the wound was shallow, she felt no pain and remained entirely unaware of the injury.

Noticing the blood, Luo Yichen said, "Go to the bathroom and wash off the blood. Your outfit for the press conference is on the bed; you should change into it soon."

Startled, Shang Qi looked down and discovered the wound on her arm, a strange wave of emotion washing over her. Saying nothing, she stood up to clean the injury while Luo Yichen temporarily left the room. Half an hour later, growing uneasy when she still had not emerged, he walked back to the bedroom.

Knocking on the door, he called out, "Have you finished changing?"

There was no response from inside. Knocking repeatedly and receiving no answer, a wave of worry washed over him. Discovering that the door was locked, he quickly retrieved a spare key and opened it. To his surprise, Shang Qi had already changed her clothes and had fallen fast asleep, half-reclining on the bed. Desperate to avoid him, she had locked the door to stall for time and had simply drifted off to sleep from exhaustion.

Dressed in the silver-gray evening gown, Shang Qi looked like a sleeping beauty. Her dark, waterfall-like hair cascaded over the edge of the bed. Her long eyelashes rested gracefully against her skin, making her closed eyes look deeply captivating. Her small cherry lips were parted slightly, exuding an alluring charm.

Deeply captivated by her sleeping form, Luo Yichen walked closer. The memory of her terrified reaction earlier felt like a thorn in his heart, though he knew her response was entirely understandable. As a grown man, he could not afford to be petty or overly sensitive. Unable to resist, he reached out to stroke her cheek, feeling a sudden surge of warmth and longing.

His touch made Shang Qi stir uncomfortably, letting out a soft murmur. Unable to restrain himself any longer, Luo Yichen leaned down and kissed her. Her lips were sweet and intoxicating, making it impossible for him to pull away. Without realizing it, he deepened the kiss. The intimacy, however, ended up waking her.

Groggy and disoriented, Shang Qi felt a heavy weight pressing upon her. Realizing it was Luo Yichen kissing her, she shoved him away with all her might. In a panic, she stammered, "What... what are you doing?"

Jolted awake by the push, Luo Yichen snapped back to reality. He had not intended to let his desires overpower him and actually kiss her at that moment. In truth, it was the most natural reaction for a man toward the woman he loved—yet Shang Qi was simply unable to accept it.

She bolted upright, her eyes filled with nothing but raw terror. Scrambling backward across the bed, she tried to put as much distance between them as possible. Trembling violently, she cried out, "Don't come near me! Stay away!"

Seeing how utterly frightened she was, remorse flooded Luo Yichen's heart. He quickly placated her: "I'm sorry! Qiqi, don't be scared, I won't do anything else."

Realizing they were alone in the room, Shang Qi knew that trying to fight him off physically would be useless. The vast disparity in strength between a man and a woman forced her to swallow her grievances. Blushing deeply, she said, "If you want me to attend the press conference, you must never touch me again!"

Looking at her with disappointment, Luo Yichen said, "I kissed you because I lost control of my emotions for a moment. After you pushed me away, I had no intention of forcing myself upon you! Qiqi, can you please stop viewing me as a man driven solely by base desires?"

Shang Qi refused to believe his words. The nightmare of that night was forever etched into her mind. She cursed herself for being so careless as to think locking the door would keep Luo Yichen out. Suffering from severe insomnia for days, she had only fallen asleep because the wine she drank the night before had a mild sedative effect.

To keep him pacified, Shang Qi compromised. "The trauma of that incident runs too deep. I cannot accept any man right now. I hope you can understand." With those words, she slowly edged toward the bedroom door.