The next morning, Yao Chen woke up on the sofa on the first floor. The alcohol had worn off, but his head still felt a little dizzy. He couldn't remember how he ended up on the sofa, but he suddenly recalled the way he had treated Han Yanyan the night before. Panic surged through him, and he hurried upstairs.
The bedroom was empty, but he could hear the sound of water in the bathroom. Yao Chen pushed the door open and saw Han Yanyan with her eyes closed while washing her hair in the shower. He watched her for a moment. When she finished rinsing, she opened the shower door to grab a towel and met Yao Chen's eyes, which were still showing traces of a hangover.
Han Yanyan paused for a moment, then took the towel to dry herself, put on a bathrobe, and went to the mirror to apply skincare products. As she did so, Yao Chen kept staring at her body. Once she was done, she lifted her eyes and saw Yao Chen standing behind her through the mirror.
Yao Chen reached out and pulled her bathrobe open, letting it slip to her elbows. Her body was reflected clearly in the mirror. Her chest was covered with bluish-purple marks, evidence of the force he had used on her the previous night.
Yao Chen focused on those bruises and asked, "Han Yanyan, why are you with me?"
Han Yanyan replied, "The truth?"
Yao Chen gritted his teeth. "The truth!"
Han Yanyan smiled helplessly, "Because I simply can't escape you."
The words felt like a slap to Yao Chen's face.
Han Yanyan was just a student studying in K City, without any background or money, struggling to manage by working part-time. When Yao Chen had set his eyes on her and made his intentions clear, how could she possibly escape from his grasp?
She was with him not out of love or because he had touched her heart. She was simply wise enough to go along with him to avoid further humiliation and harm.
Such a simple thing, and yet Yao Chen had failed to understand it.
That's why her emotions were always "indifferent." Because without fondness, there's no sorrow. As insightful as he was, how had he overlooked this protective layer of hers?
Even if she chose to submit to him and became his woman, did she always believe he would eventually hurt her?
Yao Chen felt frustrated and unable to argue.
Because truth be told, the previous night he had indeed intended to hurt her. He wanted to see her cry, struggle, and resist, trying to force out her genuine emotions. He had never expected that her true emotions would be something he couldn't handle.
Feeling awkward, Yao Chen couldn't meet her gaze in the mirror.
"Yao Chen, will you hit me?" Han Yanyan asked softly.
Yao Chen suddenly looked up.
In the mirror, Han Yanyan appeared fragile and slender, her protective shell gone, showing her vulnerability. She had captivated him and unknowingly entangled him. Yet, such a woman lived in fear and worry of his harm.
Yao Chen, filled with hate, bit down on her shoulder.
Pain etched across Han Yanyan's face as he bit deeply, drawing blood. The crimson liquid trickled down her shoulder, mixing with the purpling bruises, creating a savage sight.
Looking at the man leaning on her shoulder, akin to a vampire drawn to blood, Han Yanyan understood how crucial this moment was to both Yao Chen and herself. She clenched her teeth, enduring the pain.
The key to winning someone's heart lay in stirring emotions. Once the heart moved, the person would be yours.
Yao Chen lifted his head, her blood still on his lips. Even for a manly man like him, the word "alluring" seemed fitting.
His eyes cleared, and his thoughts sharpened.
He pulled up her bathrobe to cover the wound. The white fabric soaked up the red, resembling blossoming red plums.
Yao Chen promised, "This is the last time. From now on, I won't touch a hair on your head."
"I would never hit a woman, don't worry," he said, embracing her tightly and whispering in her ear, "My dad beat my mom to death. Can you guess where he is now?"
Han Yanyan felt a terrible sense of foreboding. "Where?"
"Qinghe Bay," Yao Chen whispered the familiar place name into her ear. The breath brushing against her earlobe and cheek made her shiver.
"Oh right, he's in the police morgue now," Yao Chen suddenly remembered. "He died early, not in the genetic database. They couldn't identify him, and no one claimed the body."
Leo, what kind of person did you give me?
Just as a chill crept in, Yao Chen said, "Yanyan, let's get married."
Yao Chen was never the type to say, "I love you, so don't fear me."
Even Han Yanyan understood she couldn't escape his grasp. Once Yao Chen decided to win, he would fully possess. Han Yanyan was the first tender woman in his thirty-plus years to truly wrap around his heart, who he couldn't let go of.
Since that was the case, he decided to marry her.
He had done too many illegal things in his life. This time, he decided to legally wed.
Han Yanyan had once prepared for a wedding, with Qiao Chengyu discussing every detail to give her a dreamlike ceremony. With Yao Chen, she didn't have to worry at all. He spent heavily on a top-tier wedding service, inviting her to make any requests she desired.
Naturally, Han Yanyan had no requests. But she deliberately gave the wedding planners a hard time, then ran to Yao Chen to complain a bit. Yao Chen was delighted and generously increased the budget, ensuring they met her demands.
Yao Chen's belief was that even if a woman came to him reluctantly, if he held her close, treated her well, and gave her everything she wanted, she would eventually genuinely return his affection.
He believed Han Yanyan would be like this.
With significant progress made, Han Yanyan was pleased.
Her mindset during the postgraduate exam was incredibly relaxed. Her decision to seriously study and further her education in this world stemmed from realizing she could inherit the knowledge and memories she gained here.
Though she hadn't done business, she had the business experience of Miss Han; though she hadn't handled a gun, she understood firearms and shooting skills thanks to Officer Han Yanyan. The martial arts and knife skills she acquired during the apocalypse had already been verified as carrying over in the previous world.
The only thing she couldn't retain was a body. Every new world brought a new physique. Before, as a female student, Han Yanyan's lack of exercise resulted in a much weaker body than her previous ones. Yet, she gradually honed it through training.
Therefore, whatever Han Yanyan learned in the worlds, she took very seriously. Because what she learned wouldn't remain in the world; it would truly become hers.
Nevertheless, Han Yanyan often pondered this situation. If an architect continuously roamed through this so-called "quick-transmit world," continuously learning and training, given the limitless time, theoretically, after countless worlds, an architect could become extremely powerful.
Which begged the question:
Would Leo allow such a phenomenon?
Moreover, irrespective of whether Leo's existence was sci-fi or fantasy, could an architect, by traveling through different worlds, learn and grow strong enough to overcome Leo's control?
Theoretically possible, yet in reality, Leo still held control. He had claimed three architects' lives.
With her resolve kept in check, Han Yanyan earnestly and diligently completed her tasks in this world.
In early May, the final results came in, and Han Yanyan was accepted into S University's graduate program.
Yao Chen celebrated grandly at Jin Hao, distributing red packets generously. San Hu and his gang laughed and caused a ruckus, showing little restraint. Yao Chen, however, didn't indulge them; anything too excessive, he shielded Han Yanyan from.
Han Yanyan, soon to be Yao Chen's wife, was naturally shielded by him. Knowing how everyone felt, they treated Han Yanyan with respect in public.
The party room was noisy and chaotic. Seizing the moment when the men were busy drinking, Han Yanyan slipped outside for air.
"Yanyan, I heard the wedding is in August? Congratulations!" she encountered her former supervisor from her part-time job.
He was still a supervisor, unchanged in a year. He had also been in the party room earlier, collecting red packets and joining in the fun, though he hadn't spoken to her there.
It had been a while since Han Yanyan last came to Jin Hao. They caught up in the hallway.
This supervisor had been quite helpful back then, and Han Yanyan's attitude towards him hadn't changed despite her impending status as Mrs. Yao. She spoke as though she was still a struggling worker, earning tuition under his supervision.
The supervisor relaxed, shedding the slight formality he initially adopted, and spoke to her as the inexperienced young woman he once knew.
"Was the party too much?" he asked, understandingly.
Han Yanyan merely smirked coldly, saying, "Leopards don't change their spots. They'll never rise beyond their current level."
"Yao Chen is moving up, but they're stagnant. Watch, this complacency will leave them behind. Do they really think brotherhood can sustain them for life?"
"Sis! Sis! President Yao is looking for you!" Xiao Yang called out, emerging from the party room.
Xiao Yang, having been with Yao Chen for almost two years, had finally reached the level of joining the private room.
Han Yanyan bade farewell to the supervisor and returned, entering the room again.
A secret you don't want others to know, keep it in. Once spoken, it no longer remains a secret.
In the same way, badmouthing others behind their backs will eventually reach the person concerned.
Han Yanyan's words deliberately spread, soon reaching San Hu. It wasn't as though San Hu and others didn't understand Yao Chen's transition, but they couldn't meddle in Yao Chen's legitimate business.
Yao Chen had once let San Hu and another close brother manage businesses. San Hu ran a cultural and film company, investing in a guaranteed hit, only for scandal to arise when he forced himself on an actress. Yao Chen cleaned up the mess.
The other brother managed real estate, yet took bribes and compromised construction quality, provoking Yao Chen's ire.
Initially, these endeavors seemed promising, yet they returned disillusioned, finding legitimate business restrictive and dull. They preferred the excitement of illegal ventures—the daring clashes, battles with law enforcement, and the lucrative white powder trade.
How thrilling, how exhilarating!
That was when Han Yanyan first met Yao Chen, making a few management suggestions in Room 812 to test him. Yao Chen listened and took it to heart.
Han Yanyan, as Yao Chen's confidante and soon-to-be wife, made her voice important. Was she speaking Yao Chen's mind? Was he starting to disregard his brothers, planning to abandon them?
Han Yanyan's words planted a seed of doubt between Yao Chen and his closest companions.
In August, the wedding was lavish and extravagant, and Han Yanyan walked down the aisle in a white gown. There was no earthshaking upheaval, no world collapse.
Han Yanyan became Yao Chen's lawful wife.