Volume 1, Chapter 37: This Bell Suits You Better

"Song Qinian, you’re quite bold when you’re playing your little games, aren’t you? Why are you such a coward all of a sudden?"

Realizing the person before her was Shen Chiyan and not some grotesque ghost brought Song Qinian a sliver of relief. Her hands gripped his clothes tightly. She wanted to gesture, but the prison was too dim; even if she could see her own fingers, Shen Chiyan would not be able to see her sign language.

"I don’t buy that act of playing the pure, innocent flower to win sympathy from others."

Shen Chiyan reached out and ripped the fox ears from Song Qinian’s head. "You seem to love this headband Shen Yushu picked out for you. You’ve worn it for so long you couldn't bear to take it off!"

That was not true!

Song Qinian felt deeply wronged. The reason she hadn’t taken it off was because it had been placed on her head quietly, and it had absolutely nothing to do with Shen Yushu.

"You know? You look hideous wearing these fox ears!"

Song Qinian’s heart stung. She knew that in Shen Chiyan’s eyes, she had always been a repulsive person, both inside and out. She reached out to push him away, but the action only fueled his anger. He pinned her to the straw-covered ground and leaned down to kiss her fiercely.

Realizing what he intended to do, Song Qinian’s face turned pale, her pupils dilating.

Was he insane? Doing this here...

Suddenly, she heard the chime of a bell, and a chill touched her ankle as something was fastened around it. Every time she moved her foot, the bell rang.

"If you want to be an animal, why bother with fox ears? This bell suits you much better."

His cold, low voice echoed in her ear. As she struggled, he suddenly pinched her waist. When she gasped in pain, he took the opportunity to kiss her ruthlessly. The eerie, terrifying music of the haunted house mingled with the sound of the bell, seemingly providing him with a perverse stimulation, making him more aggressive than ever.

Song Qinian felt no pleasure; on the contrary, she was in agony. Her body ached, and her heart broke. A man with such an obsession for cleanliness was tormenting her in a place like this—how much must he hate her?

No. To be precise, he didn’t see her as a human being at all. He saw her as a pet, devoid of dignity, to be bullied at his whim.

Song Qinian could not speak, and her initial resistance gradually faded into numbness. Getting no response and unable to see her face clearly, Shen Chiyan grew even more irritated and exerted more force. Unsatisfied, he took her to a nearby hotel after leaving the haunted house.

In the bathroom of the luxury suite, he pressed her against the mirror, gripping her chin from behind to force her to look at herself. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes shimmering with tears. Despite being in such a wretched state, she was intoxicating.

"Tell me, if your father saw you like this under me, would he still claim he is innocent?"

At the thought of Song Guanliang, Song Qinian bit her lip hard and squeezed her eyes shut. This act of defiance displeased him; he viciously bit the back of her neck. "Open your eyes. Remember exactly what you look like right now."

Song Qinian’s hands pressed against the glass, leaving chaotic palm prints as he moved. The sound of the bell rang incessantly, echoing throughout the afternoon.

***

When Song Qinian returned to the amusement park, her legs were trembling, and she felt as if she were floating. As soon as Shen Keqin saw her, she noticed she had changed her clothes and seemed to understand something. She leaned in, whispering, "Sister-in-law, where is my brother? Did you manage to soothe him?"

Song Qinian didn't know if she had succeeded, but when they parted, he had seemed to be in a rather good mood.

Just then, Shen Keqin noticed the bell on Song Qinian’s ankle. "Wow, that anklet is so unique! Is that a bell? Where did you buy it? I want to get one too."

A flash of humiliation crossed Song Qinian’s eyes. Shen Chiyan’s warning echoed in her mind: *Do not take it off, or next time, I will hang it around your neck.*

"Niannian..."

Qiaoqiao, tired after playing all day, held out her arms when she saw Song Qinian. Qiaoqiao’s arrival saved her. Sighing in relief, Song Qinian took the child and bid farewell to Shen Keqin and Shen Yushu.

Shen Yushu said, "Niannian, you look exhausted. Would you like me to drive you home?"

Song Qinian smiled and shook her head, then left while holding Qiaoqiao.

***

Even the oblivious Shen Keqin could tell something was off with Song Qinian.

"Miss, Mr. Shen is waiting for you in the car."

When Shen Keqin and Wen Ziqian climbed into the car, they saw Shen Chiyan working in the back seat, looking remarkably refreshed.

"Brother, tell the truth—did you bully sister-in-law just now?"

Wen Ziqian chimed in excitedly, "I knew it! That lady named Niannian is my aunt; she looks like a little fairy. Uncle, you mustn't bully the fairy aunt."

Shen Chiyan was in a good mood and couldn't be bothered with the two brats.

Seeing his reaction, Shen Keqin grew annoyed. "Brother, I know you like Lin Qiutong, but sister-in-law likes you so much—even if you don't like her back, can’t you at least be a little nicer to her?"

Shen Chiyan’s fingers paused on the keyboard. He turned and gave Shen Keqin a chilling look. "Who told you Song Qinian likes me? Did she tell you that?"

Shen Keqin realized she had spoken too much in her indignation. She coughed lightly. "I guessed it! Look at yourself—you’re handsome, rich, and have such a great physique. What woman wouldn't like you? Right, Ziqian?"

Wen Ziqian inspected Shen Chiyan and nodded. "He is quite handsome."

Ignoring the two sycophants, Shen Chiyan returned his focus to his computer.

"Hey, Brother, I’m just saying... if she really does like you, what would you do?"

An image of Song Qinian, eyes brimming with tears and looking incredibly alluring, flickered through Shen Chiyan’s mind. He slammed the laptop shut, feeling a surge of irritation. His eyes turned cold at the thought. "Don’t forget how she married into the Shen family. Like me? Hmph, does she even deserve to?"

Shen Keqin wouldn't give up. "Brother, I don’t believe you have absolutely no feelings for her. You hate crowded places, yet you came to the amusement park to accompany Ziqian—wasn't it because you knew she would be here today?"

Before she could finish, she received a sharp glare from Shen Chiyan. "With such a vivid imagination, I think you should give up fashion design and become a screenwriter."

Shen Keqin: "..."

After hearing their conversation, Wen Ziqian immediately said, "Uncle, you don't like Aunt? Then you should divorce her quickly. When I grow up, I’ll marry her."

No sooner had he finished speaking than he received a knock on the head.

"Ouch! Why did you hit me? Everything I said is true! Aunt is so beautiful, so gentle and cute when she smiles, and she even wiped my sweat and bought me ice cream."

Without noticing Shen Chiyan’s cold, predatory gaze, Wen Ziqian continued, both cowardly and sincere, "Why are you angry? If nothing else, when Aunt and I get married, we’ll both be sure to honor you!"