"You knew my husband was Qian Jin, from a long time ago, right?"
The man was silent for a few seconds, then corrected: "Was your ex-husband."
"But the answer is yes."
"I don't understand."
Qi Sui let go. A crease remained on the man's pristine chest from being pulled. He calmly looked down, gently separated the stuck fabric, but didn't smooth it back.
Qi Sui's mind wandered.
After accepting Xiang Yu's stubborn nature, a feeling of "What gives Qian Jin the right?" arose in her heart.
"Are you taking revenge on him?"
"Or do you think I'm not good enough for him? Or do you simply enjoy doing such despicable things?"
Hearing her call his actions despicable again, Xiang Yu silently bent down, kneeling on one leg.
Emphasizing: "He doesn't deserve you."
Qi Sui smiled weakly.
"So? Don't tell me you did all this for me. That's ridiculous."
Xiang Yu took in her emotions.
"I'm sorry. I apologize for my rash behavior."
"But I don't think I made a mistake."
He reached out, touching Qi Sui's fingertips. His fingers climbed up between hers, until he gently pinched her bare ring finger.
Xiang Yu blinked. His sharp jawline seemed to cast an arc of light.
A faint red tinge appeared in his eyes.
He sighed softly: "You haven't worn a ring for a long time."
"You never used to be like this."
The man's voice came gently: "Remember that time you were washing your lunch box in the break room?"
"I deliberately noticed; you never took off your ring when washing your hands. Even if it meant the soap wouldn't rinse out from between your fingers, even if you had to deliberately wipe the inside of the ring, you never took it off."
"The first time you handed me the spray, the diamond ring was so bright."
"But my heart was cold."
"When did you stop loving him? Do you remember?"
His warm fingertips gently rubbed her palm, then slid down along the tendons, encircling the ring finger that once wore a wedding band like a ring.
His strong hand caught her almost transparently white palm, then lifted the ring finger, holding it possessively.
"I'm not wrong, Qi Sui."
"Because you were unhappy in this marriage."
The woman's gaze fell on their intertwined hands. They were limbs from two bodies, a man and a woman holding hands.
Her eyelashes fluttered. She watched her hand being held in his palm, as if returning to that afternoon when she sat before the misted glass. But this time, those eyes followed the fine rain to her side.
"Call me despicable if you want, call me shameless if you want. I'm willing to admit it all. But one thing—"
Xiang Yu's eyes were a misty black. When looking into them, one could occasionally glimpse subtle emotions in those smiling eyes. He never revealed them, and his deep brow bones hid his eyes.
But now, he looked up, as if offering his entire self as a sacrifice.
"I'm not wrong. You can't sentence me to death."
"You have already broken free from the shackles of marriage. You have regained your freedom. Then, pursuing you or making any effort to win you over is my right."
"I'm just pursuing the person I like. I have the right to express my feelings freely, and I have the right to freely use my body. Wanting to use my body for anything, for anyone, to seduce anyone, is my right."
"If you want to control me, then give me a reason."
A warm sensation came from between her fingers. Qi Sui saw the man's hand lightly brush her sensitive palm, then clasp her finger tighter, like a hint.
"Qi Sui, do you want to control me?"
"You call me a bitch. You say everything I do is despicable. Fine. Then give me a reason not to do these things."
Pushy.
Nonsensical.
Convincing through twisted logic.
Honeyed words.
Who the hell wanted to control him?
Qi Sui, with all her revulsion and disgust, snarled: "You're even more shameful than I thought."
The man half-lifted his face, his brows tightly knit, his emotions equally out of control.
"You simply hate me, right? Then why—"