her tone lacked any real power."How did I get mixed up in this!" he chuckled lowly, his husky voice, capable of stirring the very soul, brushing against her ear. Her small ears immediately flushed red...He held her like a doll, washing her in his arms. After she was clean, he patted her bottom and ushered her out of the bathroom. ( ..tw's good novel) Lin Meng came out dazed, fumbled around in her bag for another set of pajamas, and put them on, still feeling hazy. She then shuffled towards the bed. Sitting down, she fell into a daze.

Five minutes later, the man walked out of the bathroom. He was dry, with only a towel wrapped around his waist. It looked like he had taken a combat shower.

The man sat down beside her, his sheer presence making her shrink back. There were so many things she wanted to say, but after that strange experience just now, she suddenly didn't know where to begin.

He gave her a sidelong glance. Seeing that she was staring at him blankly, her gaze flickering to his chest, he realized she was lost in thought. He couldn't help but frown. He had intended to say something, but seeing her like this, he suddenly lost the desire to speak. He pulled open a drawer and took out a pack of already opened Nanjing cigarettes. He took one out, casually picked up a lighter, and lit it, taking a slow drag.

He doesn't usually smoke, but it seems very necessary to have one now. To be honest, his mind is a little messy. Xiao Yi, Lin Meng, these two people, he absolutely didn't expect to have such a deep relationship, which made him feel very troublesome!

He had a cigarette in his mouth, half-closed eyes, lazily leaning against the headboard, his long legs casually dangling on the bed. The whole person looked languid and sexy, with a very imperial feeling.

Lin Meng narrowed his eyes, inexplicably drawn in, staring blankly as he puffed and exhaled like a big shot.

Perhaps it was the way he smoked that was too alluring, or maybe the taste of tobacco awakened a longing in her heart. She leaned closer gently. Half-sitting up, she moved forward, her small face staring intently at the wisps of eerie white smoke slowly dissipating. The smoke curled and rose, like an ascension to the heavens.

Rong Ling blinked lightly, then narrowed his eyes again, silently sizing up the woman who had sidled over like a cat. Her little face was fair and radiant, her long, narrow eyes squinted playfully, as if alluring. Her tiny nose twitched slightly, seeming to be mesmerized as it hovered back and forth in front of the cigarette butt. There was something inexplicably alluring about it, but also somewhat amusing.

He reached out and pulled the cigarette from his mouth, raising an eyebrow silently.

Her gaze followed the smoke, seeing him with a cigarette between his fingers, she reached out and gently took his hand, holding it up in the air.

He was surprised!

She leaned in, cautiously, like a girl tasting forbidden fruit, bringing her small mouth toward the glowing end of the cigarette. Her expression was devout, as if she were kissing not tobacco, but a god!

At that moment, he froze, staring wide-eyed as she bit the cigarette with her rosy lips. Then, she pursed them slightly, seemingly taking a puff. He immediately jumped up like a startled cat, snatched the cigarette from her mouth, and ruthlessly crushed it between his fingers before flinging it away.

She stared at him blankly, utterly confused!

He sank his face, gripped her collar, and pulled her toward the bathroom with great force. He seemed angry again. She stumbled after him, completely unaware of what was happening!

When he got to the bathroom, he grabbed a cup of water and shoved it straight to her mouth. (.tw)

"Gargle!" he commanded forcefully.

She stared, her mouth agape, while he forcefully poured water into it. He then forced her to spit it out. He quickly squeezed toothpaste into her hand and commanded again, “Brush your teeth!”

It's as if she just took that hit, it's worse than being poisoned!

At his command, she moved. Though, her head was still fuzzy.

After she finished brushing her teeth, he grabbed a towel and roughly wiped her mouth, cleaning away the toothpaste. Gritting his teeth, he issued a menacing command: "From now on, no smoking, and no going to bars!"

After thinking about it for a moment, he still felt uneasy and added, "In any case, it's not something a student should do. You absolutely can't do it!"

At this point, he was somewhat like a loving and caring patriarch, afraid that his precious daughter would be led astray without proper guidance!

Lin Meng blinked her eyes innocently, looking at Rong Ling. She blinked again. She wasn't supposed to do things a student shouldn't do, so what she was doing now didn't seem like something a student should do either! He seemed so disgusted by her smoking and going to bars, so could he, please, let her off the hook!

"Rong Ling..." she murmured.

He hung the towel back up, turned around, and looked back at her.

She bit her lip, lowered her head, and exposed a dark scalp to him.

He stood silently on the side, watching her quietly, waiting for her to speak. He could feel that she had something to say to him, and it had been building up since a while ago.

"I... I want... I want to live alone!" She finally raised her head, bravely looking at him. Perhaps some words, once spoken, weren't as difficult as she had imagined. Once she opened her mouth, it seemed that the following words came easily.

"I want to live by myself," she insisted. "Consider this a debt I owe you. Please do me this favor. Stop Dad from forcing me. You... Lend me money so I can finish high school, and when I... when I get into college, I'll pay you back slowly!"

She had also heard that going to university meant she could apply for student loans, and there were also work-study programs. Good schools even offered scholarships every semester, so she should be able to slowly pay back Rong Ling.

Lin Meng looked at Rong Ling eagerly, but Rong Ling's face was very solemn, his jaw tightened, and he remained silent, appearing somewhat cold. After a long while, he asked in a deep voice, "Do you want to leave me!" His tone rose slightly, with a hint of displeasure!

She slowly lowered her eyelids, silently acknowledging it.

Rong Ling leaned against the sink, arms crossed, staring at Lin Meng with haughty indifference—a girl so weak that he could crush her with ease.

"You provoked me, you just want to walk away like nothing happened!" He sneered mockingly!

Lin Meng's heart tightened, waving her hands again and again. Her small face flushed slightly because of the nervousness.

"No...it wasn't like that." She twisted her smoke-grey brows, struggling and earnestly explaining. "That day...that day when I came to you, I...I originally wanted you to do this, but...but..."

But things were completely beyond her expectations. She ran to him, begging to be supported by Rong Ling. At that moment, her head was buzzing, and all she could see was him. He took her away, and her eyes were filled with joy. He got into the car and kissed her, and she didn't think of refusing. Later, she was muddled and taken over by him. Then, his dominance made her too afraid to speak up, so she self-deceived herself, telling herself that this was okay. But, Xiao Yi's sarcastic remarks and scolding woke her up. What she was doing now was actually wrong, wasn't it! This chaotic relationship was also an insult to herself, wasn't it!

Why couldn't she boldly make a request to Rong Ling! Without her, he could easily have other women; one more wouldn't make a difference. So why cling to his occasional tenderness! Since she could be dumped at any time, she might as well avoid contact from the beginning!

Rong Ling looked at the girl who dared to bargain with him, a cold smile playing on his lips. Besides that, there was an inexplicable anger in his heart. What anger was it He didn't want to bother figuring it out!

"So, you want me to become a charitable philanthropist who selflessly funds your education!"

Rong Ling smiled, but the smile was laced with sarcasm. His deep-set eyes were cold, like distant stars. His knife-sharp features lacked any softness.

Lin Meng perhaps didn't understand Rong Ling very well, but after so many intimate encounters with him, she could probably catch a glimpse of his joy, anger, sorrow, and joy from his facial expressions. Her heart sank, and she immediately understood that Rong Ling was probably angry now. He was tall and aggressive, his aura too strong, his anger made her helpless, more than anything else, it was an unconscious fear.

Her face flushed slightly, her watery eyes flickering with confusion. Her hands hung limply at her sides, embarrassed and unsure of what to do, as if simply being stared at by him was a kind of unspoken guilt.

Rong Ling reached out with a large hand, pulling her, who was in a predicament, into his embrace. His big palm tightly gripped her waist, and he lowered his head, staring intently at her eyes. His star-like eyes were sharp and locked onto her black eyes, coldly stating: "Lin Meng, I'm definitely not a philanthropist, so I won't keep someone who is useless. There are two paths, choose for yourself: one, as we agreed before, do whatever you want, I pretend nothing happened just now, I didn't hear what you said; two, as you wish, you can leave now, but you and I will have no more ties. This is my last time tolerating your whims, choose for yourself. Think carefully, after you leave this bathroom, do whatever you want!”

After finishing his words, he released Lin Meng and strode away, obviously also furious! Leaving her, alone and deserted in the bathroom. Her body suddenly lost his warmth and became a little cold. Lin Meng reached out and hugged herself, shivering. Recalling his deep and powerful warning in her ears, she stared at the toothbrush and toothpaste cup, thinking of him with a composed face, staring at her brushing her teeth without politeness, fiercely ordering her not to learn bad habits, but she was stunned!

It felt like a long time, a very long time, but her mind remained empty. Two choices kept swirling in her head, yet she couldn't grasp either one. All she could think of was his anger when he saw her smoking; all she could remember was him whispering in her ear about using condoms because birth control pills were bad for her health; all she could picture was him taking her on a whole day trip just to find her a better place to study...

He cared for her, in a subtle way, and she knew it. She was just a girl, a girl who craved affection. That kind of care, even her own family couldn't give her!

She sniffed, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart. Looking up, she saw herself reflected in the large glass mirror: her face was small, her eyes were red, and her lips were swollen, cracked, and even more red than usual. She looked not glamorous at all, but rather pitiful. But wasn't this the path she had chosen in the first place! She told herself, since she chose it, she wouldn't regret it. It was only just the beginning, would she regret it now! Leaving Rong Ling, could she guarantee a better life than she had now! So wanting to leave, there was Xiao Yi’s mockery, actually, there was also because of that strange woman!

My heart ached slightly, a mixture of pain and sorrow.

She reached out and gently touched her swollen lips, staring intently at the small face framed by black hair in the mirror. Within the redness, a pallor lay beneath the darkness! Finally, she lowered her head, a defeat both weary and helpless.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she saw him. He was still leaning against the bed, half-closed eyes, lost in thought, but this time, there was no cigarette between his lips. She walked towards him slowly, carefully, almost as if trying to confirm something. He looked up at her, his gaze sharp and different, as if he could see right through her.

She came to his side, lowered her head, finally able to look down at him, but regrettably, in terms of aura, she could never surpass him. His gaze was too sharp; she couldn't bear to meet it for long, so she still shifted her eyes in defeat.

The man, due to his previous scuffle with Xiao Yi, was actually quite disheveled. His body was covered in bruises, blue and purple from the fight. There were even two large bruises on his face, and his lips were slightly cracked, another handiwork of Xiao Yi. Yet, this man had the peculiar ability to disregard all his disarray and still looked down at others with that aloof gaze, as if everyone he looked at should be more pathetic than him!

She tilted her head slightly, pondered for a moment, and slowly sat down beside him.

He immediately sat down slowly, straightened his back, pursed his thin lips, and looked at her coldly. His gloomy eyes were shrouded in gloom and couldn't let in any light. He knew this was the time she would announce her choice! Seeing her lip move slightly, he had an urge to rush over and forcefully block her lips, preventing her from speaking. He regretted it. He shouldn't have been so merciful, compromising again and again. Just now, he foolishly and ridiculously offered her a choice! Heaven knew what kind of fool he was for enduring this much. He should have refused without hesitation just now, even dragging her onto the bed and forcefully taking her there. Why did he give her any opportunity at all!

If she dared to say the second option...

He thought resentfully, how will he deal with her in the future!

She actually spoke, but what she said was completely beyond his expectations.

"Do you have any medicine Let me put some on you!"

She spoke softly, her dark eyes gazing at him innocently like a lamb. Her face was very gently soft, as if nothing had happened before!

He was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted, letting out a long sigh. His tense body also relaxed subtly. Perhaps he realized that his reaction was too intense, he awkwardly turned his head away in an instant, remained silent for a while, and then restored his usual expression, humming coldly. "There's a medicine cabinet inside the big cabinet against the wall!"

He reached out and gestured with his hand.

Lin Meng got up and went to get it.

Behind him, Rong Ling lazily leaned back against the headboard, a slight curve to his lips. It was a subtle smile, but he was indeed smiling.

Lin Meng took back the medicine box and opened it. Inside, everything was complete. There were Yunnan Baiyao and bruise-treating wine, very practical. There was also iodine alcohol, gauze, cotton, and Band-Aids, all very useful things. She vaguely guessed that with the completeness of the items in this medicine box, this man probably got into fights frequently!

There, Rong Ling had already cooperated and sat in the middle of the bed, just waiting for Lin Meng to get online.

Lin Meng pushed the medicine cabinet and knelt beside Rong Ling, like a dutiful daughter-in-law, treating his injuries. The scrape was easy to handle, but the bruises needed to be rubbed with liniment to disperse the blood clots. She didn't have much strength, and he had thick skin, so after a while she was panting and her little hands began to ache. She could only switch hands, rubbing back and forth.

Rong Ling lowered his eyes, watching her flushed cheeks from the hard work, beads of sweat glistening on her skin. His gaze deepened gradually. He didn't offer to help, not even for the wound on his chest that he could easily treat himself. Instead, he let her struggle there, panting heavily. Because, he had to admit, he rather enjoyed the feel of her small hands kneading his muscles. This, and the discomfort from his fight with Xiao Yi dissipated a lot. Even, he secretly wished for more bruises on his body, so that her small hands could linger longer.

The aroma of the medicinal wine slowly diffuses in the air, creating a sense of serenity that is so intoxicating, one wouldn't want to disturb it.

Lin Meng squatted behind Rong Ling, applying the medicinal wine and kneading the last bruise on his back. When she finally worked it out, she used her back to wipe the sweat from her forehead. Looking at the sturdy back in front of her, one piece after another turned red from the application of medicinal wine, she was stunned for a moment, not knowing what feeling she had. She screwed the cap of the medicinal wine bottle and put it aside. She pursed her lips, staring at Rong Ling's back. The man still sat there like a master, motionless. His wet black hair slightly covered his neck, soft and lying there, making him seem less aloof.

When she looked at him from behind, without seeing his face, the distance didn't seem so great. His back looked broad and strong, and for some reason, her heart skipped a beat. She was moved by the warm, tanned glow of his skin, by the tautness of it beneath her fingertips. She found herself leaning closer, her hand trembling with anticipation. Finally, she bit her lip, gathering her courage, and boldly threw her arms around him from behind, pressing her body against his back. His muscles seemed to tense at her touch, but she didn't mind. She gently rested her head against his shoulder.

She rubbed against him, seeking a more comfortable angle, and half-closed her eyes. She stayed like that, holding onto him, no longer moving. He didn't move either, indulging her completely, allowing her to press most of her body weight onto him.

After a long while, when he thought she might have fallen asleep, a low murmur came from her ear, as if in a dream.

"Rong Ling, you... please treat me better!"

His eyes flashed, but he quickly replied.

"Hmm."etrayed his age. A glimmer flashed in Rong Ling's eyes, and he felt a sense of relief wash over him."Suit yourself!" he smiled. "But Youyou's quite headstrong, you know. If you want him to listen to y...