Qin Tianyi took a deep breath, trying to control himself. He gazed at her tear-reddened eyes, experiencing a complex mix of emotions he had never felt before.
It wasn't difficult for him to find a woman to vent his desires on, yet with this particular woman, he found himself unable to let go. And his male intuition told him that her heart belonged to someone else.
Ai Yiwei's leverage over her was likely her beloved. The thought of these possibilities made him restless. He straightened up and sneered, "Who is the person in your heart? Since you are married to me, I will not allow you to have anyone else in your heart! It doesn't matter if you don't say it, I will find out sooner or later."
As Qin Tianyi spoke, he roughly pushed her away, got up, and went to the bathroom.
Did this mean he agreed to her request? She would be spared tonight?
Gu Susu's slender fingers clutched the smooth bedsheets tightly. Arching her body, she turned sideways and continued to weep, trying her best not to make a sound.
Qin Tianyi showered himself with cold water for a full half hour before he could suppress the fire that had ignited within him. He realized that Gu Susu could have used that request to prevent him from pursuing the dress and jewelry, but she only wanted to keep her distance from him. Did she detest him so much that even touching her disgusted her?
This detestable woman!
Ai Family Villa.
After nightfall, Ai Yiwei put on the dress Gu Susu had given her and stood in front of the mirror, turning around and around.
She was about the same height as Gu Susu, but she was much fuller-figured. Her figure stretched the expensive dress to its limit, making it look as if it would rip at any moment, threatening to burst open.
*Bang bang...* A soft knock sounded at the door. Before she could respond, someone pushed her door open and walked in.
She peeked her head out from the walk-in closet and saw Ai Yifeng. "Brother, do you need something?" she called out.
Ai Yifeng looked at the dress she was wearing and asked, confused, "Why do you insist on the dress and jewelry from Gu Susu? You have plenty of your own."
Ai Yiwei draped a shawl over herself and stood before him, smiling. "She's such a country bumpkin. If I hadn't given her the opportunity, why would she be wearing such a nice dress and jewelry!"
Ai Yifeng had merely asked casually and didn't care about any conflicts between her and Gu Susu. After all, he would always unconditionally side with her. In his eyes, Yiwei looked best in anything.
He didn't know what to say for a moment and made small talk. "Have you noticed? That child bears a slight resemblance to Qin Tianyi. It's true that people of the same family stick together."
Ai Yiwei paused slightly. She superimposed the child's face with Qin Tianyi's and realized there was indeed some resemblance. But it was impossible for Gu Susu to have had any dealings with Qin Tianyi in the past.
On that night three years ago, she personally escorted Gu Susu to a hotel room and even stood guard outside. However, something went wrong midway, and Gu Susu escaped from the room.
If Gu Susu hadn't ruined her plan, those terrible things that happened later wouldn't have occurred.
Could it be that Gu Susu met Qin Tianyi, or someone from the Qin family, after escaping from that hotel? Was her child related to the Qin family?
While she was lost in thought, Ai Yifeng turned and quickly locked the door. He walked towards her and said, "You truly suit this outfit better. Aren't you regretting not marrying Qin Tianyi?"
Ai Yiwei understood his gaze, took a step back, and sneered, "How could I? I would never marry that idiot."
"Honestly, apart from being a bit foolish, Qin Tianyi has excellent external conditions. He's more than enough for a wild woman like Gu Susu."
Ai Yiwei smiled even more enchantingly. "Exactly, a country bumpkin for a big idiot. A perfect match!" They both burst into laughter.
Ai Yifeng suddenly reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her into his arms. "They are a perfect match, but what about us? I want to confess to Mom and Dad and ask for their blessings."
"Brother, are you crazy? No, absolutely not!" Ai Yiwei, panicked, tried to break free from his embrace.
"Why not? We have no blood relation, and we love each other. Why can't we be together openly?"
"You can't let Mom and Dad know about this!" Ai Yiwei looked at him, scared. "Your name is Yifeng, and mine is Yiwei. Everyone knows we are siblings. Only we know we are not related by blood, and it's impossible to explain! Brother, why can't you understand? We can't be together, not in this lifetime!"
"But... but you also said you liked me. What's the point of living if you can't be with the person you love?" Ai Yifeng said, tightening his grip around her waist and kissing her lips deeply.
He had had enough of seeing each other every day yet having to restrain their feelings, the pain of loving each other but being unable to be intimate under the same roof.
Ai Yiwei hadn't expected Ai Yifeng to be so persistent. All her life, she had only considered him a brother. Even after she learned they weren't related by blood, she had never truly fallen for him.
When she was eighteen, she discovered she wasn't the biological daughter of the Ai family. It was like a bolt from the blue, meaning she would lose everything she possessed.
At that time, she appeared unaffected, but no one knew how terrified and helpless she felt deep down. Immediately after, Gu Susu, the Ai family's so-called biological daughter, was brought back.
Gu Susu's features resembled Yuan Shuna's, and the DNA tests, which had no loopholes, were all presented.
She would no longer be the only little princess in this family. She couldn't help but feel scared and worried.
In the initial period after Gu Susu was brought back, Mr. and Mrs. Ai focused almost entirely on their biological daughter. Who wouldn't love their own child and be good to an adopted one?
If this continued, she would soon have no place in this family.
She knew she couldn't just wait for fate; she had to find a way to drive Gu Susu away and make the Ai family dislike this suddenly appearing biological daughter.
So, she began planning how to scheme against Gu Susu, who was naive and had little experience of the world.
She keenly sensed that when Ai Yifeng learned about this, he not only didn't distance himself from her but treated her even better. However, that kindness went a bit beyond sibling affection. She then thought of using Ai Yifeng's feelings to firmly hold onto this brother, ensuring he would always be on her side.
One afternoon when the house was empty, she sneaked into Ai Yifeng's room, lay down beside him while he was napping, and hugged him tightly. "Brother, I like you."
Ai Yifeng, startled awake, felt as if he were dreaming and gazed into her eyes.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly. She took a gamble, raised a finger to trace his lips, hooked her arm around his neck, and kissed him.
Ai Yifeng couldn't resist her passion, and they tasted forbidden fruit for the first time.