Chapter 6: The Breaking Point
The next day was nothing like the one before it.
Yuyan woke early, the silence in the penthouse heavier than usual. The air felt thick with unspoken words, and the distance between her and Jiang Zhen was palpable. The lingering moments from the night before—his touch, his voice—kept replaying in her mind like a haunting melody.
She couldn't focus on anything. The revenge she had so carefully plotted now seemed distant, almost childish in comparison to the feelings that swirled within her.
She walked to the kitchen, trying to clear her head. The sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting soft beams across the marble counter. But even the beauty of the morning couldn't erase the knot in her stomach.
"Yuyan."
She turned to see Jiang Zhen standing in the doorway, his usual ice-cold demeanor softened by a layer of something deeper. Concern? Regret? She couldn't tell.
"Are you okay?" His voice was quiet, and for the first time, there was no arrogance or coldness in it—only something that felt like… care.
Her heart skipped a beat. What's happening to me?
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm fine. Just a little tired."
But Jiang Zhen didn't seem convinced. He stepped into the room, closing the distance between them.
"You didn't sleep last night, did you?" he asked.
Her throat went dry. "I had work to do."
He raised an eyebrow, not buying it. "You're lying."
Yuyan opened her mouth to retort but found herself speechless. The truth was, she hadn't been able to sleep—not because of work, but because of him. Because of everything that had happened between them.
Before she could say anything, Jiang Zhen moved closer, his presence overwhelming. "We can't keep doing this," he said, his tone low, almost vulnerable.
"Doing what?" she asked, her voice a little too sharp.
"Pretending like we're not…" He trailed off, his jaw clenching.
"Not what?" she challenged, even though she already knew the answer. The pull between them had been there from the beginning, the tension that neither could deny, no matter how hard they tried.
He stepped closer, his face only inches from hers. "Not pretending like we don't feel something for each other."
Her breath hitched in her throat. "Stop," she said, though her voice lacked conviction. "You're wrong."
But Jiang Zhen didn't listen. He reached up, his fingers brushing her cheek in a movement so tender it made her heart ache. "I don't want to pretend anymore, Yuyan," he whispered. "I don't want to play these games."
She felt her breath catch as his lips hovered dangerously close to hers. "This is a mistake," she murmured, but even she wasn't sure if she believed it.
His lips brushed hers—just a whisper of a touch. But it was enough to send a shock through her entire body.
"I don't think it is," he said softly.
She wanted to pull away, wanted to remind herself that this was all a lie. But something inside her snapped.
With a sudden surge of emotion, she closed the gap between them, kissing him with a fierceness that surprised them both. It was raw. Uncontrolled. A mix of need and frustration, and the desperate desire to forget everything else.
Jiang Zhen responded instantly, his arms pulling her closer, his lips demanding more. The kiss deepened, both of them lost in the heat of the moment, the world outside their little bubble fading into nothingness.
When they finally pulled apart, breathless and shaking, Yuyan's hands rested on his chest, her heart pounding. Her mind screamed at her to stop, to pull away and walk away, but the connection between them was undeniable.
She was still angry. Still hurt. But in that moment, all of her emotions—her hate, her pain, her desire—swirled into something far more complicated than revenge.
Jiang Zhen looked down at her, his expression unreadable. "We can't go back from this, Yuyan."
She nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "I know."
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