He was tall and deliberately leaned his weight onto her.
Song Xi, unable to bear the burden, tried to push him away. But he seized the opportune moment, pinning her wrists above her head with a forceful shove that rendered her immobile.
"It hurts…"
"Hurts?" Lou Yuming's voice trailed off, "The real pain is yet to come."
Song Xi didn't understand why he had suddenly lost his temper. Moments ago, he had seemed indifferent, as if nothing had happened. She leaned in and sniffed, detecting a faint, elusive scent of alcohol, not pronounced.
"Did you drink?"
Old Ge had obtained a good bottle of red wine. He took a sip, surprised by its high alcohol content. While not enough to intoxicate him, it had indeed stirred some restless embers within his body.
"You like young things?"
He pressed forward, his gaze burning, as if intending to conquer.
Song Xi, of course, was unsure if he was drunk, but regardless of whether he was or not, it wasn't her place to tolerate his drunken antics.
"Lou Yuming, move aside!"
"What did you call me?"
A deep crimson flowed in his eyes. He leaned in to kiss her ear, moving downwards, "An ungrateful little white-eyed wolf."
In the past, Song Xi would have surrendered to his tenderness long ago. But at this moment, she felt a bitterness filling her heart. The closer he came, the more disgusted she became.
Finally, Song Xi gritted her teeth and raised her hand to slap him.
Lou Yuming dodged with surprising speed. He wasn't drunk at all.
The amorous atmosphere instantly vanished.
His eyes, dark and deep as a silent abyss, articulated a cold statement from his lips.
"You've got guts, daring to lay hands on me?"
Song Xi feigned composure, her expression stubborn.
Lou Yuming suddenly smiled, a cruel smile.
Danger hung heavy in the air. Song Xi immediately bolted for the door and was about to open it when—
"Bang!"
He slammed his long arm against it, the sound echoing loudly.
"Before anything has even taken shape, you want to draw a line between us." He pinched her face, "What kind of family background do the Qu family have? Do you even measure up?"
He had clearly misunderstood everything, and Song Xi saw no point in explaining. He had personally chosen her, and now he was taking his anger out on her. It was utterly unreasonable!
Just as she was about to retort, a knock sounded from outside the door.
"Sister Xi, I brought the medicine for you. Are you still in there?"
Song Xi’s body jolted. If Ge Baitao found out, things would become troublesome!
"You… move aside!"
She lowered her voice, her tone clearly less forceful than before.
Lou Yuming seemed to have discovered something amusing. He brushed aside her hair and, without warning, took her flushed ear into his mouth.
"Scared?"
That was her most sensitive spot. He had never touched her like this before.
Song Xi’s legs trembled, and she slid down the door. Lou Yuming scooped her up with one arm, and she went limp in his embrace.
"Weren't you quite spirited just now?"
He seemed to be deliberately retaliating, his actions always just on the edge of her endurance. Song Xi could not withstand such torment. Tears welled up, and she pleaded for mercy.
"I… I was… wrong…"
She admitted her fault in a soft voice, her eyes glistening with tears, her pitiful features impossibly alluring.
She thought that by lowering her stance, Lou Yuming would let her go. Little did she know that her current pitiful state only fueled the man's desire.
Ge Baitao continued to knock, her voice growing louder. She thought Song Xi had fainted inside and was shouting for help.
Song Xi's heart lurched. She quickly patted Lou Yuming, abandoning all dignity. She kept apologizing, begging him to let her go.
Lou Yuming sensed her fear. His dark eyes narrowed. He pulled her small hand downwards, then whispered something in her ear that turned her face ashen. She had, in effect, tacitly agreed to his proposal.
Then, taking advantage of the brief silence outside, Lou Yuming pulled the door open, threw an arm around Song Xi, and quickly slipped into the adjacent room.
When Ge Baitao returned with a few people, they found that the door, which had been tightly shut moments before, was now ajar. And Song Xi was nowhere to be seen.