Kim_Li_0078

#DARK ROMANCE 
Lin Yueyao spent five years of her youth married to Shen Xiao, a man whose heart was as cold as steel. She believed that her gentleness would eventually melt his indifference, but the only thing that melted was her own dignity.

Every night, she endured his cruel touch, his words like blades, and his silent disgust. But no matter how much it hurt, Yueyao clung on – for the sake of their son, Xuanxuan, and for the sliver of hope that someday he might see her.

That hope shattered completely when his first love, Bai Zhi, returned from abroad. The very night Bai Zhi came back, Shen Xiao left Yueyao alone to dine with her. His gaze, once cold and dismissive, turned tender only for Bai Zhi.

Then, just as Yueyao discovered she was pregnant again, Shen Xiao handed her divorce papers. Abandoned while carrying his child, betrayed by her husband, and discarded like a stain on his life, Yueyao’s world collapsed.

Even their son, Xuanxuan – the little boy she’d nearly died giving birth to, the one she raised with unwavering devotion – rejected her, clinging instead to Bai Zhi with innocent adoration.

But fate was crueler still.

Kidnapped straight from her hospital bed by men demanding ransom, Yueyao realised no one was coming to save her. Her husband hadn’t even noticed she was missing. As she lay in that abandoned factory, trembling in pain, all illusions crumbled.

She was done waiting for love from a man who treated her like dirt.

This time, she would save herself. And when she returned, it wouldn’t be as the pitiful Mrs. Shen, but as a woman reborn from ashes – with a heart no longer beating for Shen Xiao.

But will he realise her worth only when it’s too late?

Love After Divorce: Her Second Chance

She had spent ten years nursing a crush on Shen Xiao, and five years as his wife. She had always wished to marry him, to have a happy family together. She did get married, but his heart became even colder.

She had believed that if she loved him hard enough, if she humbled herself enough, she could eventually thaw his heart, no matter how cold it was.

She thought it was all about time. Time would heal everything and melt the ice.

But after all these years, it remained just her wishful thinking. And now… she was running dry.

The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom, splashing onto the marble floor.

Yueyao stood by the bed, staring numbly at her phone as it lit up with a new message.

It was a photo taken at Qinglan Pavilion, the most exclusive fine-dining restaurant in the capital.

Shen Xiao sat across from a woman, his gaze gentle, lips curved into the faint smile Yueyao had once fallen for, but which disappeared the moment she became his wife.

She has never seen this side of him after all these years they have been together. He looked happy and had a gentle smile on his face.

If it weren't for her pregnancy, she would have been the current Mrs Shen.

The woman in the photo was Bai Zhi, Shen Xiao's ex-fiancée. She knew her well, they had gone to the same high school.

Bai Zhi had returned from studying abroad only last month. The very night she came back, Shen Xiao had left Yueyao alone at home to see her.

To Shen Xiao, Bai Zhi was a flawless white jade, while Yueyao was nothing more than a speck of dirt on its surface. Something that had blurred his vision of getting what he deserved.

These photos were taken last night, just by looking at the suit he was wearing last night.

The bathroom door swung open with a click.

Shen Xiao stepped out, wearing only a charcoal grey bathrobe draped on his body.

Steam rolled off his sculpted chest and collarbones, fogging up the glass behind him.

Yueyao quickly put her phone down and turned away, but his deep voice stopped her.

Before she could answer, he was already behind her. His fingers pinched her chin with painful force, tilting her face up to him. They gazed into each other's eyes.

"Nothing," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

A sardonic smile touched Shen Xiao's lips, "Nothing? You are trembling like a rabbit caught in a trap. How can it be nothing? What is it?"

Yueyao frowned and tried to push him away, "I'm not feeling well tonight," she managed to find an excuse, "My stomach… it hurts." She has been feeling uncomfortable for the last week.

But Shen Xiao only let out a soft scoff that came off sarcastically like she was seeking sympathy, "You chased me for five years, clinging to me like a parasite. And now you want to play hard to get? What do you think?"

Tears pooled in Yueyao's eyes, unable to explain or express herself, "That's not...."

Before she could finish her statement, he roughly shoved her onto the bed.

There was no tenderness. He stripped her nightdress down to her waist and forced himself into her in one swift, brutal motion.

"Ah....." Yueyao bit her lip to keep from crying out.

To the outside world, Shen Xiao was the picture of a refined gentleman: he was polite, poised, and impossibly perfect. But behind closed doors, with her, he was nothing but a ruthless man who had no boundaries or emotions.

Chapter 5; That's not......