Because I Cannot Hurt You

As Liao Yuan drove the car, he kept peeking at Xinyi who seemed to be a little uncomfortable as she held her belly.

"Is it more painful than before?"

She tried to smile. "It's manageable for now."

He slightly clutched the steering wheel. "...Xinyi, you should be grateful that nothing dangerous happened to you today. That crowd was crazy. You shouldn't have stepped out of the house until the situation had calmed down."

"Today was my checkup, and I didn't want to miss it. Zhiyuan was also there with me."

His brow twitched in annoyance. "Yeah sure he was there with you when the people ganged up on you."

"I sent him away because I wanted ice cream. Zhiyuan would never leave my side."

He clenched his jaw.

Everytime…everytime she takes his side.

"Xinyi, I seriously wonder if you really want to spend your life with him?"

"What do you mean?"

"I told you already," he was exasperated. "You are going to only suffer in the Han family. Do you really think a man who couldn't forget his ex-girlfriend and fell into depression because of her would genuinely come to love you? He is just following Grandpa's wish. He doesn't care about you at all! If you are thinking that your second child is the proof of his love, then forget about it. He is just fooling you!"

Xinyi curled her fingers into a fist. "That's enough, Yuan. Why do you always want to put Zhiyuan in a bad light? Sure, he might not have had feelings for me before. But now he loves me as much as I do."

"Bullshit! It's impossible! You always unnecessarily get dragged into his mess. Whether it be his feelings for Caihong, Xiaosi's revenge for him or right now when it's a fight between him and Keung, but you have to bear the brunt of supporting him in his new company. Keung and his parents are treating you as their slave! Is that how you want to live?"

"So what do you suggest, Yuan? Leave him? I told you that every married life has problems. Nobody's marriage is smooth sailing-"

"It will be if you just choose me!" He suddenly hit the brakes and stopped the car. The veins appeared on his forehead as he expressed his frustration and anger.

"Just choose me, Xinyi! I will keep you happy. I won't let you live a life of misery and sadness. That's exactly what you are getting living with Zhiyuan! But even so, you don't open your eyes. Heh. You are like that frog who is kept in water. The temperature keeps on increasing, the water keeps getting hotter, but the frog doesn't understand because he got too used to it. Eventually, he dies before he realizes it's too late. That's just how you are living right now!"

Xinyi stared at him in a daze. "I see. That's what you always wanted, Yuan. You don't care about me. The only thing you care about is your own happiness and feelings for me. You lied to me when you said that you have moved on from me."

He grabbed her arm and gritted his teeth. "Of course, I did! Would you have let me be near you otherwise?"

She froze.

"Leave my hand Yuan!"

"I won't!" Yuan pressed his brow and tried to talk calmly. "Xinyi…I don't want to hurt you. I just…really love you very much. Don't compare me to Zhiyuan who did nothing but hurt you!"

Xinyi angrily laughed. "Nothing but hurt me? Are you sure Yuan that you never did anything to hurt me either?"

He widened his eyes. "Of course not! Do you think I will ever hurt the woman I love?"

Xinyi forcefully shook off her arm and glared at him. "You have, Yuan! You have hurt me more than anybody could! You planned all the accidents against Zhiyuan and brought his and my son's life in jeopardy, and you say you never hurt me!?"

—

An Yueqin got out of the car as the guard opened the door. It was a base located at a remote location where she had been many times before.

The guard expressionlessly said, "Boss is waiting for you."

She clenched her fist and stepped inside. It was dark and a faint odour of rust hung in the air. She sensed a figure far ahead, sitting on a big couch in the corner.

An Yueqin stood at the centre of the room where a source of dim light shone upon her.

"So you are here."

She smiled. "Not like your guards allowed me to run away."

"How many times do I have to tell you that you cannot run away from your past? Your past was this place shrouded in the darkness. You escaped and chased after the light. You never belonged to that side."

"Where I belong is none of your business. You cannot tell me where I should be. I had enough of those days filled with blood and violence. I just wanted to live a normal life." 𝙛𝐫e𝚎wℯ𝗯𝒏𝗼ѵ𝙚l.𝒄o𝚖

The sound of mocking laughter echoed inside the already creepy place. The figure stood up from his seat and walked towards her. The dark outline became more and more visible under the dim light.

Liao Yun tilted his head. "There is no normal life when you live in the Underworld, Yueqin. When will you understand that? Your place was always by my side."

She glared at him.

"Don't widen your eyes at me. If I get angry, I might accidentally hurt someone precious from your family," he smiled."

An Yueqin stiffened.

Seeing her expression getting uncomfortable, he clicked his tongue. "So weak, Yueqin. You are so weak now. Marrying An Guoting and having a family has made you pathetic. You weren't like this before. Your heart was made up of steel that nobody could put a crack through it. But look how you have become now? Just one mention of your family and you turn into a scaredy cat to protect them. And I wonder why you even bother? You sacrificed yourself to protect your husband and daughter. But what did An Guoting do?" He chuckled. "He went ahead and married another woman as soon as you 'died.' That's some love there."