The door creaked open, and Chen Jin immediately lifted his head, his gaze fixed on the door. When his eyes fell on the woman who walked in, his pupils constricted sharply. She—she looked so unfamiliar.
Looking at her thick sweater and coat, Chen Jin couldn't help but wonder, "Is it really that cold in B City now?" Her deep red scarf wrapped several times around her neck made her face appear even smaller and paler. As she got closer, he realized that she had lost even more weight. Her face was drained of color, and even her lips, usually rosy, looked pale. Seeing Lin Wan like this made his heart tighten painfully, sinking deeper with each passing second.
Lin Wan took off Nini's booties, and the little dog happily trotted inside, running towards Chen Jin, the small bell around its neck jingling clearly. Chen Jin watched the dog's joy with a deep loathing, wishing he could kick it to death. But his feet didn't even twitch because, at that moment, there were more important matters to deal with than a dog. The little dog, perhaps sensing the unfriendly atmosphere from the man, barked twice and ran back towards Lin Wan.
Lin Wan changed into her slippers and entered, casually saying, "You're back?"
Chen Jin didn't make a sound.
Lin Wan didn't seem to mind, hanging her scarf on the coat rack before picking up Nini and walking towards the balcony. She locked the dog in its cage, and Nini, now deprived of its freedom, grumbled and whined in protest. Lin Wan, seeing this, put some dog food into the bowl inside the cage and lovingly patted Nini's head as it happily devoured the food.
Her movements were slow, almost elderly, while Chen Jin remained quietly seated on the sofa, his eyes following her every action, his right hand clenched into a fist by his side.
After a long while, Lin Wan finally returned to the living room and sat on the other couch. It seemed they were both waiting for the other to speak first. In the vast silence of the room, the only sound was Nini eating. Chen Jin realized that, at that moment, they were like two warriors facing off in a martial arts drama. The woman he had always looked down upon and suppressed was now his equal in this silent battle.
Patience had once been his strength, but now, Chen Jin didn't want to compete in that arena anymore, nor could he. He had already reached his limit. Seeing Lin Wan so carefully attending to a dog made his anger flare up uncontrollably, nearly setting him on fire.
"What's going on?" He pointed sharply at the paper on the table.
Lin Wan answered expressionlessly, "It's exactly what you're seeing."
Chen Jin's breath hitched, and, not quite ready to accept it, he asked, "You really aborted the baby?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Chen Jin finally couldn't hold it in and raised his voice. How could she make such a big decision without telling him? This woman was getting more and more outrageous.
"It wasn't necessary. It was just an accident..."
Chen Jin gritted his teeth, "That was my child."
Lin Wan asked calmly, "So what? Do you care?"
Chen Jin froze. Did he care? To be honest, "child" had never been a part of his life plan. For years, he had carefully guarded against anyone using a child to manipulate or threaten him. In theory, he should have told Lin Wan to get rid of it without a second thought. But when he saw that paper, his first feeling was anger—fury he couldn't suppress. And when he heard Lin Wan admit it, he felt a tightening in his chest. Why did he feel this way?
Lin Wan didn't miss a single detail of his expression. Watching his frown deepen and the flicker of emotions in his eyes, she asked, "Do you care about the child, or are you angry that I made the decision on my own?"
"What if I say I care?"
Lin Wan smiled faintly and softly said, "That's just right."
Chen Jin felt like something inside him snapped. The blood in his veins turned cold, and he stared at Lin Wan's eyes, his voice dark and threatening, "Say that again?"
His eyes were as cold as shards of ice, yet burning with the heat of hell. But Lin Wan didn't seem scared. She met his gaze bravely and asked slowly, "Are you sad? Does it hurt? The feeling of 'losing'—does it hurt?"
Chen Jin, still in disbelief, asked, "Is this your way of getting back at me?"
As soon as he asked, he regretted it. It was obvious. She had put that paper out there to provoke him. She was challenging him, showing off, declaring war. And this move—this was ruthless.
"Exactly. I've been waiting for this day. Your brother took a life from me, so I'm taking one from his brother. One life for another..."
Chen Jin sneered, interrupting her, "A life for a life? But it looks like you're the one losing out. Wasn't it your child, too?"
Lin Wan coldly laughed and said, "Just a little piece of trash."
Chen Jin almost choked on that word. She called him scum all she wanted—it was true he wasn't a good person. But calling his child—his child, the one who hadn't even seen the world yet—trash? That was too much. He lost control. Like a cornered beast, he lunged at Lin Wan, grabbing her by the neck and pinning her to the sofa. His eyes bloodshot, he spat through gritted teeth, "Lin Wan, you're not human! Even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cub. You could lay your hands on your own child, you're a murderer, a killer..."
Lin Wan's pale face showed no fear beneath his iron grip. Instead, she mocked, "Murderer? Isn't that your brother's title?"
Chen Jin stopped, then snarled in response, "Your fiancé was killed by Chen Zui, and he deserved it. Why does my son have to pay for it?"
"Then why did you fuck me? Once wasn't enough, you forced me to be your sex slave, living this half-human, half-ghost life?" Lin Wan shot back, not willing to back down, her voice loud and sharp.
Chen Jin froze, then stepped back, trembling as he asked, "Lin Wan, is that what you think of me?"
Lin Wan ignored his question, continuing to shout, "Your brother's a murderer, you're a rapist, your whole family are criminals. The Chen bloodline carries rotten genes, and that bastard child was born to be a disaster..."