Morning sunlight slipped through the heavy curtains, quietly entering the room.
Yu Sheng let out a soft groan, pressing a hand to her forehead. She instinctively tried to turn over, only to realize her body was tightly wrapped in a warm embrace.
Her eyes snapped open—Shen Yunmian's calm sleeping face was right in front of her, one arm even draped over her waist.
As if burned, Yu Sheng instantly woke up, sitting upright in shock, glaring angrily at the person she wanted nothing to do with.
Her sudden movement woke Shen Yunmian, who also sat up abruptly. As she did, one thin strap of her wine-red silk slip slid down her shoulder, exposing a large stretch of smooth, pale skin and the alluring curve of her chest, faintly visible.
Most striking of all was the clear bite mark on her neck—already scabbed over—leaving an ambiguous mark against her cold, fair skin.
Yu Sheng stared blankly at the mark as memories from last night surged violently back into her aching mind—
How she had pinned Shen Yunmian beneath her, how she had vented her resentment, and how she had bitten down hard in anger…
What shocked her even more was that Shen Yunmian hadn't resisted at all—instead, she had shown a kind of submissive compliance that bordered on humility.
"You…"
Yu Sheng's expression shifted rapidly—from confusion, to shock, to unmistakable anger. Shen Yunmian was the first to panic.
She hurriedly explained, "You were drunk last night. I just stayed to take care of you… don't be angry."
As if to prove her point, she gestured toward the half-finished bowl of hangover soup on the bedside table. It had taken quite some effort last night to get Yu Sheng, who had woken up in the middle of the night, to drink it.
Yu Sheng's expression changed several times before finally settling into an indescribable irritation.
Her face hardened as she said coldly, "I don't need you to take care of me. Shen Yunmian, from now on, don't enter my room without permission. Get out!"
Shen Yunmian was clearly unwilling to be driven out just like that. In a panic, she threw off the blanket, stepped forward, and grabbed Yu Sheng's hand, her voice carrying a pleading tone. "Sheng Sheng, I know you're angry. I neglected you in the past…"
Yu Sheng shook her hand off sharply, unwilling to hear another word.
"Don't touch me!"
Shen Yunmian's hand froze midair, her fingertips trembling slightly.
She lowered her eyes, her thick lashes hiding the pain within, her voice hoarse. "I know the only reason you're willing to maintain this marriage now is after weighing the pros and cons. Don't worry, I won't let Grandma actually make a move against Yu Corporation. Whatever you want to do, any project of Yu Corporation—if you need it, Shen Corporation's resources will fully support you. I'll help you get Yu Corporation back on track as soon as possible…" She lifted her head, hope flickering in her eyes. "So… can we try… at least not be so hostile to each other? Even if… just like ordinary friends?"
"No." Yu Sheng cut her off without hesitation. "Between us, aside from being wives in name, we are nothing."
Shen Yunmian's heart sank to the bottom, but she still tried to salvage something. "Even… even if we're just maintaining appearances, it doesn't have to be this cold. We can still have a normal 'life'…"
"Shen Yunmian, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Yu Sheng let out a cold snort, clearly impatient with her hesitant manner.
Shen Yunmian lowered her gaze, looking as though she wanted to speak but couldn't bring herself to.
Yu Sheng's eyes unintentionally fell on the overly revealing slip she was wearing. It looked vaguely familiar, and after a moment, she suddenly remembered—it was a gift she had given her back then with great anticipation, only for Shen Yunmian to wear it once before putting it away.
When it came to intimacy, Shen Yunmian had always been cold and completely lacking in passion.
Thinking of it now, Yu Sheng still felt a trace of resentment. Seeing Shen Yunmian suddenly wearing it again, a ridiculous thought flashed through her mind—could it be that what Shen Yunmian had been hesitating to say all this time was that she wanted a sexual relationship again?
How could someone be so shameless?
Yu Sheng's anger exploded instantly. Her gaze swept coldly over Shen Yunmian as she sneered, "Wasn't President Shen the one who hated this kind of sleepwear the most? Didn't you think it was frivolous and inappropriate? Dressing like this now—what are you trying to do?"
The words struck like a slap across Shen Yunmian's face, making her cheeks burn.
She didn't argue, only turned her gaze away and said softly, "Sheng Sheng, everything you mentioned—I can change. Whatever you want is fine… can we try again?"
Hearing such shameless words, Yu Sheng let out a scornful laugh, speaking without restraint. "What, now you've realized this is interesting? Got a taste for it? Too bad—I've practically been driven frigid by you. I don't feel anything anymore."
"And now you're telling me you like it? Shen Yunmian, have you no shame?"
The color drained instantly from Shen Yunmian's face, leaving her pale as paper.
The overwhelming humiliation left her at a loss, yet she no longer had the resolve to storm out as she once would have. Seeing her endure it silently only made Yu Sheng more irritated, her attempt to drive her away failing, replaced instead by a suffocating frustration—as if punching into cotton.
Her rationality seemed to be slipping away.
Yu Sheng stepped forward, reaching out to grab Shen Yunmian's chin, forcing her to lift her face.
Shen Yunmian's lashes trembled violently as she instinctively closed her eyes, feeling Yu Sheng's angry breath draw closer—
Her heart skipped a beat, and to her own dismay, a flicker of expectation arose. She thought Yu Sheng might kiss her.
Even if it were a punishing kiss.
But the next second, Yu Sheng's cold, mocking words stabbed straight into her ears:
"Who are you putting on this act for? Looking at that miserable expression of yours kills any mood I might have!"
"No one likes being forced! The way you are in bed—stiff like a piece of wood—it's completely off-putting!"
She used the cruelest words she could, wanting only to shatter Shen Yunmian's composure and drive her out of sight.
Yet this time, Shen Yunmian did not leave in anger.
She suddenly opened her eyes, red-rimmed, and accused in near collapse, "Yu Sheng, do you have to humiliate me like this?"
"Do you think I can't tell? You're trying so hard to provoke me just so I'll agree to a divorce, aren't you?"
Yu Sheng's heart dropped. Rationally, she knew this wasn't the time to tear everything apart—endurance now would serve her better in the long run.
But the anger and unwillingness suppressed across two lifetimes surged like boiling lava, breaking through the dam of her restraint.
Why should she have to endure like this again?
So, carried away by emotion, Yu Sheng admitted it bluntly: "So what if I am?"
"What Yu Corporation owes Shen Corporation, we'll repay in full! Even if it ends in bankruptcy and liquidation, I'll accept it!"
She stared at Shen Yunmian, her tone dripping with mockery. "But surely President Shen wouldn't stoop so low as to retaliate against Yu Corporation out of spite? If word got out, would you still have any dignity left?"
"Of course I wouldn't!" Shen Yunmian shot back urgently, as if deeply insulted. "Yu Sheng, what kind of person do you think I am? No matter how bad I am, I would never resort to such despicable methods. I would never do that!"
"Then divorce me!" Yu Sheng pressed immediately. "Sign the papers now. Let's be done with this!"
"I won't!" Like a cornered beast, Shen Yunmian growled, both furious and desperate. "Yu Sheng, I will not divorce you. Don't even think about it! In this lifetime, you're not leaving me!"
With a loud snap—
Yu Sheng felt the last thread of reason in her mind break completely.
She didn't know what came over her. A violent impulse surged through her without warning.
For a moment, her vision even flashed white—her mind completely overtaken by rage.
The next second, she lunged forward, her sharp nails slashing toward Shen Yunmian's cold, beautiful face.
"Have you lost your mind, Yu Sheng?!"
Shen Yunmian was utterly shocked, instinctively raising her hand to shield her face, both startled and furious as she tried to block the attack.
She had never expected Yu Sheng to suddenly lash out!
But Yu Sheng seemed completely out of control. Though unskilled, her strength was startling as she shouted wildly:
"Shen Yunmian, who do you think you are?! What right do you have to yell at me?!"
"You don't want a divorce? Let me tell you—this marriage is ending whether you like it or not!"
"Get out! Get out of my sight!"
Under her almost hysterical assault, several more burning scratches appeared across Shen Yunmian's face and neck.
Already in the wrong, Shen Yunmian couldn't possibly fight back. She stumbled off the bed in disarray, fleeing in embarrassment.
With a loud bang, the bedroom door slammed shut behind her, cutting off Yu Sheng's heavy breathing inside.
Outside, Aunt Yang, who had been preparing breakfast in the kitchen, heard the commotion and cautiously peeked out.
Seeing Shen Yunmian disheveled, her hair messy and fresh scratches on her face, she widened her eyes in shock. "Miss… this… did you two fight?"
Shen Yunmian was breathing heavily, her face burning with pain.
She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, touching a trace of blood, her eyes dark and unreadable.
In a low voice, she instructed, "It's nothing. Don't tell Grandma."
Aunt Yang nodded repeatedly, too frightened to ask another word.
Taking a deep breath, Shen Yunmian straightened her rumpled robe and walked quickly toward the guest bedroom, her expression grim, to tend to her wounds.
Meanwhile, in the master bedroom, Yu Sheng collapsed onto the messy bed after her outburst, gasping for breath.
She stared at her trembling fingers—there were even faint traces of blood under her nails.
It felt as though she had just woken from a frenzied nightmare.
What was wrong with her?
Why did she always lose control like this whenever she faced Shen Yunmian?
The earlier instances of violent impulse could be blamed on momentary anger, but this time…
Looking at the "damage" she had caused, a chill rose from deep within her.
She had never been this violent before. Why had she become like this?
Suddenly, she remembered those days in her past life when she had been tormented by depression to the point of unbearable suffering.
A terrifying thought surfaced:
Had her mental illness never truly healed? Had it instead become something even worse?
She needed to see a psychologist.
Forcing herself to calm down, Yu Sheng walked into the bathroom, splashing cold water over her face again and again, trying to steady her racing heart and turbulent emotions.
After a while, she changed her clothes and pushed the door open, her expression as composed as possible.
When she entered the dining room, Shen Yunmian was already sitting there.
She changed into a high-collared shirt, covering her neck tightly, but the blood marks on her face were too obvious—no matter how much foundation she used to conceal them, traces could still be seen.
Aunt Yang brought breakfast over trembling, hardly daring to breathe, trying to smooth things over. "Let's… let's eat first…"
Yu Sheng sat down expressionlessly, picked up her utensils, stared straight ahead, and began eating in silence, as if the person sitting across from her were nothing but air.
The injuries on Shen Yunmian's face still throbbed faintly.
She had no appetite, stealing glances at Yu Sheng from time to time. After such a fierce conflict earlier, she had thought Yu Sheng would at least say something—but Yu Sheng simply focused on her breakfast, not sparing her a single look.
The meal ended in suffocating silence.
Yu Sheng set down her chopsticks, wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin, and prepared to stand.
"Wait." Shen Yunmian finally couldn't hold back, her voice slightly hoarse. "I'll drive you to the company."
"No need." Yu Sheng refused cleanly. "You go ahead. I have something to do."
"What is it?" Shen Yunmian asked instinctively.
Yu Sheng finally looked at her, her gaze as cold as ice. "What does it have to do with you?"
After saying that, she didn't give Shen Yunmian another chance to speak. She picked up her bag, turned, and left directly.
Shen Yunmian sat alone in the empty dining room, staring at the barely touched breakfast across from her. Her chest felt tight, an unnamed anger mixed with deep helplessness burning through her insides.
She got into the car alone, put on a mask and sunglasses, and raised her collar even higher to make sure no one would see the injuries on her face before driving to the company.
But her unusual appearance still sparked whispers among the employees, especially the senior staff.
When her personal secretary saw her like this, she was even more alarmed, wailing internally: The president got scratched by miss again? Today's low-pressure atmosphere is definitely going to break limits… life is going to be hard!
Sure enough, the entire morning, the president's office was shrouded in a heavy, oppressive mood.
Shen Yunmian found fault with everyone. The slightest data error or a stumble during a report would set off her fury. Her scolding could be heard clearly even through the office door.
The secretary, trembling, took the chance while delivering coffee to secretly message her best friend and complain:
"Help! The boss looks like she got domestically abused by her wife again. Feels like overtime is inevitable tonight, sob…"
Her friend replied instantly: "What the hell! Don't put up with that, just quit! What kind of trash job is this!"
The secretary immediately replied with righteous determination: "Quit? Impossible! My monthly salary is a hundred thousand! A hundred thousand! The president just got scratched by her wife and is in a bad mood. She's already pitiful enough! I can endure it!"
After venting, the secretary took a deep breath, put her professional smile back on, and pushed the door open to face the storm again.
By noon, Shen Yunmian seemed to have calmed down slightly.
She pressed the intercom and instructed, "Go check with Yu Corporation—President Yu's schedule this morning, or… see if she's at the company."
The secretary understood immediately and carried out the task.
She didn't dare ask Yu Sheng directly, so she tactfully contacted Su Qingyu instead.
Su Qingyu was sharp—after just a few exchanges, she picked up the key information from the secretary's unusual concern: President Shen seemed injured, and was very concerned about President Yu's whereabouts.
Though surprised inside, she revealed nothing and replied politely, "President Yu has personal arrangements this morning and did not come to the company. As for the specifics, I'm not at liberty to disclose."
The secretary had no choice but to report this vague answer back to Shen Yunmian.
"Personal arrangements?" Shen Yunmian frowned tightly. "What personal arrangements? Where did she go?"
The secretary looked troubled. "President Shen, Assistant Su said she doesn't know either…"
Clearly, this answer did not satisfy Shen Yunmian.
All kinds of guesses flooded her mind at once: Was Yu Sheng deliberately avoiding her? Or had she gone to meet someone else?
The restless anxiety seized her again.
In the end, Shen Yunmian couldn't hold back.
She picked up her phone and dialed a private number. "Go find out where Yu Sheng went this morning."
—
Meanwhile, Yu Sheng had actually gone to the private clinic of psychologist Chen Jing.
Facing a professional, she let down her guard and spoke honestly about her troubles.
"I can stay calm and rational with everyone else, but when I face Shen Yunmian, I can't stop myself from speaking harshly, and even… recently, the urge to use violence has been getting stronger. Dr. Chen, do I… have violent tendencies?"
Dr. Chen Jing listened patiently, her expression gradually growing serious.
After a long pause, she spoke cautiously. "Miss Yu, in your previous consultations, you were clear-headed and self-aware, with strong self-regulation. I believed you had basically recovered. But after hearing your detailed account—especially the 'specific triggers' you mentioned—I've realized something that may have been overlooked: you may not truly be 'healed.' Rather, your long-term depression, suppressed too deeply for too long, may have shifted into a more concealed pathological form."
Her preliminary judgment was a kind of "repressive-transferred bipolar tendency," stemming from prolonged and extreme suppression after depression. Rationality forcibly maintains clarity, but under high pressure, it edges toward mania, making it easy to produce intense emotional fluctuations and violent impulses toward the source of that pressure.
Dr. Chen gently advised, "You need to find a suitable way to release stress. Excessive self-suppression may lead to a more serious psychological breakdown."
Yu Sheng was silent for a moment before asking, "You mean… to some extent, when I act out, it's also a kind of pathological… release?"
Dr. Chen nodded and answered tactfully, "From a psychological and mental health perspective, releasing emotions toward the source of stress can indeed have some relieving effect for you. Of course, as a doctor, I must emphasize that I do not recommend or support the use of violence. You might try alternative methods—high-intensity exercise, punching bags, or other healthy outlets."
After listening for a while, Yu Sheng gradually felt relieved, even developing a twisted sense of justification.
In the end, her psychological issues originated from Shen Yunmian.
Then Shen Yunmian bore the backlash of that pressure… seemed, in a way, deserved.
That thought made her feel a little better—almost justified.
She took some medication to stabilize her emotions and prepared to leave.
Before she left, Dr. Chen seemed to recall something and added tactfully, "Actually, Miss Yu, a normal and harmonious sex life is also a very effective way to relieve stress. It helps release endorphins…"
Yu Sheng froze. With the current situation between her and Shen Yunmian? Intimacy? Hate sex?
It sounded utterly absurd—completely ridiculous!
But Dr. Chen only smiled gently, citing relevant physiological and psychological research and clinical observations to show that it was indeed one of the scientifically proven effective methods—of course, on the premise that both parties are willing and there is a foundation for improving the relationship.
Yu Sheng found it unbelievable, nodded perfunctorily, and left the clinic with her medication.
The moment she stepped out of the building, she sensed something off.
It felt like someone was watching her.
Alarm bells rang in her mind. She calmly took out her phone and discreetly sent her location to a trusted bodyguard.
Then, instead of heading to the parking lot, she deliberately turned into a crowded pedestrian street. On the surface, she looked like she was casually browsing, but in reality, she was buying time for her bodyguards and assessing the follower's intent.
Sure enough, that figure followed at a measured distance.
Yu Sheng quickened her pace, then suddenly stopped and turned at a corner.
The man in the baseball cap hadn't expected her to strike first. He froze, instinctively trying to hide—but it was too late.
Bodyguards who had already flanked him from the other side rushed forward and subdued him in an instant.
"Who are you? Who told you to follow me?" Yu Sheng stepped forward, questioning coldly, her gaze sharp.
The man, his hands pinned behind his back, turned pale with fear and hurried to explain, "Miss Yu, please don't misunderstand! It was President Shen—President Shen was worried it wasn't safe for you to go out alone, so she ordered us to follow and protect you at all times! There's absolutely no ill intent!"
Shen Yunmian! Again!
The anger Yu Sheng had just barely suppressed at the psychologist's office exploded instantly, overturning everything.
Her whole body trembled with rage. Some "protection"! It was nothing but surveillance—control!
She couldn't tolerate it for even a second. Leaving the bodyguards to handle the aftermath, she stormed off and drove straight to Shen Corporation!
—
With a loud bang, the office door was shoved open, slamming heavily against the wall.
Shen Yunmian, who had been reviewing documents, was startled. She looked up to see Yu Sheng standing at the doorway, her face like frost, eyes blazing with fury.
The secretary followed behind, flustered. "President Shen, I'm sorry, President Yu, she—"
"Shen Yunmian! What do you mean by this?" Yu Sheng strode to the desk, slammed her hands onto it, leaning forward as she glared at her. "Sending people to follow me? What do you take me for? Your prisoner?"
Shen Yunmian's heart skipped a beat. She immediately realized it had been exposed.
She stood up quickly, trying to explain, "Yu Sheng, listen to me. I wasn't following you—I was worried about you! You didn't go to the company this morning, and your emotions were unstable. I was afraid something might happen to you…"
"Worried about me? Ha!" Yu Sheng was so furious she laughed instead. "Save your fake concern! This is surveillance! Control! Shen Yunmian, are you sick?"
"I'm not. I really just…" Shen Yunmian couldn't explain herself, sweating with anxiety.
"Shut up!" Yu Sheng didn't listen at all, her voice rising with anger. "Let me tell you this! I don't need to report my whereabouts to you. I'll go wherever I want! If you dare have people follow me again, don't blame me for being rude!"
Overwhelming rage surged through her, her blood boiling—she almost wanted to tear Shen Yunmian apart on the spot.
At that moment, Su Qingyu, having heard the commotion, arrived just in time at the door.
Seeing the tense standoff inside, she quickly stepped forward and grabbed Yu Sheng's arm. "President Yu! President Yu, calm down! This is the company!"
Su Qingyu's intervention was like a bucket of cold water, slightly extinguishing the fury Yu Sheng was about to lose control of again.
She took several sharp breaths, her chest heaving, shot Shen Yunmian a fierce glare, shook off Su Qingyu's hand, and gritted her teeth. "Take care of yourself. Don't let me catch this happening again!"
With that, she didn't look at Shen Yunmian again, turned, and left the office without a backward glance.
Shen Yunmian wanted to chase after her but was stopped by a calm look from Su Qingyu.
In a low voice, Su Qingyu said, "President Shen, let President Yu calm down first."
Watching Yu Sheng's resolute retreating figure, Shen Yunmian sank weakly back into her chair, her face full of regret and frustration.
Back in her own office, Yu Sheng was still simmering with anger, irritably loosening her collar.
Su Qingyu followed in and thoughtfully closed the door.
Looking at Yu Sheng's unpleasant expression, she asked cautiously, "President Yu, are you alright? What happened?"
Yu Sheng rubbed her temples and sighed tiredly, briefly explaining how Shen Yunmian had sent people to "follow" her.
Then she waved her hand impatiently. "Forget it, let's not talk about her. I'm fine. Go get back to work."
Seeing that Yu Sheng didn't want to discuss personal matters, Su Qingyu tactfully didn't ask further, only saying with concern, "Alright. If you need anything, let me know anytime."
After leaving the office, Su Qingyu's brows furrowed slightly—it seemed the relationship between President Yu and President Shen was even more complicated and tense than she had imagined.
Left alone in the office, Yu Sheng felt the tangled mess of private matters and chaotic emotions wrap tightly around her, leaving her restless.
She needed an outlet, someone to talk to, so she called her good friend Gu Wanqing.
"Wanqing, come have a drink with me tonight."
—
That evening, in a quiet corner of a bar.
After a few drinks, in front of a trusted friend, Yu Sheng's defenses loosened.
She haltingly told Gu Wanqing about her psychological diagnosis and her troubles with violent impulses.
Gu Wanqing was stunned, then immediately exploded with anger. "What the hell! That bastard Shen Yunmian! She pushed you to this point? And she still has the nerve to cling to you? Sheng Sheng, divorce! You have to divorce!"
As she cursed Shen Yunmian for Yu Sheng, she kept pouring her drinks.
The more they talked, the more agitated they became—and the more they drank.
With the alcohol hitting her, Gu Wanqing started speaking without restraint. "If you ask me! Sheng Sheng, why let her have it easy? She won't divorce, right? You've got all this anger with nowhere to vent, right? Then deal with her! Deal with her hard!"
Drunk, she said something shocking: "Do it in bed! Take her down! Make her submit! Let's see if she still has the energy to stir up trouble!"
Yu Sheng's head buzzed from what she heard, and she quickly reached out to cover Gu Wanqing's mouth. "Keep your voice down—what nonsense are you saying?"
"I'm not talking nonsense!" Gu Wanqing broke free, slurring. "Doesn't she say she likes you? Doesn't she refuse to divorce? Then let her taste the consequences! Who's afraid of who!"
Yu Sheng was momentarily speechless at this "suggestion," not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Seeing Gu Wanqing getting more and more outrageous, Yu Sheng quickly paid the bill, dragged her drunken friend out of the bar, took a taxi to send her home, and after a moment's hesitation, still returned to Jiuxi Bay.
The matter between her and Shen Yunmian had to be settled sooner or later—otherwise, she was afraid she'd really lose it.
—
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