Marriage Seduction Addiction

Chapter 487 Empathy
When the two returned to the house that day, it was already late at night.

Gao Yan had already finished the remaining work on renovating the house. The window in Yan Shiyu's bedroom had also been installed. The large floor-to-ceiling window was clear and bright, and the cool night wind rushed in through the window, making the white gauze curtains flutter wildly, wild, spacious, and free.

There was no trace of that former cage left.

When Yan Shiyu entered the room, he froze for a moment.

Tang Xu acted as if she hadn't seen him and turned to call out to Gao Yan.

Gao Yan slowly appeared in the doorway. "What?"

Tang Xu pointed to the things on the ground, "Why isn't the bed installed?"

The newly delivered bed was still unopened, lying quietly on the floor of the room, waiting to be installed.

Gao Yan explained, "You know their habit of leaving get off work on time, so even if I offered a high price, they wouldn't stay to install it. I originally wanted to do it myself, but now that you're back, I'll leave it to you."

After saying that, he walked away.

Tang Xu paused, then turned to look at Yan Shiyu, and said with a smile, mimicking Gao Yan's previous tone, "Then it's up to you!"

After saying that, she turned to leave, but Yan Shiyu reached out and pulled her back. Before Yan Shiyu could speak, Tang Xu reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, and said with a smile again, "Of course, you should be given this kind of heavy and technical work. I can only help by handing over the tools and making you a good cup of coffee."

She leaned forward and kissed him on the corner of his lips, and Yan Shiyu then released her and let her go downstairs.

Afterwards, Yan Shiyu stood alone in the newly renovated room for a long time before finally regaining his composure and bending down to unpack the packaging on the floor.

When Tang Xu's coffee was served, Yan Shiyu had already carefully laid out all the parts and boards, ready to assemble them.

Tang Xu put down her coffee and went to his side. When she couldn't help, she would quietly squat down and watch. Occasionally, when he needed new parts or tools, she would hand them to him. They cooperated remarkably well.

After the bed was put together and the mattress was placed on it, Tang Xu took out the sheets and blankets that had been prepared the day before. The two of them made the bed together, cleaned the room, and finally lay down on the bed. It was already past 2 a.m.

Despite having been out all day and then doing this much work, neither of them complained of being tired. When they turned to look at each other, they even had the energy to smile at each other.

"Should I be able to get a good night's sleep tonight?" Tang Xu asked.

Yan Shiyu did not speak, but leaned forward and gently sealed her lips with a kiss in response.

……

At five in the morning, the sky was not yet fully bright, and the streetlights were still on. The warm yellow light and the faint light from the horizon intertwined, and the sky still showed the dark blue hue before dawn, which was the coldest time of day in this season.

Tang Xu was still fast asleep in his arms. Yan Shiyu turned his head and stared at the hazy sky behind the window screen. After a long while, he finally released Tang Xu silently and sat up.

As soon as he sat up, his body stiffened again. He looked down at Tang Xu for a long time, and seeing that she didn't seem to have been woken up by him, he finally lifted the covers and prepared to get out of bed.

Perhaps because he was too worried about waking Tang Xu, Yan Shiyu turned to look at Tang Xu lying behind him again before getting up.

However, upon closer inspection, he saw that Tang Xu, who had been fast asleep, had opened her eyes at some point and was staring intently at him.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, simply gazing at each other in silence. Then, Tang Xu reached out and gently placed her hand on the back of his.

"Can't sleep?" Tang Xu asked. "What do you want to do? I'll keep you company."

"Yaoyao..." When Yan Shiyu finally spoke, his voice was hoarse, and he could only utter these two words.

That was a silent rejection.

Tang Xu could tell, but she acted as if she didn't realize anything. She got up on her own, put on her coat, and then gently pressed against his back, leaning on his shoulder.

He was always very good at hiding his emotions, so at this moment, she had no way of knowing what kind of pain and turmoil was hidden in his heart.

She only knew that so many years of pain and repression could not be resolved overnight, especially for someone as stubborn as him.

Fortunately, she had originally given him a very, very long time.

"I promised to always be with you, and I will always be with you." Tang Xu gently hugged him and said, "No matter what you want to do, I will be with you."

After a long silence, Yan Shiyu finally closed his eyes slowly.

Finally, the two of them got up together and left the bedroom.

The back room on the second floor was a storage room for miscellaneous items. Tang Xu had opened it when she first entered the house, but seeing the clutter inside, she had no intention of tidying it up and therefore left the room unattended.

But at this moment, as Yan Shiyu led her into the room, she discovered that there was another door inside.

When that hidden door was pushed open, Tang Xu saw an instrument, an old, cold instrument with countless wires attached to it.

In just a moment, Tang Xu realized what it was.

Electric shock device.

Instruments that can be used as an adjunct to treatment in specific circumstances.

In more specific circumstances, it can also be used to punish people.

Tang Xu stiffened for a moment and couldn't help but turn to look at Yan Shiyu.

Now that he had brought her here, Yan Shiyu seemed to have finally given up his last struggle. He met Tang Xu's gaze and said in a low voice, "It's not too late to leave now."

Ultimately, I was still afraid.

I was afraid she would witness this horrific scene with her own eyes.

I'm afraid she'll see me as a monster.

Even though so much had happened, she remained steadfastly by his side, but the fear in his heart did not dissipate in the slightest.

Just because you despise and loathe yourself, how can you shamelessly demand that she accept everything?

Tang Xu stared at him for a moment, then gently released his hand.

The moment her hands were empty, Yan Shiyu felt a void in her heart, but after that emptiness came a sense of resigned peace. So be it.

It might be better for both of them if she doesn't witness this situation firsthand.

Unexpectedly, Tang Xu did not turn around or back. Instead, she walked forward and went to the machine.

He had many secret methods of self-punishment or self-relief, which Tang Xu had always vaguely sensed.

But he never let her see it with her own eyes.

The closest she ever came to seeing it was in that small building in the suburbs, but even then, she only vaguely heard the sound. After that, she saw his bloodied arm afterwards.

Yes, even though she had never seen it with her own eyes, she already knew how ruthless he could be to himself when he lost control of his emotions.

Perhaps normal people should feel scared.

But she wasn't exactly a normal person to begin with, and besides, it was him, so what did she have to be afraid of?
Tang Xu reached out and gently wiped the dust off the instrument. His gaze swept over the tangled wires before returning to him after a long while.

"I said I would be there for you. If you need it, I will help you. No matter what it is, no matter what you become... I will be with you."

Yan Shiyu stood there frozen, not moving for a long time.

He looked at her, but Tang Xu had already lowered her head to study the instrument. When she saw the scale values ​​on it, her heart trembled slightly.

I wonder what value of current he used to torture himself all these years?

Was the initial value within a relatively safe range, and then the value gradually increased?
During this process, were there any moments, or even many moments, where danger almost occurred?
As Tang Xu thought about it, he suddenly wanted to try that kind of feeling—the feeling he had experienced before.

She then attached the electrode of one of the wires to her wrist.

Yan Shiyu's pupils suddenly contracted, then he quickly stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and threw the wire aside.

Even though... that instrument wasn't even powered on at that moment.

Tang Xu hadn't expected such a strong reaction from him, and as she came to her senses, her heart felt as if it were being squeezed even tighter.

The reason for such a strong reaction is probably because he clearly remembers the first time he came into contact with this thing.
Because I clearly remember all my experiences, I am even more unwilling to let her touch them.

Tang Xu looked up at him, and at that moment, she could clearly see the pain surging in Yan Shiyu's eyes.

He had almost never shown such an expression in front of her. Tang Xu's heart trembled, then she reached out and gently stroked his wrist, elbow, then his neck, and finally his chest...

She wanted to touch every single place he might have put that thing on, to ask him if it hurt a lot...

But in the end, Tang Xu didn't ask, only saying softly, "I just wanted to try, within the safest possible range—"

"No."

Before she could finish speaking, Yan Shiyu had already refused decisively.

"Normal people don't need to know what this feels like."

He said.

Tang Xu pursed her lips, looked at him quietly for a moment, and then spoke again: "But I need to. I'm not a normal person. I want to experience this feeling. I want to experience what the person I love has gone through, even if it's not all of it, even if it's just a little bit... I want to experience the same feeling as you. I don't want to just be a bystander. I want to empathize with you."

Yan Shiyu's gaze froze once again.

He stared at her, almost in a daze, and after a long while, he suddenly reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Much later, he heard the sound coming from his dry throat again: "You don't need to experience any of this, not even a little bit..."

"But--"

Tang Xu wanted to say something, but the next moment, she suddenly heard his voice again—

"I don't need it anymore."

Tang Xu was stunned. "You...you don't need it?"

"Hmm," Yan Shiyu said, "No need."

Yes, at that moment, all the churning pain and resentment in his heart suddenly vanished—there was no venting, no punishment, no suppression of emotions through pain, and no desperate attempt to turn the tide...

Based on just one sentence from her.

He made so many mistakes in his life, yet there are still people willing to go to great lengths for him, feel sorry for his past, and would rather suffer themselves than not understand him.

This burning passion seemed to come from another dimension, enough to penetrate everything and reach the deepest part of his heart.

All the restlessness and inner struggles settled peacefully at this moment.

It was more effective than any method he had ever used.

Only he knew how miraculous this effect was.

But Tang Xu was clearly still worried. She straightened up from his embrace, cupped his face in her hands, and said urgently, "If you really don't want me to experience it, then I won't... You don't need to deliberately endure it. I said that as long as you need it, I will help you, I will stay with you..."

Yan Shiyu covered the back of her hand, gently kissed her palm, and said calmly, "You really don't need it anymore."

Tang Xu looked into his eyes, confirming again and again, but the turbulent emotions from before were gone. Instead, there was a calmness like that after a storm, a calmness that she could truly understand and be certain of.

Tang Xu was a little confused, but it seemed like she understood something. After looking at each other for a moment, she finally leaned into his arms again.

At this moment, Yan Shiyu hugged her even tighter, yet he couldn't help but seek her lips, eagerly wanting to seek deeper intimacy.

Their breaths mingled and intertwined, his voice both tender and solemn—

"From now on, all we need between us is empathy..."