Roses in Flames

Xiao Lin didn't say a word the whole way. He held Ye Yuntang's hand with one hand and carried her suitcase with the other, leading her to the airport parking garage.

He pulled her into the car.

Ye Yuntang looked up at him.

He must have run all the way to the plane to find her; sweat kept rolling down his angular face.

He casually ripped off his coat and threw it into the back of the carriage. He was wearing a turtleneck sweater underneath, his shoulders taut, his chest heaving violently. He took a few heavy breaths, each one seemingly filled with extreme panic.

He suddenly turned around to look at her.

Their eyes met.

His dark eyes were bloodshot, and when his gaze fell on her face, he suddenly stopped.

He saw her reddened eyes; she had clearly been crying.

It felt as if an invisible black hand was gripping his heart tightly. He closed his eyes and squeezed out a low, hoarse voice, "I'm sorry."

He apologized to her again.

He didn't need to ask her; he already knew what his mother had said to her.

Ye Yuntang took out tissues from her bag and handed him two, saying, "Wipe your sweat."

Her emotions had calmed down, and her voice was relatively even.

Xiao Lin took the tissue and wiped his face haphazardly a couple of times.

He looked at her again, his long, slender hand reaching out to grasp hers, but before he could touch her, she dodged it.

The atmosphere in the carriage froze instantly.

Ye Yuntang lowered her long, thick eyelashes, suppressed the soreness in her nose, and spoke softly, "Xiao Lin, I've always been very clear in my heart about how different our statuses are. When your mother came to see me, what she said, although harsh, was the truth."

She tried to remain calm, suppressing the sobs in her throat, but her tone still carried an uncontrollable sadness. "I've been divorced once, and I know better than anyone that feelings aren't just about liking someone. I can't force you to cut off all contact with your mother from now on. She's your mother, and it's hard to sever ties with her. But I also know very well that your mother won't like me, and it will be very difficult for you to stand between us."

"Neither you nor I are teenagers or twenty-year-olds anymore. We won't break ties with our families over a relationship."

Ye Yuntang closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again. "I can't afford to lose."

"Besides, I don't want to gamble that you'll fight against your family for my sake."

Because she loves him, she doesn't want to see him caught in a dilemma, and she doesn't want to see him lose everything he originally had for her sake.

"I don't dare to gamble. Even if we force ourselves to stay together, will you regret it in the future? Will reality gradually wear you down beyond recognition?"

He's still infatuated with her and they're still deeply in love.

But life is long, and love can't stay fresh forever.

Even the strongest affection will eventually be worn down by the mundane realities of daily life, differences in social status, and various practical problems.

When that time comes, will he really not blame her at all?

She had been divorced once and knew that once the passion faded, life couldn't be sustained.

"Xiao Lin, I can't take advantage of your current feelings for me and gamble my entire future. I also can't let you break with your mother for my sake; that would be too selfish and unrealistic."

As she spoke these words, her heart felt as if it had been stung by countless bees, a dense, persistent pain spreading to every part of her body.

She thought that rather than ending up in a messy and dislikeful situation, it would be better to stop here.

At least they loved, they were passionate, and they had a sincere and unforgettable relationship.

Perhaps letting go gracefully is better for everyone.

The atmosphere inside the carriage grew increasingly deathly silent.

Xiao Lin listened quietly to Ye Yuntang's analysis, his throat dry and parched, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

He clenched his fist, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. "You've always been very clear-headed. From the moment you agreed to be with me, you were prepared to break up at any time, weren't you?"

Ye Yuntang's long eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly. She pursed her red lips tightly and remained silent for a long time before finally replying, "None of this matters anymore."

Once he's transferred back to northern Beijing after the New Year, the two of them may never have another chance to meet.

When Xiao Lin saw the determination in her eyes, he felt a burning fire in his chest.

His knuckles were white from tension, and the emotions that had been building up deep inside him burst forth like a flood, his voice filled with anger, grievance, and bitterness, "Am I really so unworthy of your continued support?"

Ye Yuntang felt incredibly heavy-hearted and distressed. "It's precisely because I care that I can't persist any longer. Continuing will only lead to mutual destruction."

"I've been through a marriage, and I know better than anyone that a relationship that isn't accepted or approved by the other person's family can't last. Fu Shili didn't hate me for being a forensic doctor that much; it was his mother who disliked my profession. I tried to please her, but I couldn't change anything."

"On the contrary, Fu Shili was influenced by his mother and eventually came to dislike me not only for my profession but also for me as a person. Over time, you will also be gradually influenced by your mother's attitude, slowly eroding your liking and patience for me. In the end, you will also reject me and despise me."

"I've already fallen once, and I won't fall a second time. So, when I got together with you, I was already prepared to leave at any time," she confessed to him, telling the truth.

Xiao Lin's heart felt as if it were immersed in freezing water, chilling him to the bone.

"So, you never thought about a future with me?"

Ye Yuntang closed her eyes, refusing to look at the heartbroken expression in his eyes, and said weakly, "It doesn't mean anything."

Thinking about a reality that cannot be changed will only increase your sorrow.

"Xiao Lin, couples don't necessarily have to have a future together. It's enough to have been happy and loved each other. As time goes by, you'll have a new relationship, forget about me, and start over."

Xiao Lin looked directly into Ye Yuntang's eyes. "Yesterday you were clinging to me, wanting me to hold you while we did it, and today you expect me to forget you? Do you think I'm a programmed machine that just needs to be switched on and I'll do whatever you want?"

Ye Yuntang saw the throbbing veins on his forehead, and her temples throbbed with pain. "Can we stop arguing?"

Lately, she doesn't know what's wrong with her, nothing she does goes smoothly.

Her application for undercover training was rejected. While on a business trip to Beijing, she was spoken to by Xiao Lin's mother, who demanded that she leave voluntarily.

"I don't want to argue with you anymore." The argument was giving her a headache. "Let's both calm down for a while."

It's Chinese New Year, so I don't have to go to work and we won't run into each other again.

Ye Yuntang took out her phone, ready to buy the earliest plane ticket back to Yecheng.

But as soon as she turned on her phone, Xiao Lin reached out, snatched it away, and threw it into the back seat.

Ye Yuntang's eyelids twitched, and a surge of anger rose within her. "What are you doing?"

"Did I tell you to go back?" He looked at her with a deep gaze.

Seeing that he still dared to be rude to her, Ye Yuntang became even angrier and more unwilling to talk to him. She turned to the side, wanting to reach out and pick up the phone that he had thrown onto the back seat.

But the next second, he swept her up around the waist and carried her to the driver's seat.

She was forced to straddle his lap.

She tried to break free, but the space was too cramped; her back was pressed against the steering wheel, and she had nowhere to retreat.

Ye Yuntang clenched her fists and slammed them into his chest.

He let her smash him, remaining motionless.

When she got tired of smashing things, he grabbed her chin with his long fingers and, ignoring her resistance, forcibly kissed her.

Ye Yuntang felt a chill run down his spine and his whole body trembled.

He kissed her forcefully, and she winced in pain, clenching her teeth tightly to prevent him from penetrating further.

She clenched her fists and slammed them at him again.

He gripped her fist, forcefully pried her fingers apart, and slowly inserted his fingers into hers, interlocking them.

They were both vying with each other, one wanting to kiss deeply, the other not giving way, their breathing became disordered.

She wouldn't open her mouth, so he gently nibbled and rubbed her lips.

She felt some pain, some itching, and some numbness.

She struggled to get off his lap.

But no matter how much she moved, she couldn't break free from him; instead, she aroused his reaction.

His large hand slipped inside her clothes, reaching down her back to touch the clasp of her bra. Realizing what he was about to do, she was terrified, her lips involuntarily parting.

He seized the opportunity and kissed her deeply, their lips and tongues entwining.

Ye Yuntang was so breathless from his kiss that her nose was filled with his fresh and pleasant scent.

Her slender body was trapped in his arms, with nowhere to escape.

This time, she deeply realized the vast power disparity between men and women.

If he doesn't want to let her go, no matter how much she struggles, it's useless.

She was angry, embarrassed, and annoyed. Not wanting to be in a passive position, she took advantage of his inattention and bit his lip hard.

She used to be very careful when she kissed him.

After all, they were both public officials and needed to be mindful of their image in public, so she would never leave any obvious marks above his collarbone.

This time, she was truly furious.

Xiao Lin looked down at the woman biting him fiercely, and the pain in his lip made him stop kissing her.

But his face was still very close to hers. The shimmering tears in her eyes and the blush of shame and indignation on her face all spoke of her resistance.

She was so alluring, so proactive, so seductive last night.

He raised his fingertip and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth where she had bitten him. His voice, hoarse and strained, came from his throat. "You really did that?"

Ye Yuntang glanced at him and saw that his eyes were bloodshot and looked like they were about to overflow, so she quickly looked away.

He placed his hands on the steering wheel, trapping her between his chest and the wheel.

Due to his emotional fluctuations, she could feel the tension and strain in the muscles of his arms and thighs.

He reached out a hand, pinched her chin, lifted her face, and forced her to look him in the eye.

"Are you really willing to break up with me? Are you really willing to watch me go on blind dates with other women and get married in an arranged marriage?"

Ye Yuntang's lips trembled; she didn't want to answer.

She doesn't know if she'll be able to bear it in the future, but for now, she definitely won't.

But what can you do if you can't bear to part with it?

There was no future for them.

"say!"

Ye Yuntang slapped away his large hand that was pinching her chin, turned her head away, and remained silent.

Xiao Lin gritted his teeth. "Fine, you're not going to say anything, huh? Fine, I'll say it."

Ye Yuntang's heart skipped a beat, wondering what he was going to say.

"You've already imagined the worst-case scenario for things that are far off and haven't even happened yet. You're only living in your own imagination. Have you ever thought about me? Have you ever thought about what efforts I might make for this relationship?"

"You're right. We're not young anymore. We have mature and rational minds. Did you think I didn't know the difference in our social standing when I was with you? Did you think I was just a naive young man who only wanted to have a moment of pleasure with you without thinking about the future?"

"Am I such a casual person in your eyes? I've given you everything, how could I possibly turn around and marry another woman and be all lovey-dovey with her?"

Ye Yuntang's long eyelashes trembled. "What do you mean by 'you've given everything to me'?"

Xiao Lin stared directly at her, his dark eyes intense:

My first kiss was with you.

"I gave you my first hug."

"I gave you my first time too."

"My whole being, my whole heart, from beginning to end, completely, is given to you."

"I've given you everything. Do you think you still have a chance to back out and not take it back?"

The carriage fell silent immediately.

Ever since learning about Xiao Lin's situation, Ye Yuntang had always known that Xiao Lin had a somewhat obsessive and morbidly possessive personality.

Once he's made up his mind, nothing can sway him.

It's impossible to reason with him now.

Her temples throbbed with a sharp, stabbing pain.

She had clearly analyzed reality, but faced with this man's unyielding, obsessive, and affectionate nature, she didn't know what else to say or do.

The words "break up" were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back.

It's hard to say.

She simply closed her eyes, refusing to look at him. "Then what do you want me to do? Your mother says you're stubborn and wants me to leave you on my own. Do I have to force you to go against your family just to be with me? Your family is so powerful, and you're just a police captain. With just a flick of their finger, they could make us both lose our jobs. After you've lost everything and are with me, won't you regret it? You won't regret it, but I will. I've said it before, I can't afford to lose!"

Her words struck him like a barrage of raindrops, causing him a sharp pain in his chest.

His facial features were taut, his back teeth clenched. "Would I be stupid enough to let you lose your job? Do you really underestimate my abilities? Would I be stupid enough to go against the entire family and drive you and me to a dead end? When did I ever say that I would let you face those storms? Yes, I didn't expect my mother to come to see you today, but I promise you, this is a one-time thing."

"When I decided to be with you, I thought about all the consequences and backup plans. Did I not know you were divorced? Did I not know the gap between our families? Did I not know your concerns? I didn't tell you before I dealt with those things, but that doesn't mean I didn't do anything about it."

"Don't worry, I won't go against my family, and I won't let you suffer any more grievances. I'm taking you to see someone now."