93: Bai Xinran felt a little wronged

Yu Heng leaned against the back of the sofa, watching her.

"How are you feeling today?" he asked.

"I'm... okay." Bai Xinran pursed her lips, her voice soft.

"Feeling a bit aggrieved?" Yu Heng saw through her emotions.

Bai Xinran immediately shook her head. "No."

"If you are, say so," Yu Heng interrupted her. "There's no need to hide your feelings from me. Be honest."

Bai Xinran was silent for a few seconds.

"Maybe a little aggrieved," she said, then immediately added, "Just a tiny bit."

"Is it because today was a bit sudden, and the jump was too big?" Yu Heng asked.

Bai Xinran gave a hum of agreement; the jump had indeed been quite large.

"Then why did you agree?" Yu Heng looked at her. "Why didn't you refuse?"

"Because..." Bai Xinran took a breath, "because you told me to?"

"You have to listen just because I said so?" Yu Heng arched an eyebrow.

Bai Xinran felt a bit flustered by his expression and his question.

Otherwise?

She thought to herself, isn't that how it's supposed to be?

"Isn't that how it should be?" Bai Xinran said softly.

Hearing this, Yu Heng's heart suddenly skipped a beat. She really was naturally gifted.

Damn it, Gan, you're a genius!

"Very good," Yu Heng smiled. "I'm very satisfied with that answer."

"Then why do you feel aggrieved?" Yu Heng narrowed his eyes. "Since you believe orders should be accepted, you should be happy once you've completed them."

"Because..." Bai Xinran murmured, somewhat hesitant.

"Because of what?" Yu Heng pressed.

"Because you weren't there," Bai Xinran bit her lip. "There were too many people in the stream. I couldn't see you on the user list, and you didn't say anything. I couldn't see you, so I didn't know if you were listening. I was a little scared..."

Hearing these words, Yu Heng felt as if his heart had been struck by a hammer, feeling a bit numb.

After Qin Ya came in, he hadn't been paying attention.

"My fault," Yu Heng pursed his lips. "Something suddenly came up just now."

Bai Xinran was taken aback and frowned slightly. "Do Tops apologize too?"

Yu Heng chuckled at that. "Why wouldn't they? If you make a mistake, of course you should apologize."

Hearing this, Bai Xinran's nose twitched, and tears began to fall.

"Wuu..." Bai Xinran whimpered, "There were hundreds of people in the stream just now. I was so flustered and scared..."

Seeing this, Yu Heng felt a pang of sympathy. He stood up, walked over, and pulled her into his arms.

"There, there," Yu Heng stroked her head. "You did a great job. It was my fault. It won't happen again."

Bai Xinran leaned against Yu Heng's chest and cried for a while before her tears finally stopped.

She wasn't actually used to crying; she could count the number of times she'd cried in her life on one hand.

But with that surge of emotion just now, she couldn't hold it back no matter what.

Yu Heng's hand was still on the back of her head, smoothing her hair stroke by stroke.

"Done crying?" he asked.

"Mm," Bai Xinran replied, her voice muffled. "Done."

Yu Heng loosened his grip slightly and looked down at her. "Still feeling aggrieved?"

Bai Xinran shook her head. "No."

"Because I said you did a great job?" Yu Heng asked with a smile.

Bai Xinran blushed and stammered, "That's part of it."

"And the other part?"

"Because... you are considering my feelings," Bai Xinran finished.

"So," Yu Heng continued to ask, "why me?"

"I don't know..." she said finally, sounding a bit defeated. "It's just that you feel different from others. If it's with you, it seems like it's okay."

"What's okay?" Yu Heng pressed.

"I can try," Bai Xinran repeated the sentiment. "Nothing truly bad will happen."

Yu Heng pursed his lips and laughed.

Bai Xinran really was talented. If it wasn't him, there might have been someone else in the future.

The scene wasn't lacking in excellent Tops; as long as she encountered one, she would surely enter this world.

He felt a bit sentimental; people meeting, knowing, and accompanying each other really required fate.

And Bai Xinran just happened to be met by him.

"Bai Xinran, do you trust me?" Yu Heng asked pointedly.

Bai Xinran's heart gave a heavy thud.

"I do." Her voice was soft, but she didn't hesitate.

"Good that you do," he said. "Remember this feeling. If one day you feel you don't trust me anymore, or you're afraid, you can call for a stop at any time. That is your right."

"At any time?" Bai Xinran asked.

"Yes. Before we truly establish a relationship, and before we confirm what goals and objectives we're establishing a relationship for, we are in a phase of getting to know each other. You can call for a stop at any time."

"And after the relationship is established?"

"After the relationship is established, our interactions must be based on our goals. Suppose what we pursue is extreme inequality; once you hand over power to me, you no longer have the right to refuse orders. You'll need absolute obedience, extreme pleasing, and the surrender of self. But you still retain the right to call for a stop. When you want to stop, it simply means the relationship can end."

"Why?"

"Because the relationship is established to achieve a goal. Once that stops, what meaning does the relationship have left?"

"I understand. So that's how it is."

Bai Xinran nodded, something in her heart relaxing even as it tightened.

"Any more questions?" Yu Heng asked.

Bai Xinran shook her head.

"Alright then, go back to your room and sleep!" Yu Heng stood up, then thought of something. "Oh right, at 7:30 AM, come and wake me up again."

Bai Xinran looked up at him. Yu Heng's expression was quite serious, but she understood his mischievous streak.

"Can I just call you from the door without going in?"

"That won't do." He leaned back. "I sleep heavily. You'll have to come to the bedside. I probably won't wake up unless you give me a couple of nudges."

"Is this a task too?" There was a hint of coquettishness in Bai Xinran's tone that even she didn't notice.

"Exactly. Consider it a daily task," Yu Heng said with a mischievous grin. "From now on, whenever you stay overnight at the Villa on weekends, you have to wake me up the next morning!"