Chapter 023

Lin Ran gently knocked on the door, but there was no response.

He held the doorknob and pushed it open softly—it wasn’t locked.

He stepped inside quietly, but no one was there.

The office area was empty, and so was the lounge.

Lin Ran was utterly confused.

Where was everyone?

Had he come here just to entertain the air?

Suddenly, a faint sound broke the silence, like something being dropped. It was so quiet that one wouldn’t notice it unless they listened carefully.

Fortunately, Lin Ran’s hearing was sharp enough to catch it.

He paused, wondering where the sound was coming from.

He retraced his steps from the lounge back to the office area and realized the noise was coming from behind the bookshelf.

But what was behind the bookshelf? A wall, of course.

Lin Ran placed the documents on the desk and listened more intently, confirming that there was indeed a faint sound coming from behind the bookshelf.

He tapped on the wall—it wasn’t solid. There must be another room hidden there.

“Luo Yao! Are you in there?” he called out loudly.

After calling twice without a response, Lin Ran turned to leave, intending to ask Liu Meng about it. But just as he was about to go, the bookshelf slowly began to move, revealing an opening just wide enough for a person to pass through.

Luo Yao stepped out, and as soon as she did, the bookshelf slid back into place.

When she saw Lin Ran, a flicker of panic flashed in her eyes.

“Well, well! I never knew there was a secret room in your office,” Lin Ran teased with a grin.

“Are you planning to hide a lover in there, my dear?”

Luo Yao quickly masked her unease and shot back, “Would you like to be the one hidden inside?”

To her surprise, Lin Ran nodded.

“If it’s you, my dear, then I’d gladly let you hide me away.”

As he spoke, Lin Ran moved closer, playfully wrapping his arms around her. He gently pushed up her sleeve, revealing a series of fresh scars on her arm.

Luo Yao froze, trying to pull her arm back, but she was too slow.

Seeing the wounds, Lin Ran felt as if his heart had been gripped by an invisible hand.

“I noticed your arm seemed stiff earlier,” he said softly.

Luo Yao stammered, “Lin Ran, it’s not what you think…”

She couldn’t let him fear her again. The past few days had been everything she’d ever dreamed of.

Lin Ran held her arm gently, his gaze fixed on the pale, delicate skin now marred by those wounds.

Each scar was a painful reminder to him.

His love for Luo Yao was still far from enough.

He helped her sit down.

“Do you have a first aid kit?”

Still in a daze, Luo Yao pointed weakly to a corner of the bookshelf.

Lin Ran retrieved the kit and knelt before her, carefully lifting her arm.

“Don’t move,” he said softly.

His tender touch left Luo Yao momentarily lost. As Lin Ran meticulously cleaned and disinfected her wounds, she didn’t flinch or show any sign of pain.

Instead, she simply watched him, her gaze fixed on his focused expression.

“It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I haven’t been a good husband, and that’s why you’re hurting like this.”

“Did you do this to yourself?”

Suddenly, Lin Ran understood why he’d seen scars on her leg before. He cursed himself inwardly for being so oblivious.

Luo Yao’s mind worked differently from most people’s. Her actions often seemed unpredictable, even incomprehensible.

To an outsider, Luo Yao might seem unstable, even ill.

But Lin Ran didn’t want to change her. He just didn’t want her to hurt herself.

Her self-harm filled him with nothing but heartache and guilt.

Luo Yao remained silent. She had even hurt herself—would Lin Ran be afraid of her now?

A gentle voice broke the silence.

“Does it hurt?”

Lin Ran looked up, his face so close to Luo Yao’s that their noses almost touched. They could feel each other’s warm breath.

Instead of the fear she had expected to see in his eyes, there was only—heartbreak?

Seeing the tears welling up in Lin Ran’s eyes, Luo Yao quickly said, “It doesn’t hurt, Lin Ran. Please don’t cry.”

After finishing the bandaging, Lin Ran didn’t stand up. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her like a child, resting his head against her stomach.

“If you’re feeling wronged, you should hurt me, not yourself. If you ever feel like harming yourself again, let me share that pain with you. It breaks my heart to see you like this.”

Luo Yao placed her hand on Lin Ran’s head, closing her eyes as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

She didn’t want to agree, but she whispered, “Okay.”

Lin Ran wasn’t afraid of her. He didn’t fear her. He cared for her.

They held each other for a long time before Lin Ran finally loosened his embrace and looked into her slightly reddened eyes.

So she could cry after all. She wasn’t an unfeeling machine. She was a woman—his wife.

“Can you tell me why? If you don’t want to, that’s okay too,” Lin Ran said gently, careful not to upset her further.

After a moment of silence, Luo Yao spoke.

“You’re starting school tomorrow. I want to keep you by my side, but I don’t want to trap you. I’m so conflicted. I feel like I’m going crazy, so…”

Lin Ran finished her sentence. “So you hurt yourself to calm down?”

“But why? We’ll see each other every night. Why would you do this?”

Luo Yao looked at him intently.

“Because of Liu Ruxue. I’m afraid that once you see her, you’ll leave me.”

“The thought of you going to her makes me feel like I’m suffocating.”

“I want to kill both you and Liu Ruxue. I want to rip out my heart and show it to you…”

Now Lin Ran understood everything.

To the outside world, Luo Yao was a powerful, ruthless business magnate—a machine devoid of emotion.

But she had her vulnerabilities, her weaknesses, and they all revolved around him.

Her mind was a tangled web of nerves, each one resonating with darkness at the slightest touch.

“Luo Yao, look at me. I’m your husband. Liu Ruxue is nothing but a stain on my past.”

“You’re the only one I love. I’ll never love anyone else.”

“So please, trust me. No one will ever take me away from you.”

“I’ll never leave you.”

“And I won’t let you abandon me either.”

Luo Yao’s mind was a mess, but Lin Ran’s words gave her a sense of security she desperately needed.

Perhaps she needed to make an effort to change, to truly believe in Lin Ran.

“Okay, I trust you,” she said softly.

Lin Ran could feel the shift in her emotions. He made a silent vow to himself.

He would give Luo Yao all the tenderness she deserved, healing her wounded soul.

As for Liu Ruxue, he needed to resolve that issue quickly. Otherwise, she would always remain a thorn in Luo Yao’s heart.

After comforting her for a while, Lin Ran finally saw the familiar, assertive look return to Luo Yao’s eyes.

This was the real Luo Yao—the one who looked at him with a mix of possessiveness and affection.

The vulnerable, fragile version of her had been a fleeting glimpse into her innermost fears.

“My dear, what about the secret room?” Lin Ran asked playfully.

Luo Yao hesitated. “Lin Ran, next time. I promise I’ll take you inside, okay?”

Lin Ran raised an eyebrow. “You’re not hiding anyone in there, are you?”

Luo Yao shook her head. “No, it’s just some personal secrets. I’m not ready to show you yet.”

Lin Ran smiled charmingly. “Fine, but I’m upset now. I’m going to have to punish you.”