She had thought this man was impervious to pain.
The man smiled faintly, revealing eight pearly white teeth. "I wasn't afraid of pain originally, but in front of you, I want to act weak."
The man was clearly blind, his eyes lacking any focus, yet when he gazed at her like this, there was always a deep, affectionate emotion.
After losing his sight, Huo Tingyun's facial contours seemed to have softened. He had transformed from a Czech wolfdog into a docile and adorable Bichon Frise, appearing utterly harmless.
Su Qi was stunned for a long moment before picking up the cotton swab and dabbing at the man's scraped cheek. "You can't see, yet you're still so stubborn. Your mouth is the most stubborn part of you."
Realizing she had spoken out of turn, it was already too late.
The man before her chuckled softly, then took hold of her slender, fair wrist. He intimately caressed her palm.
"My mouth isn't the most stubborn part of me. If you don't believe me, you can..."
"Stop talking!"
Su Qi increased the pressure of the cotton swab in her hand.
The man winced in pain.
Su Qi felt a secret delight. "Little brat, still trying to flirt even though you're blind? I'll let you flirt."
"Don't move!"
Su Qi spoke righteously, straightening Huo Tingyun's body, and applying extra force with each swipe.
The man was clearly in pain, his sharp brows furrowed tightly. He was clearly hurting, but he endured it, not even letting out a whimper.
Before the man lost his sight, just a glance from him made Su Qi's heart pound. Now, being stared at so directly by him, Su Qi felt no pressure for the first time.
Huo Tingyun was now like a wolf without teeth; he couldn't bite anyone. What was there for her to be afraid of?
After Su Qi had vented her frustration on the man's face, she felt an immediate sense of relief.
So satisfying!
Huo Tingyun, Huo Tingyun, so you have days like this too!
"Feeling better?" The man chuckled in a low voice. His cheeks burned, even more than the scraped skin. This little woman's touch was truly fierce, but she was still as straightforward and fiery as when she was little.
"Doesn't it hurt? And you're still smiling!" Su Qi glared at the man's roguish grin.
She couldn't help but seriously suspect that this man had some kind of perversion. He was clearly in so much pain, yet he could still smile!
"It hurts, but the pain you give me, even if it hurts, is also very satisfying..."
The man deliberately lowered his voice for the last three words, leaning closer to her, his breath fanning her nose with a faint, cool, and sharp mint scent. Since losing his sight, he hadn't smoked, so his breath smelled good and had no trace of tobacco.
Su Qi's mind felt hazy, almost captivated by this man. Even though he was blind, how could he still be so alluring?
"You should have your afternoon nap. Go back to your room and sleep!" Su Qi abruptly stood up, her cheeks feeling as if they were on fire.
It had been a long time since Huo Tingyun had last possessed her body.
But she would never forget how that man felt.
It was too terrifying; she didn't even dare to recall it, and the mere thought made her scalp tingle.
The man became very obedient and went to his room to sleep. Only after he fell asleep did Su Qi get up and leave the room.
She wanted to get a drink of water and discovered that Li Caiyi had arrived at some point and was standing in the living room, her hands clasped together, looking very flustered and nervous.
"Sister Su Qi, I came to see Tingyun. Is his body okay?"
"Why are you here?"
Su Qi frowned. She hadn't expected Li Caiyi to still have the audacity to show up.
"Sister Su Qi, please don't be angry. I know I shouldn't have come, but I'm just worried about Tingyun. If it weren't for me, Tingyun wouldn't have ended up like this..."
"You know you've wronged him. Tingyun treated you very well, giving you the best of everything. Although you're not the girl he was looking for, his kindness towards you wasn't fake. How can you do this to him, colluding with Sheng Yucheng..."
Su Qi slowly walked towards Li Caiyi, and by the time she reached the last word, she had stopped in front of her. She leaned in slightly, her voice audible only to the two of them.
"You... you know?" Li Caiyi's face turned pale, her eyes wide with shock as she looked at Su Qi, her pupils trembling.
"Besides Sheng Yucheng, who else? Huo Tingyun's blindness benefits whom the most? Of course, it's Sheng Yucheng. It's also commendable that Sheng Yucheng managed to investigate Huo Tingyun's childhood. Although I don't know how Sheng Yucheng found out, it's truly chilling to think about how he's been plotting for so many years to get the Huo family's assets..."
Su Qi's eyes darted, and she looked down at Li Caiyi.
"And you, you're just a pawn in Sheng Yucheng's game."
Li Caiyi's face lost its last trace of color, her voice trembling slightly. "I did it willingly. Mr. Sheng has been very good to me and owes me a great debt of gratitude. Please don't blame Mr. Sheng for this. All the mistakes are mine..."
Su Qi narrowed her eyes. "You like Sheng Yucheng."
It wasn't a question, but a statement of fact.
Li Caiyi faltered, her pale lips pressed tightly together. She shook her head vigorously. "I don't. Mr. Sheng is so wonderful; I'm not worthy of him."
"It seems you have some self-awareness. Sheng Yucheng doesn't have any so-called feelings or gratitude towards you. Sheng Yucheng's treatment of you has been nothing but manipulation from beginning to end. Do you think Sheng Yucheng helped you for no reason? It's simply because your personality back then was very similar to Huo Tingyun's childhood white moonlight!"
"That's not true. Mr. Sheng is a good person; he wouldn't treat me like this..."
"Good person? You're too naive, Li Caiyi. Sheng Yucheng is not a good person at all. You think he's helping you, but he's actually just helping himself!"
Sheng Yucheng had also helped her with similar tactics months ago.
Sheng Yucheng was no philanthropist. He had now obtained everything he desired, and Li Caiyi was merely a discarded piece.
"If you don't believe me, go to the company and find Sheng Yucheng. Do you think you'll even get to see Sheng Yucheng?"
Su Qi pressed on relentlessly, and the last trace of color drained from Li Caiyi's face. "Mr. Sheng wouldn't..."
Su Qi curled her red lips. "Wouldn't he? You can go and ask Sheng Yucheng yourself. Perhaps you won't even have the chance to see Sheng Yucheng, because for Sheng Yucheng, you have no value anymore, you are nothing!"
"No, no, Mr. Sheng is a good person. He wouldn't do this to me..."
Li Caiyi broke down, clutching her head, and ran out as if she had gone mad.
Su Qi stood in place, watching Li Caiyi disappear from sight.
"Miss Su, will Miss Li be alright..." the butler asked worriedly, looking in the direction Li Caiyi had gone.
Li Caiyi seemed very distressed. Would she do something foolish?
"No need to worry. Even if something happens, it won't be you or me who's anxious."
Su Qi glanced coldly in that direction and turned back into the room.
Even though she and Huo Tingyun were divorced, she would protect everything in the Huo family for the sake of the old man.
She would absolutely not allow an illegitimate child to take away everything from Shengshi Group!