Jin Ye stared intently at her, as if trying to see through her.
"Yes!"
Su Ding's face was deathly pale; all her plans had been shattered.
Jin Ye yanked her wrist, pulling her into his embrace, holding her tightly. His large hand, slightly calloused, cupped her delicate face.
"What are you afraid of?" he asked softly, his voice like a lover's murmur.
Su Ding struggled to break free, but she couldn't pry his hand away.
Her tender face was contorted, resembling a pout. Combined with her defiant rejection, it brought Jin Ye a sense of amusement.
"Answer me, what are you afraid of?" he pressed on.
"I'm afraid of you. Please don't harm Xiao Rui. She's so young. If you have a grievance, take it out on me."
Su Ding felt a sense of helpless despair. She no longer knew what to do.
As she spoke, her voice trembled with tears, and her eyes welled up, her eyelashes quivering as they drooped, making her appear incredibly pitiful and moving.
Jin Ye's mood grew more complicated. "When have I ever harmed her?"
He simply didn't understand why Su Ding was acting this way.
Su Ding remained lost in the confusion of her disrupted plans, biting her lips until they lost their color.
"Don't bother me. Let me and Xiao Rui go."
She said it in a low, husky voice, finally shedding her pretense of strength and revealing her vulnerability.
Jin Ye frowned, his thumb gently stroking her cheek. "You're not allowed to leave."
Regardless of what Su Ding had done before, he would not allow her to leave his life. No matter what, such a thing could not happen!
"Jin Ye!"
Su Ding looked up again, her eyes full of tears, brimming with resentment and indignation.
Suddenly, she pushed Jin Ye away with all her might. Unsteady on her feet, she accidentally bumped into the coffee table, sending a teacup crashing to the floor!
"Su Ding," Jin Ye called out anxiously. Seeing she was unharmed, his heart grew even heavier.
Did she despise him that much?
Perhaps it wasn't Xiao Rui she was worried about, but rather to be free to be with Jiang Chu.
At this thought, his expression instantly turned cold, devoid of the tenderness he had inadvertently shown moments before.
If she was worried about Xiao Rui, then she shouldn't be fooling around with another man!
"If you want Xiao Rui to be safe when you return to Jiangcheng, then behave yourself," Jin Ye's voice grew colder. "Don't hook up with other men."
"You're threatening me with Xiao Rui?" Su Ding stared at the man in disbelief.
Jin Ye felt a moment of regret, but recalling the image of Jiang Chu and Su Ding leaving together yesterday, he hardened his heart. "As long as you're obedient, it's not a threat."
Su Ding remembered the days she had been trapped in that small room by Shao Lin, waiting in despair.
Her emotions immediately flared, and she yelled in rage, "I hate you! Jin Ye! I was blind to have ever liked you!"
Her unrestrained curses felt like knives piercing Jin Ye's heart. He gritted his teeth and bore it.
He had known this all along, hadn't he?
He advanced with cold determination, gripping Su Ding's shoulders. "Even if you hate me, you will not leave my side. Do you understand?"
Su Ding's lips trembled with anger. "If you dare to touch Xiao Rui..."
"I won't, as long as you don't try to escape again..." Jin Ye interrupted her, but before he could say more, he heard an angry child's voice!
"Let go of my mom!"
Jin Xiao Xi, from upstairs, rushed down like a cannonball, shoving Jin Ye aside!
The little fellow had exerted too much force and, disoriented for a few seconds, was grabbed by Jin Ye. A thunderous roar erupted above his head!
"Jin Zi Xi!"
Jin Ye's face was as dark and terrifying as it could be, each word exuding a bone-chilling coldness.
Jin Xiao Xi, held by the collar, felt his anger replaced by panic. His small face turned ashen with fright!
"Jin Ye, are you crazy!" Su Ding, seeing Xiao Xi, rushed forward and snatched the child back.
Did he want to scare the child silly?
Su Ding shielded Xiao Xi protectively, her eyes warily fixed on Jin Ye.
Jin Ye narrowed his eyes. He didn't try to grab the child again but stared coldly at his son. "Speak, why are you here?"
He distinctly remembered Jin Xiao Xi being home doing homework when he went to the Southern Territory.
How had he teleported here in the blink of an eye?
Held by Su Ding, Jin Xiao Xi gradually calmed down and glared back at his father just as coldly. "I'm not staying with you anymore. I want to be with my mom."
Before Su Ding could react, Jin Ye's icy gaze fell upon her.
"..."
Su Ding was instantly speechless. Whatever she said seemed like an excuse.
Bringing someone else's son over without his permission was indeed a bit hard to justify.
"Don't be mean to Mom!"
Jin Xiao Xi stepped forward, struggling to shield Su Ding.
Jin Ye's expression darkened, and he narrowed his eyes, appraising his son who was clearly siding with another. "You want to stay with her from now on?"
Jin Xiao Xi nodded resolutely. "Yes!"
Su Ding stood by, unable to interject, feeling quite awkward.
"Did she bring you here?" Jin Ye asked coldly, testing the waters dangerously.
Jin Xiao Xi hesitated for a moment. "I... I came by myself."
As expected, Jin Ye became angry again, scolding him loudly, "You came by yourself? You secretly came to find her, hiding it from the family?"
Su Ding, unfairly caught in the crossfire, instinctively defended him. "He knows he was wrong."
"I'm disciplining my child, you butt out!"
Jin Ye's cold retort silenced Su Ding, who gritted her teeth and shut her mouth.
Jin Xiao Xi knew he was wrong and now had no reason to argue, so he just held his small head high and remained silent.
"Jin Zi Xi, have your wings gotten too strong?"
Jin Ye's reprimand caused Jin Xiao Xi to finally burst into tears.
But he didn't cry out loud. He stubbornly held his head up, his small body standing perfectly straight.
Su Ding considered for a moment and couldn't help but speak up. "He knows he made a mistake. That's enough."
Jin Ye glanced at her and ultimately didn't continue.
"Jin Zi Xi, pack your things and come with me to Grandfather's house."
As soon as Jin Ye finished speaking, Jin Xiao Xi retorted, "I want to stay with Mom!"
"You!"
Jin Ye was about to get angry, but when his gaze fell on Su Ding, he paused. He coldly dropped a sentence, "Then do as you please. Don't come back."
"If I can't come back, then I won't!" Jin Xiao Xi said defiantly.
Jin Ye didn't want to deal with him. He turned around and left with a brisk stride, his presence imposing.
Su Ding looked at the tears in the little one's eyes and sighed, gently wiping them away. "Why can't you two father and son just talk properly?"
Jin Xiao Xi's small face remained stubbornly set, and he said nothing.
Su Ding felt helpless, but at least Jin Ye knew now, which eased some of the pressure.
Only Xiao Rui...
Thinking of this, she felt a headache again.
Fortunately, she had matters to attend to in the Southern Territory, so Jin Ye likely wouldn't touch Xiao Rui.