Su Hua was domineering, so domineering that she wanted Lin Xuan to belong to her alone, keeping others away from him.
She truly wished to live like this with her Ah Xuan, forever and ever, within the confines of Night Garden.
But Ah Xuan wouldn’t be happy.
“Ah Xuan,” Su Hua pressed herself against Lin Xuan. “This Shen Qianqian is so infatuated with you. A dignified daughter of the Shen Family, willing to be the other woman for you. Ah Xuan, you’re really something.”
Lin Xuan held the petite woman’s waist. “Of course, the man Su Hua loves must be charming. Otherwise, how could I make Su Hua adore me so much?”
“Ah Xuan, you’re getting more and more smooth-talking,” Su Hua said, her eyes curving into a smile.
“Su Hua, a man has to be a little bad for a woman to love him,” Lin Xuan quipped without hesitation.
“Then show me how bad you can be, hmm?” Su Hua’s breath was warm and teasing as she leaned in, offering her crimson lips to Lin Xuan.
The driver quickly lowered the partition.
Jiang Qing stared straight ahead, her expression unreadable.
What kind of scandalous conversation were Miss Su and Young Master Lin having?
“Secretary Jiang,” the driver asked curiously, “how come we’ve never seen Miss Su pregnant, even though she and Young Master Lin are so intimate all the time?”
Jiang Qing’s expression turned complicated.
She had wondered the same thing at first.
Later, she overheard someone in the lab talking about a contraceptive injection. Upon further inquiry, she learned that Su Hua had commissioned its development five years ago.
The contraceptive injection had no harmful side effects.
Alongside it, an antidote had also been developed, allowing the contraception to be stopped at any time.
There was even a fertility-boosting injection.
Everything was meticulously prepared.
Su Hua had personally ordered the development of the contraceptive injection. She wouldn’t have done so without a reason—most likely, it was for her own use.
So, the reason Su Hua hadn’t gotten pregnant was probably due to the contraceptive injection.
It made sense.
Su Hua and Lin Xuan were deeply in love. Why would they let a child disrupt their lives?
Su Hua only cared about Lin Xuan. To her, a child would likely mean nothing.
Su Hua had also instructed the lab to develop a fertility-boosting drug, which had only been successfully completed five months ago.
If Lin Xuan continued to resist, Su Hua might eventually resort to using the fertility injection to tie him down with a child.
But now that Lin Xuan was so devoted to her, Su Hua chose to continue with contraception.
“Well, it seems we won’t be seeing a little miss or young master anytime soon,” Jiang Qing sighed.
Even if Su Hua did have a child, Jiang Qing was certain that Su Hua would find every excuse to keep the child from getting close to Lin Xuan if it dared to compete for his affection.
Jiang Qing silently lit a candle in her heart for the unborn child of Su Hua and Lin Xuan.
With a mother like Su Hua, life would be a living hell from the start.
“Secretary Jiang,” the driver asked again, “do you think Young Master Lin is genuinely staying by Miss Su’s side now?”
“Of course,” Jiang Qing replied confidently.
“But if Young Master Lin ever tried to escape, I’m sure Miss Su would be thrilled.”
“Why?” the driver asked, puzzled.
Because then she’d have an excuse to lock him up in a dark room.
Jiang Qing smiled but said nothing.
She had noticed long ago that Su Hua had been itching to lock Lin Xuan away. If he ever tried to escape, she’d have the perfect excuse to do so.
The car pulled into Night Garden.
Jiang Qing received a call and hurried over to Su Hua. “Miss Su, Director Wang has sent you an important email. It requires your immediate attention.”
“Alright, I’ll handle it,” Su Hua said as she headed upstairs.
Lin Xuan turned to Jiang Qing. “Secretary Jiang, why did I feel like Su Hua was acting strange when I put the necklace on her earlier?”
Jiang Qing replied, “Young Master Lin, since I’ve been by Miss Su’s side, I’ve rarely seen her wear any necklaces. There was only one time when she was unconscious, and the old master placed a necklace on her—a keepsake from her father. When she woke up and saw it, she had a breakdown.”
“Do you know why, Secretary Jiang?” Lin Xuan pressed.
“I don’t,” Jiang Qing shook her head. “It’s probably some childhood trauma. Miss Su was abducted when she was young. What she went through back then, none of us know. The old master has asked, but she’s always refused to talk about it.”
“But ever since she returned, she’s been so isolated, living like a machine that only knows work. Only…” killing seemed to excite her.
Jiang Qing didn’t voice the last part.
She knew Su Hua didn’t want to reveal her darker side to Lin Xuan.
“Young Master Lin,” Jiang Qing continued, “Miss Su’s personality was shaped by her past. She still has episodes, and she’s incredibly skilled in combat. Her body is covered in scars. Her childhood must have been horrific.”
“It’s only after you came into her life that I’ve seen Miss Su as a living, breathing person, not just a walking corpse.”
Jiang Qing was deeply grateful to Lin Xuan.
“Scars? Secretary Jiang, are you mistaken?” Lin Xuan asked, confused. “Su Hua doesn’t have any scars.”
“Well…” Jiang Qing explained, “She doesn’t have any now because she developed a special medicine that can completely remove scars.”
“But the process is excruciating. When she was removing her scars, Miss Su was trembling in pain.”
Lin Xuan’s heart ached at the thought.
Su Hua, who could endure so much pain—in her past life, she had slit her own wrist without flinching—had suffered so much just to remove her scars for him…
Jiang Qing coughed lightly. “Miss Su said she wanted to present her most perfect self to you, Young Master Lin.”
Su Hua knew that Lin Xuan had feelings for Qin Ruoyao, so she wanted to use her body to keep him captivated, to make him crave her.
Naturally, she wanted her body to be flawless, like a piece of pristine jade.
Jiang Qing felt it was important for Lin Xuan to know all this, to understand everything Su Hua had done for him behind the scenes.
Lin Xuan’s eyes filled with tenderness.
So, Su Hua had done so much for him…
“By the way, when did she remove her scars?” Lin Xuan asked.
“The day before your wedding to Qin Ruoyao,” Jiang Qing answered.
Lin Xuan finally understood the lingering question in his heart.
During the two years he was confined in Night Garden, Su Hua had never forced herself on him. It wasn’t out of restraint—it was because she was afraid he’d see her scars and think she was ugly…
Su Hua came downstairs.
As they sat on the couch, Lin Xuan reached to remove the necklace from Su Hua’s neck.
Su Hua caught his hand. “What are you doing, Ah Xuan?” Her brows arched playfully.
“Let me take the necklace off. I’ve bought you other gifts. You don’t have to wear this one,” Lin Xuan said gently.
“But I want to wear it,” Su Hua replied, her lips curving into a soft smile.
She loved the gift Ah Xuan had given her.
“Don’t force yourself for my sake,” Lin Xuan said, ruffling her hair. “Su Hua, I don’t want to see you in pain.”
The shadows from childhood are not so easily overcome.
He didn’t want Su Hua to endure the pain in her heart just to wear this necklace.