Give Me the Pill

The bedroom lights were soft, suffusing the air with the lingering warmth of their lovemaking.

Nan Xingyu curled up in a corner of the bed, her legs trembling slightly and the tear tracks at the corners of her eyes still wet.

Xi Jin took a medicine box from the drawer, removed a pill, and lay back down beside her.

Nan Xingyu turned over, unwilling to look at his hateful face.

"Not taking it?"

Xi Jin asked, seeing that she ignored him.

He didn't offer it to her again. Instead, he put the pill in his own mouth and propped himself up on the bed with his elbows behind him.

"If you won't take it, fine. Better yet, just give me a child."

"..."

Nan Xingyu gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, then turned back around, only to find the pill was no longer in his hand.

"Where's the pill?"

Xi Jin tilted his head and looked at her. "In my mouth."

"..."

Nan Xingyu could hardly believe it.

Was there something wrong with this bastard?

Could he just take a birth control pill like that?

"Want it?"

Xi Jin shamelessly leaned closer. "Open your mouth. I'll feed it to you."

"Get lost!"

Nan Xingyu shoved him away, the exertion causing a faint ache between her legs.

That had been the craziest he had ever been.

She felt as though all her internal organs were about to shift out of place.

Still furious, she slapped him.

But they had only just finished, and she didn't have much strength, so the slap was feeble.

Even so, it stunned him for a moment.

His displeased expression seemed to say, "Are you addicted to hitting me?"

His pitch-black eyes fixed on her, and his back teeth clenched. With a soft crack, the pill was crushed in his mouth.

Nan Xingyu held his gaze for several seconds.

Years of being controlled and suppressed by him had conditioned her to shrink back whenever she saw that cold, brooding look.

Most of the anger that had just flared up wilted away.

She looked away and said quietly, "Give me the pill."

Xi Jin said nothing. He pushed himself up from the bed, grabbed the medicine box from the drawer, and smacked it down beside her legs.

Then he opened the door and went out.

Nan Xingyu glared viciously at his retreating back.

Only then did she pick up the palm-sized white medicine box.

She muttered unhappily, "That bastard won't wear a condom and insists I take pills. All he cares about is his own pleasure. Pah, that goddamn bastard."

She took out a pink pill and put it in her mouth.

It was slightly sweet.

Come to think of it, it was strange.

He never let her buy the pills herself. He always prepared them in advance.

Once, he forgot to give her a pill, and the box at home was empty, so she bought a box herself at the pharmacy.

When he found out, he flew into a rage for no apparent reason.

He threw away the pills she had bought.

Even her birth control pills had to be the ones he bought.

He was sick.

The light in the study came on.

Xi Jin turned on the computer to deal with company business.

She didn't know how much time had passed.

Nan Xingyu came running in barefoot, her feet thumping, and handed him his vibrating phone.

"Your dad's calling."

It went without saying.

He had come to demand an explanation.

It would be best if Xi Kun beat him up, then tied him up hand and foot and took him away to bow to heaven and earth with his intended marriage partner.

Xi Jin took the phone, hesitated for two seconds, then answered.

Nan Xingyu made as if to return to the bedroom, but walked very slowly, straining her ears to hear what his father said.

Obviously, she couldn't hear a thing.

She was about to pick up her pace and leave when the man behind her said,

"My dad's here."

"..."

Nan Xingyu turned back, her eyes wide. "When?"

Xi Jin's expression was calm. "Now."

Nan Xingyu glanced down at her strappy nightdress, then looked up at him.

Xi Jin saw the panic and helplessness on her face.

She was afraid.

He stood up, walked over, and led her back toward the bedroom.

The doorbell was already ringing in the living room.

It was like a death summons.

Nan Xingyu's heart tightened. Without waiting for him to pull her along, she darted into the bedroom, shut the door, and locked it.

Xi Jin stared at the tightly shut door for several seconds, rubbing his knuckles unconsciously before turning toward the living room.

When he opened the door, Xi Kun was holding up his phone.

Seeing him, Xi Kun put his phone away, his gaze immediately falling on Xi Jin's shoulder and neck.

There was a dark red bite mark.

His already tense face stiffened further, and he pointed at Xi Jin's shoulder.

"You left the Jiang family's people waiting at dinner for a thing like this?"

Xi Jin was wearing white loungewear, its collar askew and exposing the bite mark.

He casually tugged at his collar, stepped outside, and closed the door behind him.

"Dad, watch what you say."

Xi Kun could see that he didn't even intend to let him in.

He grew even angrier.

"Watch what I say?"

Xi Kun sneered. "I sent you to dinner with Jiang Yuexi for the sake of the two families' cooperation, and what did you do? You ran back halfway through to fool around and didn't answer your phone. Do you even still regard me as your father?"

Xi Jin shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned lazily against the door. "I was busy. I didn't hear it."

"Busy? Busy fooling around with a woman?"

Xi Kun's voice rose sharply. "Xi Jin, I'm warning you, don't forget you're the Xi Family's heir!"

"The heir?"

Xi Jin gave a low, mocking laugh.

"Am I really the Xi Family's heir, or a tool you use to trade for business?"

"..."

Xi Kun was speechless with anger for a while. "I don't care who the woman in there is. Break up with her immediately!"

Xi Jin said coldly, "Sorry, I've liked her for years. Breaking up is out of the question."

Xi Kun frowned. "Why can't you break up? Is that all you're capable of?"

Xi Jin curled his lips, utterly unconcerned. "Using my looks to trade for business resources—you really are capable."

"Beast!"

Xi Kun's face turned livid with rage, and he raised a hand to strike him.

Xi Jin stepped aside to dodge, one eyebrow lifting. "Dad, why are you getting so worked up?"

"..."

Xi Kun looked at the cold, distant gaze in his son's eyes. He had been like that ever since he was little, without a trace of feeling.

"Xi Jin, I'm telling you, as long as your surname is Xi, don't even think about being with that girl openly!"

Xi Jin remained casual throughout. Though the other man was already bristling for a fight, he still looked as relaxed as if they were chatting:

"If you don't mind having no one to see you off when you die, fine."

"..."

Xi Kun's anger soared. "Are you planning to give up everything the Xi Family has for her?"

Xi Jin sneered disdainfully. "I'm trying to coax her into eloping with me right now. What do you think?"

"..."

Whether he meant it or not, Xi Kun would never allow him to remain so infatuated.

Since he couldn't deal with him, he would deal with someone else.

"Xi Jin, I'll make her understand what price she'll have to pay for being with you."

Those words seemed to ignite something.

Xi Jin's languid gaze gradually turned cold and fierce. "Dad, I respect you as my father, so I give way to you."

He paused. "But if you dare touch her, I'm afraid even I would be scared of myself when I go mad."

The ruthlessness in his eyes startled Xi Kun.

It was a look he had never seen before.

Icy, resolute, and filled with the madness of jade and stone burning together.

His hand shook with anger as he pointed at him. "Your mother was absolutely right. You're a demon who came to collect a debt."

"..."

Xi Jin's hands, hanging at his sides, clenched tightly.

The memory of being trapped in a sea of fire by his mother at the age of six appeared in his mind.

His mother had looked at him, laughing madly. "Xi Jin, let's die together and go find your older brother..."

Even though more than ten years had passed,

his mother's hideous expression in the sea of fire was like a nightmare. Whenever he thought of it, a chill ran down his spine.

His clenched hands slowly loosened. He raised a hand to touch the bridge of his nose and eased his tight throat, then put on an unconcerned look again.

"That's right, I'm bad seed,"

"the bad seed who took your son's wretched life."

"What? You regret having me, don't you?"

"That short-lived son of yours was killed by me, too."

"...Shut up!"

Xi Kun couldn't help raising his hand again.

"You beast!"

Xi Jin seized it, gripping it so hard he nearly crushed the bones.

"Dad, besides a beast like me in the Xi Family,"

He stepped closer, his voice low but every word clear:

"Who else can you rely on to help you hold on to your position as chairman of the group? Your useless brother? Or your brothers, watching like tigers eyeing their prey?"

His lips curled coldly.

"I advise you to treat me a little better."

"After all, the heir you had in mind has been in the ground for sixteen years."

"A beast like me is all you have left by your side."