Chapter 18: Don't Let Any Man Touch You

Most would say, "If you can't even manage to eat properly, what else can you do?"
Shi Ran dared not disturb any further.
She no longer forced herself.
Unable to change the outcome, she decided to try changing herself.

The next day, the gentlemanly young man came again to deliver the meal.
Shi Ran noticed the amount of food had decreased.
"We have adjusted the portions based on the leftovers from Miss Shi Ran," the gentleman explained. "If there is anything you are dissatisfied with, please feel free to let us know."
Hadn’t it been said that no changes could be made?
Could it be that Secretary Su said she wouldn’t help but secretly did?
Shi Ran was uncertain.
She didn’t ask further.

In the following days, she immersed herself in enjoyment.
Only after confirming her menstrual period had ended did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
As usual, Shi Ran waited for the meal to be delivered.
She stared at the time on her phone.
Until the knock came precisely on time.
She hurried to open the door.

"Young Master?!" Shi Ran’s pupils constricted sharply upon seeing Zuo Yelin outside the door. It was as if memories of previous events flashed through her mind again.
"Take off your clothes," Zuo Yelin said as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
Shi Ran gasped in surprise.
She tried to struggle, but when she met Zuo Yelin’s gaze, all resistance seemed to vanish; she became like a fish on a chopping block, utterly helpless.
She removed every piece of clothing, standing completely bare before the man.

Zuo Yelin lifted her up and threw her heavily onto the sofa, beginning his conquest.
Shi Ran realized her good days seemed over; what lay ahead were more days of suffering.

If she could, she wished her period would last longer.
The man was brutal, like a wild beast, ravaging and tormenting Shi Ran’s delicate flower.
The moment the battle ended, Shi Ran felt utterly drained of strength.
Even her voice was reduced to a hoarse whisper.
"I told you, no other men are allowed to touch you," Zuo Yelin’s cold tone echoed in her ears.

Shi Ran felt wronged; she had been staying in the villa all this time, enjoying food and comfort, without any contact with other men.
Except for the gentlemanly young man.
But he merely delivered meals, and they exchanged a few words with no physical contact.
She breathed heavily, realizing her hoarse throat wouldn’t support any argument, so she gave up struggling.
Watching Zuo Yelin lift her again, throw her into the bedroom, and close the door, a nightmare seemed to replay itself.
Only this time, the nightmare was even more tragic than before, when her limbs had been bound.

After she recovered, washed up, and changed clothes,
she rubbed her hollow stomach and stepped out of the bedroom, finally realizing the preciousness of food.
Her eyes fell on the sumptuous feast laid out on the table.
Ignoring her weakness, she ran over, sat down, and began to devour the food ravenously.

Zuo Yelin’s appearance had made her think meals would no longer be delivered, but to her surprise, there was this unexpected treat.
She glanced around but found no sign of Zuo Yelin.
Muttering under her breath, "I’ll make you pay for bullying me,"
she bit into the food as if it were Zuo Yelin himself, eating with wild abandon until her hunger was sated.

Recalling Zuo Yelin’s warning, anger welled up inside her.
That man was clearly using his lust as an excuse.
"No other men allowed to touch you."
In truth, apart from those initial fleeting thoughts of infidelity, she had stayed inside the villa all along.

Through this ordeal, she had come to a clear understanding.
Zuo Yelin was the type to nitpick and stir up trouble for no reason.
No matter how well she did, he would always find a reason to scold her.
The problem wasn’t with her—it was with Zuo Yelin.

"Infidelity, infidelity it must be!"
The more Shi Ran thought about it, the angrier she became. The earlier resolve to calm down resurfaced once more.
Not cheating meant suffering pain.
Cheating also meant suffering pain.
But perhaps it might prevent further suffering in the future.
By comparison, infidelity clearly became the better choice.

Shi Ran took out her phone, intending to download some dating apps.
She opened the store and read the reviews.
Seeing a slew of negative feedback, with stories of deceit and exploitation, her heart skipped a beat.
Infidelity was truly terrifying.
Maybe it was better to forget about it.

Those alarming reviews made her hesitate again.
There were reports of hidden cameras, blackmail, financial and sexual scams, even drugging and captivity.
Online dating was unreliable, to say the least.

Maybe she should try asking Zuo Jiaqi instead?
The thought suddenly popped into Shi Ran’s mind.
Just then, her phone rang.
Startled, she fumbled for a moment before steadying herself to answer.
"Ranran, are you free tonight?"