C4 The Victim Who Is Forced to Live Together

The man couldn't understand why Ruan Ruan's disregard made him so irate. Perhaps it was because he was accustomed to being in the spotlight, and being ignored suddenly left him feeling deeply unsatisfied.

Yet, he had never experienced such feelings before.

The persistent ringtone annoyed him, and he snatched her phone with a frown, "Thinking of calling the cops?" Truthfully, whether she called the police or not made no difference to him; he wasn't scared.

Ruan Ruan snapped back to reality when he took her phone. Instinctively, she tried to grab it back, but she stumbled and quickly retreated several steps.

Yuh Jinnian had a profound influence on her; he was deeply entrenched in her heart. When Yuh Jinnian called, she completely forgot about the menacing figure in her own home.

"Please leave my house," Ruan Ruan demanded loudly.

The man glanced at the phone, saw "Jinnian" on the display, and shut it off. "What can you possibly do if I refuse to leave?" he said, his voice detached and aloof.

"Who are you? We have no quarrel. Why are you in my house?" Ruan Ruan tried to maintain her composure, unaware that her anxiety had already given her away.

The man looked at Ruan Ruan with a half-smile and chillingly said, "Have you forgotten what you did half a month ago?"

That period was a sensitive one for Ruan Ruan; it was when she had seen the corpse. Since that night, she hadn't heard anything about the body and had convinced herself it was just a vivid dream.

Now, it seemed it wasn't a dream at all. She had indeed witnessed a murder that night.

Ruan Ruan gazed at him, aghast. Could he be...

Her face drained of color as she backed away. She wished it were all a dream. Why was fate so cruel to her? Betrayal by her boyfriend and best friend had already shattered her heart, and now she had to face a murderer's threat.

He didn't look like the victim, but Ruan Ruan wasn't being biased; he simply seemed like someone who wouldn't hesitate to kill without a shred of mercy.

"What half a month? What are you even talking about?" Ruan Ruan feigned ignorance, knowing that playing dumb was more effective than any form of resistance at this moment.

The man approached her. He was tall, easily over six feet, with a lean build that was clearly the result of regular exercise. He was the type who looked slim in clothes but surprisingly muscular underneath.

Under normal circumstances, Ruan Ruan might have swooned over such an attractive man. But now, she was petrified, sharing a room with a murderer.

"Ruan Ruan, web novelist, 24, originally from City S, currently residing in City A..." he recited her details.

Ruan Ruan's face grew even paler, realizing this man had come specifically for her.

"Just agree to one thing, and I won't kill you," he said, his voice laced with amusement.

Ruan Ruan stared at him, wondering if his single request involved her committing murder.

Ruan Ruan remained silent, so the man lounged on the sofa, exuding an air of casual nobility. "As of today, I'm living here," he declared.

"No!" The word escaped Ruan Ruan's lips the second he finished his sentence, a reflexive response.

His eyes grew icy. No one had ever dared to refuse him to his face before; she was the first.

The wind stirred the strands of hair on the floor as Ruan Ruan watched him, frozen in fear, while the fruit knife on the wall behind her quivered violently.

"Ruan Gui, Ruan Xizhi—you're familiar with these names, aren't you?" The man toyed with his phone, his slender fingers the kind that should be gracing piano keys. Ruan Ruan was certain no artist's hands could match the beauty of his, yet these hands were not meant for art; they were used for killing.

Ruan Gui was her mother, and Ruan Xizhi her younger brother. These names were those of her dearest family members, and now this murderer was using them to threaten her.

"Why?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Why are you coming to live in my place? Why target me and not someone else?"

The man's lips quirked into a subtle smile. His lips were thin, often a sign of a fickle heart, yet despite their slimness, they retained an undeniable allure. His features were impeccable, the kind that left no room for criticism in anyone's eyes. With so many paths available to him, it was a mystery why he chose this particular line of work.

Ruan Ruan watched him closely. His smile never quite reached his eyes, but now she caught a glint of amusement there. It seemed her fear was the source of his good spirits. Initially, Ruan Ruan had thought his penchant for killing stemmed from a vendetta, but now it appeared he simply found it entertaining.

"Because you poke your nose into affairs that don't concern you," Yuh Jinnian said with an air of nonchalance.

A surge of anger rose within Ruan Ruan. So, her efforts to save him were a mistake. It made sense why people said that misfortune lingers for a thousand years and that good people don't last long. If she could, she would love to go back half a month and confine herself at home, never allowing herself to venture out, even at the cost of her life.

But there is no antidote for regret. Even if she were blue with remorse, it would do her no good now.

A breeze wafted in from the balcony, carrying the dry scent of sunlight. Yuh Jinnian observed Ruan Ruan, her face etched with frustration, clearly regretting her previous interference.

"Starting today, I'll be living here. You can call the police or tell someone else," he said, his gaze lingering on the fruit knife adorning the wall.

Ruan Ruan tensed, her neck retracting slightly. She had barely managed to utter a word of protest before his swift movement brought the knife too close for comfort. She knew that revealing his whereabouts would not only put her at risk but also endanger her family. She couldn't gamble with their lives.

Looking out the window, the sunlight was blinding, yet her vision was shrouded in darkness. Her life had taken a turn since yesterday, and the simplicity of her past seemed irretrievable.

She let out a wry laugh. Fate had played a cruel joke on her.

"As long as you're here, my family will be safe, right?" Since fate had dealt her this hand, resistance was futile. All she could do was clench her jaw and bear it.

"That's up to you," he replied.

Ruan Ruan took a seat on the sofa across from him, feeling a profound sense of vulnerability. Even with her standing and him seated, she was overwhelmed by a feeling of helplessness, her legs shaking uncontrollably.

"I'll keep your secret," Ruan Ruan said. She had never imagined she would agree to keep a murderer's secret. Did that make her an accomplice?

Ruan Ruan pictured herself gripping the iron bars, gazing out the window longingly at the freedom beyond.

She wondered if the deceased could ever forgive her, but quickly, Ruan Ruan dismissed the thought. Their paths had crossed by mere chance. Trying to save him had only brought trouble upon her; she didn't owe him forgiveness, let alone curse him.

"How long do you plan to stay?" Ruan Ruan asked, her voice trembling.

The man lifted his gaze to meet hers, and with just one look, Ruan Ruan's legs shook with fear. She had never encountered such a cold, indifferent stare, as if it harbored ice within.

"If you're going to stay, can I move out? I promise I won't breathe a word of this to anyone." The idea of living with a murderer was more than Ruan Ruan's heart could handle.

"You're afraid I'll do something to you, but there's no need. Last night, when I bathed you, I saw your body. There's nothing appealing there for me; I'm not interested," the man said, his eyes briefly scanning her form.

Ruan Ruan didn't argue with him. What was the point of disputing with a murderer, unless she had a death wish?

After all, her figure was nothing special, and her features were far from stunning. Shi Xuerong, on the other hand, was a different story. She was beautiful, with a figure to match. Next to her, Ruan Ruan would always be the background to her spotlight.

People used to say Yuh Jinnian must have been blind to be with Ruan Ruan. It turned out Yuh Jinnian had indeed been blind back then; now his taste aligned with that of the average person.

As he noticed the desolation and sorrow on Ruan Ruan's face, he pinched her cheek, which felt surprisingly soft, much like her name suggested. But was her lack of a perfect figure really worth such heartache?