She refused to turn around and look at him, scared of the outcome of this conversation. Her eyes began to burn with unshed tears, and she hated herself for losing control over her emotions so easily in his presence.

A moment later, she felt his fingers gently caressing her arm. "Wife-"

"Teacher Zhu, please don't call me your wife, and don't place your hand on me so familiarly. Whichever relationship we agreed upon before no longer matters. Let's officially part ways now before we both end up hurting each other." Li Meirong's sentence came out both formal and detached, as she meant it to be. She pulled away from Zhu Qingyue, crossing both arms underneath her chest.

She didn't notice the man's face darkening behind her until all that encased him was a black, murderous aura so strong, it veiled the room in a fog.

"You wish to leave me?" She heard him ask.

"I don't want to see you anymore." Li Meirong fought to keep her voice from trembling as she answered. The mist of her own tears gave a shine to her limpid eyes. The healthy natural blush on her skin dissipated, leaving her ashen-faced.

She knew that she had to quit this relationship before she'd be in too deep, before he would break her and smash his foot on the crumbled pieces of her heart. Those continuous disappearances of his, the differences in their social positions, and the probable chance that he was playing her all along only to mask his true intentions, of hiding his sexuality, had made her determined to end this. She only hoped that if she would manage to make a clean break with him today, then her mind would no longer be plagued by his presence.

However, Zhu Qingyue didn't let go. His hand fastened on Li Meirong's arm in an almost painful grip as he possessively pressed her back against his chest, while his other arm snaked around her slim waist in a tight hold.

Fear became a tangible force that crept over Li Meirong as she squirmed in his grasp, only to discover that she was trapped in his steel-like embrace, unable to shake him off.

She felt Zhu Qingyue lean down directly behind her, a few strands of silver cascaded down her shoulders from above, and warm breath tickled her ear. His low-pitched voiced caused her to let out a shuddering breath.

"Listen to me very carefully. You alone may walk all over me. Demand from me, insult me, treat me as your servant. You can do as you please. All that I have, all that I am, is yours. But in return you may never, ever entertain the thought of leaving me, do you understand?" Zhu Qingyue's voice dropped to venomous whisper against her ear, "for I will turn this entire world upside down, scour the whole universe if need be, to find you and chain you to my side. Here is where you belong." His grip on her tightened in emphasis, "here is where you stay."

"Zhu Qingyue, you're scaring me. Let me go."

Li Meirong felt his grip tighten on her waist, as though angered by her response. She winced in pain, her heart beating like a trapped creature in her throat.

"Never. I will never let you go." He hissed, furious. It seemed like the very notion was enough to make him fall into madness.

Terror washed over her at his calm, controlled words. She didn't recognize this side of Zhu Qingyue. Or perhaps, she did, but purposefully chose to forget the frightening feeling he had once invoked within her, the first time they had met.