Again, My Love

"Ah... You are so bad..."

The woman's voice quivered as Terence Qi caressed her.

Terence Qi let his cold fingers glide across the woman's skin, sending shudders up and down her spine. He leaned towards her ear, and whispered, "I thought you were enjoying it..."

"Terence, can't you be a little gentler?"

"You want me to be gentler?" He pulled away and looked at the woman with his charming eyes, an evil smirk plastered on his lips.

The way he looked at her made the woman panic, her heart fluttering in her chest.

In such an intimate moment, he spoke in a calm and serious tone. This made the woman suddenly feel that they were supposed to be working!

At this moment, someone knocked on the door.

Knock, knock, knock--

The person knocked on the door with quick, short raps.

"Terence... Somebody's at the door," the woman complained.

Terence Qi said nothing as he stared icily at the door, his deep eyes like cold daggers.

Knock, knock, knock--

Whoever was knocking was very persistent. The knocks were getting louder and faster by the second.

"Terence.. The door...." the woman repeated.

The man didn't say anything. He sped up so that she could not say a word.

His gaze swept through the door, his eyes brimming with coldness.

'Damn it! That woman again!' he sneered to himself.

It was Hester Tong knocking on the other side of the door.

After a few minutes, it seemed that she knew Terence wasn't planning on opening the door. With a sigh, she pulled out the spare key she had in her pocket and let herself inside.

As soon as she opened the door, the sight of two naked bodies came into her view. Stunned, her face burned fiercely. Hester Tong looked away in panic and didn't know what to do.

'They... What are they doing? Why are they naked like that?'

"Terence, your maid is so impolite. Why would she just barge in like that?"

With an ice cold expression on his face, he turned his head and saw Hester in a maid outfit, standing at the door with a bowl of soup in her hand.

Terence looked at Hester with a terrifying coldness. However, when he saw how red Hester's face was, he could not help but smile with amusement.

It was ridiculous for him seeing Hester in such a shy and ignorant demeanor.

With a sigh, he put on a bathrobe and slowly got out of bed. Terence then casually walked towards Hester. The closer he got to her, the more pressure he radiated. Even though she felt like she was a measly speck of dust in front of him, Hester felt like she had nowhere to hide.

She looked up at him in panic.

He had a charming face with finely chiseled features, like an exquisite Greek God. Terence's handsome eyebrows furrowed slightly as he approached. His long, good-looking and attractive eyes were slightly squinted, and the thick and long lashes cast shadows on his eyes, making him look more mysterious and dangerous.

Hester's heart was beating wildly in her chest at this point. There was no doubt that she was deeply attracted by Terence's charming face. Her eyes went down to his thin, slick lips. Underneath the evening glow coming from outside the window, his lips made him look colder and apathetic.

Step by step, Terence got closer... And closer... He was now right in front of Hester, just mere inches away from her. Hester could feel his hot breath on her face, making her blush even deeper.

Her eyes were now getting watery from all the heat she was feeling in her body.

"Ter... Terence... " she stammered.

"At first, I thought you knew nothing about sex. Now, I know that I was wrong,"

he said coldly, and pinched her chin with his hand forcibly, making her raise her head with humility. His grip was forceful, and his cold fingertips were like sharp blades. A little more force would bruise her delicate skin.

She took a deep breath in pain and frowned at him. She shook her head desperately, "I... I don't know what you're talking about. It's just that I... I just came to bring you some soup. You were dripping wet when you came back home from the rain."

It was obvious that she experienced great difficulty trying to say the right words. Because of the speech problem she had, each word seemed unskillful and unsightly.

Hearing the way Hester spoke, Terence frowned, feeling that it was a kind of torture to listen to her. He looked down at the tray in her hand, on which there was a bowl of soup. The faint smell of ginger wafted to his nose.

She really took it upon herself as the hostess here and took care of his daily life. But why would he need a woman who doesn't even know how to make love and how to serve him properly? If he took her out, Terence would be so embarrassed to be with her in public. If she stayed at home, she was nothing but a nuisance and an eyesore! He hated her so much and she was completely oblivious about it. She even took his mother's belongings and shamelessly wanted him to marry her!

He had never seen such a shameless woman.

"I want you to leave this room in the count of three,"

he spat coldly.

Hester could read lips and knew that he was unhappy. Since they were going to get married, she couldn't make him unhappy! She raised the tray up to tempt Terence to drink the soup she made.

"I promised aunt that I would take good care of you. Drink it now!"

"Hester, you make me sick!"

With a sudden wave of his hand, the hot soup dripped from the bowl and onto the back of her hand. The burning sensation made her hand quiver in pain. She bit down on her lip as she tried to maintain composure.

"My soup..."

She had no time to care about the wound on her hand and tried to say something else to Terence. But before she could utter another word, she was pressed hard against the wall. Her thin shoulder blades hit the cold wall hard, sending sharp pangs of pain.

Her face was pale and her forehead was sweating, which surprisingly made her big eyes more attractive. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

She knew that Terence didn't like it when women cried, but she couldn't control it. It was so painful!

Though her eyes were blurred with tears, she was still able to see his lips.

"Hester, you are a disabled. And you're trying to look after me? Don't you think that's a bit ridiculous?"

'Disabled?'

The words were like a knife stabbing into her, sending wave after wave of pain through her heart.

Terence saw this fleeting expression, and he couldn't help but smile coldly with pleasure.

"Wow, it turns out that you know yourself well enough that you are disabled. And do you know what I was doing with that woman on the bed just now?"

Suddenly, he came closer to Hester, his lips almost touching her face.

There was a mischievous smile on his face, his eyes glowing with a poisonous glare.

"What I was doing with her before you naively interrupted is the most intimate thing couples do. However... Never expect that we will do this together. Even if you stand before me without any of your clothes on, I won't take one look at you.

Do you know why?

...... It's because you make me sick! You don't deserve it!"

Hester's body was frozen in surprise. Her pupils were dilated and glassy, and it took her a long time to regain focus.

Terence's words kept echoing in her head.

'Even if you stand before me without any of your clothes on, I won't take one look at you. You make me sick!'

How could her fiance say something like that?

Hester had no idea how she had walked out of the room. Her legs were heavy as if they were filled with lead, and every step she took was like stepping on the tip of a knife.

The moment she stepped out, the door slammed shut behind her.

Dumbfounded, Hester stood outside the door, wondering what she did wrong. Why did Terence hate her so much? She was his fiancee!

Hester slowly sank into the floor and curled up into a ball. It felt as if she was falling into a bottomless abyss.

This was the first time she felt so helpless and scared.

At that moment, she remembered what Mrs. Qi told her on her death bed.

"Hester... I will be leaving soon. You have to take good care of Terence for me. He will soon be your husband, the one who will always protect you and cherish you. You must hold him tightly, never let him go.

He is not good at expressing himself. His words mean no harm, but I know that you are smart enough to not be confused by what you see on the surface. Believe me, dear. You love him, and he loves you too. You two will be together forever, but... I'm afraid I won't be there when you two wed.

Promise me something, okay? Please, don't give up... "

Mrs. Qi held Hester's hand tightly, and then closed her eyes slowly, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

It was the last thing Mrs. Qi ever said to her. 'Don't give up!' These words rang over and over in Hester's head.

She took a deep breath and gathered up all her courage, her fists clenching with determination.

Mrs. Qi was right. Hester remembered Terence's promise to her when they were still kids. She believed that Terence still loved her, and would keep his promise. Although she hadn't seen him for many years, Hester had firmly believed that his original intentions did not change despite the fact that he had changed so much.

'It is highly possible that he still loves me. It just so happens that Mrs. Qi has only passed away recently. Perhaps he's still just unable to agree to such a hasty marriage.' With all this in mind, Hester was determined that she would try her best to be a good wife!

Hours later, the sun had completely set, and the moon was high in the sky. Finally, the door to Terence's bedroom opened. Hester had already prepared dinner for Terence, worrying that if he doesn't eat a thing, he would have a stomachache.

She was waiting by the door with a tray of food, a wide smile on her face. However, much to her surprise, the beautiful woman was the one who emerged from the door.

She was wearing a silk pajama. Her collar was open, and her voluptuous body made Hester blush.

She looked down and avoided the eye contact. But when she caught a glimpse of her own breasts, she felt dismayed.

It was obvious. Her body was nothing compared to the beautiful woman's. 'Does Terence ever be fond of such a woman?'

As Hester kept her head down, the charming woman had come to her side. She raised her head and cast a sidelong glance at Hester.

"I don't care who you are. I'm going to marry Terence. I hope you leave as soon as you can. Please do everyone a favor. Nobody wants you here,"

the woman, Yam Ning, said as she raised her eyebrows at Hester.

"Just now, Terence told me that his mother arranged for you and Terence to get married. Is that right? Well, Mrs. Qi is dead, and clearly doesn't know any better. How could she leave you to torture Terence? I really doubt that she didn't love her son at all because of what she did."

These words completely provoked Hester.

In Hester's mind, Mrs. Qi was the most tender and amiable mother in the world. Because of her illness, she became deaf, and was soon despised by everyone around her. But Mrs. Qi never treated Hester in an ill manner. And, because of his mother, Terence also learned to love Hester.

Unfortunately, when Hester moved away, she couldn't meet Mrs. Qi frequently. Nevertheless, Mrs. Qi still cared about her, and chatted with her as often as she could. When Mrs. Qi was about to pass away from her illness, she was worried that Hester would be left all alone with no one else to look after her. That was why she wanted Hester to marry Terence.

For Hester, Mrs. Qi was the best person in the world, and she couldn't allow others to slander her!

At that moment, Hester couldn't help but feel that Yam Ning was barking up the wrong tree. She glared at Yam and said angrily, "How could you say that? Apologize to Mrs. Qi now!"

"Apologize? Why I need to apologize to a dead person?" Yam said with a mocking smile. Then she looked at Hester's angry face and snorted, "Your voice is really coarse. Is there something wrong with your vocal cords? I bet you can't hear yourself talking. You should realize how much torture you're putting Terence through just by opening your mouth.

I think you're the one who should apologize. Not me. You are the one who should get out of here!"

"You've gone too far! You can insult me, but not Mrs. Qi! You must apologize to her!"

Hester was like an angry lioness, looking at Yam ferociously, as if she would rush up and strangle the woman in front of her any second now.

However, Yam ignored Hester's threat.

"Quit the act now. Terence is not here. Why do you have to put up this little show of yours? I advise you to give up. Terence won't even look at you! He loves me, and I'm the hostess here!

As for you..."

Yam raised her slender hand and poked Hester's head with her fingernail in an arrogant manner. "As for you, just go away. Such a disabled person like you is really annoying."

Then she took back her hand and wiped it with disgust, as if she had been infected with some kind of virus.

With her hands around her chest, Yam flipped her hair, turned around and left.

Unexpectedly, she was shoved so hard that she bumped against the stair railing.

Hester had pushed her! Fortunately, Yam caught the railing just in time to prevent herself from falling down to a tragic fate. When she turned her head around, she saw Hester's angry look, and her chest heaving with anger.

"Damn it! What the hell are you doing?" Yam shrieked.

"Apologize to Mrs. Qi! You can't insult her!" Hester said, gritting her teeth.

"You..."

Yam was so infuriated that veins on the side of her head started to pop. 'What's wrong with this woman? She doesn't care about herself or Terence, and yet she goes crazy for a dead person!' Yam thought. However, the insistence of Hester scared her!

Yam glanced at the stairs underneath, and an idea flashed in her mind. She smiled cunningly and mischievously, which was not noticed by Hester at all.

She stood up and said with contempt, "What if I insult her some more? Will you want to hit me again? Let me tell you. She is the most pathetic mother in the world. She even set a trap for her son!

It's ridiculous that a disabled person like you is Terence's wife. It is shameful for the Qi family to know that. I'm afraid that Mrs. Qi will regret if she knows that her son is being laughed at."

"What... Shut up!"

Hester was raging with anger now. How could this woman's mouth be so hateful? Why would her words be so cruel! There was nothing wrong with Mrs. Qi's decision. Hester believed that Terence loved her, and that they would be very happy together! It was just that... She hadn't seen Terence for a long time, so he just wasn't used to her presence yet.

Hester reassured herself that Mrs. Qi would not regret making her Terence's wife. There was no way she was going to humiliate the Qi family! It was not her fault that her ears were not good. Why did this woman bully her like this?

Fueled by her anger, Hester charged forward at Yam. However, Yam acted quickly and tripped her over. Hester lost her balance and fell down the flight of stairs.

"Aaah!"

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, every part of her body started to ache. Her head, thighs, arms... She hit the floor hard and felt the sharp, painful coldness that seemed to penetrate all the way to her bones. Moaning, she couldn't tell whether or not her back had been broken from the fall.

She groaned in embarrassment and tried hard to open her eyes. There, she saw Yam standing at the top and sneering at her with a sinister look in her eyes.

Yam was so far away that Hester could not read her lips, but she could understand enough from the sneer she had on her face.

Suddenly, another person came to view. It was none other than Terence!

He wrapped his arms around Yam's waist from behind and walked slowly towards her.

In her eyes, the man's expression was too cold, and his thin lips were pressed into a fine line, making him look mean and appalling. His coldness made her heart sting, but she couldn't help feeling hopeful at his presence.

'Terence, will you help me? I'm your wife!'

Hester shouted from the depths of her heart!

Terence walked up to her, and glanced at her with disdain.

"Stop overreacting. If you can't stand up, you should just leave. We Qi family don't raise garbage..."

Hester couldn't clearly hear the rest of his words. The pain from her whole body made the veins on her forehead bulge, and cold sweat fell into her eyes. She could not help but close her eyes in pain.

'I have to keep my eyes open!

Otherwise I won't be able to see what Terence is saying!'

However, when she forced herself to open her eyes again, Hester saw that he was already walking away, his back turned coldly to her. The sight of this made her heart sink.

Terence had left her.

Yam Nine, on the other hand, did not. Instead, she crouched leisurely, and looked down arrogantly at Hester's embarrassing position.

With a pout, she further provoked Hester, her voice filled with sarcasm, "Weren't you arrogant just now? Now you are lying on the ground, just like a dead dog. Do you know what Terence said just now? He said Qi family don't raise garbage. Did you hear that? Technically, you're really good for nothing!"

Yam said these words slowly so that Hester could clearly read every word on her lips.

The words that came out of Yam's red lips drew a sharp line at Hester's heart.

'You're really good for nothing...' She wasn't good for nothing--she was the wife of Terence, the one who would take care of him for the rest of his life!

Using every ounce of strength she could muster, Hester got up from the cold floor. Her action was very slow, and she fell back awkwardly several times, which appeared a bit ridiculous.

Seeing this, Yam Nine didn't try to stop her. On the contrary, she wished Hester would keep falling down to her death!

The two women did not notice that Terence had turned around, and was watching the whole thing happen. For some reason, he felt a bit moved. He saw Hester struggling to get up from the ground, her fair skin full of bruises and her forehead swollen with a red mark. The cotton, cartoon shirt Hester was wearing was all creased and dirty. Even though Hester looked so pitiful, there was firm determination in her bright, black eyes!

Shaking his head, he averted his gaze. He never expected that he would have this amount of interest towards this good for nothing!

Hester stood up and looked at Terence's direction, as if she felt that he was looking at her.

But all she could see was a cold, emotionless figure.

She held back her disappointment and looked away from Yam's smug face. No matter how much Yam laughed at her, she still was not the legitimate hostess. Hester was the one true hostess here! There was no one else but her!

Slowly but surely, Hester walked towards the dining table with great difficulty. Feeling exhausted and in terrible pain, she closed her eyes and uttered, "I'm not garbage. I'm going to prepare dinner for you. The dinner has gotten cold, but I'm going to heat it up right now."

Hearing this, Terence trembled imperceptibly. There was a complicated look on his face.

Hester's hobbling figure came into view. She walked to the dining table, got the meal she had prepared, and wobbled her way towards the kitchen.

'Damn it! Couldn't this woman be sensible and just leave?' Terence sneered to himself.

The anger rose in Terence suddenly, and he strode forward and grabbed Hester's wrist. The pain from his grasp made she loosen her grip on the bowl, making it slip from her hand.

Although it was no longer hot, the contents of the bowl splashed all over them.

Hester was startled. Instinctively, she quickly used her free hand to wipe the apron. However, she was thrown onto the ground by Terence. Her knee hit the floor with a hard thud, causing blood to spill out.

For a few seconds, she was lost at a daze with the new pain shooting up her leg. With a soft whimper, she carefully bent her knee to look at the wound.

"Stop it! Just stop!

Hester, how stupid can you be? Why do you insist on staying with me? Didn't you marry me so you could call yourself my wife? Didn't you marry me for a wealthy life?

I can give you money, and I can buy you a house and get you a maid to serve you, as long as you hand over my mother's belongings and never mention that ridiculous contract ever again!

I never want to see you again!"

She had suffered so much that her bright eyes were already brimming with tears. With a defeated heart, Hester nodded, and could not help but accept all of Terence's terms.

'It is so humiliating for her that she believes my mother's belongings are for her to keep, and that she would ask me to marry her. Impossible! No way! I don't believe in love. And even if I did, a deaf, disabled woman would definitely not be one of my choices for a wife!'

Hester was stunned at the sight of Terence's furious dark eyes, and she couldn't help trembling. There was no love in his eyes and she even felt that he was going to strangle her at any moment.

'No... Impossible..'

"I... I promised Mrs. Qi. I want to... I have to take care of you!"

"You are crazy!"

Hearing that again, Terence wondered why his mother believed that a deaf idiot could be his wife!

For a short moment, Terence thought that maybe he was the one going crazy!

"Terence... I know the death of your mother was a great blow to you. I will wait. When you are in a good mood, we will talk about our marriage. I... I'm taking care of you at home now, okay?"

"Is this what you want?"

he pursed his lips and said in a cold voice.

Terence's eyes were so cold that Hester couldn't help staring at him.

Hester could not feel any pain, but only the chill through her bones. She couldn't help but shivering. Finally, she nodded firmly, "Yes, I must fulfill your mother's last wish."

As soon as she finished speaking, the rage on his face disappeared, and the indifferent expression on his face returned.

"Since you want to stay and look after me so much, I'll do what you want. The meal you made is ruined. You must make another one."

Hester was gasping for breath when she saw the move of Terence's lips. She looked at the mess all over the ground. The soup on the floor mixed with the blood from her busted knee. She had wounds all over her body. It was difficult to warm the dishes up in the first place. But now, it seemed almost impossible to make another one from scratch given her state.

"I... I'm afraid I can't..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a sneer from Terence, "Well, are you rejecting me now? Didn't you say you would take care of me? Now it's time for you to fulfill my mother's last wish. You won't let your beloved Mrs. Qi down, will you?"

"I... I didn't mean that. It's just that I'm badly hurt--"

"If you don't follow what I said, get out of here right now! If you can take care of me, I will keep you by my side. But now you can't even cook. How can you stay here? What good are you for?" he questioned.

Hester opened her mouth, but she couldn't say a word. At last, she calmed herself down and nodded her head.

In an almost inaudible voice, she whimpered, "I understand. Hold on for a moment. I will make it right as quick as possible."

Then she squatted down. She felt a sharp pain from her knees, and blood trickled down her fair, slender legs, but she didn't care. She cleaned the ground carefully and moved slowly without any sound of protest or pain.

Watching this, Terence squinted his eyes, his stare like icy daggers.

'This woman is so unreasonable. Why would she go through all this trouble... just to make my dead mother happy?'