Captured Hearts: The Substitute Bride’s Gambit

Chapter 392: Chapter 392: She Wanted to Touch His Scars

Soon, they arrived at the police station, where Sheng Tingyuan accompanied her through the statement-taking process before taking her home.

Auntie Wang had already prepared dinner and was waiting for them, ensuring that Ye Chuyi could have a fresh and warm meal as soon as she returned.

After eating her fill, Ye Chuyi went upstairs to take a bath. noveldrama

Sheng Tingyuan went to the study to make a phone call, "I need you to check someone out."

"Young Master Ting, who would you like to investigate?"

"Wen Nianyou."

"Do you want to check for anything specific?"

"Look into all her illegal activities. If she doesn’t have any, then make sure she does."

"Yes, I understand!"

"And also, see if she has any weaknesses, or if she cares about someone. In any case, mental torment is essential."

"Understood, Young Master Ting."

Everyone has weaknesses, and with weaknesses come the ease of manipulation.

Take Sheng Huai’an, for instance. Sheng Tianxing was his vulnerability, and Sheng Tingyuan needed to do nothing else but get a hold of Sheng Tianxing’s lifeline, effectively controlling Sheng Huai’an.

For years, this was how Sheng Tingyuan gradually nibbled away at Sheng Huai’an’s resources and power.

He had become very skilled at this strategy.

After hanging up, Sheng Tingyuan also took a bath, then waited outside Ye Chuyi’s bathroom door.

The sound of running water filled the bathroom, and he let out a light chuckle, feeling that even though he was so close to her, she was still too far away—he yearned to join her in the bath.

Unfortunately, her modesty was too acute, and she would never agree.

A while later, the water stopped.

Moments after, Ye Chuyi opened the door.

Startled to see Sheng Tingyuan waiting outside the door, she asked, "Why are you blocking the door, waiting for me?"

Sheng Tingyuan took the towel from her hand, began to dry her hair, and said, "This way, I can see you the moment you come out."

Ye Chuyi’s lips curved into a smile as she tiptoed and kissed him.

Sheng Tingyuan hadn’t expected a kiss, so he lifted Ye Chuyi horizontally, placed her on the bed, and was about to kiss her when he felt her hand reaching for his lower abdomen.

He almost immediately glimpsed her intention—she wanted to touch his scar.

He caught her hand, "Don’t move."

Ye Chuyi said, "Let me see how your wound is doing."

"It’s nothing to see, it’s already healed."

"But I want to see."

"It doesn’t look very nice, I’m afraid it will scare you."

"It won’t, I’m a doctor, what kind of scars haven’t I seen?"

Seeing her persistence to look, Sheng Tingyuan reluctantly let go of her hand and indulgently said, "Doctor Anxin, I’ll listen to you, your word is final."

Ye Chuyi extended her finger, hooked his sleepwear, and slowly pulled it down.

A startling, long scar stretched across his lower abdomen. After so many years, the scar had faded considerably, yet it was still evident that he had suffered immensely.

Ye Chuyi had never felt anything when looking at patients’ scars. She had been specially trained by her teachers to face any wounds calmly.

However, seeing Sheng Tingyuan’s scar still made her eyes well up with tears.

Sheng Tingyuan saw the tears in her eyes, pulled his sleepwear back up, and covered the fierce scar.

He embraced Ye Chuyi, kissed her cheek tenderly, and said, "It’s all in the past. I haven’t felt pain for a long time. Moreover, the wound wasn’t this big when Sheng Tianxing stabbed me. The scar is from the surgeries that followed."

Ye Chuyi nodded, "I know, it’s just... still very upsetting."

Because it wasn’t just a simple scar. It signified a time when Sheng Tingyuan hovered close to death’s edge.

Just thinking that she could have lost him sent waves of panic through her heart.

This was a feeling she had never experienced before. She did not know if it was because she had started to like him, or because she had learned he was the little boy who brought warmth to her childhood, but regardless of the reason, he now held a completely different place in her heart.

Sheng Tingyuan didn’t want her to be upset, so he purposefully told her a few amusing childhood stories, and only when he made her laugh did he breathe a sigh of relief.

As the night deepened, she, having listened to the stories, fell asleep in his embrace.