Jiang Ruan didn't even have time to scream.
Her slender, snow-white legs were exposed to the air, drawing more attention to the terrifying bruises swelling on her knees.
It looked as if she had been severely punished.
Jiang Ruan's skin was delicate and white; any injury looked several times worse than usual.
Glancing at her knees, Jiang Ruan cursed Li Xin again in her heart.
She would get her revenge sooner or later.
The moment she saw the man's expression freeze, his dark eyes fixated on her knee injuries, Jiang Ruan gulped silently.
It felt like the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees.
She tried to explain, "It's actually not that serious. You know my skin, even a small injury looks scary."
Bao Ye certainly knew.
Her skin, which was as fair and smooth as a teenage girl's, had been nurtured by him with milk baths over the past three years.
But the person he cherished and held in the palm of his hand was not meant to be bullied by others.
Bao Ye's cold sneer carried an undeniable depth as his icy, aloof interrogation reached her ears: "Is this also what you call a cinematic effect?"
Jiang Ruan blinked, her red lips moved slightly.
She didn't reply.
"No," she said.
"If it's not a cinematic effect, then what is it?" Bao Ye's voice was cold. "Are you only bold with me, but cower in front of others?"
"Letting people bully you?"
At his words, Jiang Ruan fell silent.
With stubborn, dark eyes, she stared at him, as obstinate as a mule, feeling aggrieved at being called a coward.
Of course, she knew Li Xin was deliberately making things difficult, but the entire crew was there, the Director was there, she couldn't make a scene.
Li Xin couldn't remember her lines, and the Director scolded her harshly.
She remembered her lines, and the Director would only praise her professionalism and sense of decorum.
"Why aren't you speaking?"
Bao Ye lifted his right hand, the Buddha Beads on his elegant wrist clinked with a crisp collision, accentuated by his purple shirt sleeves, exuding an ethereal aura.
At this moment, he held her slender chin, staring at the girl's small face. Though his grip wasn't strong, the veins on the back of his hand bulged, his eyes harboring a hint of suppressed anger: "Got hit last night, now your legs are like this. Don't you have any backbone, letting people bully you..."
"I didn't just let people bully me!" Jiang Ruan couldn't take it anymore and interrupted him, "You don't understand the situation at the time, I was very angry too. After all, I'm the one who got hurt, but I can't make a scene, do you understand?"
Jiang Ruan felt aggrieved, but what could she do unless they kicked Li Xin out.
Thinking of this, her red lips moved slightly, tempted to borrow his hand for help.
But then she remembered the filming had been going on for nearly a month already.
Changing people at this time would definitely affect their reputation.
After some hesitation, she gave up.
Bao Ye, holding her, listened to her words and casually remarked, "Hmm, quite sensible."
"Then just endure the pain."
Jiang Ruan: "..."
Damn it.
For some reason, hearing his tone sparked an inexplicable fire in Jiang Ruan's heart. She tried to free herself from his arms and get off his lap: "Let go of me!"
"I want to get down."
But Bao Ye tightened his grip. Compared to him, her strength was negligible.
He said in a low voice, "Don't move."
"Your leg is injured."
Jiang Ruan looked up, glaring at him: "Then let me down."
Bao Ye's dark eyes bore into her, as if they could pierce through her soul.
His voice was thin and cold: "Which of my words was wrong?"
"Aren't you supposed to be sensible? Even with injuries like this, you can't make a scene."
"Yesterday it was your face, today it's your legs, where will it be tomorrow? Your life?"
Bao Ye sneered: "Your so-called sensibility is nothing but tolerance, Jiang Ruan, is that how I taught you?"
Every word of his stabbed directly at her heart.
Their eyes met, Jiang Ruan felt a mix of anger and heartache.
She knew he was angry, was siding with her, perhaps even cared for her a bit.
After wrestling with herself for a while, Jiang Ruan finally softened her stance and stopped being stubborn with him.
Her soft red lips pouted as she extended her slender, gentle arm, wrapping it around the man's neck.
She whimpered in grievance, "Stop scolding me."
"My leg still hurts now."
"Bao Ye, I'm in pain."
The moment she wrapped her arms around him and heard her whimpering, Bao Ye's brow moved slightly, and the darkness in his eyes faded considerably.
Staring at her pure face close at hand, the man snorted coldly, "Now you know it hurts."
Jiang Ruan lowered her head and buried it in his neck, the scent of his exclusive cold-toned cologne surrounding her, it was enticing and alluring.
She replied gloomily, "Hmm."
"I'm not a coward, nor do I want to be rational. I'd like to be unreasonable and domineering like her, but I'm a rational person."
Jiang Ruan looked up, her dark eyes shining brightly. As he stared at her in silence, she continued with a determined, cold gaze: "But I won't put up with her forever. If it happens again, I'll make her realize how foolish she really is, in my own way."