Xia Mengqi's eyes were focused on her phone, staring at the text message she had sent a few hours ago.
He hadn't texted back, and that made her uneasy.
Xu Shengyu was unpredictable, even though they had been dating for eight years, she still couldn't accurately predict how he was going to react.
"Sister Mengqi, we are here," her assistant, who was also her driver, called out to her.
Xia Mengqi raised her head to look at the young man driving her van.
She sighed, and her eyes returned to the text she had sent her boyfriend. Well, her ex-boyfriend since a few hours ago.
"Let's break up." The words were cold and straight to the point.
But there was no other way to end her relationship with Xu Shengyu.
"Sister Mengqi?" Her assistant called out to her again.
Xia Mengqi snapped out of her thoughts and forced a smile.
"Thank you, you can leave with the van," Xia Mengqi said as she climbed out of the van.
She took a few steps before she stopped and turned to face the assistant.
"Please tell the director I won't be showing up for filming tomorrow. I am really tired, and I need some time off," She informed her assistant, a tired look on her face.
Xiao Liu nodded his head, his face filled with youthful enthusiasm.
Xia Mengqi smiled bitterly. At his age, she had been filled with the same passion.
At some point, though, she had lost it. After getting to the peak and seeing how the industry really was, the burning passion that she carried from her youth had burned out.
She turned and walked towards her house, a villa she had bought in one of the most private neighbourhoods of the city.
No one else besides the residents could get in.
She wanted a place far from Xu Shengyu, somewhere he could not infiltrate. This was the only area of her life she had full control over.
She sighed, opening the door. She knew she only had tonight to rest and collect her thoughts.
Tomorrow, she will have to face him. But she was certain about what she wanted. There was no way forward for the both of them anymore. This relationship has reached its end.
She turned on the lights, and a blood curdling scream left her lips
"Argh!!!!"
Xia Mengqi grabbed onto the wall for support as she stared at Xu Shengyu's cold face. He was sitting on her couch. One leg crossed over the other like he owned the place.
He smiled gently, as if sitting in her house, in complete darkness, waiting for her without her knowledge, was their usual routine.
"Surprised to see me?" He asked her.
Xia Mengqi stood straight and tried to mask her fear, smiling in return.
However, she was shaking.
Xu Shengyu, the man that she had once loved with all of her heart, now filled her with fear. He always had, but she used to consider it part of his charm.
"I....what are you doing here, Shengyu?" Xia Mengqi asked with false calmness, trying her best not to give away any emotion.
He could always tell when she was scared, and he took full advantage of that every time.
Xu Shengyu walked over to her, the smile still plastered on his face.
But besides that smile, there was something else, a dangerous look that Xia Mengqi knew all too well.
Xu Shengyu stopped in front of her. He reached out a hand to touch her face, but Xia Mengqi turned away from him.
The smile on his face was instantly replaced by a frown.
"Xia Mengqi," he called out, a dangerous ting in his voice.
Xia Mengqi forced herself to turn back to look at him, he wasn't just calling her name. It was a warning.
Xu Shengyu..." She called out softly. Thinking of the things he could do to her, the things he had done to her, she was so close to tears.
Xu Shengyu laughed, and it was unclear if he was laughing at her or himself.
"Chen Yang called me. He said you told him to inform the director you wouldn't be working tomorrow?"
Xu Shengyu's voice was calm, like he was asking a mundane question.
Xia Mengqi nodded her head. "Filming has been going really well, so I thought taking some days off won't be a problem. I..."
Xu Shengyu placed a finger on her lips, shushing her. He nodded his head like he understood her.
"Hmm, you're right. You've been working really hard for the company these past few years. I can take a few days off. You should do that too. We can go on a trip and...."
Xia Mengqi removed his finger from her lips.
"Shengyu," she called out, uncertainty in her voice.
"What?" He barked at her, and Xia Mengqi shuddered once again.
She knew that he was on the verge of losing it.
She also knew what he would do to her once he lost control completely... she knew better than anyone else.
"I....you got my text," she finally said, not knowing how else to start.
Xu Shengyu stepped away from her and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
Xia Mengqi took a deep breath, she already knew this would not be easy.
She had to put an end to it before it was too late, before she completely lost herself.
"Xu Shengyu, our relationship should have ended years ago, but we stayed together regardless. I understand it might affect the company. I won't tell anyone that I've broken up with you, we can still make public appearances for the press. Don't worry, I also won't sign a contract with another company. It's just…. It's suffocating to be with you..."
"You think I'm suffocating you?" Xu Shengyu's voice had changed significantly and sounded so soft. Almost like the person who had barked at her a minute ago wasn't him, and Xia Mengqi's resolve almost broke.
He looked and sounded so pitiful right now, like a child who just wanted love.
But she knew this was just one of his manipulation tactics. Whenever they argued, he acted like he was the victim, like she was breaking his heart, forcing him to do things he didn't want to do. Thinking of the many times that she had fallen for this same tactic, she couldn't stop the anger that welled up in her heart.
"Xu Shengyu! You know what you've done! Controlling my whole life and...."
His hands wrapped around her neck in an instant, choking her!
Xia Mengqi's eyes widened in fear, but there was also resignation in her eyes.
It wasn't the first time, after all.
"You think I am suffocating you?! I love you! I fucking love you damn it! And you think you can just leave me like that?! Why would you do that to me?!" Xu Shengyu yelled at her.
His eyes darted around, and his hand began to shake even though it was tightly wrapped around her neck.
Xia Mengqi grabbed his hand and tried to push him away. Her eyes reddened as the tears flowed freely.
She tried to beg, but she could not get the words out, suffocated by the tight grip around her neck.
Xu Shengyu flung her against the wall, a cold look in her eyes.
As Xia Mengqi's body hit the cold wall, she looked up at the man who was supposed to love and protect her.
Xu Shengyu walked over to her, and she cowered on the floor.
He raised his hand, and Xia Mengqi curled up, thinking he would hit her, but his hand came down on her gently and patted her back.
"Why do you always make me do things like this?" Xu Shengyu asked her as he tried to comfort her.
"You know I love you, and yet you..."
"I don't love you! I don't love you anymore, Shengyu! I can't keep living like this! Please… let me go!"
His jaw tightened, and he stood up.
Xia Mengqi knew she was pushing him far, but this was the only way. She didn't want to live another day as his puppet.
Her body was shaking.
"Xia Mengqi...I think I've given you too much freedom!"
Before she could react, Xu Shengyu pulled her up, and he started dragging her towards her bedroom.
"Do you think you can get away from me?! Never! Not in this life! Not ever!" He yelled at her.
"Let go of me! Let go!" Xia Mengqi pushed him away with all of her strength.
Xu Shengyu didn't listen, and he continued to drag her towards the room.
Just as they passed the dining area, Xia Mengqi saw a fruit knife on the table.
She pushed Xu Shengyu away with all of her strength, then she picked up the knife and held it against her neck.
Xu Shengyu turned to her coldly, a guarded look on her face.
"What are you doing?" He asked coldly.
However, his voice carried a hint of fear.
Xia Mengqi shook her head.
She was tired of this, she had to put an end to it.
"If you don't let me go.....I am going to kill myself!"
"Xia Mengqi! Do you really think you could escape from me if you died?! I will follow you and drag you from hell myself! " He threatened her.
Xia Mengqi's hands were shaking, and she could not hold the knife properly.
However, she would rather die than have Xu Shengyu continue to control her life.
Xu Shengyu noticed her unsteady grip and saw his chance.
He rushed at her, trying to take the knife from her.
Xia Mengqi saw this and tried to stab herself with the knife.
However, her aim was unstable, and she only managed to cut her face a little before Xu Shengyu got the knife away from her.
His jaw tightened when he saw the injury on her face.
He slapped her, and she fell to the ground.
"How dare you?! How dare you ruin your face!" Xu Shengyu yelled at her.
Xia Mengqi laughed crazily. "Aren't you obsessed with this face? If I ruin it, would you finally leave me alone?"
She was laughing and crying at the same time.
Xu Shengyu, unable to place a lid on his emotions, grabbed her neck and started to choke her once more.
"I told you not to touch that face, no matter what! How fucking dare you?!" He screamed at her.
Then, in a moment of blind anger, he grabbed her head and slammed it against the table.
Xia Mengqi's eyes widened, and she gasped from the pain.
Slowly, she slumped to the ground, and her eyes closed.
Xu Shengyu stared at her coldly, an emotionless look on his face.
A blood curling scream echoed through the room.
"Argh!!! Xu Shengyu....Mengqi....you....you killed her!"