A deserted island. The rain fell in sheets, and waves crashed against the reefs with the rhythm of a drum. Mu Xia carved at a piece of wood with the dagger she always carried, the rain lashing her face, though she seemed not to feel it. She had been separated from her family for ten years. She had finally tracked down the Situ family, hoping to uncover the truth behind her mother's death and her own kidnapping. But before she could even reach them, the very people sent to bring her home had tried to assassinate her. She’d fought them off, but the cruise ship had taken on water, leaving her adrift until she washed up on this deserted island. This was her seventh day, with no sign of a passing ship. Fortunately, the island was dense with trees, and she had managed to build a simple wooden raft. The raft was nearly finished—only the oars remained. And then, of course, the downpour began… As Mu Xia stood to stretch her stiff limbs, a flash of black near the reef caught her eye. Curious, she walked over, only to find a man lying there. His face was pale, almost unnaturally handsome, but a deep wound marred his waist, the blood mingling with the seawater to create a crimson stain like a sunset. Mu Xia checked for his breath. Finding him still alive, she hauled him ashore and carried him back to the cave she’d been using for shelter. Once the fire was going, she braved the rain again, returning a short time later with a handful of herbs. "Lucky for you, you ran into me." Mu Xia spoke as she reached to undo the man’s clothes. She gauged the wound at his waist. It was a knife wound, deep. She couldn't tell if it had damaged any internal organs. She was about to check his pulse when a large hand suddenly clamped around her wrist. "Cough… Who are you?!" His voice was weak, but the hand gripping her wrist was incredibly strong. Mu Xia glanced at him coolly. "Who am I? Your savior. Let go, or the next thing I'll be carving is your tombstone. 'John Doe'—how does that sound?" The man’s brow furrowed, but he said nothing, his gaze falling to the crushed herbs in her other hand. "What are you staring at? Off with it! Or I’ll help you!" Mu Xia just went for it. "I'll do it myself." He shoved her hand away with a look of disdain and removed his own clothes, though his dark eyes never lost their vigilant edge. As the clothes came off, Mu Xia was greeted by the sight of eight-pack abs and a sharp V-line that disappeared into the waistband of his pants. This man's physique… was almost unfairly good. Mu Xia couldn't help but swallow, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she carefully applied the herbs to his wound. "What is this?" the man asked, his voice low and devoid of any warmth. "Herbs to stop the bleeding and prevent infection." "Where are we?" Mu Xia’s brief shyness evaporated into annoyance. The man was handsome, but he asked too many questions. If she knew where they were, would she be stranded here for seven days? "Save your questions. If you have the strength to talk, you'd be better off resting." His tone soured. "That's no way for a doctor to speak to a patient." "Ha?" Mu Xia shot back, amused. "And is that any way for you to speak to the person who saved your life?" The man’s brow creased deeply. "Woman, you're rude." "Man, you're impolite." They stared each other down, one all ice, the other all fire. The air between them crackled with tension. In the end, Mu Xia couldn't be bothered to argue with an injured man. She stood up. "The rain is heavy, and it'll get cold tonight. I'm going to build up the fire. You stay put." She was heading to a corner of the cave when his voice came from behind her again. "Hey." "What is it now?" Mu Xia turned. If she didn't get the fire going soon, they'd both freeze to death tonight! The man opened his mouth, then closed it. "Nothing," he finally said. "…" Mu Xia gave up on him and went to work on the fire. On the damp island, her only option was the primitive method of drilling wood. After more than an hour, a tiny flame finally flickered to life in the tinder. But a gust of wind from outside blew it out instantly. "Hey," the man’s voice called out again. "What do you want now?!" As Mu Xia spun around, a metallic clink sounded on the cave floor. A Zippo lighter rolled to a stop at her feet. "…" "???" "!!!" Mu Xia was silent for three seconds before she exploded. "Are you kidding me?! You son of a bitch! You absolute bastard!!" The man closed his eyes, ignoring her, but the corner of his cold mouth twitched into a barely perceptible smirk. Night fell quickly. They lay on opposite sides of the cave. Mu Xia was woken in the middle of the night by a muffled groan. She opened her eyes to see the man's already pale face was now deathly white. His body was curled into a ball, and his forehead was slick with cold sweat. "Hey, you bastard, are you okay?" Mu Xia went over and prodded his firm arm, but he didn't react. She pressed her hand to his forehead. He was burning up. The fever from the infected wound was raging. Normally, a couple of Amoxicillin would have fixed this, but where was she going to find antibiotics on a deserted island? Mu Xia had no choice but to try and bring his temperature down physically. But soon, the feverish heat gave way to violent shivers, and he began to murmur incoherently about the cold. Moving him closer to the fire didn't help. "Damn it…" Mu Xia cursed under her breath. Left with no other choice, she stripped off her own clothes, lay down, and pulled the man into a tight embrace, using her own body heat to warm him. Saving a life came first, even if he was a bastard. They say saving a life brings good luck. If the heavens were watching, she prayed they would grant her a smooth return to the Situ family to uncover the truth. The very people sent to 'rescue' her had tried to kill her. That alone proved something was deeply wrong with the Situ family. And if her own father was behind it, she wouldn't show any mercy. Clinging to the man, lost in her thoughts, Mu Xia drifted off to sleep. When she awoke again, it was to the sound of footsteps and voices outside the cave. Someone was here? She shot up, realizing the man’s jacket was draped over her. He himself was gone. Mu Xia quickly pulled on her clothes and crept cautiously toward the cave entrance. If her assassins had come back for her… well, she had to admire their dedication. But when she reached the entrance, she saw a line of bodyguards in black suits. A helicopter stood a short distance away, its blades still. The lead bodyguard was speaking respectfully to the man. At the sound of her approach, the man turned his head. It was the first time Mu Xia had seen his face in the sunlight. His features were sharp and handsome, his dark eyes deep and commanding. He projected an aura of immense power. Aside from a lingering pallor, he looked completely fine. His physical resilience was on another level. "You…" Mu Xia had just started to speak when he cut her off. "What do you want?" "Huh?" She didn't understand. "You saved me," he stated, his face impassive. "I can grant you one wish." Mu Xia was speechless. "You really are impolite. Is a simple 'thank you' really that difficult for you?" As soon as the words left her mouth, the bodyguards stared at her, stunned, as if she’d said something outrageous. The man’s expression, however, remained unchanged, as if he were used to such reactions. "Pass up this chance, and you'll regret it." Mu Xia was furious, but… her makeshift raft might not survive the journey back to the mainland. She ground her teeth. "My wish is for you to take me home." Now it was his turn to look surprised. "That’s it?" "What else?" Right now, that was her only wish: to get off this godforsaken island. He shot her a look one might give an idiot before turning and walking toward the helicopter. Three hours later, the helicopter was circling over Kyoto. "Is that the place?" the man asked, pointing to a villa on a sprawling estate below. "It should be…" Mu Xia had no memory of her childhood, but she had researched the Situ family before returning to the country. It was the estate that should have carried the Mu name, now the property of the father who hadn't bothered to look for her in ten years. "Take us down," the man commanded. "Yes, sir," the pilot immediately replied.