"Easy, dammit." "My bad, boss." Han Zong skillfully tended to the wound on Lou Xiao's abdomen. "Boss Xiao, this cut doesn't look deep. How'd it tear open so badly?" A smirk touched Lou Xiao’s lips. After the way he'd spent last night, how could it not? Once the wound was dressed, Lou Xiao stood to get his shirt. The moment he was on his feet, Han Zong yelped. "Boss Xiao, what happened to your back?" he asked. "Did Lou Cheng's men do that too?" Lou Xiao glanced in the mirror. Scratches, clearly from fingernails, crisscrossed his muscular back. He slapped Han Zong's reaching hand away. "Don't be a moron." Realization dawned on Han Zong, his eyes wide with surprise. "From a woman?" Lou Xiao didn't deign to answer. His cold shoulder didn't deter Han Zong; if anything, it spurred him on. "Was it that girl from the Jian family?" he pressed. "No, wait," he mused, "Boss, you just came from the Lou family mansion. How could Miss Jian be there with you..." A single glance from Lou Xiao was all it took. Han Zong fell silent, his pupils dilating. Miss Jian... at the Lou mansion! A look of pure admiration crossed his face. *Leave it to Boss Xiao to play the game.* He didn't just play; he went for the highest stakes. "To dare and scratch *you*... she's got some nerve." Lou Xiao slipped on his jacket with a low chuckle. "Not much nerve, but her claws are sharp." Han Zong grinned slyly. "So, you're hooked?" Lou Xiao's gaze drifted out the window, his tone indifferent. "It was novel, that's all." *Right,* Han Zong thought. *Sounds like he’s done with her.* Just then, Lou Xiao's phone rang. Few people had his number, and fewer still dared to use it. Lou Xiao glanced at the screen, and his expression turned to ice. - With a thud, Jian Huan was thrown onto the guest room floor, her vision swimming. She was at her limit. She’d bitten her tongue until it bled just to stay conscious. A camera was already set up, its lens a silent voyeur to what was about to unfold. Black leather shoes approached. Trousers dropped to the floor. As one of the men leaned over her, Jian Huan locked her legs around his. He clearly hadn't expected her to be conscious and crashed to the ground, caught completely off guard. Before the other could react, she scrambled to her feet and ran. She’d noticed when they brought her in that the door locked from the outside. If she could just bolt it before they got out... "Stop!" The bodyguard stumbled, yanking up his pants as he lunged for her. A split second before his fingers could close around her, Jian Huan burst out of the room and threw her entire weight against the door. "Open the door!" She fumbled with the lock, her back pressed hard against the wood, trapping their roars and the frantic pounding inside. With the door secured, her legs gave out. She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and forced herself toward the stairs. But she had underestimated the drug. She'd only taken a few steps before the world tilted, and she went tumbling down. Everything spun. Even with the thick carpet cushioning her fall, the impact jarred her. A sigh echoed from above her. "Why must you be so disobedient?" Looking up, Jian Huan saw the blurred face of Yun Jing. The sight of the bodyguard standing behind her made Jian Huan’s heart turn to ice. The bodyguard hauled Jian Huan to her feet. Yun Jing's tone was laced with regret. "I really didn't want to hurt you." Jian Huan scoffed. "Drugging me? Hiring men to rape me? Is that what you call not hurting me?" Yun Jing didn't argue, her voice remaining placid. "Take this pill. It will make things more comfortable for you." A pink pill was shoved into her mouth. Jian Huan refused to swallow, so the bodyguard pried her jaw open and poured water down her throat. The cold liquid trickled down her chin, soaking the front of her shirt. "Cough! Cough..." As she was forced to swallow, a maid rushed into the room.