Before the elegantly designed standalone villa, Jian Huan froze, her feet refusing to move. Lou Xiao, who had already started walking, turned back. He stood bathed in the halo of a single lamp, the light tracing the sharp lines of his shoulders—the only warmth in the darkness. “Getting cold feet?” The drive had sobered Jian Huan completely, and with the alcohol went the last dregs of her impulsive courage. The Jian family would never allow her to burn the bridge with Lou Jingyang. It was a Jian family creed: even if your husband brought a woman home, you were to welcome her with a smile. She was weighed down by too many chains, each one holding her in place: the Lou family, the Jian family, and... Jian Huan lowered her eyes. “Thank you for your trouble tonight, Second Master Lou. This is as far as it goes.” Lou Xiao let out a soft laugh, a sound that coiled into her ear and twisted like a knife in her heart. He didn't seem to be in any hurry to leave. He lit another cigarette, and in the darkness, a crimson dot glowed between his fingers. “They say Jian women are born to serve men. It’s really true, isn’t it?” His lips were thin, and the way he held the cigarette was lazy, utterly unconcerned with how insulting his words were. “Hey, tell me,” he mused, “when Lou Jingyang starts bringing women home right in front of you, are you going to stand by and hand them a condom?” Jian Huan said nothing, simply walking past him toward the villa. Lou Xiao chuckled, dropped his cigarette, and followed. At the entrance, Jian Huan saw the security guard’s hesitant expression. What was she supposed to say? As she was wondering, the scent of tobacco and damp greenery enveloped her from behind. “Open the gate.” The guard glanced at Lou Xiao and didn't dare ask a single question, immediately letting them in. The brief moment of surprise cleared, and Jian Huan belatedly understood the Second Master’s standing in the Lou family. She vaguely remembered Lou Jingyang warning her that there were two people in the Lou family you could never cross: the old man, and Lou Xiao. If you had to rank them, Lou Xiao was more dangerous by a long shot. With the old man, you were safe as long as you didn't provoke him. With Lou Xiao, you were never safe, whether you provoked him or not. - The villa was brightly lit, and ambiguous moans drifted from the bedroom. The door was ajar. From where Jian Huan stood, she could see the entangled figures inside. Suspecting was one thing; seeing it with her own eyes was another entirely. “Ziying, I’m crazy about you. I’d die for you, right here in your arms.” “Sob... Cousin, I’m so sorry. I know you were supposed to be with my cousin-in-law tonight, but I just had to call you. I love you too much. I can’t bear to watch you two have children.” “I know you’ve been wronged. Don’t worry. If you don’t like it, I’ll just have Jian Huan do IVF. Once she has the baby, no one will be able to interfere with us anymore.” Jiang Ziying stiffened. In truth, they weren’t blood-related, but she could never reveal that secret. … The couple inside were too absorbed to notice anyone had entered. A roar filled Jian Huan’s mind, and the string of her sanity finally snapped. As she sat in Lou Xiao’s car, the words echoed relentlessly in her mind. It wasn’t until his phone rang that she slowly came back to herself. Lou Xiao leaned back in the driver’s seat, murmuring a few lazy replies. After hanging up, he glanced at Jian Huan, still sitting in the passenger seat. He had been expecting a dramatic scene—a confrontation, tears, accusations. He hadn’t expected her to just turn and walk away. How boring. His interest gone, Lou Xiao’s attitude turned cold. He shot Jian Huan a look. “You really think I’m your chauffeur?” “Get out.” Everyone said Lou Xiao was capricious and unpredictable. Today, Jian Huan was finally experiencing it firsthand. She didn't move, her thoughts a mystery. Lou Xiao’s eyes narrowed, a sign his associates knew was a prelude to rage. His thin lips parted, about to spit out something even more humiliating, but Jian Huan cut him off. Her delicate white hands clutched his collar, her ragged breath feathering against his face. Lou Xiao raised an eyebrow, pausing for a few seconds before forcefully shoving her away. The momentum sent Jian Huan slamming against the car door, and she let out a pained grunt. Lou Xiao glanced down at the wrinkled fabric of his shirt, a ghost of a smile on his face. “Want to use me to get back at Lou Jingyang?” “Sleeping with you isn't a big deal, but I’m not in the mood anymore.” Jian Huan was silent for a moment. “I am a Jian. No Jian woman has ever been touched by a man other than her husband.” It was more than just not being touched; the Jian girls attended all-girls schools. Outside of their family, they were never alone with any man. It was the modern age, yet they lived as if they were in another century, bound by archaic rules of obedience and virtue. Rumor had it the Jians even had special courses to teach their daughters how to please men. And her words, surprisingly, had piqued Lou Xiao’s interest. He loved nothing more than to shatter rules, to watch the self-righteous tear off their masks of hypocrisy in the face of hatred and desire. Jian Huan’s words had struck a nerve. It seemed this woman knew a thing or two about human nature after all. While Lou Xiao was contemplating this, Jian Huan dropped another line. “We only got halfway through. Not even interested in a first time?” “…” Outside, a sudden clap of thunder split the sky. Fat raindrops began to fall on the roof, the patter a dense, insistent sound that filled the car. The rain quickly became a downpour, muffling a cry of pain. Outside, the world was cool and damp; inside, the air was feverish and hot. In the enclosed space, they breathed each other’s air. Lou Xiao savored the look of pain on Jian Huan’s face. The cry had made her features come alive, her slightly parted lips holding an unexpected hint of allure. Jian Huan was beautiful, in a classic sense, especially her full lips—biting them was an easily addictive pleasure. But as a woman, she was too bland, neither coquettish nor lively. She was like a glass of plain water, utterly devoid of flavor. Now, that plain water had been muddied and stained by his own hands, and Lou Xiao felt a perverse thrill. Already untamed, he became wilder. He showed no mercy for her first time. When it was over, Jian Huan felt as if she had died and come back to life. She lay panting against the back seat while Lou Xiao, collar open, lit a cigarette beside her. In a rare show of consideration, he didn't immediately kick her out, tacitly allowing her to recover in his car. The smell of smoke mixed with the other scents in the car, suffocating her. She rolled down the window, and a rush of cold, damp air poured in, making her shiver. She reached a hand out to feel the rain, and a ring of red marks was visible around her slender white wrist. “Ring—” Jian Huan’s phone buzzed. When she saw the name on the screen, her scalp tingled with dread. Why would Lou Jingyang be calling her? Unless… The moment she answered, an furious voice erupted from the phone. “Where are you! Who are you with!” Instinctively, Jian Huan glanced out the car window.