The world outside was a pitch-black curtain of pouring rain, utterly deserted. It slowly dawned on Jian Huan—why would Lou Jingyang bother tailing her? She was just being paranoid. Just as she was about to reply, a large hand shot out from the side and ended the call. Jian Huan frowned. Before she could ask Lou Xiao what he was doing, he seized her by the chin, pressed his lips to hers, and forced a stream of smoke into her lungs. "Cough... cough, cough..." Jian Huan erupted into a choking fit. Lou Xiao watched as the violent coughing brought a flush of color back to her pale, frightened face, and nodded in satisfaction. Much easier on the eyes now. Just then, a text message from Lou Jingyang came through. Was he home already? He’d never cared what she did before. Why was he so angry now? A sense of unease crept over Jian Huan. Ignoring the searing burn in her throat, she grabbed the door handle, ready to get out. Lou Xiao’s arm snaked around her waist, pulling her back. "Where are you going?" "I have to go back." She couldn't afford to burn bridges with Lou Jingyang. Not yet. Hearing this, Lou Xiao’s eyelids lifted slightly as he sized her up. "You're going back looking like *that*?" Jian Huan followed his gaze down at herself. Her clothes were a wrinkled mess, like a crumpled rag. Worse, her skin was littered with hickeys and bruises. If Lou Jingyang saw them, the consequences would be unthinkable. "Could you... drop me at the nearest mall?" Lou Xiao said nothing. So he ended up playing chauffeur after all. When they arrived at the mall, Lou Xiao didn’t move. Taking the hint, Jian Huan opened the door herself. As she stepped out, her legs gave out, and she nearly buckled to the ground. Lou Xiao didn't get out to help. Instead, he rolled down the window, watching her with detached amusement. Under the bright lights of the shopping plaza, her rumpled clothes looked even more pathetic. She ventured, "Could I... borrow your jacket?" Lou Xiao laughed, a wicked glint in his already captivating eyes. When he spoke, his voice was dripping with malice. "My jacket? I already gave it to you." Jian Huan froze for a second before the realization hit her, and her blood ran cold. Back at Lou Jingyang's place, he had tossed his jacket at her. Which meant that man's jacket was still in Lou Jingyang’s apartment. Seeing the look of sheer terror on her face, Lou Xiao’s laugh grew louder. "No need to thank me, sweetheart." "Cough, cough..." The putrid smell of car exhaust filled her lungs, and Jian Huan bit back a torrent of curses. But her situation was too urgent to waste time. She bowed her head, using her long hair to hide the marks on her neck, and forced herself to walk into the mall to buy new clothes. - In the speeding car, the corners of Lou Xiao’s lips curled into a slight smile. Even his voice on the phone carried a lazy satisfaction it usually lacked. "Speak." A man’s exasperated voice came through the receiver. "I've been waiting for you for over four hours, man. Got the drinks, got the entertainment, everything's ready. Are you coming tonight or not? Just give me a straight answer." Lou Xiao glanced at his watch, surprised at how long he'd spent toying with Jian Huan. "Not coming. Already ate." Han Zong immediately pushed away the woman in his arms and found a quieter corner. "Who was it? Must've been some meal to take you four hours." Lou Xiao ran a red light, answering casually, "One of the Jians." "Fuck!" Han Zong's voice shot up. "Seriously?" He lowered his voice. "Did you drug her?" Lou Xiao cursed with a laugh. "Fuck off. Who do you think I am, that kid from the Jiang family?" Previously, the eldest young master of the Jiang family had made a bet that he could win over the second daughter of the Jian family within a month. He’d offered her a house, a car, even a yacht, but couldn't get anywhere near her. Frustrated and having lost a fortune, he’d resorted to drugging her. But the second Jian daughter refused to yield, choosing to jump from a third-floor window instead, shattering her leg in the process. The story had spread like wildfire through their circles, making the Jiang heir a laughingstock and sparking jokes that the Jian women all wore chastity belts—completely untouchable. So, for Han Zong to hear that Lou Xiao had just had a tryst with one of them was, to say the least, shocking. "Which Jian was it? Don't tell me it was the second daughter. Or the fourth? No, wait, isn't the fourth one engaged to Lou Jingyang?" "Keep guessing. I'm hanging up." "Wait, wait, wait! Bro, c'mon, you're my brother from another mother, don't hang up!" Han Zong knew he wouldn't get a name, but his curiosity was killing him. He tried another angle. "So, how much did you give her?" "Give her what?" "Money, jewelry, what else?" Lou Xiao thought for a moment. "I gave her a massive problem. Does that count?" Han Zong was speechless. - The high-end suit jacket was thrown to the floor and stomped on viciously. "Bitch! Bringing another man into my house! Do you think I'm invisible?!" Although Lou Jingyang didn't love Jian Huan, he couldn't tolerate her betrayal. A smile played on Jiang Ziying's lips. It had been her idea for Lou Jingyang to bring her back here to "apologize." She'd meant to provoke Jian Huan a little, but she never expected a prize like this. She looped her arm through Lou Jingyang's, cooing, "Cousin, don't be so angry. Maybe one of sister-in-law's friends left it here by mistake." Jiang Ziying glanced at the wall clock, her expression turning to one of concern. "It's just... it's so late, and she's still not back. And she hung up on us just now. Do you think something might have happened to her?" "What could happen? That bitch is definitely out screwing some other man!" The words had barely left his mouth when the front door opened. Over an hour had passed since Lou Jingyang’s call. "Sister-in-law, you're finally back! My cousin and I were so worried about you." Jiang Ziying smiled sweetly and linked her arm with Jian Huan’s, just as she always had. Jiang Ziying was all sweetness and charm, always calling her "sister-in-law" with a saccharine tone. Even though she was always clinging to Lou Jingyang, Jian Huan had dismissed her as just an affectionate younger sister. But now, the sight of her sent a wave of revulsion through Jian Huan. She shoved her away without a second thought. "Yes, I'm back." Pushed away, Jiang Ziying first looked stunned, then frightened by the coldness in Jian Huan’s eyes. She put on a pitiful expression. "Sister-in-law, are you mad at me for calling my cousin away? I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to. I slipped in the bathroom, I had no choice but to call him." "Please don't be mad, okay, sister-in-law?" A sarcastic smile touched Jian Huan’s lips. "It's fine. You two *are* cousins, after all." A jacket came flying through the air, landing squarely over her head. "It's my duty to take care of my cousin! Who are you to say it's fine? First, you're going to explain what the hell this is!" The scent on the jacket was all too familiar. The moment it covered her head, she felt as if she were back in the suffocating confines of the car. Fragments of memory flashed through her mind, and her ears burned. She scrambled to pull it off. Lou Jingyang's furious face was inches from hers, his finger pointing at her nose. "You fucking..." He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly freezing. He stared at Jian Huan, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. Under Lou Jingyang's scrutinizing gaze, Jian Huan's heart began to hammer against her ribs. She had checked herself before coming in, making sure all the marks were covered by her new clothes. Had she missed something?