Lou Jingyang stared at Jian Huan, a strange feeling stirring inside him. Today’s Jian Huan… she seemed different. Jian Huan had the face of a classic beauty, but it was a beauty devoid of soul. Her gaze was vacant, her expression blank. She was often lost in thought, radiating a dullness that seemed to seep from her very core. Compared to the clever and charming Jiang Ziying, she was a block of wood. But now, standing before him, her eyes shimmered and her lips were a flush of crimson. What struck him most was the sensuality she exuded without even trying. Her body was completely hidden beneath a high-necked, green knit dress, yet a strange restlessness stirred within him. The longer Lou Jingyang looked, the more his anger flared. He struck her across the face. "Speak! Which bastard did you dress up like a slut for?" The slap caught Jian Huan off guard, red finger marks blooming on her pale cheek. She didn’t touch her stinging cheek, her expression flat. "Didn't you say that a woman like me could lie naked in the street and no one would spare a glance? So what does it matter how I dress?" "You dare talk back to me? Have you forgotten all your Jian family manners?" Lou Jingyang raised his hand to strike again, but Jiang Ziying nervously tugged at his arm. Their eyes met, and something clicked in Lou Jingyang's mind. Wait. Those were the exact words he'd said to Jiang Ziying in bed just now. How could Jian Huan possibly know? "Were you fucking following me?" Jian Huan smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about. But I think some things are better left unsaid between us. We both know the truth, don't we?" "Say that to me one more time!" Jian Huan’s gaze flickered to Jiang Ziying. "I hear your mother has been looking for a suitable husband for Ziying lately. A young woman’s reputation is so fragile, isn't it?" Jiang Ziying flinched and clutched Lou Jingyang's arm helplessly. "I'm scared." His concern for Jiang Ziying overriding his rage, Lou Jingyang glared at Jian Huan like a wolf, wishing he could tear her to shreds. He’d never realized how treacherous this woman was, to actually threaten him. So the quiet dog really did have a bite. If he wasn't afraid of the gossip hurting Ziying, he would have stripped this woman naked and thrown her out on the street. Jian Huan saw that he was holding back, afraid of the damage she could do to Ziying, and turned to walk upstairs. "Stop!" Lou Jingyang roared from below. "Whose suit jacket is this!" On the stairs, Jian Huan looked down at him, her usual fawning demeanor gone, replaced by a cool indifference. "Whose it is doesn't matter. What matters is how you feel right now." Lou Jingyang froze. "You left this here on purpose? To make me misunderstand?" Jian Huan offered no explanation, but Lou Jingyang felt he had seen right through her. Heh. Of course. As if Jian Huan would have the guts to find another man. She must have stumbled upon him and Ziying and was now acting out to get his attention. The thought inexplicably soothed his bruised ego. But Jiang Ziying watched Jian Huan's awkward gait as she walked away, and the almost overwhelming femininity she projected. Something was wrong. She picked up the suit jacket again, examining it closely. "I don't know, this jacket looks like…" "That's enough," Lou Jingyang cut her off, his confidence restored. "You know how much Jian Huan loves me. Besides, you know what the Jian family is like. If she truly stepped out of line, I wouldn't even have to lift a finger. They would clean their own house. She wouldn't dare." Seeing his arrogance, Jiang Ziying knew better than to argue. She glanced up at the closed bedroom door, her suspicions lingering. Ever since Jian Huan had returned from the hospital after a serious illness six months ago, she’d been strange. She had become more withdrawn, and her attitude toward Lou Jingyang had changed. And just now, that sharp, imposing aura that had flared from her was nothing like the Jian Huan she knew. Could a person’s personality really change so drastically? And tonight… even though Lou Jingyang was convinced, Jiang Ziying couldn't shake the feeling that Jian Huan looked, for all the world, like a woman who had just been thoroughly loved by a man. She couldn't let it go. Unwilling to let her off the hook, Jiang Ziying hugged Lou Jingyang's arm, her eyes welling with tears. "She threatened you just now, to expose us. I'm so afraid it will ruin your reputation. Maybe… maybe we shouldn't see each other anymore." The sight of her tears made Lou Jingyang pull her into a tight embrace. "Don't be silly. Don't worry, I won't pay her any mind. Someone else will teach her a lesson." "You mean?" "The Jian family won't let her run wild." - The next morning, a woman knelt in the Jian family's living room. A thin wooden rod struck her back, hard. The rod was unyielding, each blow a searing line of pain that quickly turned numb. After just a few strikes, blood began to seep through her clothes. One strike, then another. Just as Jian Huan felt her back losing all sensation, the woman on the sofa raised a delicate hand. "Stop." Jian Huan gasped, releasing her clenched jaw and swallowing the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. The woman looked at the sweat-drenched Jian Huan, her expression impassive. "Do you know what you did wrong?" Jian Huan’s voice was raspy. "I do, Mother. I shouldn't have defied my husband." Jian Lihua let out a cold laugh. "You must remember that your every action reflects on the Jian family's name. Two generations have spent decades building this reputation. If you are the one to ruin it, you know the consequences." "As punishment, you will kneel here for the rest of the morning. And you are forbidden from visiting the villa this month." The color drained from Jian Huan's face. "Mrs. Jian..." "Ahem." Jian Huan corrected herself. "Mother, I couldn't see them last month because of the engagement. I'm so worried. Please, I beg you, let me go see them." On the sofa, Jian Lihua smoothed the black velvet of her dress. Beneath a perfectly severe hairline, her face was a mask of cold indifference. "You should know that if your face wasn't identical to my daughter's, and if I didn't need you to marry into the Lou family in her place, your entire family would have died back in Haicheng." "..." Jian Huan fell silent. It was true. She was not the real Fourth Miss of the Jian family. The real one had a terminal illness and was on the brink of death. But the Jians were unwilling to lose their alliance with the Lou family, so they had brought her, an imposter, back with them. In exchange, Jian Lihua had protected them from their enemies, moving her family from Haicheng to the capital, Jingcheng. The price was that she had to live as the Fourth Miss for the rest of her life, completely at the Jian family's disposal. Jian Huan once thought the Jians were her salvation, but after six months of witnessing life in this family, she felt she had only traded one hell for another. It was too late for regrets. Pinned by her vulnerability, Jian Huan’s spine seemed to bend, inch by inch. Her head bowed, her expression hidden. "Yes, Mother." - After kneeling all morning, Jian Huan's knees were numb and aching as she left the Jian residence. Every step sent a sharp, piercing pain through her. But she had no time to rest. The Lou family was holding a family dinner tonight—her first formal introduction at the Lou mansion—and she needed to get there early to help with the arrangements. She had intended to drive herself, but the pain in her knees was too intense. It wasn't just her knees; her body still ached from the night before, a deep soreness that left her feeling almost numb below the waist. A bitter smile touched Jian Huan’s lips. She had been beaten and punished like this just for defying Lou Jingyang. If Jian Lihua knew what she had done with Lou Xiao, she would likely be beaten to death.