Lou Xiao offered no courtesy in his "support," leaning the dead weight of his body against Jian Huan. His hand clamped down on her shoulder, the pressure so intense she thought her bones would shatter. Jian Huan understood this was his punishment for her earlier attempt to flee, and she gritted her teeth and bore it. “Take you back to Zhuyuan?” Lou Xiao shot back. “You want me dead?” He leaned in close, his breath ghosting against her ear like a lover’s whisper. “Don’t worry. If I die today, I’m taking you with me.” A shiver ran down Jian Huan’s spine. “But this is the Lou Family Mansion,” she couldn’t help but say. “How could they dare make a move here?” In the dim light of the evening, Lou Xiao’s deep-set eyes were shadowed and unreadable, his voice laced with ice. “You think the Lou Mansion is clean? This place is filthier than anything outside.” Jian Huan didn’t dare probe the meaning behind his words. She carefully helped him into the small building. She had intended to leave him in the living room, but the thought of someone finding him there would be even harder to explain. So, she guided him to her bedroom. Lou Xiao collapsed onto her freshly made bed without a shred of decorum, then imperiously raised a hand, gesturing for her to help him undress. Once the outer coat was off, Jian Huan saw it clearly: a dark stain of blood soaking through the fabric of his shirt, right over his abdomen. “You…” Lou Xiao ripped the shirt off with one hand. Staring down at the vicious wound marring his stomach, he let out a twisted smirk. “Fucking ruthless, aren’t they?” His honey-toned skin, slick with blood, was stretched taut over the hard lines of his muscles. The sight was raw, strikingly feral. Jian Huan grabbed a clean towel to wipe away the blood around the wound. It looked like a gash from a sharp blade—bleeding heavily, but not too deep. Her heart clenched. “It needs to be bandaged. I’ll go find the first-aid kit.” Stepping outside again, Jian Huan’s heart pounded with residual fear, terrified she would run into those men again. But strangely, the mansion, which had been desolate and silent moments before, had returned to normal. Guards could be seen patrolling the grounds, and maids were tidying up the courtyard. If it weren’t for the traces of Lou Xiao’s blood still on her fingertips, she might have believed the entire crisis was just a nightmare. This sudden normalcy was somehow even more terrifying than the eerie silence. A chill washed over Jian Huan as she couldn’t stop herself from wondering what role the Lou family had played in this attempted murder. “Fifth Young Mistress, is there anything you need?” Jian Huan’s heart leaped into her throat as she looked at the maid who had spoken. The face that had seemed so respectful and kind by day now looked like a demon’s. She forced herself to remain calm. “Help me find a first-aid kit.” The maid hesitated for a few seconds. “Are you injured? Should I call the family doctor for you?” Jian Huan shot her a cool glance. “I just need you to get me the first-aid kit.” Her dismissive tone seemed to work, and the maid didn’t dare ask any more questions. Whoever wanted to kill Lou Xiao had failed on their first attempt; they wouldn’t be bold enough to try again so soon. So even if they were suspicious, they wouldn’t do anything. … “Hiss…” As the alcohol swab pressed against his skin, Lou Xiao’s brow furrowed for a split second before smoothing out again. He grabbed Jian Huan’s wrist, stopping her hand in mid-air. A wry smile played on his lips. “Getting your revenge, are you?” Jian Huan flushed. “I don’t have any experience with this.” Lou Xiao’s laugh was vulgar. “Another first time?” He released her and lay back down. “Alright, then. I’ll let you get some more practice on me.” The words themselves were innocent enough, but coming from his mouth, they made Jian Huan’s skin crawl. And with the injury located on his waist and abdomen, her fingertips inevitably brushed against his skin as she cleaned the wound. They had been more intimate before, but that had been in a car, shrouded by darkness and the sound of rain. It was nothing like now, under the bright lights, where the desire in his eyes was nakedly clear. Jian Huan didn’t dare look at the changes in his body. She endured the torment of treating his wound, finally covering it with a medical dressing from the kit. She sat on the edge of the bed, packing things away. “The wound is treated. You should get some rest.” Just as she was about to stand, a scorching heat enveloped her from behind. The man’s teeth grazed the nape of her neck, his breath hot against the sensitive shell of her ear. “There’s one more place that needs tending to.” A blush crept up her neck. Jian Huan tried to struggle, but she was afraid of touching his injury. All she could manage to choke out was, “You’re hurt.” Lou Xiao leisurely began to unbutton her clothes. “Exactly. So you’ll have to do more of the work tonight.” Jian Huan pressed her hand over his, her voice trembling. “Second Master, last time… you helped me. This time, I’ve helped you. Can’t we just call it even?” “Seems fair enough.” For a moment, Jian Huan thought she had gotten through to him and breathed a sigh of relief. “Our relationship… this isn’t right. In the future, we should keep…” “Second Master!” Lou Xiao hummed in amusement. “I’m here.” “Didn’t you just say it was fair?” He captured her struggling hands and pinned her down. “It is fair. But why should I be fair to *you*? Who ever told you this was a fair world?” “Shameless!” “Curse me again, and I’ll carry you right to Lou Jingyang and let him watch me fuck you.” Jian Huan was so shocked by his depravity that she was rendered speechless. The man patted her cheek with the back of his hand, a condescending gesture. “Good girl.” Against her will, Jian Huan was once again dragged into an abyss of desire by Lou Xiao. At first, she managed to stay lucid enough to avoid his wound. But soon her mind grew heavy, her body consumed by waves of heat, and all such caution was forgotten. It was Lou Xiao who noticed the bruises on her back, his eyes darkening for a moment. Though he didn’t let her go, he was careful not to put any more pressure on her back. Jian Huan had never known a night so long. She couldn’t remember how many times she had cried or when she had finally fallen asleep. She only vaguely recalled Lou Xiao turning her over at some point to tend to the injuries on her back. - The next morning, Jian Huan was woken by the ringing of her phone. She answered groggily, her voice a raw rasp. “Hello?” “You’re not up yet? Are you doing this on purpose?! Get your ass over here, now!” Lou Jingyang’s fury blasted through the receiver, his roars loud enough to be on speakerphone. A glance at the time showed it was already 8:30. She remembered a maid mentioning that the memorial service started at 9:00. She forced her aching body out of bed, quickly getting ready and pulling on a turtleneck. A glance back at the bed made her freeze. It was spattered with blood, like a murder scene, and it was impossible to tell if it was her blood or Lou Xiao’s. Not to mention the tangled sheets, wrinkled with evidence that made her face burn. Just as she was frantically trying to figure out what to do, a knock came at the door. “Fifth Young Mistress, are you awake?” “…” Jian Huan didn’t dare answer, terrified the maid would walk right in. But she couldn’t stay silent forever. It was almost nine, and she couldn’t delay any longer. She was trapped. As if reading her mind, the maid outside lowered her voice. “Fifth Young Mistress, the Second Master sent me.” At the same moment, a new text message appeared on her phone. Seeing the contact name, Jian Huan paused. When had she saved Lou Xiao’s number? He must have done it after she fell asleep. If that was the case, then the maid wasn’t lying. Time was short. Pushing past her embarrassment, Jian Huan opened the door. The maid worked with a swift, practiced efficiency, her eyes professionally blind to the incriminating marks on the bed. In moments, the soiled sheets were gone, replaced by fresh, crisp linen. The old ones were stuffed into a laundry basket, and every trace of the previous night vanished. The shame in Jian Huan’s heart subsided slightly. “Thank you.” As she was about to leave, the maid stopped her. “Fifth Young Mistress, the Second Master asked me to give you this.”