I leaned back in the passenger seat, my eyes closed. A short while later, sensing the car had stopped, I opened my eyes. We were at the entrance of the Yuntong Community. I turned to Lu Yi. “I’m here. Thank you, Mr. Lu.” I reached for the door, but it was locked. I glanced over at him, my brow furrowing. His gaze was fixed intently on me, and the intensity of it was unnerving. I drew in a sharp breath. “Mr. Lu,” I repeated, “I’m here.” He didn’t unlock the door. Instead, his lean frame moved towards me. I flinched, shrinking against the door as my hand shot up to stop him. “Mr. Lu…” He looked down, his eyes soft, and pressed a light kiss to my forehead. “Tang Li,” he murmured, his voice low, “Ke’er and Gu Zhizhou are getting married in just two days.” I frowned, completely baffled. “Mr. Lu,” I said, “don’t you think this is a little unnecessary?” A gentle smile played on his lips. “Good night.” And with that, the lock clicked open. Completely bewildered by his bizarre behavior, I practically scrambled out of the car. I didn’t even bother with a goodbye, just turning and heading for my apartment building. But after only a few steps, a sense of unease washed over me. I hadn’t noticed it before, but a black Bentley was parked right behind Lu Yi’s car. The moment Lu Yi drove off, a figure emerged from the Bentley. It was Gu Zhizhou. Watching him stalk towards me, his face a thunderous mask, it all suddenly clicked into place: Lu Yi’s kiss, his mention of the wedding… He had done it on purpose. “Didn’t take you long to find your way into Lu Yi’s bed, did it?” Gu Zhizhou’s hand shot out, clamping around my wrist. His grip was painfully tight. “Tang Li, just how lonely are you? That desperate to throw yourself into his arms, hm?” His cold fury was suffocating. I instinctively tried to pull back, but his grip was like iron. A surge of rage burned through me. “Gu Zhizhou, what right do you have to say anything to me? Who I’m with is none of your damn business!” “Hah!” he sneered, hauling me into the car. He slammed the door before I could even process what was happening and gunned the engine. “Whether it’s my business or not,” he growled, “is for me to decide!” His roar left me stunned. I had never seen him this furious before, had never heard him curse. The car screeched to a halt in front of a villa. He dragged me out and hauled me inside as if I were a rag doll. He threw me onto the bed, the impact leaving my head spinning. Before I could even catch my breath, he was pinning me down. Realization hit me like a physical blow, and I screamed, “Gu Zhizhou, are you insane?!” His eyes were bloodshot, his voice a raw rasp. “Maybe I am!” he snarled. And then he was ripping my clothes, his actions brutal and direct. I couldn’t fathom what had provoked such a violent reaction from him. The assault lasted all night, and by the end, I felt like he had picked me apart, bone from flesh. I couldn't guess Lu Yi's intentions. Was his goal to warn me off, or simply to provoke Gu Zhizhou? I wondered how he would feel if he knew that his little performance, far from forcing us to keep our distance, had instead culminated in this. Gu Zhizhou left just as the sky began to lighten. I couldn't tell if he was finally regretting his actions or if something else was on his mind. Either way, he walked out without a word. He was like a client, leaving after he’d had his fill. And I was left with nothing but the bitter, suffocating irony of it all. When I woke later that morning, I took a proper look at my surroundings. The villa was immaculate, obviously just renovated. The furniture, the decor—everything was brand new. And then I saw them: the bright red ‘double happiness’ characters gleaming on the walls, and next to them, the wedding photos. I froze. Had Gu Zhizhou really brought me here? To the home he was supposed to share with Lu Ke’er? He was completely insane. I scrambled out of bed, not even bothering to wash my face. I pulled on the clothes he had torn to shreds and rushed downstairs, desperate to get out. But as is so often the case, the very thing you dread most is exactly what lies in wait.