This was an impossible situation. If she were alone, she could have faced Lu Yunfan, could have confronted him. But now, trapped in the tight embrace of a stranger, their bodies pressed together in a compromising position, she’d be utterly defenseless if he decided to turn the tables and accuse *her*. Shen Lan squeezed her eyes shut, a thin sheen of sweat breaking out on her forehead as she prayed Lu Yunfan wouldn’t look into the rockery cave. As if the heavens had heard her prayer, a gust of wind rustled through the trees, and the sharp snap of a falling branch made Lu Yunfan’s footsteps halt just outside the cave. “It’s probably nothing, Yunfan. Just the wind breaking a branch.” Zhou Xinran’s voice, relieved and dripping with a cloying sweetness, followed. “Let’s get back to it. You’re not done with me yet…” “You little vixen…” Lu Yunfan’s breathing was heavy, his voice hoarse. The suggestive sounds from outside continued. The tip of Shen Lan’s nose tingled with unshed tears. Fear and hatred churned inside her, but she didn’t dare struggle for fear of being discovered. In a desperate act, she sank her teeth into the fleshy part of the man’s hand, between his thumb and forefinger. But it was useless. The man held her just as tightly, as if he hadn’t felt a thing. Not until a hot tear splashed onto the back of his hand did the man’s body go still. He slowly removed the hand covering her mouth, but his other arm remained clamped around her waist like an iron vise. Her vision blurred by tears, Shen Lan felt the man’s scorching breath draw near. She turned her head, and in the slivers of moonlight filtering into the cave, she finally saw his face. His skin was pale, his features exquisitely carved, but the sharp lines of his eyes and brows lent his entire face an air of supreme arrogance, a look that kept everyone at a distance. Shen Lan’s eyes widened. She recognized him. This was the heir to the Xiao family, Xiao Cheng! She had seen him earlier at the banquet, standing behind Lu Yunfan’s parents. The Xiao family was one of Jicheng’s top aristocratic families, their roots running deep. Xiao Cheng was a true princeling, the undisputed center of attention in their elite circle. Having taken the reins of the Xiao family at such a young age, even Lu Yunfan’s parents had been utterly obsequious in his presence, practically bowing and scraping to curry favor. But what was *he*, Xiao Cheng, doing hiding here? Xiao Cheng leaned down. Shen Lan expected him to speak, but instead, he knit his brows and began to sniff at the curve of her neck. Shen Lan froze, a cold sweat breaking out across her back. She felt like prey cornered by a predator. He moved closer still, the bridge of his nose brushing against the shell of her ear, his breath searing hot. Shen Lan was on the verge of tears again. “What… what are you doing?” she asked, her voice a trembling whisper. Xiao Cheng still didn’t answer. He buried his face against her, his thin lips brushing against her skin, alarmingly hot. Shen Lan’s breath hitched as she arched her neck, trying to pull away, but there was nowhere to go. The hand on her waist tightened, threatening to crush her, to meld her into his very being. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Xiao Cheng’s body temperature was dangerously high; this wasn't normal. “Are you…?” Before Shen Lan could finish, the noises outside abruptly stopped. She held her breath, not daring to move. But Xiao Cheng seemed oblivious, his scalding lips pressing against the base of her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. Outside, the two had finished. There was the rustle of clothing being put back on. Zhou Xinran, watching Lu Yunfan straighten his clothes, bit her lip. “Yunfan, do you really have to go through with the engagement? If you get engaged, what will happen to me?” Her expression was a mixture of guilt and grievance. “Are you still angry that I left without a word four years ago? My parents threatened to kill themselves… they forced me to go abroad. I had no choice. If Shen Lan could take care of you for four years, so can I!” Lu Yunfan paused, then wrapped an arm around her shoulder reassuringly. “I know. I know all of it. But how could I ever bear to drag you down with me?” Hearing this, the color drained from Shen Lan’s face. He was afraid of dragging Zhou Xinran down, so did that mean she deserved to suffer? Her mind flashed back to when she first arrived at the Lu family home—filthy, stained with her father’s blood, and so hungry she was delirious. It was Lu Yunfan who had brought her clean clothes and had someone prepare a hot meal. When her mother was in surgery, it was he who held her, whispering softly that she shouldn't be afraid, that he would protect her from then on. “Don't worry, there's no way I'm actually marrying Shen Lan. It’s just that all of Jicheng knows she took care of me for four years. If I don't get engaged to her, people will talk. They’ll call our family ungrateful. Once the gossip dies down, I'll find some fault with her and break it off.” His cruel words sliced through the air, making the boy’s promise from her memory feel like nothing more than a figment of her imagination. “That’s more like it. For a second there, I thought you’d actually fallen for her.” Lu Yunfan scoffed. “Her? She's plain, boring, and rigid. She has all the personality of a block of wood. How could I ever like someone like that?”