The moon shone dimly, twinkling stars sparsely scattered above, as a gentle breeze rustled by.
It was past ten o'clock when Su Chaoyang said goodbye to his friends at the KTV and returned to the Mu family's home.
Today was his seventeenth birthday. Uncle Mu had initially planned to celebrate it, but his classmates were also throwing him a party. As Uncle Mu had some last-minute business to attend to, he cancelled his plan.
Upon returning home, he found the entire building quiet. He tiptoed inside, climbed the stairs, careful not to wake Uncle Mu and his wife.
As he passed a bedroom on the second floor, he noticed a light seeping through the door crack. He thought to himself, 'It's so late, why isn't that girl asleep yet?'
But he merely thought this and didn't knock on the door to check.
Because ever since he came to live with the Mu family at the age of ten, the girl had always looked at him with disdain.
Even though he had the desire to please her, it didn't make a difference.
Perhaps it was because she felt the love and attention she received had been divided, and she was no longer the Little Princess with all eyes on her.
The boy's star-like eyes, shining in the darkness, reflected complex emotions. His distinct jawline twitched as if in mockery before he headed back to his room.
The summer night was humid. Even after turning on the air conditioning, Su Chaoyang couldn't resist taking off his shirt, revealing his well-toned muscles.
He was just seventeen years old yet already had such a perfect body, thanks to his love for martial arts from a young age.
He had been the national champion in the youth martial arts competition since he was eleven, holding the title for five consecutive years until he was sixteen.
For the past two years, due to heavy high school workload, he had given up competing, but he never slacked off in his training. Regardless of wind or rain, he exercised every day.
Opening a drawer, he took out a photograph of himself. Glimpses of melancholy emerged on Su Chaoyang's handsome face. He then took out a lighter, lit it and placed it under the photo...
The fire illuminated his deep face, revealing unabridged sorrow.
Just when the flame was about to burn his fingers, he dropped the photo into a garbage bin nearby.
"Dad, Mom, how are you doing up there? I'm seventeen now, and I've sent you a photo. I hope you'll see how I look now."
The flame dwindled until it was extinguished. Every year on this day, he would "send" a photograph to his parents in Paradise.
The burnt photograph curled up in the bin, faint traces of his outline still visible on it.
Su Chaoyang squatted and stared blankly at it for a while. Suddenly standing up, he felt extraordinarily stuffy.
He drank quite a bit tonight. Now the alcohol was kicking in, making his head feel fuzzy.
Seeing that it was late, he decided to take a shower and go to bed. He needed to get up early the next day for his training.
Thinking that nobody would be out at this hour, Su Chaoyang grabbed a pair of shorts and headed out.
The bathroom was at the end of the corridor, next to the staircase. When passing by Mu Xiangwan's room, he noticed that she still hadn't turned off her light. Still, he paid it no mind.
Sweating and feeling hot, Su Chaoyang was eagerly looking forward to a refreshing shower. He pushed open the bathroom door and stepped inside. But as soon as he did, he heard a low gasp behind him!
"Who's there!"
As a martial arts practitioner, Su Chaoyang reacted swiftly and fiercely by instinct. With a stretch of his arm, he reached for the nearby light switch and flicked it on. At the same time, he turned his head towards the source of the sound.
But when he saw who it was, he froze, as if turned to stone!
The bright light filled the bathroom, leaving nowhere to hide. The person who had let out the gasp was standing naked by the bathtub, a soft pink pair of panties hooked around her slender fingers.
**
Introduction to the new novel:
"The Mistake of Provoking the Military Young Master: Forcefully Marrying a Young Bride"
When she was nineteen, her mother died, and her father went to jail, reducing her from being a high-society young lady to a humble commoner, all because of her undercover boyfriend. When she reached her wit's end, she attempted suicide at her mother's grave, only to be saved by a mysterious man.
Determined to make a fresh start, she left the country. Upon her return three years later, she was kidnapped by a drug lord the moment she stepped off the plane and narrowly escaped death. The moment the airport exploded, she was saved by the embrace of a familiar stranger and fell into his endless dote. Just when she thought her bad luck had run its course and true love was finally within reach, fate played another cruel joke on her.
Since her enemies were at her doorstep, why would she let go of this opportunity? The illustrious Lu family was nearly brought down because two brothers fought over one woman. When her vengeance was fulfilled, and she was ready to leave, she was locked into a cage by the man.
"Tao Wanru, do you think it's easy to enter the door of my, Lu Junhao's, family? I won't let you escape a second time!" His eyes, which were once full of affection, turned stubborn and cold, his words chilling
The....second time? She didn't have time to grasp the deeper meaning of his words before the enraged man tore her clothes apart--
**
He is the renowned King of Soldiers in the military and political circles, his power unparalleled; but he fails to win the heart of a woman;
She is the lowly daughter of a criminal from a fallen wealthy family, her identity humble and ignored; yet, she is the treasure he holds in his palm.
She said, "I am not worthy of entering your Lu family's door."
He replied, "You are my only love."