The wind howled on a rainy night, and the streetlights above cast a pale white shadow on the ground.
Nan Wan was soaked to the bone, her dress clinging to her body, outlining her curves. She trembled incessantly but gritted her teeth, unwilling to utter a word of submission.
The man stood in front of her, dressed in a black suit, holding an umbrella. His expression was cold, his posture high and mighty.
The two German Shepherds he was holding barked fiercely at her.
"Still trying to run?" The man lowered his head to look at her, his lips curling into a bitter smile.
Nan Wan suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with hatred, forcing out a single word, "Run."
The man's grip loosened slightly, and the two half-human-sized dogs leaped toward her. Nan Wan shut her eyes, her face pale, her body shaking uncontrollably.
The two German Shepherds were now so close she could smell the foul stench in their mouths.
A wave of nausea rose in her chest.
"Still so stubborn," the man snapped his fingers, and his men stepped forward.
"Since you're not able to 'take care' of her, you might as well quit this job." His casual words severed a family's livelihood. Song Ma was poor, relying on her income, and this time, Nan Wan had drugged Song Ma to escape.
Song Ma had treated her well, and Nan Wan didn't want to implicate her.
But she had no choice.
"Huo Xunzhou, you're a bastard!"
The man's lips curled slightly, raindrops falling onto his eyelashes as he looked down at her. There was a hint of tenderness in his gaze.
"Finally speaking?"
He tossed the umbrella aside, handed the dogs over to his men, and bent down to violently pull her up, kissing her lips.
Or rather, it wasn't a kiss, but a biting, angry kiss that felt like he was trying to devour her whole.
That night, Nan Wan was tormented terribly.
Huo Xunzhou gently caressed her bare legs, but his face was still cold.
"If you try this again, you won't be able to keep these legs. You'll spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair, and you won't think about running away again, right?"
Nan Wan curled up, knowing that Huo Xunzhou meant every word.
"Knock knock knock!"
A loud knock on the door woke Nan Wan from her nightmare.
She opened her eyes, still immersed in that fear.
Later, her legs were indeed injured, and she could no longer dance.
"Bang bang bang!"
The knocking grew more urgent. Nan Wan wiped the sweat from her forehead, stumbled out of bed, and opened the door. Song Ma was standing there, looking anxious.
"Miss, you have to go see the master, he's drunk!"
Before Nan Wan could respond, Song Ma had already dragged her out.
"The master doesn't like anyone getting too close to him, Miss, you go check on him."
Huo Xunzhou had a cleanliness obsession; he didn't like anyone near him, except Nan Wan.
Nan Wan was pushed into his room by Song Ma, holding a cup of honey water.
The room was filled with the faint scent of alcohol. Song Ma closed the door behind them, and the spacious room suddenly felt heavy with tension.
Huo Xunzhou was lying on the bed, his tie undone, no longer looking impeccably dressed.
She rarely saw him like this—Huo Xunzhou was usually tough, never showing any vulnerability in front of her.
She had once thought him indestructible.
Nan Wan stood at the door, keeping a distance, her eyes full of curiosity, watching him.
She didn't know why the reborn Huo Xunzhou would fake himself to get close to the unsuspecting little Nan Wan, but she was terrified of the former Huo Xunzhou, who was unpredictable.
Nan Wan silently swore to herself that she could never let him know she was reborn.
Otherwise, she would never escape.
As she was thinking of a plan, Huo Xunzhou opened his eyes. Under the dim light, he looked at her from afar, his lips curling into a slight smile, his eyes filled with tenderness.
He was a handsome man, and when he was gentle, few women could resist his charm.
"Come here."
With years of authority behind him, those two words carried a faint pressure.
Nan Wan walked over in silence and stood in front of him.
Huo Xunzhou, dissatisfied with her distance, reached out and grabbed her hand. With a single pull, Nan Wan tumbled into his arms.
He let out a low laugh, and Nan Wan's face was pressed against his chest, feeling his heart beating, a slight tremor running through her body.
Huo Xunzhou didn't seem to notice, lazily gazing at her.
"What's wrong?"
Nan Wan shivered slightly. The little Nan Wan in her memories wasn't afraid of Huo Xunzhou. To little Nan Wan, he was her boyfriend.
If she wanted to leave, she had to lower Huo Xunzhou's guard.
She tried to soften her stiff expression and stammered, "I came to see you."
Huo Xunzhou casually responded with a hum, but when her gaze was hidden from him, there was a cold, assessing look in his eyes, like a wolf watching its prey.
Feeling his grip loosen, Nan Wan quickly stood up. The place where his hand had touched her felt as if there was a cold blade running across it, causing a sharp pain.
Nan Wan hurriedly poured the honey water Song Ma had given her into a cup. She could feel Huo Xunzhou's gaze on her.
The fear deep in her bones made her hands tremble, and despite telling herself over and over again that Huo Xunzhou had not exposed his true nature yet, she couldn't shake the fear.
She couldn't show any signs.
But, as if on cue, "Clink!" the cup fell to the ground, and the sweet honey spread in the air.
She didn't dare look at Huo Xunzhou, afraid of meeting his suspicious gaze.
Nan Wan crouched down, biting her lip as she picked up the broken glass.
In her ears, the sound of footsteps grew louder. Huo Xunzhou was getting off the bed.
Nan Wan didn't dare stop what she was doing, not until the black leather shoes stopped in front of her. He stepped on a shard of glass.
Nan Wan's hand quickly withdrew, and she felt a sharp sting in her fingertips.
He helped her up, his voice low and gentle, "Don't pick it up anymore, go rest." His hand gripped her delicate arm, the heat radiating through her thin pajamas.
The discomfort from his grip quickly spread through her body. As soon as he finished speaking, Nan Wan darted out of the room like a frightened rabbit.
Huo Xunzhou looked at the half-open door, pressed his lips, and let out a low laugh.
Her scent still lingered in his nose. Truly, it was... so intoxicating.
His leather shoes crunched over the scattered glass, the faint cracking sounds creating an eerie atmosphere in the otherwise quiet room.
Nan Wan couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, the nightmare from earlier returned. She hid under the blanket, still feeling his gaze following her.
It felt like being stared at by a snake, its tongue flicking, sending a chill down her spine.