On the deck, a group of well-trained men threw hundreds of bodies into the sea one after another. The sound of the waves swallowed every splash.
Under the moonlight, shark fins could occasionally be seen circling through the water.
Ling Yi walked over to a deck chair and said quietly, “Master Xiao, the cleaver is here. Shall I chop her up now?”
“Mm. I’ll do it myself.”
With that, Pei Xiao rose, took the cleaver his subordinate handed him, and slowly walked over to Wen Yining. He crouched beside her.
The cold blade touched her face, tracing her features before sliding down the side of her neck and coming to rest, with deadly precision, over her carotid artery.
What on earth was he going to do…
Wen Yining lay motionless on the ground, her head turned to one side.
If he’d known all along that she was faking it, why hadn’t he called her out?
Thud.
A chill touched the tip of Wen Yining’s nose.
The cleaver seemed to have been driven into the floor right in front of her.
The next second, the man’s burning fingertips covered her ankle. They traced the curve of her legs, climbing upward until they slipped beneath her blood-soaked gauze dress.
Wen Yining’s eyelashes trembled uncontrollably. The hairs on her skin stood on end wherever he touched her.
This man was impossible to predict.
Ling Yi, watching from the side, fell completely silent.
What kind of perverse whim had seized Master Xiao? Was he really going to toy with a female corpse…
Just as Wen Yining was about to give up pretending to be dead, a sudden force yanked her upright and pulled her into his arms.
Then the man seized her lips in a fierce kiss.
The sudden assault of kisses fell thick and fast, like a storm.
The man kissed her violently, wildly, with the heedless abandon of a beast. He even caught her lip between his teeth, biting and grinding at it again and again.
His possessiveness was so intense it seemed he meant to crush her whole.
“Mmph, mmph…”
Wen Yining protested, raising a hand to pound his chest.
Pei Xiao abruptly let her go. A trace of amusement laced his voice. “Done pretending?”
“…”
Her eyes focused, and Wen Yining finally got a clear look at the face of this brute.
Sharp, narrow eyes like an eagle’s; short, tousled hair; features as sharply defined as if carved from stone; thin lips pressed together in a fearsome curve.
She had to admit: his face was flawless.
It was also the face of a psychopath.
Wen Yining held her breath and forced herself to calm down. “What do you want?”
“…”
Ling Yi, watching nearby, was so shocked his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.
With Master Xiao’s abilities, how could he possibly leave a living witness?
So the cleaver and the teasing just now had all been Master Xiao playing with him… No—with her?
Pei Xiao didn’t answer. With one arm, he lifted her effortlessly, walked to the deck chair, and sat down. He pressed her onto his lap and raised her chin with the knuckle of his index finger.
Wen Yining was forced to meet his fathomless black eyes.
“What do you think?”
Pei Xiao’s voice was languid.
“…”
His body was scorching hot, like a blazing furnace. Wen Yining’s temples began to sweat from the heat.
Suddenly, he tightened his arm around her, nearly crushing her against his chest. His strong, muscular frame enveloped her completely.
“I’m not for sale!” Wen Yining blurted out.
Pei Xiao’s lips curled, his expression almost—but not quite—a smile. “I wasn’t planning to buy you.”
“…”
“Something I was supposed to pay a hundred million for has suddenly become free. How could I not snatch it up?”
“…”
Wen Yining’s pupils contracted.
Was he the man who’d bid on her?
So she’d survived that hail of bullets because of him?
Could this mean she had a chance…
Wen Yining gripped his collar and looked at him pleadingly. “Since you saved my life, could you please take me home? I’ll never forget your kindness…”
“Shh—”
Pei Xiao slowly brushed his thumb over her tender lips, his meaning unmistakable. “There’s one thing I don’t do, no matter what else I do: good deeds.”
Then he looked up at her, fixing his gaze on her like an eagle watching its prey, focused and excited. “I’m going to have you. That’s final.”
“…”
Despair surged over Wen Yining like a landslide, leaving her unable to breathe.
“H-how long…”
Her lips trembled as she forced out the words.
“Until I get tired of playing with you, of course.”
“…”
Pei Xiao’s thumb left her lips and moved to the corner of her eye, rubbing at the blood spattered over her beauty mark.
Apparently unsatisfied, he leaned closer and meticulously licked away the offending blood with the tip of his tongue.
“…”
Wen Yining’s scalp prickled.
He was so ruthless and bloodthirsty that even if she agreed, she might still end up dead at his hands.
“Has anyone ever told you… you’re beautiful, hmm?”
The man’s softened voice brushed against her skin, like a devil’s whisper, seductive enough to ensnare the heart.
Wen Yining hurriedly shook her head, the tears in her eyes nearly spilling over.
“…”
That look of barely restrained tears made something stir in him.
Pei Xiao’s thin lips wandered slowly across her features. In between, he murmured two indistinct words: “So beautiful.”
“…”
Wen Yining’s every hair stood on end.
If she was going to die at his hands in the end, she might as well die now. At least then she wouldn’t have to endure this devil’s merciless torment.
When the arm around her waist loosened, Wen Yining shoved him away and turned to run.
She made it all the way to the railing without hearing a sound from behind her.
She turned to look.
The devil was rising leisurely from the deck chair. His height—well over six feet—was terrifyingly imposing as he approached her, seeming to bring the fires of hell with him.
“D-don’t come any closer.”
Wen Yining climbed over the railing.
The sea wind howled, making her thin, paper-like frame sway. Her gauzy dress fluttered up unintentionally.
Pei Xiao made a gesture, and the others on deck quickly withdrew.
In the vast space, only the two of them remained.
Pei Xiao stood not far from her, so relaxed he might have been there to admire the view.
“I’ve killed plenty of people… but I’ve never met anyone so determined to throw her life away.”
He spoke unhurriedly, as though certain she wouldn’t dare jump.
“…”
The sea below churned in dark, surging waves. Sharks prowled through it, hunting at will. Wen Yining stared down, her legs trembling.
She truly didn’t want to die.
She hadn’t finished her studies, hadn’t carried on her maternal grandfather’s legacy, and hadn’t yet experienced all the wonders of the world.
She couldn’t bear to leave…
“Either die, or do it.”
All of Pei Xiao’s patience had now vanished without a trace. His voice held nothing but the arrogance and absolute certainty of a man who knew he would get his way.
“…”
Wen Yining shut her eyes and resigned herself to it. She climbed back over the railing, but as she lifted one foot, it slipped before she could find her balance.
“Ah—!”
She screamed, only to realize she wasn’t falling.
The man, who had been several steps away, had somehow reached the railing. He caught her by the arm with effortless ease, as if grabbing a toy from a claw machine.
“I’ll take that as choosing the latter.”
With that, he hauled her back over, slung her over his shoulder, and strode toward his luxury suite.
“Pei Xiao. That’s your man’s name. Remember it.”
“…”
Wen Yining hung face-down over his shoulder, the winding streaks of blood on the floor drifting in and out of view.
This devil seemed intent on dragging her into his hell.
“Say it. Let me hear you.”
“…”
When she didn’t answer, the man’s broad palm came down on her butt with a sharp smack.
“Say it.”
Wen Yining raised a hand to wipe away the tears at the corner of her eye. Her lips trembling, she said, “Pei… Xiao…”
Her voice, tinged with tears, was like a soft ball of cotton wrapping around his heart.
Pei Xiao pressed his tongue against his back teeth and quickened his pace.
…