“…It hurts.”
A sharp, stinging pain jolted Lin Xi awake from her dizziness.
Opening her eyes, she found a man pressing down on her—his lips thin, his breath scorching—kissing and nipping repeatedly at her neck.
“Old enough?”
His voice, thick with desire, carried a faint rasp.
A pair of large hands wrapped tightly around her slender throat, squeezing with startling force against her windpipe and carotid artery. The sensation was as if he meant to merge her into his very being, leaving her barely able to breathe.
She drew a sharp breath, impatience edging her tone. “Quit talking so much. Just get on with it.”
A low, brief chuckle rumbled above her.
“Xiao Jingwen,” he said, his voice rich and velvety.
Confused, Lin Xi lifted her gaze—straight into his deep, dark eyes. They were fierce, predatory, utterly possessive.
“Say my name,” he murmured, tightening his hold ever so slowly on her neck.
The next moment, a soft, frightened whimper escaped her—so faint it was barely audible. Primal fear surged through her. “Xiao… Jingwen.”
“Good girl.” The dangerous glint in his eyes softened. Like a beast sheathing its claws after toying with its prey, he leaned down and brushed his lips gently against the mark on her neck, his tone soothing. “Behave, and I won’t hurt you.”
…
When it was over, Lin Xi lay back, utterly drained. But the effects of the drug had worn off, and her mind was finally clear enough to process what was happening.
She had transmigrated into a novel two hours ago.
The book was called *Packing Up the Family Fortune: I’m the Beloved Darling of the Military Compound*. Her roommate from agricultural university had recommended it, saying there was a character who shared her exact name.
Military compound! Beloved darling! Family fortune! What a promising title for a wish-fulfillment story!
Lin Xi had been feeling down lately—her cucumber seedlings had been eaten by sheep from the animal husbandry department, ruining her graduation project—so she’d dove right in, eager for a distraction.
Then she’d realized… what a load of nonsense this was! The “Lin Xi” in the book wasn’t the heroine, nor anyone’s darling. She was the *family fortune* being packed away—a mere sacrificial foil to make the heroine shine.
The original Lin Xi had lost her mother young; her father had quickly remarried a woman who was anything but kind. Outwardly polite, the stepmother had deliberately spoiled the girl into becoming arrogant and willful—all while scheming behind the scenes, especially when it came to her marriage prospects.
She knew the original Lin Xi would never agree to the match she had in mind, so instead she pretended to introduce the man to her own daughter, the book’s true heroine, Lin Ran.
“Zhao Mingze has no parents,” the stepmother told Lin Ran. “You’d never have to wait on them—how convenient. And he’s already a battalion commander at twenty! By forty he’ll be a regimental leader for sure. You’d live in comfort your whole life…”
Overhearing this, the original Lin Xi had been smitten. She decided then and there to take the man for herself.
Zhao Mingze was staying at the guesthouse on assignment—so she bought a sleeping draught, slipped it to him, and let nature take its course. She’d been proud of herself, never realizing Zhao Mingze had intended to marry her all along. With the deed done, both he and the stepmother breathed easier. He’d even saved on a betrothal gift. The stepmother, meanwhile, seized all of Lin Xi’s inheritance, claiming she’d shamed the family with her “impropriety.”
Hoping for happiness, the original Lin Xi endured it all. And indeed, Zhao Mingze eventually rose to regimental commander—just as predicted. But Lin Xi, having read the whole story, knew the truth: he was a monster. Outwardly respectable, he harbored dark, cruel appetites—pain, games, implements… The original Lin Xi had suffered broken ribs again and again, trapped and helpless, until he beat her to death.
Meanwhile, Lin Ran—the heroine—led a charmed life. She married the only son of a regimental commander and enjoyed every privilege the compound offered. When the family fell on hard times, she seized the real estate boom, built an empire using the original Lin Xi’s grandmother’s inheritance, and became one of New China’s first female tycoons.
Lin Xi had read it all and laughed—bitterly, helplessly—then everything went black… and here she was.
Well, her thesis was already ruined. What’s a little transmigration? But she’d arrived at the worst possible moment—right after the original Lin Xi had drugged herself and Zhao Mingze. Why drug herself too? She’d never understand.
Glaring at the man before her, burning with lust, she gritted her teeth. *You like sick games, huh? Just wait till this wears off—I’ll show you!*
She stormed out. First things first—she needed a cold shower.
All the other rooms were locked. Desperate, she remembered: Zhao Mingze was here with his uncle—rumored to be impotent. Perfectly safe.
Two doors, fifty-fifty chance. She picked the one on the left.
And now… this.
She surveyed the mess and sighed. “Of course I’d pick the wrong one. Typical.”
She glanced back. He was still asleep—bare-chested, strong-shouldered, beads of sweat glistening on his collarbone. He was unfairly handsome. She swallowed, her throat parched.
*What did I call him last night? Xiao Jingwen? Surname Xiao…*
“Fine. Not Zhao Mingze’s uncle, but… not a total loss. Think of it as a one-night stand,” she told herself, climbing out of bed and dressing.
At the door, she paused. A modern woman doesn’t take advantage and run. Fair’s fair. She laid her last three yuan on the nightstand and left.