In the upstairs lounge, Yu Ni sat by the windowsill, quietly and intently carving a piece of marble.
A design sketch lay beside the table.
Its unconventional style was particularly striking.
She wore a white cheongsam, her hair arranged in an updo that did not quite suit her temperament, with a butterfly hairpin tucked into it.
Her fingers moved deftly over the stone, the chisel striking it with crisp, clear taps.
A faint light from the corner fell across her face, making her fair skin look almost translucent.
She was the Yu family’s adopted daughter.
The rest of the Yu family were downstairs entertaining guests.
She alone had been assigned to stay upstairs and draw designs.
Suddenly, the lounge door was flung open. Yu Rou, the Yu family’s legitimate eldest daughter, stormed in with a vicious look on her face.
“Everyone downstairs is talking about you. Are you feeling very pleased with yourself?”
Tonight was supposed to be Yu Rou’s birthday banquet. Yet Yu Ni had stolen everyone’s attention simply by making an appearance! Even though she had soon gone upstairs and was no longer there, everyone—
Those promising young men who were supposed to have come for Yu Rou were all talking about Yu Ni!
Yu Ni showed no sign of alarm. She calmly put the sculpture away and went on drawing her design.
Enraged at being ignored, Yu Rou lunged at her, snatched away her pen, grabbed her by the hair, and slapped her hard across the face.
Yu Ni fell off the chair, scraping her arm badly enough to leave several bloody marks.
She sat on the floor, her fingernails digging hard into the ground.
Her face was full of grievance, but her words cut straight to the bone. “If you want someone to blame, Sister, blame yourself for not being pretty enough to hold a man’s gaze.”
The old grudges and this latest humiliation drove Yu Rou completely over the edge.
“You’re just like your dead mother. Both of you are shameless trash!”
“Bitch! I’m going to ruin you!”
Ever since they were children, wherever Yu Ni appeared, Yu Rou could only serve as a foil to her.
Her father protected Yu Ni.
Her older brother liked Yu Ni, too.
Yu Rou was the rightful young lady of the Yu family, yet she kept losing to a lowly adopted daughter.
Only then did Yu Ni notice that Yu Rou was still clutching a gleaming dinner knife!
The blade flashed, and Yu Ni raised her arm to block it.
The dinner fork tore the skin on her arm, and blood spilled onto the floor.
“Let’s see who still likes you once that face of yours is gone!” Yu Rou laughed savagely and advanced on Yu Ni again.
Injured, Yu Ni looked even paler than before, her already fair complexion almost translucent.
She glanced to the side. Before the dinner fork could injure her again, she took out the sculpture and struck Yu Rou’s hand with it.
The fork fell to the floor. Yu Rou clutched her hand and cried out in pain.
“Idiot!”
Yu Ni pointed at the surveillance camera above them.
To keep watch over her every move, her dear eldest brother had specifically ordered someone to install a camera there.
Every moment of Yu Rou’s attack had been recorded.
Yu Rou shrieked with rage. “How dare you set me up? I’ll smash your mother’s urn!”
“Go ahead, if you’ve got the nerve.”
Without the slightest fear of the threat, Yu Ni scrambled to her feet and ran out.
Yu Rou chased after her. “I’ll kill you!”
Yu Ni had no intention of getting tangled up with this madwoman. As she rounded a corner, she pushed open the door to the neighboring room and hid inside.
Yu Rou had injured her. That was an undeniable fact.
Yu Rou was as good as finished tonight.
“Bitch! Get out here on your own! If I find you, I’ll make sure you don’t even have a place to be buried!”
Yu Rou’s curses grew fainter and fainter before finally disappearing down the corridor.
Once Yu Ni was sure she was gone, she opened the door and was about to leave.
Just then, she heard a considerable commotion behind her.
A wave of scorching heat swept over her. Before she could understand what was happening, she was forcibly pulled into the bathroom.
The bathroom was freezing, like an ice cellar.
But the hand gripping her wrist was burning hot.
With her back pressed against the wall, Yu Ni was caught between searing heat and bone-chilling cold. Her petite body shivered involuntarily.
“Did Mu Nan send you?” A deep, magnetic voice, strained with barely suppressed desire, sounded beside her ear.
Yu Ni raised her head.
In the brightly lit room, she could see the man’s face clearly.
Strong, sword-shaped brows, as handsome as a painting.
Eyes as dark as black jade, deep as an abyss.
A tall, finely sculpted nose.
Sensual, deep-red lips with an almost bewitching allure.
What perfect bone structure.
Yu Ni had never seen anyone so handsome in person. Unable to resist, she reached out to touch his face.
She thought to herself:
If she could make a sculpture of this man, it would surely be an exceptional piece of work.
The warmth of her touch seemed to burn Mu Qianjue. His desire flared, and he lost control, gripping her by the neck and kissing her.
Only then did Yu Ni realize that something was wrong with him.
His face was flushed.
The body pressed against hers was burning hot.
He had clearly been drugged!
When the kiss ended, Mu Qianjue lowered his head and studied Yu Ni.
She was petite.
Her brows and eyes were delicate and picturesque.
Her nose was finely shaped.
She wore only a little lip gloss, yet her lips looked soft and enticing.
When she smiled, two faint dimples appeared, lending her an innocent sweetness.
Yet this woman showed not a trace of fear in front of him. Instead, she boldly lifted her face to look at him.
As if she were asking, Why aren’t you continuing?
Caught off guard, Yu Ni stumbled into his arms.
He was tall and powerfully built, making her seem even smaller within his embrace.
The next moment, a passionate, domineering kiss stole her breath. His scorching breath seemed to rush into her lungs. Startled by the heat, Yu Ni pushed lightly against him.
But his strong chest was like an iron wall. Her halfhearted resistance only fed the growing fire.
The buttons of her cheongsam were undone one by one.
The sight of her delicate, shapely body made Mu Qianjue’s eyes blaze red.
Losing patience, he tore her cheongsam apart.
Yu Ni’s hands were not idle, either.
They moved gradually downward over his chest muscles.
She had recently been looking for a suitable model.
The man before her met all her requirements, both in looks and physique.
Even though she knew what she was doing was dangerous, she did not mind sacrificing herself for art.
Yu Ni was ready to let things take their natural course. But to her surprise, the man, already on the verge of losing control, pushed her away.
“Leave.”
His voice was hoarse, with an alluring tension to it.
All her strength seemed to have drained away. Yu Ni leaned against the wall, her legs trembling badly.
The man in front of her was soaked through. His taut, bulging muscles looked ready to burst, and he leaned against her in silence, panting.
He looked like an exquisite living sculpture.
“Am I not attractive enough for you?”
Everyone had praised her beauty since she was little.
At school, she had had more suitors than she could count.
Even the Yu family’s eldest young master had set his heart on having her.
Yet despite his drugged state, this man had managed to restrain himself. Yu Ni could not understand it.
Mu Qianjue turned toward the shower, switched it on, and said, “You’re too small. I’m afraid I might kill you.”
So what did that mean?
Was he actually showing her consideration?
Yu Ni suddenly thought much more highly of him.
He would rather suffer the torment of holding back than hurt her.
Who would have thought he was a gentleman?
“Then thank you for not sleeping with me.” She had touched him all over anyway and achieved what she wanted. Whether they slept together or not made no difference to her.
Yu Ni straightened her clothes and left the bathroom without looking back.
She had been gone for so long that the Yu family would surely go crazy if they could not find her.
She needed to get back as quickly as possible, before they came looking for her.