On the large bed, a petite figure was curled up within the soft bedding.
The young girl nestled under the arm of a giant white teddy bear, but her sleep was far from peaceful.
Her delicate brows were tightly furrowed, her fingertips clutching the bear’s snowy-white fur as her body trembled slightly. A sobbing murmur escaped her lips:
“Brother, save me…”
The next second, Jing Nian’an jolted awake from her nightmare.
Cold sweat trickled down her forehead, dampening her hair at the temples, and her palms were sticky and clammy.
Still shaken, the girl gasped for breath, her mind replaying the dream she had just experienced—
She had actually become the vicious cannon fodder in a novel!
What had jolted her awake was the cold, menacing barrel of a gun aimed directly at the space between her eyebrows.
Instinctively, she had tried to call out for her brother to save her, but a deafening “bang!” echoed…
She could vividly feel the warmth of life draining away with the flow of blood.
Finally, she plunged into a frigid abyss…
Even upon waking, she could still hear a sharp, piercing scream:
“Go! Make everything return to its proper course…”
The dream felt too real, so real that Jing Nian’an’s heart trembled;
And it was too long, so long that it felt as if she had lived an entire lifetime.
The usually spoiled young lady now resembled a frightened kitten, huddling beside the giant white teddy bear.
The more Jing Nian’an thought about it, the more panicked she became. Her fingers twisted a corner of the blanket, crumpling the embroidered flowers until they were wrinkled.
Just then, a familiar ringtone—”Ding-ling-ling!”—suddenly blared.
Jing Nian’an flinched in fright, then immediately reached toward the bedside table.
Pulling out her phone, she saw the name “Lin Jinhuan” on the screen, and her hands and feet instantly turned icy cold.
Lin Jinhuan was a friend she had recently made, and also the female protagonist in the novel from her dream.
That novel was a strong-female-lead story, where both the male and female protagonists were victors in brutal family struggles, with intense conflict from the very beginning.
The two started off as adversaries but gradually developed mutual respect through life-and-death trials, eventually falling in love.
However, from the perspective of Jing Nian’an, the cannon fodder, she never knew who the male protagonist was.
She only remembered that she had been shot dead by the female protagonist’s loyal subordinate because, in her fear for her own life, she had revealed the female protagonist’s exact location.
The young girl instinctively hugged the giant white teddy bear tighter, her gaze fixed resentfully on the incessantly ringing phone.
The ringtone felt like a death knell, one chime after another, irritating the young lady of the Jing family immensely.
It’s just a phone call, what’s there to be afraid of?
Dreams are the opposite of reality; the female protagonist can’t eat her now…
Besides, as the esteemed eldest miss of the Jing family, she had never been afraid of anyone!
After an internal struggle, Jing Nian’an kicked away the soft blanket with determination and answered the call with a fierce demeanor.
But she didn’t dare speak first, waiting instead for the other person to start.
Soon, Lin Jinhuan’s clear, flute-like voice came from the other end of the line: “Where are you?”
Jing Nian’an’s fingers tightened around the phone, suddenly remembering that she had made plans with Lin Jinhuan to go to a bar together that morning.
She pulled the phone away to check the screen—the time showed she was already two hours late.
But the young lady of the Jing family felt no remorse.
Before Jing Nian’an could speak, Lin Jinhuan’s concerned, androgynous voice came through the receiver again:
“Did the young lady fall asleep? I’ll come pick you up.”
Hearing this, a flicker of panic flashed in the girl’s beautiful, glass-bead-like eyes, and her voice unconsciously rose:”No! I… I’m not feeling well today, so I won’t be going.”
After saying this, she hurriedly hung up the phone.
At this moment, her heart felt like it was holding a rabbit, thumping wildly.
Yes, that’s it!
As long as she didn’t interact with the female lead, she wouldn’t get caught up in all that fighting and killing!
The next second, the bedroom door was pushed open from the outside, and a tall figure appeared in the doorway, carrying a gentle breeze.
The man was tall and slender, with broad shoulders, dressed in a light blue knitted cardigan over an ivory-white shirt, the collar slightly open, casual yet elegant.
In his long, slender hand, he held a glass of plain water. As he turned to close the door, the black watch face on his wrist reflected scattered glimmers of light.
Seeing the girl already sitting up on the bed, Wen Zhuo was slightly taken aback. A smile instantly spread in his clear eyes as he strode closer.
He casually placed the water glass on the bedside table and asked in a gentle voice, “Why did you wake up so early today?”
The moment he turned his head, Wen Zhuo’s smile froze—
The girl’s small, delicate face was utterly pale, devoid of any color.
Wen Zhuo’s heart tightened sharply. He raised his long, slender hand and gently touched her slightly puffed, soft cheek, his thumb unconsciously stroking it as he asked:
“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Did you have a nightmare?”
As he spoke, he leaned forward, moving closer to examine the girl’s condition.
Jing Nian’an looked up at the man before her, finally snapping back to reality.
The next moment, she pushed aside the plush toy beside her and, like a koala, suddenly wrapped her arms around the man’s waist, burying her face deeply in his chest.
Almost instantly, the man’s firm waist and abdomen tensed, and his breathing grew rapid.
Beneath his calm, jade-like expression, his eyes churned with an obscure, unreadable light.
This was the first time sweetheart had taken the initiative to get close to him…
In the past, the girl would always tilt her chin up, ordering him around with an air of arrogance or simply ignoring him altogether.
After what felt like an eternity, Wen Zhuo gently patted the girl’s back and asked in a husky voice:
“What’s wrong? Can you tell your brother?”
The girl shook her head in his embrace, but then, as if remembering something, she pushed him away forcefully with both hands.
She pretended to be composed, tilting her chin up and turning her flushed face away.
As if it wasn’t her who had just thrown herself into the man’s arms.
She didn’t even glance in Wen Zhuo’s direction, only muttering sullenly, “Where’s my brother?”
Wen Zhuo naturally understood who she was asking about, his nails unconsciously digging into his palm.
“He’s on a business trip and won’t be back until tomorrow morning.”
Wen Zhuo’s tone was calm, but his gaze remained fixed on the girl.
Hearing this, Jing Nian’an pouted slightly and muttered a sullen “Oh,” saying nothing more.
Seeing this, Wen Zhuo quietly moved a little closer, the scent of cedar on him carrying a hint of chill as it enveloped the girl.
“What happened? Hmm? Can’t you tell this brother of yours?”
He asked half-jokingly, his words filled with affection.
As he spoke, the man raised his hand, his fingertips gently stroking the girl’s soft hair.
The motion was tender, but his outstretched hand trembled slightly, betraying the surging resentment in his heart.
~
Meanwhile, inside the Calorie Bar, laser lights cast their glow freely—a bar that operated even during the day.
The dance floor was crowded with moving figures, bustling and noisy.
The corner booth was like an isolated island, offering an excellent vantage point to overlook the entire scene.
Lin Jinhuan listened to the disconnected call beside her ear, the black phone slowly slipping away from her ear to reveal a face that was both cool and strikingly beautiful.A sleek mullet cut, like black satin, flowed freely and defiantly.
Her sword-like brows were sharp and prominent, with a slight upward tilt at the peaks. Her slender eyes now glinted with a cold light, making it impossible to meet her gaze.
Xue Xiaomin sat to the side with two followers, enveloped by the low-pressure aura radiating from her.
All three held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
Earlier, she had suggested that the boss call the eldest daughter of the Jing family, but the boss’s exact words were:
“She might be taking a nap at this hour. Let’s wait a bit.”
And so they had waited for nearly three hours!
Finally, the call was made, but the boss’s expression was downright terrifying…
Xue Xiaomin mustered her courage, her voice trembling as she asked, “The eldest daughter… isn’t coming?”
Lin Jinhuan remained silent, her brows furrowed tightly into a knot. Without a word, she picked up a glass and downed the drink in one gulp.
The remaining droplets of alcohol slid down her jaw and dripped onto her black casual pants.
Immediately after, she slammed the glass onto the table with a loud “bang.”
The collision between the glass and the tabletop made a sharp sound, startling the others and causing them to flinch instinctively.
Lin Jinhuan stood up, her leather boots tapping crisply against the floor with a clear “click-clack.”
But after taking only a couple of steps, she paused abruptly.
Turning around, her gaze sharp as a sword, she fixed it directly on Xue Xiaomin.
Xue Xiaomin felt a chill run down her spine under that stare and slowly asked, “Boss, wh-what’s wrong?”
Lin Jinhuan’s thin lips parted, her voice cold enough to freeze ice:
“Call her and tell her we’re coming to see her now.”