Zhou Wanning tried to sit up, but her hands were tied behind her back, making it impossible.
“Is anyone there? Anyone?” she shouted, the strange taste of the anesthetic still lingering in her mouth.
No one responded.
She called out a few more times, but still, no one answered.
An hour, three hours, or perhaps four hours—she lay in the darkness the entire time.
Apart from the darkness, there was fear, which only grew as time passed.
She wasn’t actually afraid of ghosts or supernatural forces, but she felt as though she heard strange noises, and it seemed as if countless eyes were watching her from all around.
This made her break out in a cold sweat.
She closed her eyes, praying for her kidnapper to appear soon. This was too torturous.
A sound—she opened her eyes. It seemed like the sound of a combination lock.
Light seeped in through the crack of the door, and then the entire door swung open.
Her eyes suddenly met the light, and she turned away, closing them in discomfort.
When she slowly tried to open her eyes again, she saw the man sitting in front of her.
Lu Jinzhou was wearing a black shirt and trousers, his long legs slightly apart as he sat on a chair.
Zhou Wanning’s mouth formed an “O” shape—she was shocked.
Because she had always thought Lu Jinzhou had let her go. He was about to marry Zhou Leyu; surely he wouldn’t bother her anymore.
Lu Jinzhou leaned closer. “Ningning, why do you seem unhappy to see me?”
“Lu Jinzhou, what… what do you want? Let me go.” Her violent struggles caused the rope to chafe her wrists.
Knowing it was Lu Jinzhou, her fear only intensified. Before, this man had only confined her to a villa. Here—she glanced around—it looked like a basement.
The entire room was oppressive, with dark walls and the bed beneath her.
Against the opposite wall was a door. She guessed it was a bathroom.
Lu Jinzhou helped her up, making Zhou Wanning sit properly.
Having lain down for too long, half her body was numb, and she couldn’t sit steadily.
Lu Jinzhou pulled her onto his lap. “Ningning, you really want me to hold you, don’t you?”
“Let me go.”
Lu Jinzhou pinched her chin. “Let you go? So you can go fool around with other men?”
When had she ever fooled around with men!
Besides, even if she did, what business was it of his?
“Lu Jinzhou, you’re about to marry Le Yu. Don’t make another mistake.”
“Heh~” His lips curled into a wicked smile. “Alright, no precautions. How about you give me a baby, Ningning?”
Zhou Wanning was speechless. What nonsense was this?
This despicable man was deliberately twisting her words.
“You’re insane, Lu Jinzhou. Let me go. I’m telling you, Zhenzhen will call the police. You’ll be a kidnapper.”
“Liang Yunzhen?” Lu Jinzhou casually mentioned her friend’s name.
“I’ve already sent a message to your friend, telling her not to worry. Something happened at your home, so you can’t go out with her.”
Zhou Wanning was stunned. Lu Jinzhou had even thought of that.
“You…” Zhou Wanning didn’t know what to say anymore.
“Ningning, did you think I’d just let you be with another man?”
By now, Zhou Wanning had recovered a bit. Sitting on his lap, she began to struggle again, refusing to answer his pointless questions.
She just wanted to get as far away from him as possible.
But Lu Jinzhou held her waist, his long legs trapping hers.
“Can’t wait for me to cherish you, can you?” He then pinched the soft flesh at her side.
Zhou Wanning wished she could cover her ears, but her hands were still bound.
“Lu Jinzhou, let me go. I… I need to use the bathroom.”
She had no idea how long she had been held captive. Though she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything, the urge was still there.
“Then behave properly.”
Zhou Wanning: …
If there were a dagger before her now, she would not hesitate to plunge it into his chest.
He was utterly despicable.
“If Ningning has an accident, I’ll give you a bath and change your clothes. You… hmm…”
Zhou Wanning’s lips crashed into his.
The taste of blood instantly spread between their mouths.
Her teeth had struck his lips.
Lu Jinzhou lifted his eyelids, staring at her furious face as he cupped the back of her head, deepening the kiss with the metallic tang of blood.
When the kiss ended, Zhou Wanning was left panting with rage.
“So Ningning likes it this way.” He used his thumb to smear the blood on her lips, dragging it to the corner of her mouth, leaving a crimson streak.
At this moment, she resembled a female ghost that fed on humans, yet her eyes were moist, filled with profound resentment.
The ropes binding her were untied, and Lu Jinzhou carried her into the bathroom.
“Get out.”
How could she go with him standing right in front of her?
Lu Jinzhou took two steps back, leaning against the wall. “If you don’t want to go, I’ll carry you out.”
Zhou Wanning had never used the bathroom in front of anyone before. Her face flushed with embarrassment, and her tone carried a plea. “You… please leave.”
The bathroom had a shower and a sink, but the decor, like the rest of the place, was oppressively black.
She flushed the toilet, and Lu Jinzhou walked back in.
He tried to carry her again, but she refused.
In the struggle, Lu Jinzhou seemed to have run out of patience. He tore open Zhou Wanning’s collar.
She was wearing a light gray thin sweater with a white camisole underneath.
The buttons on her sweater popped off under his force.
Zhou Wanning clutched the sides of her clothes, trying to shield herself.
But the man seized her wrists, pinning her against the wall.
Lu Jinzhou’s hands were large; one was enough to restrain both her wrists.
“Since you don’t want to go out and do it, we’ll do it here.” His hand was already reaching for the button of her jeans.
Whenever Zhou Wanning struggled, her chest would arch forward. She lifted a leg to kick him but was caught behind the knee.
He pressed closer, biting down on her collarbone.
“Mmm…” It hurt so much.
Zhou Wanning’s eyes immediately reddened. She shrank her neck, trying to avoid another bite.
Her voice trembled. “Lu Jinzhou, it hurts. It really hurts.”
Tears instantly streamed down, scalding drops landing on Lu Jinzhou’s cheek.
He released her, looking at the bite mark on her collarbone before gently licking it. “You’ll learn how to behave after it hurts.”
Zhou Wanning’s shoulders trembled, her fingertips icy and curled. Her eyes were filled with panic and fear, and she dared not meet his gaze.
Her eyelashes fluttered like tiny brushes dancing, and she bit her lip hard.
She had thought the nightmare was over, that she could embrace a new beginning.
Lu Jinzhou released her wrists, scooped her up, and placed her back on the bed outside.
He stroked the top of her head as if showing pity. “Are you hungry?”
Zhou Wanning neither nodded nor shook her head.
“Not hungry?” Lu Jinzhou paused for a moment after speaking. “Alright, then let’s do it first.”
He even took her hand and placed it on his belt. “Unfasten it.”