Hearing the voice behind her, as cold and terrifying as a demon from hell, Luo Jin tightly closed her eyes.
If she had known it would come to this, she never would have done something so reckless. Wouldn’t it have been better to simply admire him from afar?
Now, this was nothing more than punishment for herself.
Gu Tangzhou lowered his head and inhaled softly at her neck, letting out a satisfied sigh.
She knew she wouldn’t be able to escape tonight again.
Five years ago, even when he demanded her harshly, she could still feel a trace of sweetness in it.
But now, her eyes were fixed on that white sofa, her mind filled only with his intimate moments with Bai Chuyan.
To him, she was nothing more than one of many playthings.
Clean. Timid.
The most effortless choice.
His large hand continued to roam over her delicate figure, only to stop abruptly at the most crucial moment.
“It’s late. Go rest.”
After that, he instructed the housekeeper to prepare a room for Luo Jin.
For all these years, this was the first time she had been allowed to stay in a guest room.
A faint warmth rose in Luo Jin’s heart, and she thought he had restrained himself because of her injuries.
Back in her room, she briefly washed up with warm water and changed into the pajamas the housekeeper had prepared—the milk-soft fleece fabric felt especially gentle against her skin.
She sank into the soft mattress, temporarily forgetting the pain of her injuries.
She took out her phone, planning to check recent trending news. She had already returned to the country for some time, and it was time to seriously consider her career.
She intended to start by interviewing at smaller companies, since larger ones would likely be wary of her identity.
But suddenly, the doorknob turned—yet the door didn’t open.
The man outside showed a hint of displeasure. Locking the door in his house?
Knock knock.
At first, Luo Jin thought about pretending to be asleep to get through it, but Gu Tangzhou knew her too well.
“I know you’re not asleep. Open the door.”
She had no choice but to act as if she had just woken up, rubbing her eyes and opening the door a crack.
“What is it?”
The next second, the man had already pushed the door open and squeezed inside holding a cup of milk.
“I brought you some milk. I was afraid you wouldn’t sleep well in a new place.”
Luo Jin was too lazy to expose his real intentions. Not wanting to waste any more time, she took the milk and drank it in one go.
“Thank you for your kindness, Second Brother. I’m already so sleepy I can barely keep my eyes open.”
Her words clearly meant she wanted him to leave quickly.
As perceptive as Gu Tangzhou was, how could he not understand?
Ignoring her attempt to block the door, he walked past her, placed the tray on the table, and sat down on the bed, patting the spot beside him.
“Come here.”
Luo Jin only felt a deep sense of humiliation.
She had always thought she was different from those women who sold their bodies. She had held onto a faint hope that if she endured long enough, Gu Tangzhou would choose her.
It wasn’t until five years ago that she realized she was even more disgusting than those women.
Because the person she was serving was her nominal second brother.
Biting her lower lip hard, Luo Jin clenched her fists tightly.
Her steps were small and hesitant as she slowly shuffled over, silently praying for some change of circumstances—but the moment the man’s long legs came into view, her heart turned cold.
“Second Brother…”
She called softly, as if trying to awaken the last trace of his conscience.
Hoping that, given her injuries, he would let her go for tonight.
But he was never someone who showed mercy.
His large hand pulled her into his arms and pressed her down onto the bed.
The soft bed she had just thought so comforting now felt like a torture device.
Her pajamas were lifted, and she felt a wave of cold air, while the places his hand touched burned hot.
The contrast of cold and heat made it hard for her to think.
Just as she thought he would press down on her, a cool sensation spread across her skin.
Turning her head abruptly, Luo Jin realized Gu Tangzhou was holding ointment in one hand and a cotton swab in the other.
At the hospital during the day, the doctor had only given her a rough bandage, and the medication was basic at best.
Meeting her confused gaze, Gu Tangzhou looked up.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.”
Afraid her thoughts would be exposed, Luo Jin quickly turned her head away, resting her chin on her hands.
“Hiss—”
The ointment was extremely effective, but the only downside was the intense stinging pain when applied.
Luo Jin tried her best to endure it, gripping the blanket tightly, but there was no relief.
“It hurts! Be gentler.”
She cried out while instinctively trying to dodge.
Outside the room, Aunt Wang, who occasionally heard sounds from inside, kept shaking her head and silently reciting prayers.
What the young master was doing with Miss Luo was truly against all reason.
Inside, Gu Tangzhou held down the struggling Luo Jin while continuing to apply the medicine.
His fingers brushed against her silky skin, and her unconscious, slightly breathy cries only made him feel a surge of heat rising in his lower abdomen.
“Don’t move.”
His hoarse voice tried to make her understand how hard it was for him to hold back.
But Luo Jin, overwhelmed by pain, ignored the change in his tone and kept moving.
It took a full forty minutes to finish applying the ointment to her back, which needed time to air-dry before she could put her clothes back down.
Their posture was rather awkward.
Even lying on her stomach, Luo Jin could feel the intensity of his gaze behind her.
Gu Tangzhou looked at her curvaceous figure. Even with the injuries on her body, he could not deny the radiance she still emitted.
His throat bobbed, and he quickly looked away. When the time was finally up, he pulled her loose pajamas back down.
“I’m going to take a shower.”
Only then did Luo Jin notice something was off in his voice. She tried to sit up, but the pain stopped her, and she collapsed back onto the bed.
She pulled up the blanket; after all the struggling, a thin layer of sweat had formed on her body.
Drowsiness overcame her, and she drifted into sleep—unaware of when Gu Tangzhou returned to the bed.
In a half-dreaming, half-awake state, Luo Jin turned over and accidentally rested her leg on something protruding. Thinking it was part of a dream, she reached out and touched it.
The moment her hand touched a familiar face, she suddenly opened her eyes and sat up.
“Why are you in my bed?”
Earlier, when she learned he had prepared a guest room for her, something deep inside her was struck hard. And coupled with the gentleness he showed while applying her medicine…
She had almost fallen for him again.
“If you move again, I’ll take you right here and now.”
His voice was extremely hoarse. The cold shower had only briefly restored his clarity; the moment he felt her cool arm, that suppressed heat reignited.
Luo Jin was so frightened she dared not move, slowly inching toward the edge of the bed, ready to escape at any moment.
“Don’t move.”
Her restless shifting made Gu Tangzhou lose control of his composure again. His hand pressed down on her, coincidentally right over her slender waist.
Luo Jin stiffened instinctively, her heartbeat echoing loudly in the silent night.
“Close your eyes and sleep.”
He gave the order again. She didn’t dare disobey and quickly closed her eyes, though her uneven breathing betrayed her nervousness.
Click.
The man beside her suddenly sat up. Luo Jin’s heart leapt into her throat.
The next moment, she heard the sound of the door lock.
She slowly opened her eyes and found the bed beside her empty.