Luo Jin was trembling all over and didn’t dare make a single sound, afraid that the person on the other end of the line would notice anything.
“Where the hell have you been? Why aren’t you home yet?”
Gu Fifth Master’s furious voice immediately came through the phone.
The male elders of the Gu family all knew that when Luo Jin had just been brought back, Gu Fifth Master’s gaze toward her had already revealed a kind of greed.
Fortunately, Gu Fifth Madam was a formidable woman; otherwise, he would not have given up on her even after all these years.
Luo Jin clenched her teeth and forced her voice back to normal.
“Dad…”
At that moment, Gu Tangzhou’s large hand mischievously lingered at her waist, making her entire body itch uncontrollably.
She bit down hard on her lip until it bled, barely suppressing the moan that threatened to escape.
“I’ll be back soon. I’m just having a get-together with some friends.”
Behind her, the man lightly brushed her neck with his hair, sending goosebumps all over her body.
“What friends? Get your ass back here right now.”
Luo Jin didn’t dare speak anymore and silently endured Gu Fifth Master’s tirade.
“You’ve been living off the Gu family’s money for five years outside, don’t think I don’t know how many men you’ve been messing around with!”
“You’re embarrassing the Gu family. If I’d known you were this kind of woman, I would never have adopted you!”
“And control that body of yours that can’t live without men. If you ruin the Gu family’s reputation, you’ll regret it!”
The barrage of insults didn’t make Luo Jin feel the slightest bit of shame.
For more than twenty years, her life had been like this almost every day.
She originally intended to respond with silent resistance as always, but the man behind her had other plans.
Suddenly, she felt a warm sensation on her neck—and the next second, a wet touch made her eyes widen instantly.
Gu Tangzhou was licking her.
Most of their past intimacy involved Gu Tangzhou unilaterally releasing his desire; only a few rare moments of gentleness ended with him becoming even more forceful as her eyes turned hazy.
Her mind went completely blank, unable to think.
At that moment, Gu Tangzhou bit down hard on her.
“Hiss—”
On the other end of the call, Gu Fifth Master heard her sound and immediately exploded in rage.
“You little wretch, what’s wrong with you! I say a few words and you get unhappy? As long as you call me ‘dad’ one day, I have the right to control you! If you don’t like it, get out of the Gu family!”
Before Luo Jin could explain, the call was already hung up.
A faint chuckle came from behind her, and Gu Tangzhou finally loosened his grip.
The air carried a faint smell of blood. Luo Jin understood—this was his punishment and also a warning.
But she couldn’t tell whether it was for “ending things five years ago” or for what he called “knowing when to stop.”
She lowered her gaze obediently, putting herself in a submissive posture.
“Second brother… please, let me go.”
The moment he heard that, Gu Tangzhou’s eyes instantly turned to ice.
Five years ago she climbed into his bed, and now she dares to talk about ending things?
He was not someone she could summon at will or discard at will.
“Not up to you.”
He sealed her lips again before she could plead further. This time, Gu Tangzhou was like a maddened beast, relentlessly invading, and she could barely withstand him.
Only when she was close to suffocating did he finally release her.
The emotions between them grew even more intense.
Luo Jin was afraid she might actually faint from lack of air, her clenched fists pressed between them as she whimpered softly.
This time, Gu Tangzhou showed a rare mercy and gave her space to breathe.
“Second brother…”
One look from him made her immediately fall silent.
Under his gaze, she surrendered and corrected herself.
“Xiao Zhou.”
After five years apart, hearing that familiar name again made even Gu Tangzhou’s lips twitch upward slightly without him noticing.
In countless nights, he had clearly heard her sweet voice calling him that in his dreams.
But when he woke up, the room was empty and cold. On his phone, their chat history contained only four lonely words:
“Let’s end this.”
How could he not hate her?
“Five years ago you left without saying goodbye, and just now you said we should stop again. You owe me twice, Luo Jin.”
He rarely called her full name. When he did, it was never a good sign.
Back then she left because she knew there would be no future with him. She wanted an escape, but after all the twists and turns, everything had returned to the starting point.
“Xiao Zhou, I’m already twenty-five. It’s time for me to think about marriage.”
“So that’s why you want to end things?”
His tall figure closed in again, nearly two meters of height enclosing her completely, suffocating in pressure.
“What about that man? When are you bringing him back?”
Her earlier words had been a final test—she had hoped that if Gu Tangzhou was willing to give her a place, she wouldn’t care about gossip.
But his attitude made her realize she had been deluding herself.
“Wait a little longer,” she lied casually, turning her face away because her heart ached.
He forced her chin up.
“Focus.”
He didn’t let her go. Perhaps because of her obedience, he became gentler, planting dense kisses across her skin.
She didn’t know when she became exposed, nor how many times she had reached the peak that night.
When she woke again, it was already daylight. Just a slight movement brought waves of pain through her entire body.
There were bruises everywhere—clearly, Gu Tangzhou had been ruthless last night.
When she turned, she saw him sleeping. His eyelashes cast shadows over deep-set eyes, his straight nose and sharp jawline making him impossible to look away from.
Once again, Luo Jin’s heart was struck hard.
Such a perfect man—even a fleeting connection with him was something she would willingly accept without regret.
Her phone rang. She shot up, grabbed it, threw on her clothes, and rushed out of the room.
Only in the living room did she dare answer softly.
“Hello?”
“Luo Luo, where were you last night? Gu Fifth Master’s calls have already reached me.”
Hearing Ye Ziyu’s voice made Luo Jin feel an unexpected warmth and relaxation.
“I stayed out a bit late.”
“As long as you’re okay. I told them you were with me—just don’t slip up.”
In the suffocating years at the Gu family, Ye Ziyu had been like a ray of light in her life.
After a brief exchange, Luo Jin hung up, checked the time, quickly got dressed, and covered the bite marks on her neck with a coat.
When she returned to the Gu residence, she tried to slip back to her room quietly—but as soon as she stepped inside, something black flew toward her.
She instinctively shut her eyes. A sharp pain struck her forehead, and the sound of porcelain shattering rang at her feet.
Then came the furious voice of Gu Fifth Master—