Wei Nanxun had never been this miserable before. She finally understood what it meant to be at the mercy of others, like a fish on the chopping board. It felt as if she were being roasted alive over a fire.
This was far more painful than being killed outright.
Fortunately, she found something that could ease her pain. She was like a traveler in the desert who finally spotted water, or like a drowning person clutching a floating board amid stormy waves, holding that person tightly with both hands.
Even if she did nothing else, just holding him like this alleviated some of her unbearable suffering.
But before she could recover, a pair of large hands ruthlessly pulled her away.
Already covered in wounds and too weak to stand steadily, she was about to fall lightly when pulled like that.
Yet she had never been so attached to anything before. Her survival instinct made her cling back immediately, her arms wrapping tightly like vines around that tall figure.
The figure seemed to stiffen, and in the next moment, that broad palm suddenly grasped her slender neck.
Wei Nanxun was already burning from the drug coursing through her body, and being strangled like this, her face and neck instantly flushed deep red. Her head tilted back like a dying swan, a tragic and shattered beauty in her agony.
She thought her tears had all dried up in her previous life, that nothing was worth crying over anymore. But now, hot tears uncontrollably welled up at the corners of her eyes.
She faintly opened her eyes and through the veil of tears, vaguely saw a tall figure before her. A surge of grievance, resentment, and pain welled up in her heart.
She had done nothing wrong—she was merely admiring flowers in her own home, accidentally met Pei Yuyan, loved him mistakenly, and lost her entire life because of it.
Having been reborn once, she did not think of revenge. She only wanted to live quietly, staying far away from those people and affairs. So why wouldn’t they let her go?
She could not die—not yet.
One burning tear after another rolled down, and her will to survive made her struggle. Her weak, burning hands tried with all their strength to pull at that hand. Her sleeve slipped off her shoulder, revealing arms covered in bloodstains.
“Please… please, I don’t want to die…”
Her voice was filled with pain and despair, with a heavy nasal tone, sounding like an innocent young girl’s grievance.
Just as Wei Nanxun thought she was doomed, that hand slowly loosened its grip. Surviving the ordeal, she gasped for breath, her pale face and heaving chest making her even more unsteady.
Just as she was about to fall backward, the hand that had pushed her to the edge of the cliff wrapped around her waist and pulled her back from the abyss.
She fell steadily into a strong embrace.
Her consciousness flickered between haze and clarity. She didn’t know who the person before her was, but she knew he was not a villain. He could have killed her as easily as crushing an ant, but he did not. He could have taken her innocence outright, but he did not.
The drug suppressed her shame, making her bold and sensitive.
Wei Nanxun closed her eyes and tremblingly reached out to touch the man’s Adam’s apple, then cupped his cheek.
“Please, save me, save me…”
The man did not move. His chest was solid and firm, giving a sense of security, and his lack of refusal encouraged her further.
She pressed her burning cheek against his neck, slowly stroking upwards. She felt a pleasure she had never known before, yet it was still not enough. She wanted more, boldly pressing her lips to his.
Chin, cheek, lips—without any order.
In a daze, she felt a slight pain in her thigh. Before she could figure out what was happening, she heard a low, hoarse murmur.
She raised her head to hear what he said, when a pair of hands tightly wrapped around her lower back, the strength as if to crush her and embed her into his body.
But she didn’t feel pain—only comfort and relief.
“Hold me tighter, tighter…”
She felt a cool sensation come over her, but it quickly turned into a wave of heat. It was no longer just her burning; another fire completely engulfed her, burning her to ashes.
Wei Nanxun was awakened by pain—a burning sensation that forced her eyes open.
She stared blankly at the canopy above her bed, not immediately realizing what had happened until a stabbing pain in her arm brought her sharply back to awareness.
She remembered: she had been drugged by Consort Xian, then desperately escaped, and seemed to have been rescued by someone…
Wei Nanxun suddenly sat up, seeing that she was lying on a large rocking bed, a thin silk quilt covering her lower abdomen. She struggled to recognize the scattered pieces of cloth on the floor that could be called clothes—they were the clothes she had worn today.
Her whole body stiffened, and her gaze slowly dropped downward.
Her outer garment was gone, and she was only wearing a pale yellow camisole. Her body had developed earlier than other girls, with obvious curves. At this moment, the camisole hung crookedly and could not cover everything.
On her snow-white skin, there appeared to be marks of varying depths.
In her previous life, she had been married and had experienced Pei Yuyan’s various schemes. She knew well how much these high-ranking nobles hid in their hearts, so this was not unfamiliar to her.
Seeing this, her heart sank halfway.
But vague memories surfaced in her mind. She knew the other party had not done it intentionally, even strangled her neck to refuse. The feeling of life hanging by a thread was unforgettable.
It was her who took the initiative, who clung to him. Even if she truly lost her innocence, she could not blame him. The blame lay only with Consort Xian and Pei Yuyan.
She lifted the quilt with a mix of despair and unwillingness, expecting a destined ending, but saw that her skirt was still on.
She was stunned in disbelief for a moment, then quickly searched through the bedding.
No bloodstains—truly none!
And although her body felt a bit sore, it should be due to the drug’s effects, completely different from the feeling after serving the emperor in her previous life! Had she taken some antidote?
Wei Nanxun couldn’t think about these things now; she was overwhelmed with joy and tears. The other party not only saved her but did not take advantage of her. Whatever the reason, this was the first person she had ever met in both her lives who had reached out to help her.
She was willing to repay him with her life.
But who could he be?
To appear in this harem, could he be a guard? Or an inner servant? Or a member of the royal family…
And where was she now? It had been a long time since she escaped and fainted. How should she return? How could she explain her disappearance?
Wei Nanxun looked up at the unfamiliar room. It was more like a study than a bedroom. Many calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls, several bookshelves stood on both sides, and in front of her was a screen embroidered with towering mountains. The room was clean and neatly arranged.
She was already unfamiliar with the harem, and now she was utterly at a loss. Where exactly was she?
Just as she thought about leaving, she suddenly heard a woman’s voice behind the screen: “Young lady, are you awake? This servant is here to help you change your clothes.”