Even for a storage room, it was exceptionally tidy.
A slender young woman stood inside.
She had a sweet, delicate face, and beneath her long eyelashes shone a pair of brilliant, sparkling golden eyes.
Wen Ran lightly tapped the man’s muscular chest with the tip of her foot.
She leaned down, her breath carrying a sweet, floral scent.
Her words were arrogant, but her voice was so soft and sweet it was almost a coo.
“You Bufan, I know exactly what kind of person you are.”
In her past life, this bastard would feign humility to coax and deceive her into submission.
Once he got what he wanted, he would shove her back into the abyss.
He would stop at nothing to break her spirit.
He gave her hope time and time again, only to extinguish it with his own hands.
He was a fickle, petty man, and not a single word he spoke was true.
The constant pain in the crook of her arm, the tiny needle marks, the endless vials of red potion…
they turned her into someone she wasn’t.
All of it was to satisfy the darkness in his heart.
She slapped him, but the man’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.
Instead, Wen Ran’s own delicate palm began to sting and turn red.
Wen Ran’s cheeks flushed with anger.
‘His skin is ridiculously thick!’
They were so close that You Bufan could smell the young woman’s unique fragrance—the scent of rose nectar.
You Bufan’s expression flickered.
The spiritual power in his body surged restlessly, creating an urgent desire to pull the sweet young woman into his arms and drink in her wonderful scent.
His eyes turned scarlet, and his muscles strained with an audible POP.
“Warning!
Your Frenzy Value has reached 80%!” the Smart Brain on You Bufan’s wrist blared.
“The…
the inhibitor.”
‘Once his Frenzy Value exceeds 80%, he’ll become violent.’ Wen Ran’s heart leaped in alarm, but then she saw the ropes binding You Bufan and relaxed.
‘These ropes are made of a special material.
They won’t come undone without a command.’
“Want the inhibitor?
Beg me.”
“In…
in your dreams.” A bone-chilling coldness filled the depths of You Bufan’s scarlet eyes.
Before Wen Ran could say more, she suddenly felt a hand grip her ankle.
The world spun, and she was thrown hard onto the ground.
A scorching hot body pressed down on top of her, his searing breath ghosting across her neck.
“Give it to me!”
They were so close Wen Ran could hear him gritting his teeth.
The man’s icy voice sent her into a daze.
Painful memories flooded her mind.
“No, don’t…”
You Bufan’s patience ran out.
He opened his mouth, ready to bite down on her slender neck.
“Ngh…” In the next instant, a sharp pain shot through him, and all the strength left his body.
Wen Ran kicked the man off her and stood up.
She looked down at her white dress, now stained with dust, and her brow furrowed.
‘This is my favorite dress.’
“Next time, I’ll crush your soul stone.” The tip of her high heel ground viciously into the back of You Bufan’s hand.
She then stepped on his lean torso, grinding her heel in, twisting it again and again.
Then, she moved her shoe to his face, tapping his cheek in a humiliating gesture.
His breathing grew ragged as he tried to pull away.
But the scent of rose nectar still forced its way into his nostrils, overpowering him.
His cheeks flushed crimson.
Wen Ran looked at him with disgust.
She pressed down harder with the tip of her shoe.
The man’s breath hitched, and he let out a muffled groan of pain.
“Nghh…”
Wen Ran froze, her foot still on him.
She stared in disbelief.
‘Disgusting!
Shameless!’
‘Arghhh!’
‘These shoes are ruined!!!’
Furious, she stormed back to her room, kicked off her shoes, and marched into the bathroom.
She frantically scrubbed the top of her foot with the showerhead, not stopping until her porcelain-white skin was raw and red.
「That night.」 The lights in the storage room suddenly flicked on.
You Bufan squinted, his eyes adjusting.
When he opened them again, he saw a tall, imposing figure whose mere presence felt heavy and oppressive.
“I hear you’re dissatisfied with this marriage.”
Ize’s gaze swept condescendingly over the man collapsed on the floor.
The man’s clothes were soaked in sweat, darkening the fabric of his blue jeans.
Ize’s brow furrowed.
The thick, suffocating air in the room was repulsive.
“How could a Half-beastman like me be worthy of the young lady of the Mite family?”
“What do you think, Young Master Ize?” You Bufan asked from the floor, his cheeks flushed from the heat.
Ize’s expression was cold.
“After the Hai Rui family’s banquet, the engagement can be annulled.”
He tapped on his Smart Brain, and the ropes binding You Bufan came undone.
You Bufan smiled as he rose to his feet.
“Good.
I’ll be waiting.”
As they drew closer, Ize’s sharp senses caught the faint scent of rose nectar on the man.
“Hunter will arrange a guest room for you.” With that, he turned and left.
In her bed, Wen Ran slept with a sweet expression, her slender, pale fingers clutching the corner of a pillow.
Ize’s gaze darkened, lingering on her plump, moist lips.
The skin on the back of his own neck grew hot as his mind was pulled back to the chaos of the previous night.
He stood by her bed for a long while.
As he left the bedroom, his icy gaze swept over the pair of golden high heels on the floor.
They were tainted with a male’s distinct, heavy scent, which he found repulsive.
“Young Master, Young Master You has been settled in the guest room on the second floor.
Anything he needs will be provided tomorrow.”
“Mm.
The young lady’s golden high heels are dirty.
Throw them out.”
“Yes.”
「The next day.」 For once, Wen Ran was up early.
Humming a tune, she went downstairs and opened the door to the storage room.
But when she saw the empty room, the dimples gracing her cheeks slowly faded.
Panic bloomed in her heart, and a chill spread through her entire body.
Hunter, a middle-aged man in a black tailcoat, walked over.
“Young Lady, what are you doing here?”
“The man who was in here…
where is he?”
“Last night, the Young Master gave orders to move Young Master You to the guest room on the second floor.”
Wen Ran breathed a sigh of relief.
‘So, what happened yesterday wasn’t a dream after all.’
“What are you doing here?” a voice as cold as frost asked from behind her.
Wen Ran jumped, startled.
“Bro…
Brother.”
Ize’s expression was cold and severe.
“Are you afraid of me?”
“N-no.”
“I’m hungry, Brother.
Let’s go have breakfast.” To prove she wasn’t afraid, Wen Ran took the initiative, linking her arm with his and pulling him toward the dining room.
During the meal, they both tacitly avoided mentioning You Bufan.
Only after they had finished did Ize instruct the butler, Hunter, to take a meal upstairs.
Wen Ran gently dabbed her mouth with a soft napkin.
Her skin was so delicate that even this light touch made her already moist lips appear even more lush and vivid.
Ize, who was adjusting his tie, paused.
The deep blue of his eyes darkened.
He took a deep breath and said slowly, “You’re the one who locked You Bufan in the storage room last night.”
Feeling guilty, Wen Ran lowered her gaze, her voice timid.
“I’m sorry, Brother.
I’ll never…”
“Just don’t take it too far.”
Wen Ran looked up in surprise.
Seeing that Ize was serious, a brilliant smile bloomed on her face.
“Okay,” she answered, her voice soft and sweet.
Ize nodded and stood up.
“Lu Yanting of the Sea Shark Clan will be moving in for a few days.
He has a volatile temper, so try to avoid him.”
Lu Yanting, the black sheep of the Sea Shark Clan, was a notorious playboy who did little else but fool around.
He was the youngest son and a constant headache for the Sea Shark Clan’s Family Head.
Wen Ran bit her lip.
‘Very well, Lu Yanting,’ she thought.
‘I’ll give him a taste of wanting something he can never have.’
‘He can look, but he can’t touch.
For someone so obsessed with beauty, that should be the greatest punishment of all.’
By the time Wen Ran snapped out of her thoughts, the only people left in the dining room were herself and a servant who had come to clear the table.
She saw the servant carrying a tray of food, about to deliver it to You Bufan, and stopped them.
“Give it to me.”