You Bufan lay on the bed, resting.
The pain in his body hadn’t completely faded.
He rubbed his lips; it was as if he could still feel the girl’s delicate skin.
The rose-like fragrance of the girl still lingered in his mouth.
The unruly Little Flood Dragon leaped out of his Spiritual Sea, writhing uncomfortably.
‘Tsk.’ You Bufan clicked his tongue in frustration.
‘That damned woman must have some kind of Magic Power, to be able to stir the most primal desires deep in my heart again and again.’
‘I can’t let these chaotic emotions overwhelm me.
Once I get free, I have to capture her.
I’ll put her through ruthless desensitization training until I feel absolutely no interest in her anymore.
Only then will it be over.’
You Bufan clenched his fists.
He moved one hand down below and buried his head in his pillow.
Suddenly, the sound of intermittent sobbing reached his ears.
It was her.
‘That’s right, her room is directly above mine.’
A male’s five senses were keen.
The girl’s room wasn’t soundproofed, so he could hear everything clearly, even the sound of her turning over in her sleep.
‘Is she crying?’
Her cries were like a kitten’s—soft, weak, and intermittent.
It made him a little excited.
He listened, and he fantasized.
With his head buried in the pillow, his breathing grew ragged, and a flush crept up his cheeks.
He mocked himself internally.
‘Damn it, and it’s just her voice!’
Wen Ran was sprawled on her bed, pounding the mattress over and over to vent her anger.
But her skin was too delicate; in no time, her palms were red, swollen, and burning.
“You stupid brother!
You bad brother!”
“That jerk Ize!
What did I ever do to him?
Why is he in such a hurry to marry me off?”
“Would keeping me for two more years kill him?
Or would the family go bankrupt?
You cheapskate!”
“Hmph!
I’m going to find a man who’s more handsome and more powerful than him.
Then I’ll parade him around in front of Ize all day long just to spite him!”
Wen Ran’s rambling left You Bufan hanging in an awkward, unresolved state.
Then he heard her repeatedly calling Ize’s name, and his excitement completely vanished.
He could easily imagine it: the girl pouting, her expression a mix of anger and frustration.
In front of Ize, she was as docile as a kitten, making one want to tease her.
But when she faced him, she put on a different face, becoming a bristling, aloof ragdoll cat.
Even if he did nothing, she would still take a swipe at him with her claws. This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
Once her claws were stained with blood, she would proudly lick her fur, then look at him with arrogant satisfaction and meow as if she’d just won a great victory.
‘But I really can’t figure out how I offended this little cat.’
‘Maybe I offended a kitten in a past life, and this is my karmic retribution.’
Wen Ran fumed for a while and cried for a while before finally falling asleep.
When she woke up the next day, her eyes were swollen.
She didn’t want to see Ize, so she had someone bring her ice and held it to her eyes for a long time before finally going downstairs.
When she reached the corner of the landing, she changed direction and headed for You Bufan’s room instead.
Wen Ran put on a fierce expression.
Just as she was about to open the door, two figures appeared behind her.
“Miss Wen Ran, it’s time to go to White Lion Mansion,” a man in a black suit said calmly.
The girl’s face went ashen, and the hand she had on the doorknob began to tremble.
‘That’s right.
It’s been a month since I was reborn and awakened.’
‘Starting from age seven, at the same time every month, I had to go to White Lion Mansion to ‘give blood’.’
‘My supposed parents said that since I enjoyed the family’s riches, I had to contribute to the family.’
‘They also claimed that I stole my sister’s nutrients in the womb, which was why Wendy had been frail and sickly since she was a child.’
‘Therefore, I was the one who had to ‘give blood’ in my sister’s place.
While others gave one vial at a time, I had to give two.’
‘From age seven to eighteen.
Twelve years.
One hundred forty-four times.
Two hundred eighty-eight vials of blood.’
‘But I refuse to ‘repay’ the family’s kindness by harming my own body any longer.’
She looked at Hunter.
“Is my brother still home?”
“The young master seemed to have urgent business.
He left early this morning.”
Wen Ran’s heart sank.
She gathered her courage and said, “I’m not feeling well.
I won’t be going to White Lion Mansion today.”
“Miss, this is an order from the Family Head.
No one can defy it.
I do not wish to harm you.”
The two men were stern and implacable, showing no intention of treating her with delicacy.
Hunter, thinking Wen Ran was just scared, also tried to gently persuade her.
“Miss, please don’t be difficult with the Family Head any longer.”
“The Family Head is your father.
There’s no such thing as an overnight feud between a father and daughter.
As long as you admit you were wrong, he’ll surely forgive you.”
Wen Ran knew that with Ize gone, there was no one to protect her.
She had no choice but to give in.
「White Lion Mansion.
A treatment room reeking of disinfectant.」
Wen Ran sat before a glass window, silently watching the doctor enter the room across from hers.
The doctor was dressed in a white lab coat, his face obscured by a surgical mask.
The two rooms were separated by a pane of double-sided frosted glass; Wen Ran could see him, but he couldn’t see her.
A bitter smile touched her lips.
‘Putting on the same old act, as always.’
“Hello, miss.
I am Bai Ze Green.
It’s a pleasure to be of service.
For the sake of your health, I’ll need to draw some blood today.”
“In a moment, I will…”
The gentle, soothing voice exploded in the girl’s mind.
Bai Ze Green…
It’s him.
The perfect gentleman, as gentle and refined as jade.
He treats everyone the same, the universally acknowledged ‘nice guy’.’
‘My childhood friend.
My betrothed.
And the man I hate most in the world!’
‘According to the book’s plot, Bai Ze had been in love with the female lead, Wendy, since they were children.’
‘He knew his health was poor and his power was weak, making him unworthy of the female lead and her SSS Level spiritual power.’
‘But to stay close and watch over the female lead, he agreed to the marriage alliance with me.’
‘He played the part of the devoted second male lead so well he was the only supporting character to successfully come out on top.’
‘After You Bufan imprisoned me, I called him for help.
All I got was a single, ‘There’s nothing I can do,’ before he hung up.’
‘That call snuffed out my last glimmer of hope.
After that, You Bufan guarded me even more closely, and I lost all hope of ever escaping.’
Wen Ran’s fury surged.
The emotional turmoil caused the muscles in her arm to twitch.
Bai Ze noticed this and soothed her in a soft voice, “Miss, please don’t be nervous.
I’ll be very gentle.
It will be over in just a moment.”
Wen Ran bit her lower lip so hard it was the only thing that kept her from screaming.
Thirty seconds later, a cotton ball was pressed against the puncture mark on her left arm.
“The blood draw is complete, miss.
Please apply pressure for five minutes to stop the bleeding.
You can use a Recovery Potion afterward to prevent any scarring from the needle.”
Wen Ran didn’t say a word, turning and leaving, the sound of her high heels clicking on the floor.
After the sound of the door opening and closing, she returned to the small window and extended her right arm through it.
On the other side of the window, Bai Ze was putting on a fresh pair of gloves.
He gently wrapped a bandage around the slender, fair arm.
As his fingertips brushed against the delicate skin, a sense of familiarity made him pause.
His gaze flickered to the opening, trying to see the person on the other side, but the aperture was too small—just large enough for an arm, and nothing more.
Seeing his hesitation, Wen Ran grew impatient.
“What are you spacing out for?”
“My apologies, miss.
I am Bai Ze Green…
I’ll begin right away.”
Bai Ze chuckled and shook his head.
‘It can’t be the same person.’
“Bai Ze Green?
Of the Green Deer Clan?
What right does a doctor from a Third-class Family have to draw my blood?
I want someone else!” Wen Ran, fuming internally, decided to make things difficult for him.
Beneath his mask, Bai Ze’s face flushed, but his eyes remained gentle.
“My apologies, miss.
There is a shortage of doctors on duty today, which is why I was assigned.”
“Fine, fine!
Just get it over with.
And be gentle, you hear me?”
“Of course, miss.”
Despite her difficult attitude, Bai Ze’s movements remained gentle.
Once the second blood draw was complete, Wen Ran stood up without a moment’s hesitation.
“Miss, please wait.”