When she was lifted by her buttocks, kissed down onto the bed, and then tightly enveloped by He Duoye’s tall, sturdy body, Lin Mian suddenly felt the illusion that they were incredibly intimate.
It seemed… He Duoye was still the same, still fond of her.
The bedroom remained unlit, with only a faint, dim glow filtering through the window, barely enough for Lin Mian to make out the contours of He Duoye’s face and the flicker of a dark gleam in his narrow eyes.
He stared at her like a wolf.
Lin Mian wanted to call out He Duoye’s name, but her mouth was either blocked or covered by his hand. All she could manage were incoherent, muffled sounds.
He Duoye’s body loomed over hers, completely enveloping her, leaving no space between them.
Lin Mian clutched his broad shoulders and back. At first, she still had the energy to notice the many new scars on his back, but soon her consciousness grew hazy and fragmented.
She didn’t know whether she had fallen asleep or passed out in the end.
Perhaps because she had been frightened by the snake earlier, she dreamed of being entangled by one.
The snake was large and hot, coiling tightly around her body with such force that she felt suffocated. She struggled all night but couldn’t shake off the hot, clinging serpent.
Eventually, she gave up the struggle and drifted into a second dream.
She dreamed of the past, when she and He Duoye used to watch movies together in his dilapidated home.
The dream was chaotic. One moment they were kissing, the next the house suddenly leaked wind and rain, forcing them to repair the roof. Then they were embracing, chatting while watching a movie.
They even ate a birthday cake in between.
When she woke, Lin Mian opened her eyes, her first sensations being the soreness all over her body and the gnawing hunger in her stomach.
She had been tossed and turned repeatedly the night before, plagued by dreams, and she had barely eaten anything during the day. Physically and mentally exhausted, she felt utterly drained from the inside out.
Even sitting up made her waist ache.
The bedroom was empty now—He Duoye, that dog of a man, was gone.
The curtains were tightly drawn, but a sliver of bright sunlight still seeped through.
A glass of water sat on the nightstand. Lin Mian dragged her weary body up with difficulty and sat on the edge of the bed.
She drank the water in one go and then sat there, lost in thought.
She recalled the fragmented dream from last night, which had flashed back to many memories from the past. She and He Duoye had indeed chatted while watching movies together.
They had talked about He Duoye’s background.
He had been brought to the village in a black car, but he wasn’t a relative of the owner of the old house. After moving in, no adult ever came looking for him.
He was like an orphan carelessly abandoned there.
But he wasn’t an orphan.
He had a mother who had fallen ill and run away, and a father who was a criminal—a murderer who had fled the country after being wanted.
He had parents, but they had both abandoned him.
As for other relatives… He Duoye said he had been dumped there by his relatives.
Back then, Lin Mian had only felt pity for He Duoye.
No wonder he lived alone in such a dilapidated, leaky old house, with barely any furniture inside, surviving on instant noodles, steamed buns, or plain boiled noodles every day.
Now… sitting here, Lin Mian couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander.
Could it be that He Duoye’s father, who fled abroad after breaking the law, ended up here and built his fortune through illegal activities? Then he returned to find He Duoye, wanting his son to inherit his billions.
At that time, she and He Duoye had just broken up, so He Duoye went back.
But this place was clearly a dangerous jungle world, and staying here was equally perilous for He Duoye.
That’s why he hadn’t contacted his ex-girlfriend for four years.
Now, unexpectedly running into his ex-girlfriend, he didn’t dare show too much concern… Lin Mian clutched the bedsheet. This speculation was a bit melodramatic, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that He Duoye might have his reasons.
Because last night, when He Duoye kissed her, she truly felt… he still liked her.
If he really had his reasons…
“Is that woman still not up?” An unfamiliar woman’s voice came from outside the master bedroom, sounding arrogant and willful.
A maid cleaning nearby replied softly.
Lin Mian snapped back to reality, gripping the bedsheet tightly and stretching her arm to reach the clothes on the chair.
Click. The bedroom door opened at that moment.
Lin Mian had no choice but to retreat to the bed, covering herself with the bedsheet.
The woman who entered was tall, with an excellent figure—slender yet curvaceous. She wore a wine-red dress, with sparkling gemstone jewelry adorning her neck, wrists, and ears.
Dripping with opulence, she was sexy, fiery, beautiful, and exuded an air of luxury.
Upon seeing Lin Mian, she first looked her up and down, then walked over and leaned in to scrutinize Lin Mian’s face. Her lips curled in disdain. “You’re just passably pretty, nowhere near as good-looking as me.”
As she spoke, her gaze fell on Lin Mian’s neck, chest, arms, and calves.
Her fair skin was covered in various marks—some from falls during her escape, some from rope bindings, and the remaining ninety percent from that bastard’s bites.
Especially her wrists.
The rope had left several circles of dark bruises, overlapping with kiss marks, creating a startling sight.
“Last night must have been intense,” the woman said with a sneer, then immediately raised her tone. “But don’t get too cocky. At best, you’re just a mistress.”
Lin Mian was taken aback. “A mistress?”
The woman picked up the clothes from the chair and threw them at Lin Mian. When she grabbed the underwear, she unfolded it and took a look.
“So small.”
She tossed the underwear to Lin Mian as well, then sat down on the chair, crossing her legs high and pointing her beautiful high heels at Lin Mian.
The woman crossed her arms, puffing out her full, fair chest, and said haughtily, “Yes, my sister and I are his official girlfriends. You… by rank, can only be considered a mistress.”
Lin Mian clutched the clothes in her hands, not fully processing it. “You and your sister?”
There were two of them?!
The woman curved her seductive red lips. “Yes, my sister and I are twins. We’re both prettier than you. We’ve been with Third Master for over two years. He has many women around him, but his favorites are only us sisters.”
“And only us sisters have been allowed to stay by his side.”
Lin Mian was completely stunned.
She felt something shatter rapidly—all those earlier speculations about He Duoye being trapped by circumstances.
What circumstances? Clearly, it was just a pervert who had found his paradise.
The woman looked at Lin Mian and snorted, “You don’t believe me, do you? I heard you used to be involved with Third Master, so you should know his temperament somewhat. If he doesn’t like something, why would he keep it around…”
She raised her right hand, showing Lin Mian her exquisite, expensive bracelet and the large ruby ring on her finger.
“Kept like a treasure, raised beautifully.”
The woman gently fiddled with the bracelet, subtly stroking her fair wrist.
“Not like you, so pitiful—on your very first day, you were hung up and fed to the tigers.”