Qiao Yi and Lu Muqian never expected that someone would dare to drug him at such an occasion. Lu Muqian hadn’t noticed either, his attention entirely focused on An Yin as he kept drinking the wine handed to him by the waiter. It wasn’t until later, when his body gradually grew feverish, that he realized something was wrong.
“Qiao Yi, take Lu Muqian and me back to Wanyuan Estate.”
Lu Muqian, barely holding onto his last shred of rationality, insisted on going to the hospital. “No, don’t go to the hospital.”
An Yin’s tone turned firm. “I said we’re going home. Otherwise, we’ll find a hotel nearby.”
“Madam, come with me…” Qiao Yi made up his mind to listen to An Yin this time.
Under the influence of the drug, Lu Muqian was no match for the combined strength of Qiao Yi and An Yin restraining him. He had no choice but to let them take him to the car.
On the way…
“Yinyin, take me to the hospital to find Ran Yu. Don’t go home, please, alright?”
He was truly on the verge of losing control. In an almost pleading tone, he struggled to steady his breathing to hide his discomfort, begging An Yin to take him to the hospital.
“Lu Muqian, I know you’re suffering. We’re almost home. We’re not going to the hospital. Once we’re back, I’ll give myself to you, alright?”
“Lu Muqian, don’t hurt yourself.” An Yin gasped in alarm, watching as the man sat by the car door and dug his fingers into his own arm, leaving a long, red scratch on his muscular limb.
Lu Muqian wouldn’t listen. An Yin had no choice but to move closer, grab his hand, and force him to lean against her chest.
Lu Muqian tried to keep his body from pressing too closely against An Yin’s, afraid the situation might escalate. “Yinyin, do you know what you’ll face if we go home?”
“Do you understand what you’re saying?”
Seeing Lu Muqian’s restraint, An Yin replied with a sob in her voice, “I know, I know, Lu Muqian. Don’t be afraid. I truly mean it—I want to give myself to you.”
Lu Muqian rested his head against An Yin’s neck, watching the night scenery flash by outside the window. The faint, delicate fragrance from her unexpectedly eased the burning heat inside him, if only a little.
Soon, the car stopped at the entrance of Wanyuan Estate…
“Lu Muqian, we’re home.” An Yin, with strength she didn’t know she had, pulled Lu Muqian out of the car as soon as it stopped and hurried straight to his room on the second floor.
The door opened, then slammed shut with a “bang.”
“Mmm…” Before An Yin could react, Lu Muqian pinned her against the door, one hand protecting the back of her head while the other lifted her chin and captured her soft lips.
But as he kissed her, the man suddenly pulled away from An Yin’s lips.
He turned and rushed into the bathroom, preferring to douse himself in cold water rather than harm her.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to—he was afraid. Even if An Yin said she was willing, he feared that Yinyin would regret it, that she would grow to resent him more and more, that she would ultimately reject him entirely.
“Lu Muqian, what are you doing?”
The man stood under the showerhead, the icy water making him shiver, yet it did little to soothe the burning heat and discomfort raging inside him.
“You’ll get sick like this.”
Lu Muqian reached out to stop An Yin from approaching, preventing her from stepping under the spray. “Yinyin, be good, alright? Go out first. I’ll come find you once I’ve calmed down, okay?”
“No, no. This won’t solve anything.”
“Yinyin, don’t push me. I really can’t control myself. You’ll regret it.”
“Be good and go out first, alright?”
“I don’t regret it. I’m giving you two choices: either I join you in the cold shower, or you let me help you.”
Given the current temperature in Jiangcheng, having An Yin take a cold shower with him would definitely make her sick. Lu Muqian would never agree to that.
“Yinyin, I’m asking you one last time—do you know what you’re saying? Are you sure you won’t regret this……?” An Yin didn’t want to hear any more of his nagging. He’d asked the same question so many times already. If he was this afraid, she might as well take matters into her own hands.
“I don’t regret it. Now do you believe……mmph…me?”
Well, they were even now—each had interrupted the other once.
……………………………………
In her dazed state, An Yin was lifted onto the bathroom counter. A wave of scorching heat enveloped her face. Under the dim glow of the fluorescent light, the bathroom was veiled in mist, and the young woman’s swan-like neck was forced to arch upward…
Some time later, the battlefield shifted to the pristine white sheets of the bedroom. An Yin was exhausted, but she persisted as best she could…
………………………………
Afterward… An Yin fell into a deep sleep.
When Lu Muqian regained his clarity, he carried An Yin to the bathroom to clean her, then placed the sleeping woman on the sofa while he changed the bedsheets. Only then did he carry her back to bed.
But the whole process had stirred the simmering magma within him again, forcing him to take another cold shower… After emerging, he carefully gathered An Yin into his arms.
…………
Early morning… The sky was the color of ocean waters, and sunlight streamed through the partially open curtains, casting a golden glow across the foot of the bed.
An Yin lay nestled in the man’s embrace, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.
The next moment, she opened her eyes and realized she was lying in Lu Muqian’s arms—with no sign of him waking yet. A delicate curve graced her lips.
Then memories of the previous night flooded back, especially the scene in the bathroom…
A faint blush instantly spread across An Yin’s face, yet she couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at her lips.
She had spent so much effort persuading Lu Muqian last night, giving repeated assurances, yet he remained hesitant. Men could be so tsundere—she’d had to provoke him into action.
“Yinyin…” Lu Muqian’s voice called out as he woke and saw her open eyes.
“I’m here…” An Yin started to reply, only to discover her voice was nearly gone from hoarseness.
She lifted a hand to cover her lips, afraid to make another sound. She even felt too embarrassed to face the man, pulling the covers over her head.
“Baby, your voice is hoarse because you were calling out too much last night.”
“It’s all your fault! Don’t say another word.”
“I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I’ll have Aunt Lan brew you some Snow Pear Soup to soothe your throat. You worked hard last night, Yinyin.”
“Lu Muqian, if you keep laughing at me, I’ll get angry.”
“Alright, alright. Come out from under the covers now—you’ll suffocate yourself.” The man gently tried to pull the blanket down from An Yin’s head, worried she might overheat.
Later, Qiao Yi traced the source of the Chinese Herbal Medicine given to Lu Muqian. It turned out some reckless individuals had tried to curry favor with him by sending women his way, hoping to secure a partnership with the Lu Corporation. Little did they know they nearly caused a disaster—though it ultimately led to a breakthrough in the relationship between Lu Muqian and An Yin.
In response, Lu Muqian mercifully left the company of the person who drugged him as nothing but an empty shell.