Chapter 12

The man’s voice was low and slightly raspy, like a lover’s whisper—if it were modern times, he’d definitely have the top-tier voice of a professional voice actor.

Bai Jiaojiao touched her ear, feeling like she might get pregnant just from the sound, but she still tried to stay calm and cleared her throat. “What is it?”

“Mm. Come a little closer.”

Bai Jiaojiao shook her head, still wary. “If you’ve got something to say, just say it from there.”

Xiao Zhou could see her guardedness and softened his tone. “I won’t touch you, don’t worry.”

Bai Jiaojiao stiffened. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“You’re too far. If I speak louder, I might wake up my parents.”

That part did concern her too, so she wanted to end this quickly. “Then let’s not talk. I’m going to sleep.”

Xiao Zhou’s gaze darkened—she didn’t even want to stand close enough to talk to him anymore?

Just as Bai Jiaojiao turned to leave, a large hand grabbed her. “Stay with me a while. I want to hear about my past. Please?”

The man’s tone was nearly pleading, his eyes faintly red.

Bai Jiaojiao’s heart trembled, and thinking it might help him regain his memory, she didn’t refuse. “Okay.”

Under the moonlight, the two sat in wooden chairs, talking about the past.

Bai Jiaojiao recounted what she could remember about Xiao Zhou’s time in the Xiao family village. But the original Bai Jiaojiao hadn’t stayed there long, so she could only recall a few things.

“Want a milk candy?” Xiao Zhou offered her one.

Bai Jiaojiao remembered how he’d questioned her about those candies before. Her eyelashes fluttered—was this that kind of candy?

What was his motive for offering it to her now?

She forced a smile. “You eat it. I brought my own.”

Xiao Zhou nodded and, without hesitation, unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth.

Bai Jiaojiao was startled. So straightforward? Was it really just a regular White Rabbit candy?

Watching him eat it, she started to crave one herself, so she took one from her pocket, unwrapped it, and put it in her mouth.

Xiao Zhou’s smile deepened. “Go on, Jiaojiao. I’m listening.”

Bai Jiaojiao continued, sharing how he had excelled at the military base, saved a high-ranking officer, and was specially recruited, eventually becoming the captain of Air Force Unit One.

Xiao Zhou listened quietly. Seeing her recount his life like it was second nature, his gaze softened, and the shadows in his heart faded.

Apparently, he wasn’t so bad after all. He could keep her.

Just as Bai Jiaojiao was about to talk about how the original Bai Jiaojiao had forced a marriage—hoping to provoke a reaction—she suddenly felt something off. The taste in her mouth was strange, and her strength began to drain.

Wait a minute—was this that candy…?

Her body swayed, almost collapsing, but a large hand caught her in time, pulling her into a firm embrace.

“Xiao… Zhou…” she managed to whisper weakly.

She clutched at the fabric over his chest but had no strength.

Xiao Zhou noticed her condition and held her tighter. “Sleepy? Or is something wrong?”

“I’m fine. It’s that candy—the one you gave the little boy before. It’s not poisoned, just… numbing. I have no strength now.”

Bai Jiaojiao blamed herself for getting too into the conversation. Her mouth still tasted of milk candy, so she hadn’t noticed the switch.

Wait—he didn’t throw out that spiked candy?!

As if sensing her suspicion, Xiao Zhou slowly said, “I forgot to toss it.”

Bai Jiaojiao didn’t believe that for a second!

The man carried her back to the room and gently laid her on a bed he’d already prepared. He leaned down and brushed his lips lightly against her eyelid. Bai Jiaojiao’s lashes trembled, and her heart skipped a beat.

She was scared.

“Let go of me. Don’t be disgusting.” Bai Jiaojiao used all her strength to force out those words.

“Jiaojiao, I cleaned up,” Xiao Zhou said, looking hurt. “I showered for a long time. I’m not dirty.”

In this freezing weather, why the hell was he showering?!

Bai Jiaojiao’s heart pounded—her virtue felt in jeopardy.

“Xiao Zhou, don’t do anything stupid. Or I’ll hate you.” Her consciousness began to fade. Before completely blacking out, she saw his face slowly approaching.

Bai Jiaojiao jolted awake. The first thing she saw was the shabby earthen house—Xiao Zhou’s place.

A burning warmth pressed tightly against her. She struggled uncomfortably, but he only held her tighter.

“Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao…”

He kept murmuring in her ear. His hair tickled her earlobe—it was itchy.

“Let go of me.”

She instinctively tried to push him away, but the man turned her body to face him, their noses almost touching. His eyes were a little red.

Her anger faded significantly.

“Jiaojiao, I was wrong last night. I shouldn’t have given you that candy,” Xiao Zhou said softly.

Bai Jiaojiao hadn’t expected him to admit it so directly, even though she’d figured it out the night before.

“I won’t do that again. The way you looked at me last night… it hurt.” His tone was filled with remorse, his eyes even redder.

Seeing him like this made her uncomfortable too. How could the terrifying villain from the book cry in front of her like this?

Would he regret this “black history” when he regained his memories and try to erase her for good?

“Forget it. Just don’t do it again. And there’s no more of that candy left, right?” Bai Jiaojiao sat up, checked herself over—nothing out of the ordinary. She sighed in relief. Thank god he didn’t actually do anything.

Xiao Zhou said, “Jiaojiao, I won’t force you. But from now on, you have to sleep with me every night.”

Bai Jiaojiao froze. “That’s not forcing?”

The man lowered his gaze. His cold eyes were locked solely on her, serious and intense.

“Sorry. It’s because I like you.”

Bai Jiaojiao had been confessed to many times, but this one… she didn’t dare reject.

She really didn’t dare agree either.

Facing those dark, starry eyes hiding a chilling intent, Bai Jiaojiao swallowed hard. Her brain worked for a long time before finally giving her a response.

“Until you get your memory back, I won’t believe you truly like me.”

Xiao Zhou replied, “I understand. But until then, I have one condition:
You must sleep with me at night.
If you refuse again, I can’t guarantee what I’ll do. You know what I used to be like.”

Though his voice stayed gentle, his eyes turned sharp and sinister—his oppressive aura surged.

Bai Jiaojiao’s heart skipped a beat. If she said no again, would she be forced to… do things?

Right. No matter how well he behaved now, it didn’t change the fact that he was a cold-blooded villain who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

When she was just reading the book, she found this kind of story thrilling—fighting against the odds, defeating the protagonist—but now that she was the one the villain wanted to “defeat,” it wasn’t so fun anymore.

Sure, being “conquered” by a handsome guy wasn’t the worst thing… but she was afraid that when he got his memory back, he’d regret it and force her down the same doomed path as the original character.

Bai Jiaojiao took a deep breath. “You swear you won’t touch me?”

Xiao Zhou’s lips curled into a faint smile, his aura still intense. “Of course.”

“…Fine then.”

She agreed. After all, he was about to regain his memory soon anyway.