Chapter 1

“Would you believe me if I said I was sleepwalking?”

At this moment, Lu Jiangyue wasn’t wearing a single stitch of clothing. She could only yank the blanket higher to cover her fair chest and collarbone, looking innocently at the man in front of her—cold, dark, and exuding danger. His sharp brows and piercing eyes, tall nose and hawk-like gaze were full of displeasure and contempt, as if he wanted to kick her right off the bed.

Hearing such a ridiculous excuse, Yan Chao curled his lips into a cold, mocking smile, his eyes full of ridicule.

“Sleepwalking in broad daylight? Into my house—and onto my bed?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“It’s a long story.”

Before they could say more, Lu Wanying was already barging in with a crowd to “catch them in the act.” Anyway, you’re about to get in a car accident and end up a vegetable. You may not care about your reputation, but I still need mine!

Lu Jiangyue let out a long sigh. Then she stopped caring whether she was exposed, threw off the blanket, and darted to the side to grab her clothes. Her smooth, milk-white skin was clearly visible in the bright daylight.

When her full, snow-white curves came into view, Yan Chao instinctively shut his eyes, unwilling to play the role of a peeping rogue—even as a thread of suspicion crept into his mind.

Did I just hear something? A car accident… coma? Were they talking about me?

Lu Jiangyue didn’t have time to worry about his expression. After dressing, she ran straight to the corner of the courtyard, vaulted over a two-meter wall with two light steps, and landed gracefully on the other side.

Almost the very moment she landed, Lu Wanying arrived with Yan Chao’s mother, Chen Yuhua, and several neighbors from the compound. Lu Wanying’s anxious, helpless expression barely hid her gloating delight—if not for her glittering eyes, no one would have noticed.

Chen Yuhua’s face was thunderous. The others trailing behind just looked eager to watch a scandal unfold. Though she wanted to drive everyone away, Chen Yuhua couldn’t be bothered right now—she only worried about her son. She hurriedly pushed the door open.

“Xiao Chao, are you alright?”

“Mom, what could possibly happen to me? Why are you rushing back with half the compound in tow? I’m a little thirsty. Can you pour me a glass of water?”

Yan Chao frowned, shooting her a look of mild reproach.

Chen Yuhua shivered in realization. Ever since her son’s leg injury, he’d disliked seeing other people—bringing this many visitors really had been rash. She quickly nodded.

“Yes, yes, I’ll get you water right now.”

She poured warm water into an enamel mug and handed it to him, then turned and snapped at the onlookers.

“I told you there’s nothing wrong! My son is NOT that kind of person! Wanying, next time you spread nonsense, at least pick your moment! I don’t care what you say behind our backs, but if you dare talk garbage in front of me again, I’ll tear your mouth apart! Everyone OUT!”

Even normally sweet-tempered Chen Yuhua scolded Lu Wanying sharply. After all, if not for Wanying’s rumors, she wouldn’t have dragged everyone back here to embarrass her son.

“Well, if it’s just a misunderstanding, we’ll be going.”

Seeing no scandal and getting an earful instead, the neighbors awkwardly excused themselves and hurried off.

But Lu Wanying refused to give up. She glanced again at Yan Chao’s bed. How could there be no one? Could she be hiding under the blanket?

Summer quilts were thin, but Lu Jiangyue was slim—maybe she could hide under there. Lu Wanying opened her mouth to suggest lifting the quilt, but everyone else had left. If she kept pushing, it would hurt her own reputation, so she swallowed her words.

“You’re still here? Spouting baseless nonsense—what’s your deal? You’ve lived with the Lu family for years, and yet you pour dirty water on Jiangyue without hesitation. I clearly misjudged you! OUT!”

Chen Yuhua’s temper flared again. She shoved Lu Wanying out the door herself.

Wanying stumbled out, forced to apologize as she went.

“I’m sorry, Auntie Yuhua… maybe the kid saw wrong. He said he saw Jiangyue and Brother Yan Chao naked in bed together. I was just worried. I couldn’t come alone, so I called you. I was worried about Sister Jiangyue too… I’ll make sure next time I verify before speaking.”

“Enough, go!”

Chen Yuhua wasn’t easily fooled. Seeing the girl’s pitiful expression didn’t soften her heart. She slammed the iron gate shut right in Lu Wanying’s face.

The gate nearly clipped her nose. Wanying’s soft, timid mask dropped, replaced by a poisonous glare.

How did this fail? I clearly drugged Lu Jiangyue heavily, stripped her, and threw her onto Yan Chao’s bed! I even slipped him a little sedative—why did he wake up so fast? Where did that bitch go? How is her luck so damn good?!

Meanwhile, the very same “bitch,” cursed by Lu Wanying a hundred and eighty times over, had already returned to the Lu household. The drug in her system was strong—when she jumped down from the wall, her legs nearly gave out. This debt, I’ll remember it!

Petty-minded Lu Jiangyue thought darkly as she headed for the shower, mentally replaying the day’s events.

She didn’t belong to this world—or more precisely, not to this book. She had lived in the 21st century as the 180th-generation heir of the Lu Family Martial Arts Hall. Just today, after defeating a challenger, the sore loser had pulled a knife on her. She hadn’t even reacted in time—next thing she knew, she was dead on her own training floor. What a humiliating way to go.

Still, transmigrating into a novel meant she was alive again, though in a mess of a plot. She needed to sort things out: revenge where due, escape when needed!

Piecing together the story, Lu Jiangyue realized she was now inside a military-marriage romance novel titled “The Commander’s Forced Love: Woman, Don’t You Run.”

The book followed Lu Wanying as the heroine. Orphaned young, taken in by her father’s comrade Lu Qing, she grew up delicate but strong—a classic “main character.” From Wanying’s perspective, Lu Jiangyue and her mother were the vicious villains bullying her, so she had to “slap them down” and claim her happy ending with Zheng Dongyu, the future commander who fell for her at first sight.

But in reality, Lu Jiangyue and her mother were completely innocent—it was Lu Wanying who was the real scheming villain!