---

I grabbed his hand: “What’s with the ring? Don’t tell me it’s just a regular piece of jewelry?”

His face turned pale, and he hastily explained, “It’s just a business marriage with her, there are no feelings involved.”

“You have no feelings for her, and you have no feelings for me. You were just playing with me.”

I shoved him away hard.

He wasn’t prepared, and almost fell to the ground.

I forced a fake smile and pulled him back up, then pushed him out the door: “Thanks to you and your wife for letting me know the truth. Your acting is superb. I was foolish to naively believe someone like you could have a genuine heart. You can get lost now.”

He clung tightly to the doorframe, veins bulging on the back of his hand: “Ah Xuan, what I said that day was just to fool my mom.”

Here we go again.

That face, those eyes, that mouth — they’re all so good at deceiving.

When he looks at you, it makes you think he loves you.

When he kisses you, it makes you think he loves you.

But in reality, I was just a game to him.

A game I thought was filled with deep affection.

The time’s up, I don’t need to follow any more rules or promises.

I bit the tip of my tongue, the pain cleared my head a bit: “So what? I’ll return the rest of the money to you.”

“I don’t care about the money.”

Rage suddenly filled my chest: “But I do! I begged you on my knees for that money you so carelessly mentioned! I sold myself to you for five years!”

He gritted his teeth, his eyes red, almost bleeding: “Were you with me just for the money?”

“Was it for love? Aren’t you indiscriminate? How many people have you slept with?”

I lifted my eyes and said coldly, word by word: “Don’t you think you’re disgusting?”

He seemed struck by lightning, swaying unsteadily, his lips quivering, emitting a soundless, trembling voice.

That day, Shen Jinzhou stood in the hallway for a long time.

I didn’t hear his footsteps leaving until dawn.

I thought it was all over.

A few days later, I received a call from a former colleague, he was howling: “Brother Xuan, young master was drugged and taken away. I can’t get in touch with him!”

I had a bad feeling: “What kind of drug?”

He stammered: “That kind… for adults, you know.”

I dialed the number I knew by heart.

A strange man answered on the other end, chuckling: “Young Master Shen, someone’s calling you. Want to say something?”

I heard Shen Jinzhou’s muffled whimper, followed by a few suppressed gasps: “Ah Xuan… is that you…”

I knew exactly what that sound meant.

Shen Jinzhou has plenty of enemies, and there are many who want to “get” him.

But no one else gets to touch him — in any sense of the word.

The fragile thread of my rationality snapped in an instant.

The demon I had long suppressed clawed its way out from the abyss, gnashing its teeth inside my chest, making my heart swell with pain.

It was ready to burst out at any moment.

I forced myself to stay calm, speaking through gritted teeth: “Who are you? Where is he?”

The man replied, “I’m just a good Samaritan, sending him back to his hotel. You should come take care of him.”

I arrived at the hotel and rang the doorbell.

My only weapon was a ballpoint pen.

After a long time, the door opened.

Shen Jinzhou’s face was flushed, his gaze dazed, his pants barely hanging on his hips.

There was no one else in the room.

He looked at me in confusion, then suddenly his eyes brightened: “Ah Xuan, did you come for me?”

As soon as I raised my hand, he lunged at me.

His arms wrapped around my neck, hips grinding urgently: “Ah Xuan, is it really you? Help me.”

I grabbed his waist, stopping him from moving: “What’s wrong with you?”

He bit my neck, slowly grinding his teeth against my skin: “I drank some alcohol.”

I tried to push him away, but he clung to me tightly: “How could you drink unknown alcohol! Did a dog eat your brain?”

He whimpered like a lost puppy: “Yeah, you ate my brain, my head is full of you…”

His breathy gasps in my ear were like hooks, tugging at a hidden, dark desire within me.

I clenched my fists, feeling a shiver down my spine.

He cupped my face, planting soft kisses all over.

Suddenly, the cool touch of metal snapped me back to reality.

The unknown flame in my heart burned hotter, turning into uncontrollable rage.

I slammed my elbow into his waist.

In the moment he winced in pain, I broke free of his grip, dragged him into the bathroom, and pushed him against the wall, turning on the shower.

Cold water drenched him from head to toe, making him shiver.

I slapped his face gently: “Are you sober now?”

He blinked hard, water dripping from his lashes, his throat bobbing as he let out suppressed groans: “Ah Xuan, don’t hate me… I’m not dirty… I haven’t been like that for a long time…”

I grabbed his hair, forcing him to look up: “We had a contract before, so I obeyed you like a loyal dog. But now, I’m no longer the Ah Xuan you think I am. Your obsession with me is just because your toy started disobeying you, and you feel out of control.”

He desperately tried to explain: “No, you’re not a toy. I only want you, Ah Xuan.”

He should’ve looked pitiful, like a drenched dog.

But his wet shirt clung to him, revealing hints of skin, making it more of a temptation.

My throat tightened, feeling a bit parched: “But what I want, you can’t give me.”

Shen Jinzhou looked at me with a mix of hope and innocence: “Ah Xuan, I’ll give you anything you want.”

“Anything?”

My voice probably sounded terrifying.

His expression twisted slightly but quickly returned to normal: “Anything.”

I couldn’t tell if he was assuring me or convincing himself.

Shut up already.

You have no idea whose blood runs in my veins!

Maybe, like my father, I am a demon.

---

I texted my colleague, telling him not to worry.

Shen Jinzhou was still asleep.

My fingers brushed over the frown between his brows, and he unconsciously flinched.

I pulled my hand back.

He should understand by now that I’m not normal, and give up on provoking me.

The flower shop received a big order to deliver flowers to the hotel for event decoration.