Volume One, Chapter Seven: Revealed in the Light

Unfortunately, Nie Xingyan had no idea what had transpired. Her sleeping, delicate face, accompanied by soft, rhythmic breathing, offered no answers to the questions he sought.

Ling Dongyan lowered his gaze. After rising, he stood by the bed for a long time, his eyes reflecting a mix of endurance and restraint. Only then did he lean down to tuck in the corners of her quilt before closing the door.

...

When Nie Xingyan woke up, she felt a bit disoriented.

The bed was incredibly comfortable, feeling as if she were sleeping on a cloud. She kicked her legs a few times and let out a soft groan while stretching lazily.

Goodness, she must have been deprived of rest for too long. Not only did she sleep soundly, but she had actually had a wet dream!

She dreamt she was wearing light clothing and being held in the arms of a man whose face she couldn't clearly see, though she had the distinct impression he was a handsome gentleman. Moreover, emboldened by the dream, she had been all over him, taking every advantage she could.

The tactile sensation had been remarkably vivid; she even looked at her own hands, puzzled that the firm feel of his body was gone. She reaffirmed that it must have been a dream. The man had carried the faint, crisp scent of snow, frost, and pine needles—a fragrance she loved—and she couldn't get enough of it.

Dreams were wonderful; everything one could wish for was there. She flopped back onto the bed, nearly laughing out loud.

Before the smile could fade, however, Nie Xingyan suddenly felt something was amiss.

Wait—light clothes, the scent, a handsome man?

Nie Xingyan’s eyes snapped open, and she became instantly alert. This wasn't right!

She had been struggling with a lecherous man just moments ago. How did she end up asleep in this massive bed?

A cold sweat broke out across her back in an instant. Fragmented memories began to return. After leaving the private room, her consciousness had blurred, and she had been pulled away by someone while in a daze. What happened afterward, or how she arrived here, was a complete blank.

She only remembered that the man was particularly vile, pawing at her.

She looked down at herself. Her clothes hadn't been changed; aside from being a bit rumpled and dirty, there were no signs of them having been pulled or torn. Aside from a slight dizziness, she felt no discomfort.

There was, however, a faint tingling sensation on her lips.

Her coat was draped over the sofa. When she picked it up to check, she found it had been neatly folded. Her phone was still inside, though the battery was dead. She should still be at Gindis—could Zhenzhen have saved her?

Upon closer reflection, that seemed unlikely.

The room was fully equipped, clean, and tidy, with that faint, lingering scent of cedar. Zhenzhen never wore men’s cologne. Although this was a hotel, the room exuded a minimalist, clean-cut aesthetic.

An unsettling feeling began to rise within her.

The soft, amber bedside lamps were still lit. Nie Xingyan pushed back the quilt and climbed out carefully. Finding disposable slippers by the bed, she slid her feet into them.

Her steps were silent on the soft, thick carpet. She pressed her hand lightly against the door handle and slowly pushed it open.

Unlike the quiet bedroom, the space outside was brightly lit—a massive area of nearly fifty square meters. On the island counter sat an assortment of fruits, food, and a bottle of red wine currently breathing.

This confirmed that someone else was staying here besides her.

The sound of running water echoed intermittently. Someone was taking a shower.

Alarm bells rang in Nie Xingyan’s mind.

With food and drink available, someone showering, and her being placed on the bed—anyone could guess what was intended to happen next.

Her beautiful eyes swept the room, landing on a pair of finely crafted men’s leather shoes by the entryway! A high-end custom suit hung on the coat rack, clearly worth a fortune.

She gritted her teeth so hard they nearly shattered. Once she made it out safely, she would tell Shao Zhenzhen that Gindis was harboring wolves in sheep's clothing, daring to engage in such forced prostitution in a civilized society! If she hadn't woken up, would she have been forced to suffer in silence after being violated in this hotel?

The more she thought, the angrier she became. Searching around, she found only a crystal ornament on the table. It was jagged and uneven—a single blow with it would be enough to give the scoundrel a headache. It would have to serve as a weapon.

If she could leave peacefully, fine. But if anyone tried to stop her, she would smash that thing into his dog-like head and make him bleed for it!

The scoundrel! She would fight him to the death!

She hadn't been this angry in a long time. In her distraction, as she turned, the ornament in her hand knocked into the decanter.

"Thud! Thud!" The decanter gave two muffled sounds.

It had been placed precariously; even with the carpet, the glass didn't shatter, but the red wine spilled everywhere. The scent of the decanted wine drifted through the air. As someone who ran a wine dealership, she recognized it immediately: Dom Pérignon P3. A bottle cost tens of thousands; he certainly didn't skimp on his luxuries.

The sound of the decanter toppling wasn't loud, but it wasn't quiet either. Nie Xingyan paused, glancing toward the bathroom. The water was still running; he must not have heard.

The scoundrel actually had a sense of romance, wanting to drink red wine and set this flashy atmosphere for such a dirty deed!

Nie Xingyan spat internally.

Of course, "fighting him to the death" was just angry talk. The disparity in strength between a man and a woman was vast. Unless one had professional training, a woman usually only stood to lose in a physical brawl. She certainly wouldn't be stupid enough to start a confrontation here.

The priority now was to leave quickly and figure out a plan later. As long as this man was still at Gindis, she wouldn't let him get away!

She had to leave before he came out. She needed to retrieve her phone and coat from the bedroom, too.

Returning to the room, she reached for the door handle and paused. Had she closed the door when she left earlier?

The thought flickered through her mind, but her hands moved faster than her brain. She pushed the door open, and immediately realized something was wrong.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

In the dim bedroom, the scent of cedar and frost was even stronger than before. Water vapor mingled with the fragrance, invading her senses. Nie Xingyan’s hand froze; it was too late to retreat.

The person before her stood with his back to her, half-naked.

Though the room was dimly lit, her vision was sharp, and she saw everything with crystalline clarity. Water droplets clung to his wet hair, sliding down his back. His upper body was well-proportioned, and in the soft, yellow light of the bedroom, his muscles were clearly defined.

Water droplets traced his shoulders, sliding toward his waist and disappearing into the towel wrapped around his hips. His waist was lean, forming a V-taper, and the two dimples above his hips, partially hidden by the towel, were symmetrical and striking. His physique was nearly perfect.

Hearing the door open, he turned around.

The room’s lighting was soft, casting his face in a mix of light and shadow. When his eyes, deep as black ink, looked toward her, they carried an unconscious sharpness.

In just a single glance, Nie Xingyan’s brain buzzed like thousands of fireworks going off at once, leaving her dizzy and disoriented. She plopped down onto the floor, the crystal ornament slipping from her hand and rolling away across the ground with a rhythmic clatter.