After the dangerous and intense bath, Shen Wuxiao dried himself off and walked out of the bathroom. Without saying anything, he lay down on the bed. He leaned back against the headboard, stretched out a hand, and gestured silently. Liu Ruyan bit her lip, then slowly unbuttoned her home dress.
Her fair, smooth skin was revealed, glowing like jade under the soft light. She lifted the quilt and lay beside Shen Wuxiao, resting her head gently on his chest. Their bare skin touched, making the warmth between them rise noticeably. But because she was inconvenient today, Shen Wuxiao didn’t push things further. He simply held her.
The lights were turned off, and Liu Ruyan lay quietly in Shen Wuxiao’s embrace. She felt his warmth, breathed in the fresh scent on him, and gradually drifted into drowsiness. Shen Wuxiao at this moment felt like the gentlest version of himself. He said nothing—just quietly hugged her, softly patting her back as if coaxing a child to sleep.
In the darkness, Liu Ruyan’s heart ached. She found herself enjoying Shen Wuxiao’s tenderness. But then she remembered her ruined family, his cruelty, and everything she had lost. It was unbearable.
Her heart wanted to rely on him, but her reason screamed to stay away. How could she forget the blood debt she owed? She almost laughed bitterly to herself—wasn’t this classic Stockholm syndrome?
The more cruelly Shen Wuxiao treated her, the more he crushed her mentally, the more she felt drawn to him. This inner torment twisted her mind until she could hardly breathe. Tears of shame slowly welled in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, soaking Shen Wuxiao’s arm.
In the darkness, his voice sounded, low and calm. “Crying?”
Liu Ruyan sniffled and tried to speak, her voice hoarse. “No… no…”
“Don’t lie. If you want to cry, then cry,” he said softly. Then he wrapped his arms around her tighter and held her close, saying nothing more.
Liu Ruyan bit her lips. Her smooth arms trembled slightly. In the end, her emotions took over. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Shen Wuxiao’s waist, hugging him tightly.The night grew darker.
Caught in that complicated emotional storm, Liu Ruyan eventually grew exhausted and fell asleep in his arms. As for Shen Wuxiao, he drifted off to sleep easily and without a care.
Neither of them said another word that night.
The next morning, warm sunlight spilled across the floor. It was a beautiful day.
When Liu Ruyan opened her eyes, the space beside her was empty. Shen Wuxiao was already gone. She blinked, startled, and her drowsiness vanished instantly. Her heart felt slightly heavy, and a faint sense of loss crept in. But she quickly composed herself.
To Shen Wuxiao, she was just a toy. One that could be discarded—or even destroyed—at any time.
Liu Ruyan hated how weak her heart was. The man who had killed her entire family, and yet somehow, he moved her. She despised herself for it.
She sat up, pulled on her nightgown, and walked slowly to the window. Looking out at the clear sky, she made a decision—she would go to the hospital for a check-up. Stockholm syndrome could be treated. If she let this continue, she feared she might fall for Shen Wuxiao completely before she even had the chance to take revenge.
Meanwhile, Shen Wuxiao had indeed left the Liu family villa. He had no feelings for Liu Ruyan—nor would he ever. People who wanted to kill him only had one ending: death. Liu Ruyan was still useful to him, so her time hadn’t come yet.
Right now, Shen Wuxiao’s attention was on Jiang Huaiyue. He had to win her over before Lin Fan returned. If he could achieve that, the relationship between the male and female leads would be destroyed, earning him tons of system points—and a beautiful woman to boot.
Of course, if Jiang Huaiyue behaved, she would become his woman. Shen Wuxiao always treated such women well. But if she chose to side with Lin Fan, she’d be finished.
Shen Wuxiao wasn’t heartless. If she died, he’d even post a few sentimental tributes online to mourn his “late wife.” That could earn sympathy and gain popularity—well, love and attention, at least.
He sped down the road in his sports car, too lazy to bother with a fancy breakfast. Instead, he grabbed a simple takeaway—steamed buns, soy milk, and fried dough sticks. Eat if you want, or don’t.
When he arrived at the Bay Villa, he saw Jiang Huaiyue already practicing in the courtyard. Leaves swirled in the air around her.
Her awakened ability was weapon control through true energy. This kind of power could become extremely dangerous as her cultivation improved. She would eventually be able to wield larger and heavier weapons. Right now, she could only control small things—leaves, pebbles—but even those could cut skin easily.
Sensing someone approach, Jiang Huaiyue ended her cultivation. The leaves dropped to the ground and she opened her eyes.
“Miss Jiang, did you sleep well last night? Was anything uncomfortable?” Shen Wuxiao greeted her with a cheerful smile, holding breakfast in his hands.
Though Jiang Huaiyue was cold by nature, she wasn’t the type to be rude to everyone.
“Thank you for your concern, Master Sikong. Sorry for troubling you. I slept well last night,” she said with a polite smile.
Shen Wuxiao had been silently helping them, and that made him a worthy friend.
“That’s great. Otherwise, when Brother Lin Fan returns, he’ll blame me for not taking good care of his comrade. Then I’d be wrongly accused!” Shen Wuxiao joked casually, laughing like a typical friendly, sunny young man.
He raised the breakfast. “Miss Jiang, please eat something. It’s not fancy—just a simple breakfast. I didn’t know your taste, so I brought a bit of everything.”
Jiang Huaiyue didn’t refuse. She wasn’t picky about food. At the border, missions could last for ten days or more, and the food there was always cold, dry, and rough. Anyone too particular wouldn’t last long in that kind of job.
The two entered the villa and sat across from each other at the table. Shen Wuxiao took out the food and started eating quietly, waiting for Jiang Huaiyue to speak first.
Sure enough, after a few bites, she asked, “Master Sikong, do you know when Lin Fan will return?”
She wasn’t clear on the situation and was still trying to find her place.
Shen Wuxiao shook his head. “It’s hard to say. You probably don’t know, Miss Jiang, but things outside are pretty chaotic right now.”
“The Haisha Society is looking for Brother Lin Fan like mad. There are even rumors they’ve posted a bounty on him. Do you know what that means?”
Jiang Huaiyue stopped chewing and frowned slightly. Of course she knew what a bounty meant.
That bounty was most likely posted on , a platform run by a major international organization.
Anyone could pay a deposit and issue a mission. The moment it went live, the bounty would attract assassins, mercenaries, and even organizations from all over the world.
There were no rules about how many could take the job—only the one who succeeded would be rewarded. Whether it took one killer or a thousand, it didn’t matter.
Only the result counted.