Another unproductive day, with no company willing to hire her. A light rain fell from the sky, streetlights stretching her shadow long and thin. Hungry all day, her stomach growling continuously, she walked with unsteady steps, just wanting to return to her small nest and eat some hot instant noodles.
Just before reaching home, four men in suits approached her: “Miss An, please come with us.” She was escorted – more accurately, dragged – into a BMW.
“Where are you taking me?” she sarcastically thought to herself, wondering if the storm had truly arrived.
“You’ll know when we get there,” they replied. The BMW quickly navigated through streets as the rain intensified, beating against the car. Her mood was as turbulent as the weather.
The BMW slowed in front of an elegant Western-style villa, slowly driving into the indoor parking lot.
“Miss An, please,” they said politely, each supporting her as they brought her inside.
“Big Miss, we’ve brought the person you were looking for,” a man respectfully reported to the woman standing by the window.
“You may leave,” the woman said, still gazing out at the dark window as if something captivating was outside.
Wearing a white long dress that seemed fragile enough to be blown over by the wind, the woman turned elegantly. Soft light illuminated her pale face, her long eyelashes blinking, her misty eyes revealing her current emotions: loneliness, helplessness, and hatred. She spoke softly: “I know.”
Pei Xuanzhi sneered coldly: “The law is just for taking care of the rich. Killing you is as easy as crushing an ant.” She pulled loose her hair that was tied up and forced her to look up and meet her gaze. Taking another drag of her cigarette, she pressed the glowing cigarette tip forcefully against An Ke’s cheek with a sizzling sound, leaving a scar without mercy.
At that moment, An Ke forgot the pain. She didn’t scream, her entire hatred focused on that arrogant man.
Pei Xuanzhi ultimately felt a bit of compassion and turned her back: “Throw her out.”
Two men dragged An Ke out of the Western-style building without a word, kicking her a couple of times before she lost consciousness.
The rain never stopped. When she awoke, she was still lying on the ground. As long as one is alive, there is hope. An Ke was not someone easily defeated. She tried to get up with difficulty, only then realizing her entire body was weak, and her burned face was protesting with pain – real, intense pain.
A stretched Rolls-Royce sped up and braked urgently beside her, splashing water that drenched her completely. Her already wet body now looked like it had been doused with two buckets of water, her disheveled black hair covering half her face, utterly miserable.
A man in a black suit rushed out from the passenger seat, opening the rear door while holding a large umbrella.
In a black suit, with a tall, proportionate body, handsome features, and a sunshine-like smile – this should have been a prince from a fairy tale. But the man before An Ke, she would never forget, was not a prince, but a demon – Jun Hao.
He stood like an emperor looking down at the woman on the ground, “filthy” being his impression of her at that moment.
She looked up at him, her gaze like a blazing fire. If looks could kill, An Ke would have killed him millions of times.
The man in the black suit stood behind him. Jun Hao unconsciously extended a hand to help the dirty woman up.
Looking at that extended hand, An Ke would have cut it off without hesitation if a knife were available.
His low, magnetic voice dripped with mockery: “If Miss An is interested in my hand, perhaps we could find a place out of the rain and explore it slowly.”
An Ke grabbed his hand, pulling down with all her strength, hoping to make him fall too, at least to prevent her from being the only one so miserable. He didn’t move an inch, easily pulling her to her feet. He dropped her dirty hand, took a white handkerchief from the man in the suit, and wiped away her traces. Casually throwing the handkerchief, it obediently lay in the rainwater and was carried away by the current.
An Ke watched him complete these actions elegantly. All her anger condensed – if not for his joking words, how would she have ended up so wretched? Using all her strength, she slapped five claw marks on his face: “You demon!”
“Boss,” the bodyguard wanted to stop her, but was waved away by Jun Hao.
Watching her turn, hold her head high, and quickly flee. Before going a hundred meters, she heavily fell to the ground, splashing rainwater far around. Jun Hao’s mouth curved into an evil arc. She was the first to dare hit Jun Hao, and he would make her pay an unexpected price.
The rain continued. An Ke had long since lost consciousness. Was this turbulent night the beginning of suffering, or the prelude to happiness?
003 Direct Confrontation An Ke had just opened her eyes when she heard a familiar voice: “Miss An, you’re awake.” A middle-aged woman in a nurse’s uniform stood by her bed.
The rain had passed, and soft sunlight filled the room. White walls, white bedsheets, even her pajamas were white. She parted her dry lips with difficulty: “Where am I?”
The middle-aged woman replied: “This is a nursing homes. Miss An can rest assured.” She didn’t tell An Ke this was Jun’s private nursing homes.
An Ke struggled to get up. This was not a place she could afford to stay. She was barely managing to eat.
The middle-aged woman pressed her back down, staring at her face: “Fortunately, treatment was timely. Otherwise, this face would have been ruined.”
An Ke remembered what happened last night – that vicious woman, her small body trembling slightly. And that inexplicable, arrogant madman. She had slapped him with all her might last night, but it did nothing to ease her hatred. The public rumors were indeed untrustworthy. In public, he seemed like a prince, but behind the scenes, who knew what evil he had done. A man like this was beyond her league. Even if she didn’t care about herself, she still had her beloved family. Her heart felt sour. What bad luck was this? “Madam, thank you for helping me, but I must leave now.”
The woman didn’t let her go, just sighed: “It wasn’t me who helped you.”
An Ke was about to ask who helped her when a man walked in: “Lin, the boss wants to see this young lady.”
“The boss? Who is your boss?” A bad feeling crept up, and An Ke tried to stay calm.
The woman didn’t answer her, just told the man: “We’ll go right away.” The man left without another word, casting a meaningful glance at An Ke.
“Here are your clothes, washed and dried. Please put them on. And your phone, it should still work,” the woman said, handing her the clothes, a hint of compassion in her heart.
She didn’t know what happened last night, only that the boss had carried a woman, both completely wet, and ordered them to heal her facial injuries no matter what. Someone might think he specially cared for this woman. Though he maintained a faint smile, only the depths of his dark eyes revealed his true anger.
Dressed, An Ke took a deep breath. She told herself not to be afraid: “Lin, let’s go.”
“Miss An…” Lin hesitated, looking at An Ke.
Lin Sao, what do you want to say to me?” An Ke noticed her hesitation.
Lin Sao patted her head, and they walked side by side towards the main building: “Young people sometimes act impulsively and often don’t consider the consequences of their actions. Miss An, although this is our first meeting, I can see that you are a good girl who can distinguish between right and wrong.”
An Ke could naturally hear the subtext and gave her a grateful smile: “Thank you, Lin Sao. My name is An Ke. If there’s a chance in the future, please don’t call me Miss An, it sounds awkward.”
“An Ke, what a nice name,” Lin Sao joked.
