“Ugh…”

The moment I opened my eyes, dim shadows surrounded me. A man’s heavy, labored breathing echoed near my ear, strained to its absolute limit. Through the gloom, I spotted a tall figure slumped on the sofa. His body trembled slightly, the corners of his eyes flushed red, radiating an aura that was equally dangerous and devastatingly handsome. The top buttons of his black dress shirt were undone, revealing a chest slick with sweat.

I blinked, startled. Wait… is this guy drugged?

Gingerly, I gave him a little poke. “Hey.”

Before I could finish, my head spun wildly. The next second, I was pinned flat against the mattress. A scorching breath washed over my face as a deep, raspy voice growled: “Who the hell are you?”

I stalled, frantically sifting through my memories. I was a transmigrator, currently playing the villainous supporting character, Shen Li. In the original plot, she was the male lead’s girlfriend. The moment he went bankrupt, her true colors showed: by day she squandered every penny he had, and by night she locked him in the bedroom to torment him, eventually selling him off to the black market.

Shen Li’s ultimate end was getting hunted down by a corrupted, revenge-driven male lead who sent her off with a bullet to the head. My mission was to reenact that brand of malice so I could collect my “paycheck” of sweet freedom.

The freezing cold sensation against my waist jolted me fully awake. A gun barrel was pressing right into my side.

What?! Was this in the original book?! My soul practically left my body. Yet his voice remained terrifyingly calm: “Who are you, really?”

The palpable intent to kill sent a chill straight down my spine. To save my own skin, I instantly threw my arms around him, bursting into a theatrical tearful sob: “Who else could I be, of course I’m your girlfriend, hubby! You were calling me your precious baby just yesterday, and today you’re giving me the cold shoulder? My poor heart is shattering, boo-hoo-hoo…”

The man paused, repeating in a suspicious tone: “…Girlfriend?”

I nodded like a woodpecker pecking at grain. He let out a low chuckle, his handsome face suddenly looming right before my eyes. Sharp, predatory brows, a high straight bridge of the nose, and fathomless eyes… This was definitely Xie Huaiyan’s signature brand of “lethal danger.”

“Baby,” he murmured right against my ear, “since we’re lovers, do you happen to know what you’re supposed to do when I’ve been drugged?”

My heart hammered like it was about to quit its job. According to the script, we were supposed to “sleep together,” but wasn’t he supposed to utterly despise Shen Li touching him in the book? Seeing me blank out, he let out a dry, mocking laugh: “Your acting needs work. You really are an idiot.”

Excuse me? He dared insult me? Driven mad by sheer indignation, I bolted upright, grabbed his lapel, and planted a fierce kiss right on his lips. We’re sleeping together, fine by me! With a body like this, I’m definitely not losing out!

His pupils constricted. He tried to push me away, but the raging heat of the drugs took over, and he immediately banded his arm tight around my waist, returning the kiss with scorching, relentless intensity.

…

Amidst the dizzying whirlwind, I barely had enough strength left to cry. This Xie Huaiyan guy… his stamina was straight-up abnormal!

In a hazy half-dream, a line from the novel flashed through my mind: “The arrogant young miss of the Shen family humiliated Xie Huaiyan night after night without a shred of mercy.” Reading it back then made my blood boil, but right now I just wanted to send a message back in time: Sister Li, your physical constitution is seriously… on another level!

When I opened my eyes again, my entire body ached as if I’d been run over by a steamroller. One hand rubbed my aching lower back while the other swept across the room, leaving me completely dumbfounded.

Polished black marble floors glistened under the brilliant light of a shimmering crystal chandelier, every single decorative detail so intricate it practically screamed wealth. To put it briefly: This wasn’t a bedroom, it was a walking, breathing vault of cash.

Glancing down at the gargantuan king-size bed, tears of sheer happiness almost spilled over. I knew the original Shen Li was a wealthy heiress, but I never imagined she was this filthy rich! Having been broke for so long, it was finally my turn to “flip my life around overnight.”

Just as I stood there deeply moved and on the verge of tears, a bowl of plain white rice porridge drifted into my field of vision, accompanied by Xie Huaiyan’s low, gravelly voice: “What are you crying for? Don’t you like staying at my place?”

I stared blankly: “This is… your house?” — “Unless you think it’s yours?”

I rubbed my eyes frantically. My heart was bleeding internally: Isn’t he supposed to be bankrupt?! Why does he still have a luxury villa like this?! Truly, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse, and as for me… I probably didn’t even measure up to an ant.

Noticing my tear-rimmed eyes, Xie Huaiyan seemed to misunderstand. He reached out to gently wipe the corner of my eye, his movements a little clumsy as his voice softened: “Don’t cry anymore. Last night… I lost control. Drink some porridge, there’s pain reliever in it. You’ll feel better.”

Recalling several “unbroadcastable” snippets from the previous night, my tears evaporated on the spot. I obediently spooned up the porridge, and my stomach immediately settled. He watched me closely, then dropped another earth-shattering remark: “As for last night, I’ll take responsibility. From now on, you’re staying right here with me.”

“What?!” – I nearly choked.

This script was completely off the rails! According to the original text, wasn’t I supposed to be the one keeping him after he went broke? How did it suddenly turn into me getting kept?!

Seeing my silence, he raised an eyebrow: — “What’s wrong, baby? Wasn’t it just last night that you were telling me… sooner or later, you’d ‘sleep’ with me until I developed a psychological complex?”

I froze. Why does he still remember that line?! That was just me running my mouth because my pride had taken a hit! If I actually tried keeping that up, I’d probably die of exhaustion before I even finished my mission!

Stammering, I scrambled for an excuse: “Ah… let’s forget about that. Actually, I’m kind of picky about my beds. Your bed here is too unfamiliar, I just can’t get used to it.”

Xie Huaiyan broke into an impossibly gentle smile: “No problem. If you don’t like this bed, I’ll have someone move the one from last night over here. That one shouldn’t feel unfamiliar anymore, right?”

Me: “…” Who exactly was the victim in this house? Who was the one doing the bullying here?!