Chapter 2.

My ears instantly burned, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. I licked my lips, standard panicked defense kicking in, and gave his chest a weak push. “You… you’ve got the wrong person. I have no idea what you’re talking about. Let go of me!”

Deny, deny, deny. That was the game plan. Last night I was wearing heavy makeup and a micro-skirt; today I was the picture of demure, porcelain innocence. It wasn’t even a stretch to claim we were two entirely different people.

Then the memory of what Jiang Mo told me this morning flashed through my head, and I wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it forever. Apparently, I had been wasted, clinging to a gorgeous guy’s neck, refusing to let go no matter who tried to pull me off. In the end, I had dragged him into a cab myself, turned off my phone, and hurled it into the abyss in a bout of drunken euphoria.

While I was spiraling, a cigarette was suddenly pressed between my lips.

“Yours. You dropped it last night.”

He leaned down and flicked a lighter. Purely on instinct, I took a drag… and immediately wanted to slap myself. Damn this muscle memory!

A knowing smile curved the man’s lips. Before I could process it, a sharp sting flared on my neck. He pulled down my collar, bit down hard enough to draw a gasp, and then lazily ran his tongue over the sore spot.

Startled, I shoved him back with all my strength and landed a sharp slap across his face. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Pei Moheng used the tip of his tongue to press against the inside of his cheek where I’d hit him. He leaned in, whispering right against my ear, “Just returning the favor. Fair’s fair, isn’t it?” He reached out, taking my wrist and guiding my hand to his neck. The overlapping bite marks on his skin left zero doubt as to who the “author” was.

A flash of guilt hit me, but I forced my posture straight. “Last night was an accident. Besides, it’s not like you fought me off, did you? Mathematically speaking, it was mutual consent. You’re no saint here either.”

Instead of getting angry, he let out a low chuckle. “True. I’m definitely no saint. After all, here I am, carrying on an affair with my nephew’s future bride.”

My eyes widened. An affair?! What kind of word choice is that?!

I was about to snap back when heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor, accompanied by my mother’s sharp voice. “Strange… where on earth did she wander off to?”

My heart slammed into my throat. But while I was practically hyperventilating, Pei Moheng was the picture of unbothered grace. He casually took a slow drag from the cigarette, the filter clearly stamped with the faint outline of my lip gloss.

I waited until the footsteps faded into the distance before glaring up at him. “I need to get back out there.”

I had been gone way too long, and I was going to have to construct some flawless alibi. Just thinking about it was exhausting, and every bit of it was this man’s fault. He had dragged me into a dark closet for no reason and thoroughly doused me in his tobacco scent.

I reached for the door handle, but his hand clamped around my wrist like a steel cuff. Yank. I was slammed back against the door panel. Pei Moheng crushed out the cigarette with his thumb, his large palm cupping my cheek as his mouth came down on mine. The residual smoke filled my lungs, making me cough so hard I thought I was going to pass out on the spot.

“Are you insane?!”

I choked out the words, furious and ready to swing again, but he didn’t give me the chance. He pressed closer, cutting off every bit of air between us. I hammered my fists against his chest, struggling against his weight, but he caught my hands, wrapping them around his waist—forcing me into a position that looked like I was willingly embracing him. The absolute nerve of this man!

It wasn’t until I bit down hard on the corner of his lip, the metallic taste of blood spreading across my tongue, that he finally pulled back. Ignoring his bleeding lip, he casually wiped the moisture from the corner of my mouth with his thumb.

“Don’t marry him,” he rasped, his voice dark and low.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to look straight into those piercing eyes. “You don’t get a say in this.”

Without waiting for his response, I shoved past him, opened the door, and walked out.

I ducked into the restroom to pull myself together. Looking at my flushed face in the mirror, my mind was a chaotic mess. I touched up my powder, then generously spritzed perfume to drown out the smell of tobacco—and the lingering memory of his breath on my skin.

By the time I returned to the dining room, Pei Moheng hadn’t made it back yet, and my mother had already smoothly transitioned to her favorite topic: breeding.

“Ideally, one boy and one girl to make a perfect pair. Or two boys, our family has a massive legacy to maintain, we can afford as many as they can have.”

A heavy weight settled in my chest. Growing up, I had never mattered, especially after that happened… I was essentially an expensive pawn. Sensing my presence, the warm smile instantly vanished from my mother’s face. “There you are. What took you so long? Did you take a vacation in the bathroom?”

I took my seat, keeping my voice soft and meek. “I’m sorry. I saw a cat in the courtyard and stopped to play with it for a minute.” The lie tasted bitter. It felt like “stray cats” were making way too many appearances today.

Just then, the door opened and Pei Moheng walked back in. He picked up his wine glass and drained it in one go. “Apologies for leaving for so long. Allow me to drink a penalty glass.” As the alcohol hit the fresh cut on his lip, his expression hardened just a fraction.

“Whoa, Uncle,” Pei Yu chimed in, his drama radar immediately pinging. “Holy crap, did you break your vow of celibacy? When are you introducing us to our new aunt? I’m dying to know, what kind of goddess managed to tame you?”

The person asking was buzzing with excitement, but the person being asked… was looking directly at me. I instantly dropped my gaze, pretending to be deeply fascinated by my bowl of soup.

“Just a stray cat,” he replied smooth as silk. “Feisty, stubborn, and loves to bite.”

I gripped my spoon so hard my knuckles turned white. Who is a stray cat?! Who loves to bite?! I swung my foot out under the table to deliver a sharp kick to his shin.

THUD.

“Ow! Jesus! Why the hell did you kick me?!” Pei Yu howled, clutching his leg in agony.

Wrong leg!

I offered a terribly forced smile. “I’m so sorry… my foot slipped.”

Glancing up, I caught the smug, amused arch of Pei Moheng’s brow. I shot him a quick glare: This is entirely your fault.

Old Mr. Pei cleared his throat. “Moheng, you’re not getting any younger either. It’s time to settle down. Who is she? Bring her over for dinner sometime.”

“She’s shy,” Pei Moheng answered nonchalantly. “Maybe another time.”

I cursed him internally. Bastard! He clearly had someone on the hook, yet he had the audacity to force himself on me minutes ago? He met my furious glare with a face so calm and guiltless it was infuriating.

The dinner finally wrapped up after both families officially locked in the engagement date. The second we stepped out of that suffocating room, my mother leaned in with her usual set of instructions. “Qianqian, once you marry into the Pei family, you need to be submissive. Especially with Pei Yu. When it comes to certain things… just turn a blind eye, understand?”

It was almost laughable. She knew exactly what kind of trash he was, yet she was pushing me into the fire with a smile. At the end of the day, I was just a product raised to be traded at the right moment.

“Lin Qianqian, I’m talking to you!”

“I understand,” I replied obediently.

Up ahead, the adults continued chatting about profit margins, corporate mergers, and strategic futures… The sound droned on, making me sick. Closing my eyes, my mind traitorously replayed the memory of that man in the dark, his heavy breath, and that single drop of sweat tracing down his collarbone.

I violently shook my head. Stop it. He wasn’t someone I could ever touch.

A damaged, ordinary girl like me didn’t deserve to be loved anyway.