Zhou Jinbai quickly walked to the bedside. The woman on the bed writhed unconsciously, her body twisting, but nothing else.
Just then, the old lady's phone rang.
Zhou Jinbai answered, his voice chilling, "Hello?"
"Good grandson, do you like the gift Grandma gave you?" The old lady's voice was a stark contrast to Zhou Jinbai's, even tinged with wild joy.
Zhou Jinbai's brows furrowed deeply. "Did you send Xing Wan to my room?"
"Of course, I'm creating an opportunity for you, aren't I? In TV dramas, doesn't the female lead get drugged, and then the male lead saves her? Good grandson, don't disappoint Grandma. Lin Yin Temple is a temple with spiritual energy. If my grandson can conceive here, it will be a lucky star reborn."
After the old lady finished, she added, "The medicine I gave my granddaughter-in-law was prescribed by a divine doctor. In ancient times, this was called 'Hehuan San' (Ecstasy Powder). As the saying goes, 'Hehuan, Hehuan, if not Hehuan, it disperses.' You should understand."
"This is outrageous." Zhou Jinbai wanted to say more, but the old lady decisively hung up the phone.
"I'm uncomfortable... I'm so uncomfortable..."
Lin Xing Wan, lying on the bed, murmured unconsciously. She felt like she was being roasted in a furnace, with countless ants crawling all over her body, a sensation that made her bones itch. Her delicate brows were tightly furrowed.
She was wearing a silk pajama set, and as she twisted and turned, the belt tied around her waist had come undone.
Her exposed long legs were simply exquisite.
Let alone other men seeing them, even Zhou Jinbai, who had immense self-control, felt his throat dry.
He finally understood why the old lady had tricked him into coming to Lin Yin Temple. She had planned it all along.
"Wife, I'm here..." Zhou Jinbai held Lin Xing Wan's hand. The woman, whose small hands were usually cool, was now burning hot.
In her daze, Lin Xing Wan felt like she heard Zhou Jinbai's voice.
She instinctively brought the hand he was holding to her cheek, murmuring in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "Husband, I want a kiss... I'm so uncomfortable..."
Lin Xing Wan displayed her most vulnerable side to Zhou Jinbai.
Zhou Jinbai could only try to soothe her emotions. He then took out his phone and called Chen Yuchu.
"Young Master, what do you need me to do?" Chen Yuchu immediately asked.
"She's been given Hehuan San. Is there no antidote?"
As soon as Zhou Jinbai finished speaking, Lin Xing Wan, who was lying on the bed, crawled up from the bed, following his arm. She opened her eyes, but because of the black lace blindfold covering them, she couldn't see anything.
However, instinctively, like a pet, she kept nuzzling into Zhou Jinbai's embrace.
"Husband... Husband..."
It was a simple act of getting up, but for Lin Xing Wan, it felt like she had used all her strength, her breathing heavy.
"Yes, I'm here."
Zhou Jinbai's voice was as gentle as it could be, making Chen Yuchu on the other end of the line's heart pound.
Combined with what the young master had just said, could it be that the one who had taken Hehuan San was the young madam?
"Young Master, Hehuan San has no antidote. This is usually something used by young masters for amusement, to enhance intimacy. And the improved Hehuan San, while not causing much harm to the body, is still very difficult to endure."
Chen Yuchu had heard of some scandals among wealthy families over the years, and her explanation was already quite veiled.
In reality, this substance was a tool used by decadent young men to assault virtuous women. Regardless of whether it harmed the body, once affected, even a pure maiden could turn into a lustful woman.
Zhou Jinbai hung up the phone. Lin Xing Wan was already leaning half her body into his arms.
The silk pajamas slipped, revealing the woman's skin, as fair as mutton-fat jade, emitting a warm and alluring glow under the light.
Yet, in her confused state, Lin Xing Wan had no idea how alluring she was at that moment. She tilted her head back, her innocent appearance carrying a strong temptation.
Zhou Jinbai had no intention of stopping himself.
His usually cold eyes were now filled with fire.
But he didn't want to be intimate with this woman without her full awareness.
Because he had once told her that their true wedding night would be the night of their wedding ceremony.
Yet, the woman in his arms was a fiery little vixen!
"Husband... Help me... Husband..."
Lin Xing Wan continued to murmur. For her, every passing second felt like an eternity.
After speaking, she continued to rub against Zhou Jinbai.
Hiss...
The man gasped.
His body stiffened, and he dared not make any rash moves.
He even closed his eyes and began reciting the Heart Sutra. Annoyingly, he couldn't recall a single sentence.
Heh!
This damn memory.
Especially since Lin Xing Wan's silk pajamas had completely slipped down to her waist. Zhou Jinbai's Adam's apple bobbed. Although he hadn't taken Hehuan San, the torment he was experiencing was no less than Lin Xing Wan's.
Why recite the damn Heart Sutra!
His mind was filled with all sorts of demons and monsters.
Zhou Jinbai finally tore off the lace blindfold from Lin Xing Wan's eyes. The woman's wet, deer-like eyes made Zhou Jinbai's fighting spirit surge.
"Look clearly, who I am."
Zhou Jinbai cupped Lin Xing Wan's face with one hand, forcing her unfocused gaze to lock onto him.
"Where is my husband?" Lin Xing Wan tilted her head, her eyes full of confusion.
She had clearly smelled her husband's scent just now.
But the man before her was both like and unlike him.
Just as Lin Xing Wan finished speaking, she giggled foolishly, "No, you are my husband. Why is my husband wearing a mask?"
Without waiting for Zhou Jinbai's agreement, she reached out and took off the mask he was wearing.
Zhou Jinbai wanted to stop her, but it was too late.
He stared in astonishment at the woman holding the mask and laughing heartily. At this moment, his heart was pounding with anxiety. What if this woman, with even a sliver of consciousness, realized his true identity...
No!
He hadn't considered the consequences of her knowing.
Things that weren't 100% certain weren't worth the risk.
Just as Lin Xing Wan was still laughing, Zhou Jinbai lowered his head and sealed her lips.
If her consciousness was unclear, then let her be even more lost.
He was damn... about to break his promise.
Outside the window, lightning flashed, followed by rolling thunder.
A fierce downpour had been brewing for a long time.
As the rain fell, the flowers in the courtyard were battered to pieces. Their delicate petals, struck by the rain, had already fallen onto the muddy ground.
The rain finally stopped around four in the morning.
Zhou Jinbai looked at the woman beneath him, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Even though he wasn't fully satisfied, he knew he couldn't continue.
The little darling, experiencing intimacy for the first time, couldn't handle him.
Zhou Jinbai helped Lin Xing Wan put on her pajamas, then casually threw on a bathrobe. He carried her back to the small courtyard where she lived with Liu Mengqin.
As Zhou Jinbai walked through the courtyard, he saw Bai Xiao emerging from inside.
Zhou Jinbai: ???
Bai Xiao: ???
The two men met each other's eyes without warning. Zhou Jinbai's expression was as indifferent as ever, while Bai Xiao looked somewhat embarrassed, as if caught in the act.
Despite being good brothers for many years, the air between them fell silent for a moment.
Finally, Bai Xiao couldn't stand Zhou Jinbai's scrutinizing gaze and spoke, "What are you looking at me like that for? Anyone who didn't know would think I'd done something heinous."
"Lust is a double-edged sword. Don't play with fire and get burned." Although Zhou Jinbai didn't like to meddle, he had a keen sense that there was something abnormal about Bai Xiao's relationship with Liu Mengqin.
"You should save that advice for yourself. I'm leaving." Bai Xiao knew the deeper meaning of Zhou Jinbai's words. The mere thought of that woman made his head ache terribly. He slipped away.
Zhou Jinbai watched Bai Xiao's retreating back disappear out the door before continuing into the courtyard with Lin Xing Wan.
The next day.
The weather was excellent after the heavy rain. Of course, for Lin Xing Wan, she woke up because she was suffocating.
She opened her eyes with great discomfort and was met with Zhou Jinbai's handsome face.
Wasn't she in a private villa at Lin Yin Temple?
Why was Zhou Jinbai by her side?
Lin Xing Wan opened her watery eyes and looked at Zhou Jinbai foolishly.
She hadn't yet recovered from the scene before her.
Zhou Jinbai felt like he was kissing a startled hamster. A low chuckle escaped him. He pinched Lin Xing Wan's cheek, his voice hoarse and deep from waking up, "Are you silly? You don't even recognize your own husband, hmm?"
Lin Xing Wan's face hurt slightly. She wasn't dreaming. Zhou Jinbai was really in front of her, and they were lying in the same bed.
Neither of them wearing any clothes.
"What... what's going on?"
Lin Xing Wan was too confused. She only remembered going to find Sister Qin last night, but she had seen Sister Qin being intimate with a strange man. As for what happened next, she had no idea, as she had been drugged.
Zhou Jinbai had already prepared his explanation.
"At dinner yesterday, I heard Grandma say that Lin Yin Temple hasn't been peaceful lately. It seems a group of criminals have been targeting pilgrims at Lin Yin Temple. Seven people have gone missing in the past two months. I was so worried about you, my wife, that I rushed over overnight. Unexpectedly, when I found you, you had already been drugged, and they were trying to take you away. In my rage, I drove them all away."
Zhou Jinbai's words left Lin Xing Wan dumbfounded. Even in the warmth of his embrace, she felt a cold sweat break out.
"Were these people caught?" Lin Xing Wan asked.
"I've already called the police. Catching them is the police's job. Fortunately, you're alright, my wife. If anything had happened to you, I wouldn't know what to do."
After speaking, Zhou Jinbai held Lin Xing Wan tightly in his arms. His expression of relief was perfectly portrayed.
Lin Xing Wan didn't doubt Zhou Jinbai's words at all.
"There's one more thing, wife... I'm sorry."
Zhou Jinbai released Lin Xing Wan, propped himself up on either side of her, and looked down at her.
Her fair skin was covered in hickeys, all his.
They didn't seem like much last night, but now, they were quite shocking.
"What is it?" Lin Xing Wan's mood was being tossed around by Zhou Jinbai.
"I broke my promise." Zhou Jinbai's expression was full of self-reproach. "I told you before that I wouldn't touch you until our wedding night, but last night, you were drugged, and I had no choice..."
As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling person. Moreover, Zhou Jinbai was a handsome husband who actively admitted his fault.
Besides, he had his reasons.
Lin Xing Wan looked at Zhou Jinbai's extremely remorseful appearance and instead comforted him, "You did it to save me. It's a good thing it was you, thankfully it was you. We were going to end up like this sooner or later anyway. Which couple would get angry over this?"
It was strange, really. When she was with Gu Shaoting, even though Gu Shaoting had hinted many times that he wanted to be intimate with her, Lin Xing Wan had still felt a bit resistant at the time.
She had comforted herself, thinking she was too conservative and traditional, which was why she couldn't accept premarital sex with Gu Shaoting.
But after being with Zhou Jinbai, everything that had happened had overturned Lin Xing Wan's perception of herself.
Turns out she wasn't repulsed by sex, but by Gu Shaoting.
Turns out she wasn't traditional, she just didn't love Gu Shaoting that much.
Turns out she wasn't conservative, she was actually a nymphomaniac!
"Wife, you really don't blame me? I didn't keep my word." Zhou Jinbai was secretly delighted, but the feeling of his wife comforting him was too wonderful. He loved it.
"I don't blame you, really."
Lin Xing Wan's tone was firm. The overjoyed man then expressed his inner joy with a French kiss.
Lin Xing Wan was kissed until she was breathless again. She pushed and shoved Zhou Jinbai, wanting to escape his embrace.
But as soon as she moved, her body ached terribly, and her limbs felt weak and useless.
The blanket covering them was thrown aside. The floor-to-ceiling window had only a thin curtain. Lin Xing Wan let out a scream.
The man's gaze swept unscrupulously over Lin Xing Wan, and in a very serious voice, he said something extremely improper, "Wife, I want to have a full meal."
Whether Lin Xing Wan agreed or not was no longer important.
The man, experiencing extreme pleasure for the first time, had even lost track of time.
His wife was too delicious; he just wanted to devour her completely.
Lin Xing Wan didn't know how many times she cried or begged for mercy, but the methods that had been effective on men before were now useless.
This man was too wicked, deliberately doing the opposite of what Lin Xing Wan wanted.
In the end, the two of them didn't have their first meal of the day until the afternoon.
However, after a short rest, Zhou Jinbai began to get intimate with Lin Xing Wan again.
Lin Xing Wan was terrified, but she was no match for Zhou Jinbai and was once again thoroughly exploited by him.
They had originally planned to stay at Lin Yin Temple for only one night and leave the next day, but now they had stayed for three days.
Don't ask Lin Xing Wan what she did during these three days. She was confined to the room by Zhou Jinbai and pestered for three days.
With a pile of company matters waiting to be handled, Lin Xing Wan had already asked Liu Mengqin to return ahead of time.
On the way back in Zhou Jinbai's car, Lin Xing Wan simply slept in the back seat to catch up on sleep.
Even in the car, Lin Xing Wan slept soundly.
Feeling someone calling her, Lin Xing Wan groggily opened her eyes.
"Are we home already?" Why did it feel like she had just closed her eyes and they were already home?
But looking at her surroundings, they were completely unfamiliar.
"Not yet, but I've brought you to Tianlai Huafu."
Zhou Jinbai explained.
"Tianlai Huafu? Why are you bringing me here?" Lin Xing Wan asked.
"Of course, to look at the house. Xie Guanglin gave us a house in Tianlai Huafu."
Zhou Jinbai smiled slightly. If it were anyone else who had been given such a super mansion, they would have come to see it long ago.
But his silly wife, if he hadn't reminded her, might never have come to see it in her life.
Lin Xing Wan hesitated. Zhou Jinbai spoke, "Since Xie Guanglin gave this house to you, he's not going to take it back. If we don't live in it, it will remain empty. Besides, the house we're currently living in is too small. When friends come over, we can only eat hot pot on the balcony... It will be even more crowded in the future if we have children."
Of course, the most important thing was... Zhou Jinbai, who liked to explore new territories, preferred being intimate with Lin Xing Wan in Tianlai Huafu because it was bigger and more liberating.
Lin Xing Wan was persuaded by Zhou Jinbai. After they got out of the car, they walked towards the sales center.
"Why does it feel so crowded today?" Lin Xing Wan looked at the people coming and going. Tianlai Huafu was outrageously expensive, yet so many people were buying.
"Tianlai Huafu is always crowded. After all, the world is never short of rich people. Moreover, Tianlai Huafu occupies the most perfect prime location in Rongcheng. In such a coveted location, with detached villas, it naturally attracts the attention of many wealthy individuals."
Soon, the two entered the sales center. The sales consultant introduced them with great excitement, "As China's premier luxury residence, Tianlai Huafu treats its owners as gods, striving to meet their demands and allow them to live like emperors. Each independent villa has dedicated property management and security personnel on standby twenty-four hours a day. The safety factor is extremely high, and all Tianlai Huafu employees pledge that if any theft occurs, upon reporting and verification, a high-end villa in Tianlai Huafu will be immediately awarded. Therefore, homeowners in the villa area can rest assured."
At this moment, an extremely arrogant female voice rang out, "Oh my, Xing Wan, Jinbai, what are you two doing here?"
Lin Xing Wan followed the sound and looked over. Hao Manqing, arm in arm with Cheng Zhiyuan, and behind them were Cheng Yanze and Ye Qingning.
The four of them walked towards them.
Lin Xing Wan replied distantly yet politely, "Jinbai and I are just looking around."
"Looking around? Are you here to look at wedding houses like us?" Hao Manqing said, then leaned closer to Lin Xing Wan, feigning concern. "The houses here are not cheap, each costing several hundred million. You young people like to enjoy first and pay later. This is not like those houses outside where you can live with a loan of one or two million. To buy a house in Tianlai Huafu, you must pay in full. If you have any difficulties, tell Auntie. Although I can't help you buy a house in Tianlai Huafu, we'll be moving here soon, so we can rent you our current house."
Zhou Jinbai listened to Hao Manqing's seemingly concerned but actually sarcastic words and sneered, "If your Cheng family can afford to buy a pigeon coop in Tianlai Huafu, do you think my Xing Wan and I can't afford it? Besides, you'd better keep your Cheng family's house well, lest you end up with nowhere to live."
Cheng Yanze disliked Zhou Jinbai intensely and couldn't understand why Lin Xing Wan's taste in men kept getting worse.
He was just a man who lived off his wife, too pretentious, too boastful, too flamboyant.
"My mother was just kindly reminding you. You don't need to act like your sore spot has been stepped on and speak such venomous words."
Cheng Yanze's refined face was filled with disgust and disdain. Why should such a man be by Lin Xing Wan's side, while he couldn't?
He was clearly superior to Zhou Jinbai in every way.
"How can you be so sure that I'm not kindly reminding you?" Zhou Jinbai snorted.
Ye Qingning walked to Cheng Yanze's side, a faint smile on her face. "Auntie, Yanze, Top Entertainment has been developing well recently. We should be able to afford the smallest apartment in Tianlai Huafu, right? We'll be seeing each other often in the future, so let's not fall out."
Cheng Zhiyuan also spoke, "Xing Wan, Uncle Cheng is very grateful for what you did last time. If you really want to buy a house in Tianlai Huafu, I can lend you some money."
Zhou Jinbai was amused by these fools' words. "We don't need your money, nor do we want to see each other often. If we're buying, we'll buy the most luxurious villa in Tianlai Huafu."