Chapter 1: Miss Fu Falls Victim to a Plot

The day after tomorrow would be Fu Junyao’s wedding day to Feng Ning, the heir of the Earl of Chengen.

This marriage had been secured for her by her half-sister, Fu Qingqing.

Years ago, at the Old Man of the Moon Temple, Fu Junyao had casually remarked on how handsome Feng Ning was.

Since then, her half-sister had taken it upon herself to play matchmaker, tirelessly pushing her to pursue him.

Fu Qingqing insisted that since their fateful encounter had begun at the Old Man of the Moon Temple, it was only fitting for Fu Junyao to return and express her gratitude now that their union was finally coming to fruition.

And so, Fu Junyao found herself reluctantly dragged back to the temple by her half-sister.

Since she was already there, she resigned herself to kneeling beneath the Marriage Tree, offering three respectful bows as a gesture of sincerity.

But as she completed the third bow, a sharp pain shot through the back of her neck.

Her consciousness faded, and when she awoke, she found herself lying on an unfamiliar bed, her entire body burning with fever.

Gritting her teeth, Fu Junyao tried to stand, but her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the floor.

“With the dosage of this drug, if any man were to walk in now, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from pouncing on him.”

They were truly leaving nothing to chance!

But to escape, she needed strength.

Without hesitation, Fu Junyao pulled a golden hairpin from her hair and stabbed it deep into her thigh.

The searing pain jolted her back to a sliver of clarity and strength!

“Here I come, little lady—” a lecherous voice called from outside the door.

It was over here already! Struggling to her feet, she staggered toward the window, reaching for the windowsill.

The door creaked open, and a round, doughy face peered inside.

Escape—she had to escape!

With a surge of determination, Fu Junyao hurled herself through the window.

“Plop!” She landed heavily in the water.

There was a lake outside the window!

For a moment, Fu Junyao was utterly bewildered.

Wasn’t she just at the Old Man of the Moon Temple? Where had this lake come from?

Where had she been taken?

Fu Qingqing alone couldn’t have abducted her so silently and moved her elsewhere. Who else was involved? Or perhaps Fu Qingqing wasn’t the one behind this at all—then who was?

As her thoughts raced, she instinctively flailed in the water, nearly choking before the realization struck her: she didn’t know how to swim!

If that repulsive man rescued her now, her fate would be no better than before!

Drowning might be preferable, at least she would die with her virtue intact.

The moment this thought crossed her mind, she ceased struggling altogether.

The ugly man rushed to the window just in time to see Fu Junyao plunge into the lake. A drugged person falling into water—that could be fatal.

Terrified, he turned and fled in panic.

To her surprise, as Fu Junyao stopped struggling, her body gradually rose to the surface, floating effortlessly.

A sense of wonder washed over her. Was this what they meant by “finding life in the face of death”?

The effects of the drug had barely subsided, despite the coolness of the lake water.
Suddenly, the stern, resolute face of Cheng Honglang flashed vividly in her mind, refusing to fade.

Had she lost her mind? Shouldn’t she be thinking of Feng Ning at a time like this? Why did Cheng Honglang come to mind?

He had always been rigidly proper and self-disciplined. Because her elder brother was his closest friend, she had often trailed after them like a little shadow.

Unlike her brother, who doted on and indulged her, Cheng Honglang had never cracked a smile in her presence. His seriousness made her more nervous than even the strictest academy tutor.

And now, here she was, daring to lust after him!

Lost in her wild thoughts, Fu Junyao caught sight of a boat gliding across the lake. Standing at the prow was a figure too distant to make out clearly, but he wore a Flying Fish uniform and carried an Embroidered Spring Blade at his waist.

It was a Brocade-Clad Guard!

There were no women in the Brocade-Clad Guard.

Heaven was determined to destroy her!

Fu Junyao let out a breath and voluntarily sank deeper into the water.

“Ah Yao—” Fu Junyao heard a very familiar voice and then saw someone swiftly flying across the water toward her.

Brother Lang? Was she hallucinating from overthinking? How could she be hearing Brother Lang’s voice?

Fu Junyao silently floated upward again.

Right, before her brother left the capital, he mentioned he had been transferred to the Brocade-Clad Guard as Commander.

It really was him!

“Ah Yao!” Cheng Honglang landed beside her and held her close.

His warm body and the broad, solid chest she had secretly longed for countless times intensified the already uncontrollable surge of desire raging within her.

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms and legs tightly around Cheng Honglang.

Feeling her movement, Cheng Honglang’s heart eased with relief. She was alive! As long as she was alive, he hadn’t been too late!

Heaven knew how terrified he was when he received the urgent message from his subordinate assigned to secretly protect Ah Yao, saying she had been knocked unconscious at the Old Man of the Moon Temple and taken away, and they had lost track of her. His heart nearly leaped out of his throat.

Before Fu Junyan left the capital, he had entrusted him with looking after his sister. If anything happened to her right under the nose of his Brocade-Clad Guard, he wouldn’t need Fu Junyan to return and hold him accountable—he might as well offer his life in apology.

Holding her warm body with one arm, he opened his mouth several times but only managed to utter a stiff, reassuring phrase: “Don’t be afraid, it’s alright now.”

Alright? How could it be alright! She was far from alright!

Fu Junyao gritted her teeth, struggling to hold back and not reveal her condition.

But her body refused to obey. She was on the verge of losing control.

Cheng Honglang lifted Fu Junyao directly out of the water and landed on a nearby boat.

As soon as they steadied themselves, he immediately patted her back gently, his tone rigid and stern: “Ah Yao, it’s alright now. Let go of me! This is highly improper!”

Tormented by both fear and the effects of the drug, Fu Junyao instinctively didn’t want to release Cheng Honglang. But in her heart, she was already prepared to be ruthlessly thrown onto the deck by him.

After all, this guy had never allowed her to get close to him.

When she was eight, taking advantage of her youth, she had secretly tried to hug him, only to be dragged straight to her brother and severely scolded!

He said things like women should have self-respect and self-love, understand the distinction between men and women, and that even her own brother shouldn’t be hugged, let alone him, who wasn’t her real brother…
His dark, angry expression was terrifying!

Now, with her clinging to him like this, she couldn’t imagine how dark his face must be.

“Ah Yao, don’t be afraid, it’s alright.” Cheng Honglang gently patted her back; his comforting tone was still awkward but undeniably tender.

It was a tenderness she had never dared to hope for.

Since she had already been drenched and carried out of the water by him like this, her reputation was ruined anyway. Why not take this chance to fulfill a dream?

Fu Junyao instantly convinced herself and pressed her lips against Cheng Honglang’s.

The soft, plump texture carried a tingling sensation…

Fu Junyao couldn’t help trembling slightly. The mouth that usually never uttered a word she wanted to hear felt unexpectedly good to kiss.

The drug inside her seemed to spiral out of control instantly, screaming for more.

“Ah Yao, you mustn’t!” Cheng Honglang spoke, his voice becoming husky and alluring.

His tone was still as stern as ever, but for some reason, Fu Junyao suddenly wasn’t afraid anymore.

She even found it incredibly appealing!

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