Jia Ye withdrew his hand, glanced down at the few strands of pink blood on his fingertips, and frowned in an impatient arc.

"Have you started your period?"

Shi Luyu was trembling all over.

She had vaguely felt a throbbing pain in her lower abdomen, but a series of shocks and fears had suppressed that discomfort. Now, his question seemed to have flipped a switch, and a surge of warmth suddenly flowed out, trickling down her legs.

She froze, tears streaming down her face, her gaze fixed on his blood-stained fingers, as if afraid he would reach out again.

She was terrified.

Of course she was afraid of dying, and she was also afraid that he would continue at a time like this.

Seeing her like this, Jia Ye suddenly reached out and grabbed her cheek with one hand, digging his fingers into the sides of her jawbone. She was forced to tilt her head back, and before she could react, he leaned down and pressed down on her.

Lips collided, not a kiss, but a predation.

He bit her lower lip with his teeth, grinding it hard until a metallic taste filled their mouths.

Shi Luyu groaned in pain, but couldn't break free from his hand that was pinching her face.

The man finally stepped back a little, his thumb fiercely wiping away the bead of blood seeping from her lips, smearing the red color all over her lower lip:

"If I drain all the blood from your body, will you stop bleeding?" His voice was low and slow, as if he were stating something perfectly reasonable.

Shi Luyu trembled with fear.

She gripped his wrist tightly, her fingers sinking into his skin where the veins were slightly bulging, her knuckles turning white with her strength.

She broke down, all her fear, resentment, and anger pouring out in that instant, her voice hoarse and broken: "Bastard... beast! Just kill me already!"

Jia glanced down at the wrist she was holding and suddenly smiled.

The laughter was low and husky, yet very soft, carrying a hint of mockery and an inexplicable amusement. His gaze lingered on her face, his tone languid:

"Kill you? That's so boring. I finally found someone who bites; if I kill them, who will play with me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he forcefully flung her face away. Shi Luyu slumped onto the bed, hearing him stand up, his tone as disgusted as if she had been smeared with something dirty: "What a spoilsport."

She didn't bother to look at his expression and instinctively shrank to the other side of the bed.

The coat had long been torn to shreds and was now tattered. The remaining white slip dress hung wrinkled on her body, with the left shoulder strap slipping down to her arm.

Strands of hair clung stickily to the corners of her mouth, mixed with tears. Her lips were cracked, a deep red, as lovely as a ripe cherry.

Her face was deathly pale, but her lips were a strikingly red from the bullying she had endured.

Her collarbone, shoulders, and arms were covered in hickeys and bite marks, bluish-purple bruises scattered across her fair skin.

The worst wound was on her left collarbone, where the skin and flesh had been bitten through, and blood was still seeping from the gash. Drops of blood slid down the curve of her collarbone, along the fullness of her breasts, soaking the left side of her white sundress with a wet red stain that clung tightly to her skin.

Master Jia had already donned his long robe, his back to her as he fastened his belt, not even glancing at her again. Reaching the door, he coldly uttered, "Drag him away and lock him up."

Two guards entered at the sound of their voices. Shi Luyu did not resist; she didn't even have the strength to raise her hand to wipe the sweat and tears from her face. She was carried through the corridor and dragged behind a heavy iron door.

It was a secret room.

There were no windows, only two dim yellow wall lamps on the ceiling, the light as dim as dusk.

The room was quite spacious, with a simple bed against the wall covered with a gray-blue sheet. Opposite was a long table and two chairs, with a worn-out lamp on the table. In the corner stood an old-fashioned television, next to a brown leather sofa, and on the coffee table in front of the sofa was a box of tissues.

The room was clean but cold, like a forgotten hotel room.

She was pushed inside, and the iron door slammed shut behind her. The sound of the lock clicking shut was dull, dangerous, and resolute.

Shi Luyu slumped to the floor, neither getting onto the bed nor the sofa. She hugged her knees, curling up in the corner between the sofa and the wall, her back against the cold wall, making herself into the smallest ball she could be.

Not long after, a small window opened at the bottom of the iron gate, and a hand reached in and placed a bowl of rice inside.

She didn't move.

After a while, a bowl of ginger soup was brought in, steaming hot.

She didn't even look at it.

Then came a tube of ointment, in a clear package, labeled "anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and wound-healing." It was for treating the bites that mad dog had left on her.

She buried her face in her knees.

Finally, a pack of sanitary napkins was wheeled in, its pink packaging bulging, and it landed on the floor with a soft thud.

Shi Luyu didn't even lift her eyelids.

...She didn't want to live anymore.

It's not being dramatic, nor is it about being stubborn; it's just that I genuinely don't have the strength to keep going.

From the moment she was dragged into the cage, she knew this time was different from before.

Before, no matter how much Jia Ye tormented her, he at least left her some room for maneuver. But tonight was different. He let a beast drag a living person away in front of her. He personally pressed her onto the bed, tore her clothes, and he didn't even hesitate or have any concerns when she was menstruating.

She didn't think she could leave this place alive.

Since I'm going to die sooner or later anyway, I might as well die on my own. Whether I starve to death or die of thirst, it's cleaner than being crushed bit by bit by him.

She hugged herself tightly, her forehead pressed against her knees, her eyes staring blankly at a crack in the floor. The blood on her lips had dried, forming a small, dark red scab.

The wound on her collarbone was still throbbing, and with each breath, the fabric rubbed against the tear, causing her to tremble slightly in pain.

I don't know how much time has passed.

It could be an hour, it could be three hours. There was no time in the sealed room, only the buzzing of the wall lamps.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the door.

It wasn't knocking; it was a fight. There was a muffled groan, followed by the dull thud of a body hitting the wall, and Zhou Ji's low, stern reprimand.

Shi Luyu raised her head in a daze, and before she could react, the entire iron gate was violently smashed open.

A figure stumbled in, rolled half a circle on the ground, and lay sprawled on the cold cement floor. Zhou Ji followed closely behind, kicking the man in the lower back, sending him crashing down even further.

Shi Luyu's empty gaze lingered on that person for a moment.

The man was wearing a dark casual jacket, his hair was a little messy, and his profile was well-defined. His fingers, which were supporting him on the ground, were long and slender with prominent knuckles, and he was slowly pushing himself up from the ground.

She recognized the face.

All the blood rushed to her head in an instant. She jumped up from the corner, her legs numb from being curled up for so long, and staggered over, her voice trembling with sobs and disbelief:

"Brother Jiajia?!"

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