Chapter Forty-Six: Madness

Suddenly, a cold shiver ran through me. I wanted to push him away, but as my hands clutched his collar, I found myself gripping it tighter instead. “Luo Ange, what exactly do you want from me?”

He leaned in, pressing me down onto the bed, one hand slipping under my shirt. “My intentions are so obvious—can’t you see them?”

My reason was nearly gone, my breath barely a whisper. “Please, I beg you, don’t touch me…”

He bit my ear, his voice low and dangerous. “You asked if I was a real man. I’ll show you now.”

I struggled weakly. “No… No, Luo Ange, I’m begging you…”

A wicked smile curved on his face, devilish and cold. “Too late for that now.”

I braced against his chest, mustering the last of my strength to cry out for Du Fanchuan.

He was just in the next room—surely he could save me…

Luo Ange buried his face lower, near my collarbone, his words muffled. “You have impressive self-control, but unfortunately for you, you met me. Now enjoy it.”

Inside, some voice was screaming, while all that escaped my lips were broken, unbearable cries. My body arched, torn between resistance and invitation.

His hands roamed everywhere, and wherever he touched, fire blazed beneath my skin. I was on the verge of collapse.

The sensation was strange and new—his touch seemed to possess a strange magic, lighting hidden embers within me, and I could not help but lift my body to meet him.

I had never experienced anything like this before. Xia Qi and Li Wanqiu often went on dates with their boyfriends and always came back with stories, describing how wonderful it was.

But they had never told me about the pain.

Luo Ange caught my hand, kissing it tenderly as he shifted away, only to suddenly thrust in hard.

The air was forced from my lungs; I whimpered and wept, clinging to his shoulders.

In that moment, I remembered my birthday—the day Du Fanchuan and Yi Huayang tangled passionately on my bed. They’d looked as though they were in utter bliss. I’d always known Yi Huayang wasn’t a virgin, but the rapturous, drugged satisfaction on her face had been unmistakably real.

A sudden chill went through my mind. Could it be that they had already been together many times before that day?

Momentarily, I forgot the pain Luo Ange brought, my mind racing to search for every clue.

Before that, Du Fanchuan had been working as a secretary in the district government—a promising young man. Yi Huayang, a medical student in graduate school, often traveled with her advisor to impoverished counties and was rarely home.

When had the two of them begun their affair?

The district government where Du Fanchuan worked was an hour and a half’s drive from Kang University. Whenever he was free, he always came to see me—it didn’t seem like he had time for anyone else, let alone an affair with Yi Huayang.

Where had things gone wrong?

My thoughts were a tangled mess, everything running together into a shapeless paste.

Suddenly, I remembered last year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, when our family and Du Fanchuan’s celebrated together. I’d arranged to meet Du Fanchuan at the little square to set off fireworks, but as he came to get me, Yi Huayang suddenly claimed her computer had broken and asked him to help fix it.

Du Fanchuan hesitated, then agreed, telling me to go ahead and save us a good spot. I hadn’t suspected a thing; Xia Qi and Li Wanqiu had just called, asking why I wasn’t there yet, so I grabbed the fireworks and left.

About an hour later, just as we were running out of fireworks, Du Fanchuan finally arrived. He’d changed his clothes, saying he’d gotten dirty while fixing Yi Huayang’s computer.

There was also a small scratch on his chin—not obvious, but I noticed and asked about it.

He’d avoided my gaze then, explaining it away as a careless scrape from a tree branch.

God, how could I have missed all those signs? They were there, plain as day, and I was just a fool who’d never noticed.

My body felt as if it had been run over by a fleet of trucks—so exhausted I couldn’t even move my fingers. I only stared up at that face.

Spent and drowsy, I closed my eyes and felt myself drift into a dream.

Someone lay atop me, their voice low and bewitching: “Do not worry, do not worry.”