Chapter 1: The First Day of Rebirth—Imprisoned by a Sickly, Elegant Woman

“Mmm, my head hurts so much. I didn’t even drink last night, did I?” Chen Luo struggled to open his eyes, but they were sore and stinging. Instinctively, he tried to raise a hand to rub them.

A metallic clatter sounded by his ear, the unmistakable noise of chains hitting the floor. He felt the restraints on his wrists, but they weren’t as cold as he’d expected.

“Huh? Where am I?”

Startled by the sound, Chen Luo’s body tensed. He glanced down and, in the faint light, realized he was tied to a bed. Each of the four posts of the large red bed was attached to a chain, which in turn was fastened to his limbs. But instead of cold, iron manacles, his wrists and ankles were encased in furry, leather cuffs.

He stared, dumbfounded.

These restraints looked anything but proper; they radiated a playful, provocative air. He vividly remembered seeing something like this in certain videos—those videos, the kind that were rather exciting. A bit of leather and it would be even more intense.

“No! This isn’t the time to be thinking about stuff like that!”

“Other people get reborn with some kind of cheat, but I? I get kidnapped the moment I wake up! And in such a bizarre way, too.”

“Wait, I’m just a broke student. No one would get much from ransoming me. That means it must be revenge.”

“Tang Xiwei?”

He called out the name, his voice tinged with anger. At the moment, she was the only person in this new life who might hold a grudge against him.

When he’d opened his eyes after being reborn, the first thing he saw was that scene again—confessing to that two-faced “green tea” girl, Tang Xiwei. But this time, instead of fawning over her, he’d handed the bouquet meant for her to a passing girl, humiliating Tang Xiwei in front of everyone, then turned and left without even giving her a chance to argue.

But would Tang Xiwei really stoop to kidnapping over something like that?

Suddenly, with a crash, a glass slammed to the ground and shattered into a thousand pieces.

“Do you really like Tang Xiwei that much?” A voice as cold as death itself echoed in the room, filled with murderous intent.

A woman slowly emerged from the darkness, approaching Chen Luo’s bedside.

She pressed a button by the bed, and the lights on the ceiling flickered on.

Chen Luo’s eyes widened. The woman was dressed in a black dress, her long, slender legs clad in glossy black stockings. Her hair tumbled loosely down her back, and her features were so exquisitely beautiful they seemed almost otherworldly.

The dress hugged her curves, accentuating her stunning figure—especially her ample chest, which nearly made Chen Luo’s nose bleed just from the sight alone.

But her eyes were sharp as blades, cold and threatening, as if impatiently awaiting his answer.

Chen Luo, who had always been adept at reading people, immediately saw what lay behind her gaze.

“No! I don’t like her! Only an idiot would fall for a woman like that!”

The icy mask on the woman’s face instantly melted, replaced with a smile as bright as blooming peach blossoms.

“Good. I’m glad you don’t like her.”

She laughed softly and climbed onto the bed, settling herself atop Chen Luo’s waist. The smooth black silk brushed against his thighs, pressing into his hips. The sensation of those stockings and the soft flesh beneath them sent shivers through his nerves.

Shamefully, he felt a rush of heat rise inside him.

So this is what stockings feel like… Why didn’t I try this in my last life?

He instinctively tried to reach out and touch her, but the chains held him back, the clinking sound snapping him out of his daze.

“Um… Miss, could you calm down? Do we know each other? Was it you who brought me here? What do you want from me?”

Summoning his remaining composure, Chen Luo forced himself to ask the most pressing question.

The woman leaned over him, hands braced on either side of his head. The neckline of her dress dipped, revealing a tantalizing view directly in his line of sight.

The sight was almost enough to make him lose all reason.

“My name is Wen Wan.”

“I locked you up here for only one reason—to ask: Do you remember me?”

She lowered her head, her words warm and deliberate, her breath tickling his ear. The intimacy of the position, the feeling of her curves pressed against him—Chen Luo felt his self-control slipping. He hurriedly forced his gaze to her face instead.

Such a beautiful face… Wait, why does she look so familiar?

Of course—it was the girl to whom he’d given the flowers earlier.

“I—I remember you now!”

At his words, Wen Wan suddenly burst into delighted laughter, then let herself fall into his arms.

“Hahaha! Chen Luo! You finally remember me! I’m so happy! I really am!”

“That’s wonderful! So wonderful!”

“I love you the most! I love you more than anything!”

As she laughed, Wen Wan hugged him tightly around the waist, squeezing so hard it almost hurt.

Chen Luo was completely bewildered. What was going on here? This woman’s mood swings were way too much.

And what did she mean, she loved him the most? They’d only met twice—how could she declare her love so suddenly? Was she attracted to his looks?

No, there was something very off about this woman. He needed to get out—fast.

“Well, since I remember you now, could you let me go?” Chen Luo asked cautiously.

“Of course,” Wen Wan replied with a smile. She tugged a chain from around her neck, and a small key slid out from between her breasts. Watching her draw out the key, Chen Luo swallowed hard, suddenly wishing he could be that key.

With his eyes fixed on her, Wen Wan turned and unlocked the cuffs on his ankles, still straddling his waist. As she moved, her dress tightened, accentuating her slender waist and peach-shaped curves, making Chen Luo feel even more uncomfortably aroused.

She released his ankles, then leaned forward to unlock his wrists. As Chen Luo was about to thank her, he suddenly felt a sharp pain on his neck.

With a loud “smack,” Wen Wan left a red mark on his skin. She sat up, wiped her lips, and looked at him.

“Remember, that’s my mark. You belong to me now.”

Looking up into Wen Wan’s eyes, burning with possessiveness and aggression, Chen Luo felt a chill of fear.

This woman was dangerous.

“I—I should get back to school!” he blurted, pushing Wen Wan aside and making a dash for the door.

She sat on the bed, propping her chin in her hands, her head tilted with a playful smile as she watched him flee.

“Don’t worry. You can’t escape. Now that you remember me, you’re mine.”

“No, actually—from the moment ten years ago, when you reached out to me with a flashlight in that endless darkness, you belonged to me alone.”

Her smile vanished.

“Someone, come here!”

“Yes, Miss. What are your orders?”

From the shadows, a competent-looking woman with a high ponytail stepped forward.

“I want Chen Luo monitored around the clock. I want to know his every move—who he calls, who he’s with, what he eats for every meal. I want to know everything!”

“Yes, I’ll see to it immediately!”

…

“Phew! I finally got out! What the hell was all that?”

Out on the street, Chen Luo felt overwhelmed by the day’s events, his thoughts in chaos.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. The caller ID flashed on the screen.

Tang Xiwei.