Body and soul, both lost

Cold lips, searing kisses, burned away all of Yun Xueyan’s hopes.

“Open your eyes and look at me!” He gripped Yun Xueyan’s chin, forcing her to open her eyes through the pain. She bit her lip hard to stifle a gasp, her heart contracting fiercely.

Her gaze swept over that handsome face—so perfectly cold and distant. Her eyes were wide, filled with nothing but fear, utterly devoid of emotion. She was afraid… truly afraid.

She yielded to him as if yielding to fate. She made him her sole reliance, simply because… she had no other choice.

She remembered what her mother had said before she married: what did it matter which man she married? The important thing was to survive by depending on that man.

Yes… she had to survive.

Even if she did not love him… she must love him. This was her fate.

“From now on, whenever you are with me, you must keep your eyes open!” His voice was cold, declaring his ownership. She belonged to him, and he wanted her to watch as he possessed her.

He stripped away all that covered her, and the more violently she trembled. “In this life, you will have only one man! Open your eyes, look at me, and remember—your first man in this life, and your only one!”

Duan Nanyu growled low, venting all his anger. He pressed forward, rough and unyielding, claiming her completely.

Yun Xueyan could not hold back a scream. The pain… she clenched her teeth so hard she feared they might break. The agony was so sharp it stifled her tears, leaving her with only one sensation: pain.

She clung desperately to the bedding at her side, her body rising and falling with his every movement. Her jet-black hair spilled wildly across the pillow, but she felt no pleasure.

Her entire body was wracked with pain…

His burning lips moved over her, falling on her cheeks, on the blooming purity of a lotus. Bit by bit, he took all from her. Whether from pain or shock, her body trembled again.

A low, muddled murmur sounded in her ear, “Yan’er… Yan’er…” She could no longer make out the words; her vision grew blurred.

In the morning, sunlight streamed into the room, falling across Yun Xueyan.

Her body ached so much that she could not move. Her throat was so dry it seemed it might catch fire. Not far away, Duan Nanyu was already dressed, the darkness of his robe echoing the chill in the room.

He was a cruel demon.

“You’re awake.” He turned slowly, his handsome face as cold as ever. She knew that last night was nothing but carnal pleasure—she had lost her body and soul, while he… had simply enjoyed himself.

She could still recall the words he’d spoken, “You are nothing but my pet slave.”

In his hand, a smear of red on the bedsheets stabbed Yun Xueyan’s eyes with pain. “Not bad,” he sneered suddenly, a mocking edge in his laughter. “Let this be a reminder to you—you are my woman for life, and you will never escape.”

He tossed the sheet aside, letting it fall at the edge of the bed. The drops of red stained her vision, and Yun Xueyan smiled bitterly. From this moment on, her life had been pushed into the abyss by him.

“Soon, a maid will come to attend you.” As she lay dazed and alone, he flicked his sleeve and left.

No tenderness, no comfort, no caress… None of what Yun Xiyin received was given to her. She was nothing but a pet slave, unworthy of his regard.

Lying on the bed, her hands clenched the sheet with all her strength. Her heart ached, slowly tearing itself apart until there was nothing left.

What was she to do from now on?