"It hurts..." Gu Yingxi touched her nose, whispering a delicate sound that somehow caused the man holding her to tense instantly, rising quickly to his feet.

The long-haired man's eyes sparked with interest as he pulled Gu Yingxi closer, his hands spanning her slender waist and curved hips. He hadn't expected such a wonderfully proportioned figure beneath her plain attire. The softness of her breasts pressed against his bare, hardened chest, stoking the fire in his blood even higher.

This woman, he decided, would be his!

"What's your name?" With that thought, the man powerfully encircled her waist, lifting her chin with his free hand to turn her face up to his.

Her bright, beautiful eyes seemed to hold a mixture of panic and fear, those expressive eyes lending a sparkle to her otherwise unremarkable face. Without a second thought, the man pressed a heavy kiss onto Gu Yingxi's lips. Struggling, Gu Yingxi cried out in alarm:

"What are you doing?"

The man held her firmly and resolutely, stating: "You!"

Gu Yingxi’s face flushed crimson. The long-haired man merely chuckled, "I'll pay you. Is a hundred thousand enough? To keep you for a month!" With that, the man hoisted her onto his shoulder and was about to leave when a bodyguard from Daguangguiren rushed out, shouting furiously, "Which idiot threw a cigarette butt in the grass?"

Where the cigarette had been tossed into the bushes, some dry leaves immediately caught fire. The long-haired man froze, standing awkwardly for a moment. Then, remembering his status, he realized gaining notoriety for carelessly discarding a cigarette would be detrimental. Thus, he bolted toward his car with Gu Yingxi still slung over his shoulder.

Gu Yingxi, who had been struggling relentlessly, instantly stiffened upon hearing the offer of one hundred thousand. Thinking of her mother, Gu Xian's illness, and the two younger sisters still in school, Gu Yingxi’s body went rigid, and tears streamed down her face.

Brought roughly to the hotel, the man dropped Gu Yingxi and immediately entered the bathroom. When he reappeared, he was only wrapped in a towel around his waist. The taut muscles across his chest made Gu Yingxi’s face burn red. The man yanked the towel away and lunged at Gu Yingxi, his hands moving over her body before he forcefully entered her.

"Ugh, it hurts, it hurts, get out!" Gu Yingxi’s face was bloodless as she struggled desperately. The more she resisted, the more agitated the man became, cold sweat dripping from his brow, his gaze turning menacingly:

"This isn't your first time, is it? Who? Who did this?" The more he spoke, the wilder his movements became, slamming her back and forth like a small boat in a tempest, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Gu Yingxi dared not confess that she had been with many men before; this man's expression was so dangerous it seemed he might devour her alive. Fear overcame her, and she began to weep. Despite the brutality of his actions, her body, sensitized by Ning Yuncheng and Xie Zhuoyin, gradually began to register pleasure. A wave of heat surged from below, allowing the man’s movements to become smoother.

"Little vixen!" the man cursed through gritted teeth, abandoning any pursuit of who her previous lovers were and beginning to thrust with desperate intensity.

After the ordeal, a sore and aching Gu Yingxi was held in the man's embrace. "I won't concern myself with the past, but from now on, you belong to me. Remember that: my name is Ouyang Zhentian!"

Saying this, Ouyang Zhentian pressed Gu Yingxi down beneath him once more.

Meanwhile, Ning Yuncheng, unaware that his beloved Yingxi'er had been claimed by another man, remained anxiously waiting at the hospital for her arrival.

Gu Yingxi was deeply filial. With Gu Xian hospitalized, she would certainly return to the hospital if there were no urgent matters. But now it was the dead of night, and she was still missing. Ning Yuncheng was pacing like an ant on a hot pan. Gu Xian, lying in her hospital bed after finishing her IV drip, felt a secret delight watching the deep concern her son-in-law held for his daughter.

Her impression of Ning Yuncheng was excellent. Gu Xian didn't consider herself materialistic or insistent on her daughter marrying into great wealth. Ning Yuncheng's background aside, his devotion to Gu Yingxi was genuine. When she had fallen ill this time, Ning Yuncheng had even offered a kidney to save her, which solidified Gu Xian's favorable view of him.

Seeing his worry for his daughter now, Gu Xian smiled:

"Yuncheng, don't fret. What could possibly happen to Xi'er? Perhaps something delayed her; she'll surely be back soon."

Gu Xian tried to soothe her son-in-law, but after a major surgery, fatigue overcame her, and she drifted into a light sleep while speaking with Ning Yuncheng.

Ning Yuncheng, however, kept his eyes open, waiting until dawn without seeing Gu Yingxi return. He could bear it no longer. Despite his frail health, he insisted on going to Daguangguiren to look for her. But since Daguangguiren typically only opened in the evening, the daytime premises were deserted, guarded only by a handful of security personnel who were currently conversing.

"I'm here to find Gu Yingxi," Ning Yuncheng entered the main hall directly and asked Lan Biao, who was instructing a group of burly men, "Where is she?"

Having spent a sleepless night without a trace of his beloved, Ning Yuncheng was deeply worried, and his tone was sharp.

Lan Biao was a man whom many self-proclaimed second-generation rich and official scions in the capital would respectfully call 'Brother Biao.' Yet, Ning Yuncheng was speaking to him in such a manner.

Upon hearing the name Gu Yingxi, Lan Biao remembered the girl his master had ordered disciplined. He had been keeping an eye on Gu Yingxi; he knew she had agreed to go out with Boss Lin last night but then reneged, only to be rescued by the second young master of the Ouyang family. That old man had returned to complain all night long.

Though he didn't fear last night's "old man," Gu Yingxi’s conduct was certainly questionable. Lan Biao was still feeling frustrated when Ning Yuncheng barged in!

"Gu Yingxi? Who are you to her?"

"I am her husband!" Hearing Lan Biao's question, Ning Yuncheng puffed out his chest, assuming Lan Biao knew her whereabouts. "Where is she? Have you locked her up?"

Lan Biao knew exactly who Ning Yuncheng was; Lan Lingyan had engineered Ning Yuncheng's previous humiliation. Seeing Ning Yuncheng show up now, Lan Biao merely played along. Upon hearing Ning Yuncheng admit his relationship with Gu Yingxi, Lan Biao grinned and signaled the burly men beside him. A group of men immediately surrounded Ning Yuncheng.

"You, what are you doing?" Seeing the situation, Ning Yuncheng felt a knot of fear in his stomach and instinctively shouted, "Don't mess around!"

"Speaking of that little thing Gu Yingxi, I need you to compensate me fifty thousand yuan. She promised to go out with Boss Lin last night; we don't interfere with private matters, but when a deal is struck at Daguangguiren, and she refuses to leave with the client—even injuring him in the process—I had to pay a fifty thousand compensation fee! If you pay me back today, all is well; otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Ning Yuncheng was stunned the moment he heard that Gu Yingxi had agreed to go out with someone. A sharp pain pierced his heart. Wasn't he good enough for her? Why would she betray him now? He had tolerated her history with Xie Zhuoyin, but after everything he had given her, why would she do this?

His expression shifting between dark and light, he stood there for a moment. Then, he recalled recent events: every time he returned to the Ning family home, he never saw Father or Mother Ning, nor did he receive a single penny. With one kidney gone, Ning Yuncheng needed intensive recovery, and Gu Xian’s ongoing medication was a constant expense.

His beloved was always a dutiful daughter; perhaps she resorted to such an extreme measure for the sake of his and Gu Xian's medical bills!

Mentally spinning narratives to justify Gu Yingxi’s actions, Ning Yuncheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Lan Biao mention that Gu Yingxi had ultimately backed out and didn't leave with that Boss Lin. He felt that Gu Yingxi possessed both filial piety and loyalty to him, meaning she hadn't truly done anything irreversible.

His heart swelled with conflicting feelings of bitterness, sweetness, and tender affection, leading to an indescribable fondness for Gu Yingxi, while his resentment toward the Ning family intensified. Ning Father had refused to help, clutching every penny; if not for their stinginess, Gu Yingxi wouldn't have been driven to this heartbreaking path!

Filled with this resentment, Ning Yuncheng quickly declared, "Fifty thousand is fine, fifty thousand! I’ll give you my father’s number; you can collect the money directly from him!" Ning Yuncheng figured if debt collectors showed up on his father’s doorstep, Father Ning would surely pay up, as he wouldn't be able to withstand such persistent threats.

Saying this, he quickly pulled out his phone, dialed Father Ning's number, and handed it to Lan Biao.

Lan Biao felt utter contempt for such a shameless person. He knew that Madam Ning was currently hospitalized, and his own boss frequently visited her. He certainly wouldn't trouble Father Ning. With a shift in his thinking, Lan Biao smilingly agreed:

"That's acceptable, but you need to write a small note for me. Otherwise, how can I prove that you owe this debt?"

The mention of writing an IOU made Ning Yuncheng uneasy, but seeing the fierce looks on the faces of the large men surrounding him, he dared not refuse. After a moment of hesitation, he was half-coerced by Lan Biao into writing the note.

Finally breaking free from Daguangguiren, Ning Yuncheng spent considerable time securing transportation back to the Gu residence. The door was wide open, and a muffled 'whimpering' sound drifted out. His expression hardened. Following the noise, he found the room where Gu Shaotao was temporarily staying. He pushed the door open to see Gu Yingxi pinned beneath Gu Shaotao, their bodies already joined together on the bed!