Su Wanwan's arm throbbed with pain under the crushing grip of the man before her. A chilling cold emanated from his body, far more biting than any summer air conditioner.
"Mr. Fu, please let go," she said.
Fu Liangmu let out a cold snort, laced with scornful disdain. "Let go? And what about the fifty million I invested in the Su family—how do you plan to repay that?"
Su Wanwan's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she prepared to respond, but a faint sound from outside the door interrupted her.
Someone was out there?
Before she could react, Fu Liangmu covered her mouth and hoisted her up as if she weighed nothing, throwing her onto the bed without the slightest hint of tenderness.
A second later, the weight of his body pressed down against hers, and his scent—masculine and intense—engulfed her completely.
Her hand instinctively wedged itself between them, her calm voice trembling ever so slightly. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Just inspecting the goods. I need to know if you're worth fifty million."
Su Wanwan understood the deeper implication of his words. Was she truly about to fall tonight?
Fu Liangmu's voice was icy. "Scream."
"What?" she asked, confused.
He didn't waste another word. His hand slid beneath the hem of her dress, caressing her smooth, flawless thigh. The sensation was exquisite—silken, tender, unmarred by even a hint of excess.
For a fleeting second, the touch stirred a distant memory in him, catching him off guard.
Su Wanwan hadn't expected his sudden aggression. Shocked by the abruptness of it all, she let out a startled cry.
"Keep going," Fu Liangmu said, clearly pleased.
Though she didn't understand his intent, she had no choice but to comply, following his lead with reluctant cooperation. Fortunately, aside from his initial transgression, he did not cross the line again.
She cried out for what seemed like an eternity—until her voice turned hoarse and footsteps finally echoed from outside.
Fu Liangmu stood up without a trace of hesitation, reaching for the switch by the bed.
Blinding light pierced the room, forcing Su Wanwan to shut her eyes.
With the lights on, Fu Liangmu finally got a good look at his new bride. Her dark hair cascaded like silk, her features gentle and innocent. The strapless wedding dress embraced her graceful curves, and a glimpse of her porcelain leg peeked from beneath the lifted hem.
A rare beauty, indeed.
A flicker of surprise flitted across Fu Liangmu's eyes before it vanished. His fingers involuntarily tightened.
It was her…
On the side of her calf, there was a faint mark. Just as he tried to get a better look, Su Wanwan, eyes still closed, seemed to sense his gaze and subtly moved her leg back, as if trying to hide something.
"Open your eyes," he commanded.
Su Wanwan squinted, forcing her eyes open just a crack. Despite her mental preparation, her pupils constricted the moment she saw him—shocked all the same.
The entire left side of Fu Liangmu's face was burned, crisscrossed with scars that made him nearly unrecognizable. The sight was ghastly.
His gaze, cold and sharp as blades, locked onto her expression. "Not afraid?" he asked, surprised.
Everyone who had seen his ruined face for the first time had screamed or looked away in horror. Yet this woman remained unnervingly calm. Was it an act… or genuine?
"No," Su Wanwan answered firmly.
He let out a scoff and gripped her chin, forcing her to look directly at him.
Su Wanwan studied him intently. If not for that disfigurement—those sculpted brows, those dark, unfathomable eyes, and those slightly pale, tightly pressed lips—he would have been breathtakingly handsome.
Anyone would feel pain after enduring something like that, wouldn't they?
Fu Liangmu gazed at her tranquil expression. She wasn't pretending—there wasn't even a flicker of pity or fear in her eyes.
He sneered. "Do you find this face acceptable?"
Su Wanwan's lips curled into a soft, untroubled smile. "Don't worry. I'm not one to judge by appearances."
His heart gave a sudden jolt. For a moment, he didn't know whether her words were meant to comfort or to mock.
"Are you saying I'm ugly?"
"I never said that. You're the one who admitted it."
He fell silent for a beat. "You've got guts, Miss Su."
"You flatter me," she replied lightly.
Then, to his surprise, she reached out and gently touched the scarred side of his face. "It must have hurt terribly when it happened."
Fu Liangmu froze. It had been a long time since anyone had asked him that. And strangely, her words brought a faint, forgotten warmth.
He let go of her, his expression unreadable as he sat down on a nearby chair. A cold, mocking smile played on his lips. "Quite the actress, aren't you, Miss Su?"
Su Wanwan didn't miss the veiled accusation in his words, but she responded without hesitation. "As your wife, isn't it natural for me to show some concern?"
He chuckled, the meaning behind his smile unclear, his hands resting lazily on the armrests. "Is that so?"
"I'm feeling tired. I'd like a bath. Come and undress me."
"You can do that yourself," Su Wanwan replied, her cheeks tinged with a soft blush.
Though she wasn't entirely naive when it came to love, her two years with Ye Nan had only ever involved holding hands and the occasional embrace—never anything this intimate. And now, this man—whom she'd only just met—was asking for something so personal?
"This is a wife's duty," Fu Liangmu said, placing deliberate emphasis on the word wife.
Su Wanwan sighed and stepped off the bed, lifting her dress carefully and walking barefoot toward him. She bent down and nervously began to unbutton his shirt.
Her fingers trembled uncontrollably, betraying her unease. Just five buttons—yet she fumbled with them endlessly.
Fu Liangmu looked down at the blushing woman before him. Her delicate ears burned red, the color climbing all the way to their roots. Were it not for his ruined face, he might have thought she was deliberately seducing him.
When she finally undid the last button, Su Wanwan let out a quiet sigh of relief. She had assumed his figure wouldn't be anything special—but to her surprise, beneath the fabric were chiseled abs and a sculpted V-line that could easily make one's imagination run wild.
Her breath, warm and soft, grazed his skin, raising goosebumps.
For a man normally indifferent to all stimuli, a strange sensation stirred within him. Trying to distract himself, he inadvertently glanced down—only to catch a tantalizing glimpse of Su Wanwan's exposed neckline as she bent over.
His eyes darkened.
Something long suppressed threatened to break free.
In a swift motion, he shoved her away and rose to his feet, striding out of the room.
"You're so damn slow. How dull."
Bang!
The door slammed shut, leaving Su Wanwan standing there, hand still suspended in the air. She blinked in confusion.
What just happened?
Did… did she just escape unscathed?