Chapter 86

The first rays of morning crept softly into the room, casting a pale wash of light across the floorboards. Hua Ren stirred, his lashes fluttering as he woke to an unfamiliar stillness. A low groan escaped his lips as he tried to sit up, only to pause halfway when a wave of dizziness rolled over him. His limbs felt like lead—sore, sluggish, and faintly trembling. He pressed a hand to his temple and sat there, hunched and dazed, until his vision steadied.

Something didn’t feel right. Why was he so dizzy? What happened?

A persistent ache pulsed through his body, most intensely in his hips and lower back, as if he’d been stretched and used for hours—days, even. His skin prickled with sensitivity, and when he shifted slightly, a dull, stinging pressure throbbed at the base of his spine.

“What happened to me…?” He murmured, trying to recall the night before, but everything was muddled—flashes of heat, shadows, a golden gaze, hands on his body, a voice whispering his name.