So ruthless.

The scene felt like something straight out of a movie. Everyone in the room froze, caught in disbelief.

Before Nan Wan could even react, she felt a sudden warmth on her shoulder, followed by a strong embrace.

She was barely at the man's chest height, even in her heels. His voice was cold and unyielding.

"Which hand touched you?"

Nan Wan looked up, only seeing the sharp curve of Huo Xunzhou's jawline. His expression was emotionless, but there was a fire in his eyes that was hard to miss.

The middle-aged man stubbornly got back up, pointing a trembling finger at Huo Xunzhou. His voice was full of malice.

"Who are you? I've lived decades—there's no one who dares to hit me."

"Bang!"

Another loud crash echoed as Huo Xunzhou effortlessly kicked the middle-aged man further away, his strength making the action look almost effortless.

Compared to the middle-aged man's fury, Huo Xunzhou's expression remained eerily calm.

"I've lived this long, and no one dares speak to me like that."

"Sir, we're holding a car show here," the manager finally stepped forward, now visibly nervous. The security guards were knocked out, and the manager knew they had crossed paths with someone formidable.

Huo Xunzhou smirked slightly.

"Destroy all the cars here."

Cheng Yi, who had been waiting impatiently, saw this and his eyes lit up. He waved his hand, and black-clad men with iron rods stepped forward.

With a flurry of loud noises, the destruction began. This was a small car exhibition with only a handful of cars to begin with.

As soon as Huo Xunzhou arrived, the attendees had already started leaving, sensing something was amiss. Now, the only people left were the manager, the middle-aged man, and Huo Xunzhou's group.

Nan Wan clenched the fabric of Huo Xunzhou's chest, lips pressed tight, not daring to say a word.

She knew what was happening. Huo Xunzhou was venting his anger, and if she spoke, that anger might shift to her.

She was too weak. How many hits could she take?

After the cars were destroyed, the middle-aged man was utterly defeated.

The black-clad men dragged him in front of Huo Xunzhou, and Nan Wan could smell a foul odor—the man had clearly wet himself.

"Which hand touched you?" Huo Xunzhou's voice was soft, yet his eyes gleamed with bloodlust.

The middle-aged man was kneeling, trembling.

"Please, I don't know, I really don't know…"

The black-clad men pulled the man's right hand out and raised their iron rods.

"Bang!"

The sickening sound of a blow echoed through the air. The middle-aged man's scream filled the room, his hand curled unnaturally as he sweat profusely, his face contorted in pain.

"Please forgive me, I didn't mean it, please…" The man continued kowtowing and begging.

His forehead was bruised, blood trickling from it, his tears streaming down his face in a pitiful mess.

Nan Wan shut her eyes, unable to watch any longer.

Huo Xunzhou was ruthless, and if this continued, someone would die.

Though she despised the middle-aged man's behavior, she couldn't bear the violence.

Her hands tightened around Huo Xunzhou's shirt. Her voice trembled,

"Huo Xunzhou…"

Huo Xunzhou lowered his head, hearing her soft, sweet voice laced with fear.

"We should go back," she said, her timid tone making her look innocent, almost cute.

He looked down at her, only able to see her long hair cascading over her shoulders, making her pale skin seem even more alluring.

His gaze darkened as his hand tightened around her shoulder.

"Okay, we'll go back," he said softly, almost lifting her off the ground as he carried her out of the car show. His suit wrapped around her body, leaving only a sliver of her delicate leg exposed.

Cheng Yi didn't leave. He casually walked up to the manager, who was curled in fear. A cigarette dangled from his lips.

"Hey, bring your boss out. We need to discuss compensation." As for who would pay, it was hard to say.

Huo Xunzhou tossed her into the car, his suit enveloping her, and the air felt heavy with his presence. Nan Wan found it hard to breathe.

She kept her head down, afraid to speak. His anger had just been unleashed.

Huo Xunzhou sat beside her, leisurely lighting a cigarette. His face was veiled in the thin smoke, his expression unreadable.

The rise and fall of his chest beneath the black shirt told her that his mood still wasn't completely settled.

Nan Wan disliked the smell of smoke but didn't dare to say anything. She knew better than to provoke him further.

Huo Xunzhou finished his cigarette before turning his attention to her.

She had lowered her head, exposing the delicate curve of her neck, her pitiful appearance impossible to ignore.

He raised her chin gently, his voice hoarse from the smoke.

"Which part of you did he touch?"

Nan Wan jolted, quickly shaking her head.

Huo Xunzhou studied her face carefully, not saying a word.

His fingers lightly brushed her lips, leaving a trace of red.

He leaned in closer, as if to hold her, his hand gently touching her shoulder.

Nan Wan tensed up, instinctively shrinking away from him.

She could feel the coldness of his fingers as they brushed against her skin, sending goosebumps down her spine.

His hand lingered on the spot where the middle-aged man had touched her, and Nan Wan bit her lip. He knew exactly what had happened.

His hand applied more pressure, as though trying to erase the middle-aged man's touch from her.

Nan Wan's skin was so delicate that even the slightest force left marks. But he didn't stop. Instead, he pressed harder.

Her skin stung under his rough fingertips, but she remained silent, enduring the pain.

Huo Xunzhou couldn't stand even the faintest trace of another person on her. It felt as though he was trying to cleanse her, but his method was unbearably harsh.

Nan Wan could feel her shoulder reddening from the pressure, but he still didn't stop until it felt as though he'd rubbed the skin raw.

Finally, Huo Xunzhou leaned down and placed a light kiss on the mark he had left.

"Done," he muttered softly, before pulling her into his embrace.

"Why did you become a car model? Are you short on money?" Huo Xunzhou's hand gently combed through her hair as he lazily asked.

Nan Wan stiffened, her mind racing for a suitable excuse.

After a moment, she answered hesitantly,

"I wanted to give you a surprise."

He looked at her indifferently, a slight smirk on his lips.

"You really surprised me."

Nan Wan lowered her head, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"Your birthday is coming up."

Huo Xunzhou froze for a second, a strange look crossing his face.

But Nan Wan didn't notice.

After a brief pause, he laughed.

Nan Wan could feel the slight tremor in his chest as he laughed, the sound low and muffled.

"I'm looking forward to it," he said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Relieved, Nan Wan rested her head on his chest, feeling like a little bundle of fur.

"Thank you."

Huo Xunzhou had agreed—he'd allowed her to keep looking for a part-time job!

Her mind erupted in a burst of fireworks, dizzying her with joy.

In her past life, this would have been unthinkable. Huo Xunzhou would have never allowed her to leave the house.

She had to make sure he never found out she was reborn.

Her wish was simple, but it was slowly starting to come true.

She restrained her fear and resistance, dealing with the man, asking for very little.

This was Huo Xunzhou's compromise, allowing her to see a tiny glimmer of light in the long, dark night.

Huo Xunzhou looked at the little head obediently resting against his chest, his expression softening a little.

He knew she was lying, but it didn't matter to him. He didn't mind her lying.

Even if she lied, she had to cover it up properly.

After the car show incident, Nan Wan searched for keywords online but found nothing about it.

Huo Xunzhou always handled matters like this very well.

But Nan Wan couldn't shake the feeling that her spine was cold. The more she spent time with Huo Xunzhou, the more she realized the gap between them.

Facing Huo Xunzhou was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

She could only feign compliance, but thankfully, Huo Xunzhou didn't notice her insincerity.

Days passed quickly at school. By the end of April, only a small tail remained, and Shu Wei approached Nan Wan.

As for Shu Wei, Nan Wan didn't really remember her.

For the students in the school, they often met.

But for Nan Wan, they hadn't met in many years.

In her previous life, after becoming Huo Xunzhou's lover, she was confined by him and didn't come to school, eventually leaving her degree and graduation certificate in Huo Xunzhou's hands.

Shu Wei smiled brightly and introduced herself proactively: "Junior, you've forgotten, right? You're one of our college journal members!"

Nan Wan truly had forgotten. When she first entered university as a freshman, she was clueless and had joined some club recruitment events.

She had chosen the Chinese department because she liked it, and joining the college journal was normal.

So, she gave Shu Wei a shallow smile, looking very obedient: "Senior, is there something you need?"

Looking at this smile, Shu Wei felt like a small fist had punched her in the chest. The junior was really well-behaved and cute; she knew she hadn't made a wrong choice!

"The next issue of the journal is almost ready, but we're still missing an illustration. Could you help us by taking a photo?"

Shu Wei said earnestly. Nan Wan was also a member of the college journal group, so it was hard to refuse.

But deep down, she was a little anxious.

She was clear on Huo Xunzhou's possessiveness, and if he found out she had become a book model, he might do something about it.

"Junior, could you? I think your temperament matches that article perfectly. This is an opportunity I fought hard for you!"

Shu Wei's tone was particularly persuasive.

"Senior, will the clothes be very revealing?" Nan Wan hesitated and asked, her clear eyes shining and her voice sweet and soft.

The car model incident had left a significant shadow on her.

Shu Wei laughed heartily: "Junior, we're very professional!"

She looked at Nan Wan and thought that the other person seemed so innocent, even the questions she asked were adorable.

Nan Wan sighed in relief and showed a shy smile, revealing her white, neat teeth: "Senior, I'm willing."

As for Huo Xunzhou, the journal was only circulated within Haicheng University, so he probably wouldn't know about it.