Volume One, Chapter 40: Pervert

“Mmm—”

Jiang Wan’s mouth was tightly covered, her body locked in a man’s unyielding grip. The rough fabric of his work clothes pressed coldly against her. She struggled, but with her arms twisted behind her, every punch she landed on him was as ineffectual as striking a pillow.

She couldn’t make a sound, nor could she break free from his iron grasp. The man seemed prepared for this—he trapped her and immediately dragged her toward a narrow, deserted path.

This was a sparsely populated villa district, with almost no pedestrians on the road. She watched helplessly as she was pulled closer to the shadowy alleyway, fighting with every ounce of strength she had. But her hands found nothing to grasp, and the man’s brute force overwhelmed her. She was no match for him at all.

He dragged her deeper and deeper into the alley. As the main road receded further behind her, the hand smothering her nose and mouth left Jiang Wan gasping for breath.

Just then, through the opening ahead, she saw headlights flicker to life on the main road—a car drawing nearer to her with each passing second. Hope flared in Jiang Wan’s chest.

With a desperate burst of energy, she stomped hard on the man’s foot. As he grunted in pain, she broke free and bolted forward.

But before she could shout for help, a silver Rolls-Royce sped past, its gleaming body a blur before her eyes. Jiang Wan was still several meters from the main road. She caught a fleeting glimpse of Lu Wenzhou’s face in the back seat, vanishing as the window slid up. The vehicle never slowed, hurtling past her without a pause.

The cry for help that had risen in her throat froze there, unspoken.

A moment later, the man’s arm clamped viciously around her neck, yanking her back and forcing her deeper into the alley. Furious now, he used brute strength, crushing her windpipe with just his arm until she could neither breathe nor scream.

As they moved, Jiang Wan’s strength ebbed away, her body wracked with pain and starved for air. It felt as if he might rip her throat out, the agony and desperate need for oxygen overwhelming her, but no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t draw a breath.

Just as she thought she would suffocate—

Thud.

The man suddenly released her, flinging her violently to the ground. Her back crashed against a wall.

Air and pain assaulted her in a rush as she finally managed to breathe again.

The man dragged her into a small, empty storage room piled high with cement bags and renovation materials. Before Jiang Wan could make out his face, he had already stepped into the light and begun unfastening his belt.

“Little tramp, thought you could run?” His voice was harsh, reeking of alcohol. “With a face like that, always tempting men, why bother pretending?”

His words were vile. He pulled out a phone, its bright screen illuminating his twisted features: greasy hair, about fifty, skin dark and streaked with grime.

“Tonight, I’ll give you what you want—let’s have some fun.” He set the phone on the floor, the screen glowing steadily as it began to record. His other hand whipped off the belt with a snap, wielding it menacingly as he approached.

Jiang Wan, sitting on the floor and still reeling from the suffocation, took in his every deranged movement.

He was a monster—not only did he intend to violate her, but he wanted to record it all.

As he advanced, Jiang Wan forced herself to suppress the terror churning inside. She shrank away, her shoes scraping against the concrete.

“Please, sir, calm down.” She tried to reason with him, voice trembling but earnest. “Don’t do anything rash. I can give you money—as much as you want, just let me go.”

She wagered on greed, hoping to strike a nerve. But the man only sneered.

“Money? Good stuff…” He snapped the belt tighter, stalking closer until she was cornered. “Once I’m done with you, I can take your money, too. Who would pass up a deal like that—pleasure and profit?”

He bared his teeth in a grotesque, wolfish grin, lunging with the belt poised to restrain her.

But as he dove toward her, Jiang Wan’s hand closed around a shard of broken tile on the floor.

She gripped the fragment and drove it straight at him. The edge bit into her own palm, drawing blood that dripped down her hand, but she ignored the pain, pressing it into his chest, tearing through his clothes and into his flesh.

The man was stunned by her resistance, even more so by her earlier negotiations—she’d been buying time, searching for a weapon.

“Bitch!” he cursed, wincing in pain.

He didn’t let go; instead, he looped the belt around Jiang Wan’s neck, pulling tight.

Their struggle became a desperate contest of force. Jiang Wan’s eyes reddened and swelled with rage and despair. She expended every last ounce of strength, trying to drive the shard deeper, willing to die with him if she must.

But as the belt tightened, her strength ebbed, and her consciousness began to unravel.

The man’s face loomed above her, twisted with fury, sweat pouring down his brow. She had never met him before—there was no reason, no grudge between them.

Her eyes filled with regret as the world faded, her vision doubling and blurring.

Until—

Suddenly, the man was kicked away, his body flying like a ragdoll to crash against the wall with a thunderous bang, shaking the very room.

A swift silhouette burst into view, as quick as lightning. He rushed to the attacker, raised a powerful arm, and brought it down mercilessly—blow after blow, each landing with a sickening thud.

Only then did Jiang Wan finally gasp for air, cold air flooding her lungs, tinged with the scent of earth and blood.

She barely managed to glimpse her rescuer before her own body collapsed sideways, as if a mountain had crumbled. As her head struck the ground, her narrowing, slanted field of vision caught another man’s figure entering through the door.

He strode purposefully toward her, ignoring the chaos around him. His long legs and polished, bespoke shoes caught the last remaining glimmer of light.

Recognizing those shoes, Jiang Wan’s eyelids finally gave out, sinking closed. The hand that had clutched the shard loosened at last.

*

When Jiang Wan opened her eyes again, the world was bright and tilted. The antiseptic scent of disinfectant filled her nose, wrapping her in a sense of safety. As her senses returned, she felt pain in her palm.

She lifted her hand—her right was wrapped in gauze. The wound was hidden, but the ache reminded her of everything she’d just endured.

She let her hand fall to her side, and as she did, she saw a man standing by the window, not far from her hospital bed.