Velvet Chains of a Tycoon

On the way back to the Dongjiang villa, Qin Ran's mind was still echoing with Zhao Lin's words about fraudulent marriages. She had been so focused on her studies that she hadn't even dated, let alone thought about any issues related to marriage.

In her understanding, fraudulent marriage meant swindling money or sex, but she never imagined there could be this kind of deception. Zhao Lin explained that marrying someone like that would mean being trapped in a loveless marriage, and such a person wouldn't divorce you because they needed the marriage to conceal their true identity—as a closeted homosexual.

Zhao Lin also added that the more handsome, wealthy, and eager to have a quick wedding, the higher the likelihood that the person was hiding something. After hearing all this, Qin Ran was utterly stunned.

Lu Sheng was both tall and handsome, and while she wasn't sure if he was rich, he certainly wasn't poor. Not only did his family own a house in the fishing village, but he also earned 30,000 yuan per month at Lu Corporation—a high salary by any standard.

Could Lu Sheng possibly be a closeted homosexual? She and Lu Sheng were in a marriage of convenience, and she hadn't considered this issue before. In her mind, such an arrangement could be dissolved after some time. But if Lu Sheng turned out to be gay and refused to divorce her, wouldn't she end up trapped in a lifelong sham?

Although she currently felt no desire or interest in romantic relationships, life was long. What if she changed her mind in a few years? What if she wanted a child of her own?

By the time Qin Ran returned to the Dongjiang villa, it was already 9 PM, but Lu Sheng still hadn't come home. The large villa felt eerily empty, and being alone made her feel like a ghost haunting the place.

Not knowing whether Lu Sheng would return that night, she didn't linger in the living room and went straight upstairs to the third floor. Checking her phone, she found that the swing set she ordered last night had already shipped and would arrive in three days.

After closing the app, Qin Ran logged into QQ, which she hadn't used in a while, and saw a message from Shangguan. "Little girl, I'm coming back next week for a mysterious job. Interested in collaborating?"

Shangguan had left the message earlier that morning. She replied, "Sure, what's the pay?" Knowing Shangguan wouldn't always be online, she logged out after sending her reply.

At 11 PM, she put down her phone and was about to go to sleep when she heard loud knocking at the courtyard gate. Qin Ran got up and peeked out the window, spotting Lu Sheng pounding on the gate.

She remembered that Lu Sheng had a key—had he forgotten it? Without overthinking, she quickly pulled out a set of short-sleeved pajamas from the wardrobe, changed out of her camisole, and ran downstairs.

Opening the gate, she found Lu Sheng hugging the kapok tree by the entrance and spinning around. Qin Ran had seen drunk people before, but rarely anyone this intoxicated. She wondered how he had managed to drive back.

Without asking questions, she pulled him inside. Once in the living room, she dumped him onto the sofa and went to the kitchen to prepare a hangover remedy tea.

"Here, Mr. Lu, drink this tea."

Qin Ran held the cup with one hand and gently lifted Lu Sheng's head with the other, bringing the tea to his lips. Unexpectedly, Lu Sheng pushed the tea away. Upon catching her scent, his body stiffened instantly.

The next moment, he flipped over, pinning Qin Ran onto the chaise lounge.

*Boom!*

Pinned under Lu Sheng's strong body, Qin Ran's mind went blank. His deep, dark red eyes burned with intense flames, and his hot breathy lips gradually approached her soft ones.

Reacting instinctively, Qin Ran turned her head, and Lu Sheng's fiery kiss landed on her cheek. Strangely, her body responded in ways she had never experienced before.

This was odd. As a medical student, she had seen many male bodies, especially during acupuncture training, where she had to find acupoints on nude specimens. She was immune to male bodies, so why did she react so strongly to Lu Sheng? Her heart began to race uncontrollably.

"Ahh—so painful..."

Unaware that he was poisoned, Lu Sheng reached for his belt, pulling it off with a snap. He exhaled deeply, but before he could finish, Qin Ran, who was pinned beneath him, used all her strength to flip him over.

Lu Sheng grabbed her arm, pulling her into his embrace. "Please... help me..."

His voice was strained, and his heavy breathing revealed his discomfort. Qin Ran, flustered, was tightly held in his arms, her face turning as red as a ripe persimmon. She felt nervous, fearful, restrained, and anxious—but also oddly excited.

So, Lu Sheng wasn't gay after all?

"Qin Ran..."

Lu Sheng lowered his head, pressing his lips toward hers. The strong smell of alcohol brought her back to her senses. Lu Sheng was drunk; she couldn't take advantage of him! Besides, such matters required mutual consent, and though they had a marriage certificate, there was no emotional connection yet.

Thinking this, she struggled free from his embrace. Seeing her try to leave, Lu Sheng reached out again, but Qin Ran had already taken out a silver needle—a tool commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine—and inserted it into a crucial acupoint. Lu Sheng froze, unable to move.

Qin Ran then helped him lie down on the sofa and inserted another needle into a different acupoint. Lu Sheng must have been drugged with *He Huan San* (a traditional aphrodisiac poison), which needed to be neutralized quickly to avoid harm to his body. She was the best antidote, but she wouldn't use herself as one.

Fortunately, as a medical student, such a low-level poison was easy for her to handle. She took out two more needles and quickly inserted them into other acupoints. Lu Sheng finally stopped moving, grunted, and fell asleep like a log.

Qin Ran sighed in relief and went to the kitchen to make a saltwater solution, forcing it down his throat. She wasn't incapable of moving him, but she didn't want to carry his 100-pound body upstairs. She decided to let him sleep on the sofa and kindly brought a blanket from the master bedroom.

As she turned to go up the stairs, the lights suddenly went out. A circuit breaker trip? She had left her phone downstairs when she rushed to open the gate for Lu Sheng. Just as she was about to feel her way up the stairs, the sliding door to the balcony opened, and a pale figure drifted in, its tongue flickering red.