"Where am I?"
A soft, weak voice slipped from TianTian's lips as she opened her eyes after what felt like a very long sleep. Recalling her dream, she remembered her name was TianTian—sweet as candy, with big eyes, a small face, a petite frame, and long hair. She came from a common family, neither poor nor wealthy, where her father was a traditional doctor and her mother was a traditional martial arts teacher. She wasn't an only child either; she had three older brothers who doted on her deeply and acted like fierce guardians toward any male who dared take a step near her.
Her life had been peaceful—until she offended Liminghu, a terrifying heir of the Li family who appeared out of nowhere like a handsome beast. It had all started with one unplanned, accidental meeting with him at a club she deeply regretted visiting, even though it was her first time there. Thanks to her best friend WenWen, she had stepped into that club, "that accident" happened, and the next thing she remembered was blacking out into darkness until now.
Wait a second. It wasn't a dream, right? It was her real life. She really was TianTian.
"Where am I?" TianTian repeated in her mind, looking around.
She was lying on a bed. Beside her sat a machine monitoring her heart, and a plastic tube taped to her right hand carried fluid into her body—yet it didn't look like a hospital room. The room felt like a giant bedroom, easily large enough to be a classroom for a hundred students, a comparison that came naturally from her daily job as an elementary teacher. Its walls were covered in ornate wallpaper that looked just as luxurious as everything else—the curtains, the smart TV, and even what looked like a balcony. There were also three other doors; she guessed one was an exit, though she had no clue which one.
"Auch—" Pain shot through her forehead. When she reflexively reached up to touch it, she realized her head was wrapped in white gauze.
When did I get hurt here? She tried to remember, drawing a blank until all the flashbacks of that accident came rushing back.
The Call from Lion NightClub
That night, WenWen had called her out of the blue, sounding drunk: "TianTiann... I am sooooo saddddd. Plizzz comee herreee... I'm so lonelyy here..."
WenWen must have had another heartbreak—again. Ever since TianTian first met WenWen in high school and now into their twenties, she couldn't count how many drunken or tearful calls she had received from her. WenWen was actually an attractive woman with a bright brownish, stylish short bob framing her slender face. Her fashion sense was modest, matching what her job as a model required. She was pretty, just far too aggressive and overly passionate when it came to love, easily believing flirting from any handsome man she met—a foolish woman, though cute most of the time. As a friend, WenWen was faithful to TianTian. In fact, WenWen had been her savior in high school when jealous classmates spread rumors calling TianTian a call girl after a popular boy confessed his love to her. Almost all the girls believed the gossip, and only WenWen stood up for her. Now, though, it seemed TianTian was always the one saving WenWen—such a worrier.
"Where are you now?" TianTian had asked, worried, hoping the place was reachable.
"Haah, where... hey... where is here? Ooh, oyaa, I remember—it's Lion NightClub... come hurryy, TianTian... I misssss youuu so muchhh... and the drink in here is sooooo goooddd. Hey, fill my glasss more..."
Rolling her eyes, TianTian gave a threat: "Don't you dare take another sip until I get there!"
Thank goodness Lion NightClub wasn't too far from where she was. Even though TianTian had never entered such a place, she knew it well because it was famous—a regular hangout for celebrities and rich people, and a frequent setting for television scandals. As a model, WenWen was surely a regular member there.
Inside the Private Room
Not long after arriving, TianTian immediately noticed a commotion in the hallway inside the club. Horrified, she saw the noise coming from WenWen, who was arguing with some strange men. Two men in suits, looking like bodyguards, were each holding one of WenWen's arms, dragging her out of a private room while WenWen fought back to break free.
"Let go of meeee... you son of a b****... Let gooo..."
Their grips were far too strong. Acting on instinct, TianTian looked around, grabbed a metal plate from a steward who had just served drinks from another room, and—ignoring the steward's protest—struck the backs of the men's heads hard. Her unexpected attacks threw the men off balance and loosened their hold just enough for WenWen to free herself.
"Don't you dare touch my friend!"
Hearing TianTian's voice relieved WenWen right away. She immediately ran over and hugged TianTian. "TianTian... you comeee... save me... I'm scareee..."
TianTian tried to calm her down. "WenWen, what happened to you? Why did these men grab you?"
At that moment, both of them were standing right at the entrance of the room. Before they realized it, someone inside gave an order to push them in.
"Close the door. Leave us."
A cold, sharp voice came from inside—not loud, yet deeply intimidating. The guards obeyed immediately. The door shut, and the men stood outside to make sure no one trespassed.
Inside the room, TianTian suddenly felt a chill and broke out in goosebumps, realizing someone had been staring at them from the start. She knew WenWen felt it too, even more so; WenWen was shivering badly, her eyes fixed on something ahead in terror. Holding TianTian's arm tightly, WenWen whispered fearfully, "I'm sorry... TianTian... what have I done... it's my fault... I'm sorry..." TianTian noticed WenWen was so scared she had sobered up from her alcohol.
Why did WenWen say sorry? What is it that made WenWen so terrified she sobered up?
To answer that, TianTian followed WenWen's gaze to see what scared her so much.
She saw two men. What? They're just human, right? What's so terrifying about them? At least it's not a monster or a ghost...
TianTian kept observing. One man was sitting lazily on a luxurious long sofa, looking more superior than the other man standing beside him, who was busy talking on his phone. TianTian studied the standing man first. He was quite handsome—actually very handsome, with a pretty kind of charm, neatly tied long black hair, and a white-striped suit that added to his elegance. He reminded her of a fairy-tale fox spirit that transforms into a handsome man—a white fox. Somehow, TianTian felt this white fox could be just as cunning as the fox in the story. With a face like that, plenty of women could probably be hypnotized by him easily, though not TianTian—he just wasn't her type. She never trusted a pretty man.
Meanwhile, the other man... With a single look, TianTian could easily guess the seated man was the boss. More than that, his attitude made him look like the king of the room—if this was a lion's den, that meant he was the lion king, right? He was handsome too in his black suit, in complete contrast to the white fox. With short hair and fierce, thick eyebrows, he wasn't pretty-handsome, but fiercely handsome, with an arrogant, intimidating expression. In fact, he was intimidating TianTian simply by staring at her. When their eyes met, TianTian's heart jumped in surprise.
His eyes looked like those of a lonely lion—sharp and deep—and somehow TianTian sensed a shadow of sadness in them. Yet she felt trapped in his gaze, neither willing to look away for a moment.
"Liminghu," the soft voice of the white fox pulled TianTian back to reality. "As you instructed, this girl"—he looked at WenWen, making her look even paler—"is officially banned from this club, and all of her modeling jobs at Li Company have been canceled."
"What?" TianTian couldn't believe what she heard. Could they do that? Just now he was called Liminghu? Was he that Liminghu, the owner of Li Company? Li Company was well known internationally for its products and businesses, including entertainment and the agency where WenWen worked. If that was true, then Liminghu really could cost WenWen her job. This time, WenWen was in big trouble.
TianTian looked at WenWen in worry. "WenWen, what's really going on here? What did you do? Did you really offend these people?"
Instead of getting an answer, TianTian saw WenWen immediately drop to her knees and bow repeatedly, begging for forgiveness. "I'm so, so sorry, Liminghu. I was drunk, didn't think clearly, I didn't know it was you... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." WenWen bowed her head so low it touched the floor. TianTian was shocked to see her like that. As she remembered, WenWen was a very proud girl who rarely bowed easily to anyone, not even her own parents—yet now...
In her mind, TianTian quickly tried to assess the situation. So WenWen did something wrong and made this king so angry he decided to punish her severely. But what was her mistake? Does WenWen really deserve to lose all her jobs, which is the same as leaving her unemployed?
As her best friend, TianTian knew that even when drunk, WenWen wouldn't recklessly cross major lines. Plenty of terrible possibilities raced through TianTian's head, though she couldn't be sure which one—worst of all, maybe WenWen said something wrong or insulted those men? She needed to know for sure so she could figure out how to help WenWen out of this trouble. Seeing WenWen like that made her deeply uneasy.
"WenWen, tell me what you did wrong! Did you say something wrong? Hey, help me understand what happened here..."
Getting no response from WenWen, TianTian decided to confront the king and the white fox. "What happened here? Can you explain why my friend has to beg you like this? It doesn't seem right to let a woman kneel like this—aren't you a gentleman?" WenWen tried to stop her, but TianTian pressed on. "So, what did she do wrong? If possible, let me pay for my friend's mistake—just cancel your punishment and let her go."
"No, no, TianTian, don't do that..." WenWen begged, but unable to handle the pressure any longer, she finally fainted on the floor.
"WenWen... WenWen?!" TianTian checked her pulse just as her father had taught her. Thank goodness, she just fainted, nothing serious—but I have to get her out of here right away. From her actions, the king noticed this girl wasn't just someone who only talked.
Like a faithful servant, the white fox glanced at the king and finally explained to TianTian, "Your friend, Ms. WenWen, entered this room without being invited and seduced Liminghu."
Oh, that's why... wait, WHAT?! Just that? Coming without permission might be rude, but WenWen was drunk—it was an accident, right? And seduce? Is seducing a crime, especially in a place like this? Inappropriate conduct, maybe! But did WenWen deserve to lose her job just because she accidentally seduced a man while drunk? TianTian tried to digest what she heard and looked back at the king, a fully grown man. A pretty woman like WenWen came in and accidentally seduced you in a club—IN A CLUB! Wouldn't you be happy, man? What did you lose? It's not like you lost your virginity here...
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Doesn't this punishment seem ridiculous? Doesn't it mean he's just an arrogant rich man trying to bully a commoner like WenWen? TianTian knew well how hard WenWen had worked to reach her spot as a top model. Modeling was her life. Without support from her parents or anyone else, she had never given up and kept pushing forward—and now this man wanted to ruin WenWen's life? She couldn't let that happen.
"Liminghu, I know WenWen made you angry by entering your room and seducing you. But she was drunk and didn't know what she was doing. Isn't it going too far to punish her by taking all her jobs? Besides... flirting and seducing aren't harmful, right? It can happen to anyone in a place like this—especially people like you."
Hearing her words, the king was surprised. No woman had ever dared argue with him before, and this girl wasn't even doing it for herself—she was defending someone else. So naive, so pure... isn't she? The king stood up from his seat, approaching TianTian with an angry stare to intimidate her further. He knew sooner or later this girl would back down once she realized who he was, just like other women.
"I am not anybody. Do you know who I am?" He looked at TianTian like a lion threatening its prey.
Yet TianTian wasn't afraid. She glared back in anger, because she truly hated arrogant rich people like Liminghu—so she felt angrier than scared.
"I know who you are—didn't they call you Liminghu? As the owner of a giant company like Li Company, how can you have such a tiny heart? WenWen was just drunk, and what happened here was an accident. She didn't plan it to annoy you. If you're a good person, you're supposed to forgive her and let her go..."
Liminghu blinked once. How is this girl not afraid of me after knowing who I am? Interesting... And "a good person," she said? What a joke. Liminghu let out an ironic laugh inside.
He had grown up in a harsh environment, fighting alone for what was his, and along the way he had learned not to trust anyone—especially women, like his own mother who abandoned him for money and desire, or his two-faced aunt and cousins. Every woman in his life had tried to use him for his money or status. Yet this girl was different; she hated him for who he was. Is she just pretending to be pure and naive? Deep inside the king's heart, a strange desire took root—a desire for this girl. I want to defeat this girl. I want to see her cry.
A small smile appeared on his lips, making his face look even fiercer as his eyes stayed locked on TianTian.
"Unfortunately, I am not a good person. I cannot forgive your friend... but," the king chose his words carefully and slowly, weighing what he would do next, "you said you were willing to pay for your friend, didn't you?"
That smile on Liminghu's face made TianTian feel as though she were stepping straight into a trap. Meanwhile, the white fox was shocked to hear his boss giving a chance to a woman—a woman. Countless women had tried desperately to get close to Liminghu, and none had succeeded; he hadn't given any of them a chance. Why is this girl different? Is Liminghu attracted to her? No, it can't be. The white fox looked at TianTian; she wasn't ugly, yet not especially striking for a man like Liminghu. As a most-wanted bachelor, Liminghu was surrounded by fairy-like celebrities and elegant models. With her small face and petite frame, she looked like a little bunny—hardly comparable to them in looks or figure, yet...
"Well, will you pay like you said?" Liminghu felt amused seeing how confused TianTian was to answer.
"Y-yes... I did say that. If it makes you return all of WenWen's jobs, as long as I can afford to do it, I'll do it." She kept wondering if she was doing the right thing, yet as long as she could save WenWen right then, it felt worth it.
"Good." In a flash, the king gave a look to the white fox, who answered with a small nod, and before TianTian realized it, the white fox had already taken WenWen out, leaving TianTian alone with the king in the room.
"What? Where did your man take WenWen? You said you'd let her go!" In panic, TianTian rushed toward the door, ready to chase after the white fox.
"If you go now, then the deal is off."
TianTian stopped and turned back. "Did you really let WenWen go...?"
"I did. My man is taking her home safely right now." The king walked slowly back to the table and poured two glasses of wine.
"And returning all her jobs?"
"Yes, that too. I'm letting your friend free—for now." He walked toward TianTian and naturally placed a glass in her hand, which she accepted before she even realized what she was doing.
"What do you mean, 'for now'?"
"As long as you do what you promised me, then I will keep my promise too." The king raised his glass, gesturing for her to drink with him.
"Well... what do you want me to do? As long as it's not illegal, I—" She didn't care about the drink; she just wanted everything over quickly so she could go home. She set the glass on the table, which irritated the king slightly. He drank his wine, then poured another.
"You're not in a position to object, Little Miss." He gave another gesture, patting the sofa beside him so she would sit right next to him.
An alarm bell rang in TianTian's heart. She wasn't foolish enough to miss the message behind his gestures, and she needed to get out of the room before it was too late. "No, I'm fine right here. Liminghu, or maybe we can discuss this tomorrow at your office. It's already so late, and I'm worried about WenWen—I need to go now."
As TianTian started to move, the king was already in front of her. "Are you trying to escape?"
TianTian stepped backward to keep distance between them, while he kept advancing. "No, I'm not. I'll keep my promise—you can ask me to do anything, but..."
In the end, TianTian couldn't move any further and couldn't finish her sentence because her back hit the wall behind her—and without any warning, the king pressed his lips to hers, kissing her passionately.
Feeling shame and anger, TianTian tried to slap him, only for the king to anticipate it and catch her hand. Frustrated that she couldn't do anything, she glared angrily at him. "Pervert!"
Instead of angering him, the king enjoyed the moment; all her reactions only aroused him more.
"Come on, didn't you say before that flirting and seducing aren't harmful in a place like this, especially for someone like me? Besides, it's not like you've never been kissed before, is it?" TianTian's face turned bright red. In truth, it was her first kiss—and now it had been stolen by an arrogant rich pervert she hated so much.
Guessing what was going through her mind, the king grew more excited. So... it's her first kiss! So innocent. How have I never met this girl before? Where has she been all this time? Desire in both his mind and body became too strong to resist. I want her... I want her right now... This girl is mine.
The king kept kissing her over and over as desire took hold of him, ignoring TianTian's resistance, pressing his lips against hers and slipping his tongue into her mouth. Pulling back slightly, he breathed in her scent, feeling an urge to bite, kiss, and taste her neck. TianTian could feel something hardening beneath the king's trousers pressing against her body, while his other hand moved boldly over her breasts.
"Please... stop... I'm scared..."
Then he stopped. He stared at the tears slipping from her eyes. It froze him in place; he couldn't believe himself. He had stopped because of those tears.
Realizing he had frozen, TianTian slapped him hard across the face and bolted out of the room, surprising the guards. Since they hadn't received any new orders from the king, one of them peeked inside and asked hesitantly, "Uh, Liminghu... should we bring that girl back?"
"...No... leave me alone..."
Unbelievable. Since when had Liminghu simply let a girl walk away? When they didn't move right away, the king's temper flared. "GO... LEAVE ME!" In a second, the guards disappeared, leaving the king standing alone in the room, scarcely believing what had just happened himself. He had stopped because the girl cried... hadn't he wanted so badly to make her cry just moments ago? What's wrong with me...
Before long, the white fox walked back into the room without fear and asked, "Are you done playing with that girl?"
"..." The king turned around and walked as if nothing had happened. Standing beside the white fox, he spoke in a quiet yet sharp, commanding voice. "No... I'm just getting started. Get me every piece of information on that girl. I want to know everything about her..." Then the king left the room—and the club.
The white fox let out a deep sigh, feeling sorry for that girl, that little bunny. She had been marked by the lion. Well, little bunny, you can run away this time, but I don't think you'll be able to run away again next time...