Shen Ningxuan jolted awake from a sudden, searing pain, her eyes fluttering open instinctively.

The scene before her was unbelievable. The man’s face was blurred—she could only make out the sharp angles of his features, his sinister expression, and the bronze hue of his skin. His broad, powerful shoulders marked him as a man of formidable physique.

By the time Shen Ningxuan fully grasped what was happening, the pain had already dulled her senses, leaving her unable to resist. Though she knew this was her first time—something precious—she was utterly powerless, at the mercy of whatever was happening to her.

Morning came, and the two figures on the bed remained locked in sleep. Chu Haoxuan, ever vigilant, was jolted awake by the sound of the door opening. He turned his head sharply toward the entrance.

Lu Yu, cheerful as ever, had come to wake Chu Haoxuan for their early meeting back at the military base.

But the moment Lu Yu stepped into the bedroom and took in the sight before him, his eyes widened in shock. For a long moment, he stood frozen before finally stammering, "Haoxuan, you... you... you..."

He wanted to ask, but the words wouldn’t come.

Chu Haoxuan glanced at him but said nothing. He grabbed the blanket beside him and draped it over the woman’s body before swinging his legs out of bed and quickly pulling on his clothes.

Lu Yu, grinning like a mischievous rogue, sauntered over and eyed Chu Haoxuan’s profile. "So? Last night was... enjoyable, huh?"

"Get lost," Chu Haoxuan spat coldly.

Lu Yu didn’t seem bothered by the rebuke. Still smirking, he asked, "Who would’ve thought our stoic commander had a thing for women? Who is she, anyway?"

"Don’t know," Chu Haoxuan replied curtly, already dressed and striding out of the bedroom.

"Tell me—what are you doing here?" Chu Haoxuan demanded.

Lu Yu hurried to answer, "I came to pick you up for the meeting at the base. This afternoon, we’re heading back to the family compound—Grandpa’s orders."

Chu Haoxuan said nothing more. After ensuring his military uniform was perfectly in place, he turned and left the room.

Lu Yu watched him go, then glanced back into the bedroom before following him out.

When Shen Ningxuan finally woke again, it was already noon. She opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling, her surroundings equally strange.

Gradually, fragments of memory returned—last night, she had gotten drunk, and Xia Lingwei had sent a colleague to take her to a hotel. So this is a hotel room.

But why did a man’s face linger in her mind, hazy and indistinct? She couldn’t recall his features, only the memory of a strong, commanding presence looming over her.

Her head throbbed, and she clawed at her hair, trying to sit up—she felt like she had been lying still for too long.

The moment she shifted, a wave of pain shot through her body, forcing a wince from her lips.

That’s when Shen Ningxuan remembered—the man’s face, the unbearable agony as he took her. She pulled the blanket aside and looked down at herself, her body bare, her pale skin marked with the unmistakable signs of passion.

Tears finally spilled from her eyes. She had lost the man she loved most, and now, even her most precious first time had been stolen from her. The cruel irony? She didn’t even know who had taken it. Was he a monster even worse than Ye Yanbin?

Staring blankly at the ceiling, Shen Ningxuan felt her heart die. She had lost everything—everything that mattered. What was left to care about?

After a long while, she forced herself to endure the pain, slid out of bed, and grabbed her scattered clothes before heading into the bathroom.

Half an hour later, Shen Ningxuan stepped out of the hotel, the bustling cityscape before her. She told herself: My heart may be dead, but I’m still alive. I have to keep going. I can still live well.

When she returned to the Shen residence, the moment she stepped inside, she saw her father, Shen Shaohui, sitting on the sofa with that woman—Qiao Yuzhen—and her sister, Shen Yujin, the one who had stolen her boyfriend. The three of them were laughing and chatting animatedly. maid nearby spotted Shen Ningxuan and called out cheerfully, "Second Miss is back."

The three in the living room turned to look at her.

"What are you doing here, you wretch?" Qiao Yuzhen sneered. "If you didn’t want to come back, you should’ve stayed away. This house is better off with one less person."

Shen Ningxuan didn’t even flinch at the venom in Qiao Yuzhen’s words. For over twenty years, she had grown up in this house, enduring Qiao Yuzhen’s constant insults. She was used to it. This woman—who had seduced her father, used a business marriage to threaten him, and even driven her mother away—was the embodiment of cruelty. Shen Ningxuan remembered every bit of it.

She turned her gaze to Shen Shaohui, who was seated nearby. "Dad, I’m back."

"Mm, sit down," Shen Shaohui said flatly, his tone neither warm nor angry—just indifferent. "We were just discussing your sister’s marriage."

"Her?" Shen Yujin scoffed, shooting Shen Ningxuan a disdainful glance as she moved to block her from sitting beside her. "What does she care about my marriage? Shen Ningxuan, you should know by now—I’m Ye Yanbin’s girlfriend. His mother already said I’ll be the future matriarch of the Ye family."