Early Summer Morning

The morning sun shone brightly, and a gentle breeze drifted through the half-open window, carrying with it a faint chill.

"Achoo—"

Buried under the covers, Yi Youxia sneezed, her drowsy mind struggling to turn over—only to find herself pressed against a solid, unyielding wall of muscle.

Wait, what?

She lived alone. There was no "wall" in her bed.

Her hazy brain snapped awake. She blinked open her eyes—and her gaze landed on the familiar floral curtains and the small oval bedside table.

Yes, this was her room. Definitely her room.

She let out a sigh of relief. Must’ve been a dream.

Just as she was about to drift back into sleep, a large hand reached over from behind her. The chilling touch of his fingertips sent a jolt through her, and she shivered violently as she turned her head—only to find a handsome, utterly unfamiliar man’s face mere inches from hers.

"MOMMY DEAREST—!"

Her scream tore through the room, echoing off the walls like a war cry.

Her apartment had been robbed—no, invaded—by a wolf. A brazen, fearless wolf!

The man jolted awake at her shriek, his eyes flying open in shock—but the expression vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold, vicious glare that sent ice down her spine.

Yi Youxia scrambled backward, curling into the corner of the bed and yanking the blanket up to her chin. Pointless, really—he had already accomplished his "crime."

Though, judging by the bruises on his face, she hadn’t gone down without a fight.

Had she? She pressed a hand to her aching forehead. Damn it, she couldn’t remember anything!

The man’s gaze flickered with dark mockery as he reached for his scattered clothes, pulling them on with swift, efficient movements. Then, turning his back to her, he leaned against the window and barked, "Get dressed." His voice was frigid, laced with disgust.

Yi Youxia fumbled for her dress on the floor, yanking it on in a panic. Next priority: weapons. The man was at least 189 cm tall, broad-shouldered and built like a tank—killing her would be effortless if he wanted to silence her.

Her eyes darted to the bedside table. Maybe the alarm clock? But it was gone, replaced by two red booklets. The cover bore three bold golden characters: "Marriage Certificate."

Her breath hitched.

She snatched it up and flipped it open—

Two names stared back at her: Yi Youxia and Rong Zhenye, along with a glossy photo of the newlyweds. The groom was definitely the man before her. And the bride?

Well, who else could it be?

Their smiles were radiant, brimming with newlywed bliss.

She checked the date of registration.

Yesterday.

The most humiliating day of her life. Just thinking about it made her want to dig a hole and disappear forever.

So… where had this guy come from? And how on earth had they gotten married?

Had she accidentally signed up for some prank TV show?

Before she could finish the thought, she lunged at him. He had to be an actor hired to humiliate her!

"Which TV station are you from?! I’m filing a complaint—your show is disgusting, invasive, and illegal—forging documents?!" She hurled the marriage certificate at his chest and frantically searched the room for hidden cameras. If they’d filmed her naked, she’d die of shame.

The man blinked at her in confusion, picking up the fallen certificate and frowning. His thick brows knitted together in a scowl. "Damn it." He cursed under his breath, struggling to recall last night—but his memory hit a wall at the bar.

By now, Yi Youxia had turned her tiny room upside down, finding no trace of cameras. Furious, she stormed back and grabbed his collar. "Hand over the cameras, or I’m calling the police!"

The man’s dark eyes locked onto hers. For a long moment, silence reigned—until a sudden, shocking realization flashed across his face.

"...So it’s you..."