Zhi Wan hissed, covering her lips as she glared at him in annoyance. "That hurts! Why did you bite me?"

The man paused, resisting the urge to check her lip. He sat down on the edge of the bed, ignoring her question. Instead, he asked lightly, "What have you been up to these past few days?"

"Whatever I’m doing, I don’t have to report it to you, do I?" Zhi Wan turned away in a huff.

The man paused for a moment as he looked at her bare back, then wrapped his arms around her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder. "Angry, hmm?"

"How about you let me bite you a couple of times? See how you like it," Zhi Wan retorted, turning her head.

"Go on, then. Bite me," the man said, his tone indulgent.

At his words, Zhi Wan’s gaze fell on his thin lips. She was about to lean in for her revenge when a thought made her stop. She scoffed coldly. "I’m not that stupid. I won’t fall for your— Mmph!"

Before she could finish, the man captured her lips in a kiss.

His kiss was dominant, yet not without a gentle touch.

Zhi Wan’s butterfly-wing lashes fluttered, and she nearly lost herself in his kiss.

But she quickly remembered that her aunt was already helping her find a suitable live-in husband. In fact, she had spent the last two days meeting potential candidates. If nothing went wrong, her marriage would be decided soon.

’Under these circumstances, how could I possibly continue this entanglement with him?’

With this in mind, she was about to push him away when she felt the ties of her bodice come loose.

She froze, not yet processing what was happening. Then she felt his warm hand caress her smooth back, slip under her bodice, and cover her breast.

Zhi Wan’s mind went blank, and she instinctively bit down hard.

With a muffled groan, the man pulled away from her lips, his dark eyes watching her with an unreadable expression.

Humiliated and furious, Zhi Wan frantically pulled his hand away, jumped off the bed, and snatched her outer robe, hastily pulling it on. "I’m getting married soon! You’re not allowed to see me anymore!"

"Married?" The man’s dark eyes narrowed. "So, you’ve already found a suitable husband?"

His tone was casual, but for some reason, Zhi Wan sensed danger.

She instinctively took two steps back.

But remembering that she had to end things between them, she gave a firm nod. "That’s right!"

Upon hearing that, the man stood up, his voice cold and intimidating. "I won’t allow it!"

"What gives you the right to forbid me?" Zhi Wan asked in disbelief.

The man paused, then said slowly, "Aren’t you looking for a live-in husband? You don’t have to look for anyone else. I’m willing to marry into your family!"

Zhi Wan was stunned. "Why? Didn’t you say you were your family’s only son and could never marry into someone else’s?"

"Things have changed. My father has an illegitimate son, so I’m no longer the only one. I don’t have to be the one to carry on the family line," the man said, his dark eyes fixed on her.

Zhi Wan froze, astonished. "Your father also has a mistress and an illegitimate son?"

"Yes." The man nodded, quietly watching her reaction.

But Zhi Wan’s thoughts went elsewhere. She clenched her fists and said indignantly, "See? Men really are all scum!"

’Her uncle was like this, and so was this man’s father.’

’There are no faithful men in this world.’

A vein throbbed on the man’s temple. "You shouldn’t paint everyone with the same brush."

Hearing this, Zhi Wan crossed her arms and shot him a sideways glance. "Are you saying you’re the exception?"

"I can’t claim to be perfect, but I would never take a concubine or keep a mistress," the man said in a low voice.

"Sounds too good to be true," Zhi Wan scoffed, not believing him for a second.

’Her aunt and uncle had been deeply in love, too. And even though her uncle had been tricked by Aunt Wang, that didn’t erase the fact that he’d betrayed her aunt. Worse, he and Aunt Wang even had an illegitimate child together.’

’She had once envied their relationship.’

’But now, she no longer believed in the idea of one true love for a lifetime.’

With this in mind, she stated decisively, "I’ve already found a suitable candidate for a live-in husband. You’re not a good fit, and I don’t want you. You should find yourself a different wife."

The man was speechless.

He raised a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. "How are we not a good fit?"

"And how are we?" Zhi Wan shot back. "I’m looking for a live-in husband because I just want to live a peaceful life. A man like you isn’t suited for that kind of life at all."

"If I’m not suitable, then what kind of man is?" the man asked, suppressing his irritation and frowning.

"Honest and dependable, for starters." Zhi Wan crossed her arms, looking him up and down.

’Although she couldn’t see his face clearly, his physique was superb, which she quite liked. But everything about this man screamed the opposite of honest and dependable. She couldn’t handle him. A fling was one thing, but making him her live-in husband? That would be a living nightmare.’

Seeing that she wasn’t joking, the man’s lips thinned. He reminded her in a low voice, "But we’ve done so many intimate things..." ’Just two days ago on that deserted island, this girl was flirting with him so boldly... and now she wanted to end it, just like that. So clean a break. It was clear she was just playing with him.’

At this realization, the man’s expression darkened.

"So what?" Zhi Wan said, completely unfazed. "Don’t you men all have multiple wives and concubines? What happened between us was before my marriage. After I’m married, I’ll turn over a new leaf and be faithful to my husband."

The man let out a humorless laugh. "’Husband, husband.’ Nothing’s even close to being decided, yet the word rolls right off your tongue! You may not think it’s a big deal, but what if this husband of yours finds out you’ve been intimate with another man? Do you really think he won’t mind?"

"Are you threatening me?" Zhi Wan’s expression hardened, and she lowered her arms.

"I’m merely stating a fact," the man said coolly.

Zhi Wan was so angry she wanted to hit him, but she abandoned the thought when she remembered the significant difference in their physical strength.

’In any case, this man doesn’t know who I am or where I live.’

’Luckily, I was cautious enough not to reveal anything about myself.’

’If he wants to threaten me with our past now, I’m not afraid.’

She said sarcastically, "You have no class. I thought that even if we couldn’t be husband and wife, we could at least be friends. I thought you would wish me well on my marriage. I never imagined you’d threaten me."

The corner of the man’s eye twitched. He suddenly strode forward, pinning her against the table. His long fingers traced a path across her smooth face as his voice dropped to a low, bewitching whisper. "Be good. Don’t choose anyone else. Your husband can only be me."

His sudden touch sent a tingle through Zhi Wan’s entire body, and she nearly lost herself. Fortunately, she managed to keep her wits about her and pushed him away. "My mind is made up. Nothing you say will change it."

The man looked at her, exasperated. "Weren’t you happy when you were with me?"

"I was," Zhi Wan admitted with a nod. "But you really aren’t suitable to be my husband. It’s obvious you’re a person of high status, someone important. Why would you want to lower yourself and marry into my family?"

’Zhi Wan couldn’t understand it.’

’Besides, they had agreed it would just be a fleeting romance.’

’If she’d known he’d become this attached, she would have ended it back then.’

The man paused, then said, "Because you’re the only woman who has ever made me want to take a wife. It has to be you."