Volume 1, Chapter 7: Actually Asleep!

"You have nearly torn the entire building apart. Young Marshal, you shouldn't be so impulsive."

Huo Runduo, simmering with frustration, opened the car door to light a cigarette.

The impulsive man, however, had only one thought in his mind: his wife was alive, yet she was hiding from him. He couldn't hear a word of reason. He had already ransacked the entire building, but Qu Pan was nowhere to be found. Had she slipped away again?

No...

Chu Hanliang suddenly looked up toward the rooftop.

Qu Pan, who was lying at the edge of the roof observing the situation, locked eyes with him without warning.

*Qu Pan, how has this man become so insane? No, I cannot stay here any longer.*

Huo Runduo, still muttering, watched as the man who had been sitting in the car a second ago bolted out like a cheetah, rushing into the building in the blink of an eye.

"Ancestor, you can't tear the place down anymore!" Huo Runduo wailed.

Chu Hanliang charged onto the rooftop in one breath, but it was empty. There was no sign of Qu Pan.

His fury reached its peak. Chu Hanliang spoke in a cold, sharp voice.

"Qu Pan, if you don't come out, I will execute everyone in the Furui Lane residence."

Only the howling wind on the rooftop answered him.

"If thirteen lives aren't enough, then I'll add every member of the Qu family as well. Qu Pan, get out here!"

*Click.* A crisp sound of a safety catch being disengaged echoed behind him. Chu Hanliang turned around to find Qu Pan’s face behind the hollow, dark muzzle of a gun.

Qu Pan truly regretted it. She had planned that once Chu Hanliang searched and confirmed she had left, he wouldn't return, allowing her to stay at Huo Runduo’s home until her wedding day. Who would have guessed this man would become so obsessively, maddeningly fixated on her?

Chu Hanliang gazed at Qu Pan, his dark eyes swirling with turbulent emotions.

The woman who was once as delicate as a flower had become as sharp and cold as a blade. The gentleness and clarity were gone, leaving only the fire of hatred in her eyes. What on earth had she endured all these years to become like this?

"Qu Pan, why are you hiding from me?" Chu Hanliang reached out toward her, but Qu Pan stepped back to avoid him.

"You ask why..." Qu Pan sneered, assessing the man she hadn't seen in five years.

The boyishness had completely faded from him. His already well-defined features had grown even deeper, and he stood tall and imposing. Only that aggressive, overbearing aura remained, growing even more formidable with age, making one’s heart race at a single glance.

Chu Hanliang’s hand hung in mid-air, but how could he let her go again?

"If you won't say it, I will make you say it."

Chu Hanliang stepped forward, ignoring the gun pressed against his chest, and pulled Qu Pan firmly into his arms.

Qu Pan was nearly strangled. Hot liquid dripped onto her neck as her lips were forcefully claimed.

For five years, he had only been able to kiss those lips in his dreams. Now, as he kissed her deeply, the woman’s sweetness acted like a panacea, rapidly healing his long-standing wounds.

Qu Pan couldn't escape, so she clenched her teeth.

"Ugh!"

The man groaned, his brows furrowing in pain, yet he ignored the sharp agony on his tongue and kissed her even more intensely.

Qu Pan felt as if she were suffocating. She curled her finger to kill Chu Hanliang, but the gun was snatched from her hand and thrown to the ground.

Chu Hanliang, lost in the passion of the kiss, slid his large hand inside her blouse, sending a tremor through her wherever he touched.

Qu Pan had no doubt he would take her right there. After several failed struggles, she drove her knee toward his groin.

Chu Hanliang shifted his hand to pin her attack, squeezed his long leg between hers, and used one hand to lift her by her hips.

Carrying her while still kissing her, Chu Hanliang walked downstairs, drops of blood from the corner of her mouth staining his collar.

Huo Runduo, who had caught up, saw this and quickly turned around to run back, seizing the moment to clear the area.

Chu Hanliang carried Qu Pan into Huo Runduo’s room and kicked the door shut.

Qu Pan was tossed onto the bed, but as she scrambled to escape, Chu Hanliang lunged and pinned her down heavily.

Holding her struggling body tight, Chu Hanliang said in a hoarse voice, "Baby, don't move. Just let me hold you."

*Just holding me?* Qu Pan, who thought she was about to be violated, went still, though she remained as tense as a drawn bow, ready to strike a lethal blow at any moment.

Yet, the man on top of her really made no further move. In fact, his breathing grew steady, as if he had fallen asleep.

He was truly asleep! Qu Pan heard the man begin to snore—quiet, faint, and ticklish against her ear.

Qu Pan reached out to grab the gun at Chu Hanliang’s waist. The meddlesome Huo Runduo pushed the door open to peek, saw what was happening, rushed in, took the gun, and made a quick escape.

*Just one step away! Damn it!* Qu Pan ground her teeth and pushed, but Chu Hanliang felt as heavy as Mount Tai, unmoving.

"Ahhhhh!" Qu Pan went frantic and turned to bite his neck.

Chu Hanliang winced in pain, groggily lifted his head to rescue his neck from her teeth, then buried his face back into her shoulder and continued to sleep.

"Are you a pig? All you know how to do is sleep! Get up!"

No matter how she struggled or shouted, Chu Hanliang remained in a deep slumber.

Qu Pan was on the verge of a breakdown.

After five years, Chu Hanliang finally had a good night's sleep. When he woke up, it was already dusk. The woman beneath him had her eyes tightly shut, her head lolling to one side...

*Did I crush her to death?!* Chu Hanliang was overcome with regret. He propped himself up, his hands trembling as he checked her pulse.

Qu Pan opened her mouth and bit down on his large hand, the taste of blood instantly filling her mouth.

Chu Hanliang was ecstatic. Dreams don't bring pain—his Qu Pan wasn't dead. She had truly returned!

Qu Pan was pulled into a bear hug, forcing a muffled groan from her. With the sound of tearing fabric, she felt a sudden chill.

As expected, the wretched man had no intention of letting her go. Qu Pan swung her fist at his temple, but Chu Hanliang caught it in his large palm.

She felt a deep sense of frustration; despite her years of rigorous martial arts training, she stood no chance against him.

Seeing the gloom on her face, Chu Hanliang leaned down and kissed her slightly swollen lips.

"Baby, don't you want this?"

They had been in perfect harmony before; after five years apart, he couldn't help himself, but Qu Pan seemed extremely resistant. Chu Hanliang felt uncomfortable, yet he still didn't want to force her.

If force wouldn't work, she would have to be devious. Qu Pan hummed, mimicking the way she used to act when pouting and spoiled.

Chu Hanliang resisted the urge to touch her, stood up, wrapped her in a quilt, and slung her over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Qu Pan shrieked.

Chu Hanliang carried her, wrapped in the quilt, downstairs, threw her into the car, and drove straight to the Young Marshal’s mansion.

His woman should not live in someone else's house; if she was to live anywhere, it would be his estate.

Qu Pan slumped in the back seat. Being completely naked, she had no way to escape, but she didn't want to spend another moment with Chu Hanliang. She had to find a way out.

Seeming to guess her thoughts, Chu Hanliang spoke, his voice still hoarse.

"If you dare to run again, don't blame me for breaking your legs."

He had to threaten her to keep her in check until they could return to the mansion and talk properly.

"I won't run..." Qu Pan said, "Just give me some clothes to wear."

Even though he knew her purpose for wanting clothes, Chu Hanliang still took off his coat and threw it into the back seat.