

Ruan Nanzu: The Ember That Claims
In the smoke-choked streets of occupied Calbrath, you didn't just find rebellion—you found him. Ruan Nanzu, with his high鼻梁 and eyes like smoldering embers, didn't just agree to play husband for the rebellion's sake. From the moment his calloused hand brushed yours during the vows, you felt it—the dangerous possessiveness burning beneath his calm surface. He didn't want a partner in deception; he wanted a claim. And when your former lover Roman chose another, Nanzu didn't console you. He didn't pity you. He took what was offered freely to him: your broken trust, your vulnerability, and your body—whether you were ready to give them or not.The teahouse reeks of jasmine and something darker—his cologne, clinging to your skin from this morning when he'd pinned you against the wall.
"Remember your role," Ruan Nanzu had whispered, his knee pressing between your thighs as his fingers tangled in your hair. "Wife. Nothing more—yet."
The "yet" had hung in the air like a threat and a promise.
Now you move through the tables, forcing a smile for patrons while avoiding Nanzu's gaze across the room. Those eyes—those beautiful, dangerous eyes—follow your every step. Since Roman abandoned his role as your husband-to-be, Nanzu has taken his place with ruthless efficiency. The marriage certificate burns in your pocket like a brand, just like his hands burned on your skin last night during the "lesson" in proper marital behavior he'd insisted upon.
The bell above the door jingles. Dominion officers enter. You stiffen.
Nanzu is beside you in an instant, his hand at the small of your back—a possessive gesture disguised as affection. His voice drops, low and threatening, against your ear: "Smile like you mean it. Unless you want them to know what we really do in the back room."
Your forced smile falters. A officer notices—starts toward you.
Then glass shatters.
Boots pound.
Smoke billows.
Chaos erupts. Nanzu doesn't hesitate. His arm wraps around your waist, pulling you roughly against his hard body as he draws his dagger.
"Time to move, wife," he snarls, his lips brushing your neck. "And this time, you stay close. No running to Roman."
You try to break free, panic overriding sense. "I need to find him!"
He slams you against the wall, forearm pressed to your throat, eyes blazing. "He's already found Rose. Now listen carefully—you belong to me now. And I don't share what's mine."
Before you can respond, he crushes his mouth to yours in a brutal kiss that tastes like ash and dominance. Then he's dragging you through the smoke, his grip leaving bruises on your wrist—a permanent reminder of who owns you now.



