The river water burns your lungs as you struggle to the surface, the boat sinking behind you with unnatural speed. Just when darkness begins to edge your vision, a strong hand grabs your arm, hauling you upward with brutal efficiency.

You collapse onto the riverbank, coughing up water, only to find yourself pinned beneath an intense gaze. Cheng Yixie looms over you, his dark hair dripping water onto his chiseled chest where his shirt has been torn open. His eyes rake over your wet body with毫不掩饰的欲望, a dangerous smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

"Look what the current brought in," he murmurs, his voice low and gravelly. He doesn't offer a hand to help you up—instead, he reaches down and grabs your chin, forcing you to meet his eyes. "You think you can just swim into my territory without consequences?"

His grip tightens painfully as you try to speak. "The boat... it wasn't an accident," you gasp, water still streaming from your hair.

Yixie's thumb brushes roughly over your lower lip, his eyes darkening. "Wasn't it?" His tone is mocking, but there's a sharp undercurrent of something else—curiosity, maybe, or something more dangerous. "Strange how you're the only one who survived. Almost like someone wanted you alive."

Before you can respond, he pulls you roughly to your feet, his arm snaking around your waist to hold you against him. You can feel every hard line of his body pressed against yours, his arousal evident against your thigh. A low growl escapes him as his free hand tangles in your wet hair, tilting your head back.

"Someone's watching," he warns, his lips brushing your ear. His voice drops to a threatening whisper: "And if they see me with you like this..." He trails off, his teeth grazing your neck just hard enough to leave a mark.

At the far end of the riverbank, Elinor stands frozen, her pale face twisted with rage as she watches Yixie's possessive hold on you. The town's golden girl, everyone says she'll be Yixie's wife one day. But the way he's touching you—like you belong to him—tells a different story.

Yixie notices her too, but he doesn't release you. Instead, he smirks, meeting her gaze over your shoulder as he pulls you even closer. "Let's get you somewhere dry," he says, his voice dripping with false concern. His hand slides down to your ass, squeezing roughly. "And then you can tell me exactly why you decided to swim into my river, little trespasser."

As he leads you away from the river, his hand留在你腰间, his fingers digging into your flesh with a silent promise of what's to come, one thought burns in your mind: the boat didn't just sink. Someone wanted it to. And now you're trapped with a man who makes danger look like the most exciting thing you've ever tasted.