But now, this unchanging routine had been disrupted. It began when Ye Li dismissed most of the staff and forbade Ye Yanhui from entering.

In the past few days, even Ye Li’s habits had changed. A messy, lived-in feel had settled over the villa. Perhaps this emboldened the staff to gossip.

Years of ingrained habits made the butler hesitate. He felt, given Niu Shurui's importance to Ye Li, that the ointment was necessary. But logically, if Ye Li treasured her so much, he wouldn’t hurt her. Not having been summoned to clean the room, the butler was unaware of what had transpired in the bathroom.

Just as he was about to shake his head, hurried footsteps echoed from upstairs. Only Ye Li and Niu Shurui were on the second floor. With that thought, both the butler and the maid ran to the hall.

Ye Li rushed down the stairs, his robe loosely tied, his face a mask of bewildered panic. His steps were so frantic they feared he’d fall.

The expression mirrored a memory in the butler’s mind, and he instantly sensed trouble. He reached Ye Li just as he cried out, “Call a doctor! Quickly!”

***

Qiao Qi aimed his flashlight at the only lit room on the villa's second floor–Ye Li's room, where Niu Shurui was confined.

He'd known something was wrong when Niu Shurui didn't appear at the emergency meeting. He’d arrived at her office too late, finding only disarray: a strong scent of s3x, a large puddle of water mixed with an unknown viscous fluid.

Qiao Qi recognized it instantly.

Cvm.

His body trembled violently. He turned, locking the door against his approaching colleagues, his shaking hands cleaning the mess. He found Niu Shurui’s phone on the floor, the screen cracked but functional. Unlocking it, he understood.

He burst into laughter, a manic, deranged sound, as if he would cry, yet his eyes remained clear, devoid of mirth.

Finally, the laughter subsided. He gripped the phone and walked out. The crowd outside had fallen silent at the sound of his laughter. Some shook their heads and left, others, frightened, followed. A few, perhaps out of concern or curiosity, remained.

The door opened abruptly, startling everyone. Qiao Qi emerged, his face grim. They instinctively stepped back, clearing a path.

As the elevator doors closed, someone whispered, “Crazy…”

No one agreed or disagreed.

Qiao Qi went to Ye Yanhui first. He hadn’t gone directly to the Ye estate, knowing Ye Li would have security measures in place. He couldn't disguise himself as a servant; predators recognized their own kind, and he sensed that in Ye Li.

He regretted biting Niu Shurui. It was impulsive, and if Ye Li discovered it, everything would unravel. He’d excused her from work, hoping to keep her away. But the drug hadn't worked as intended.

His plans were shattered.

He shouldn’t have left her. He should have stayed, even if she discovered him. She would eventually anyway. He shouldn’t have let her leave. If she wanted to make a scene, she could have done it in front of him.

For days, Qiao Qi had been consumed with the urge to kill Ye Li.

Until he saw Niu Shurui pull back the curtains.

She wore a nearly transparent gown that barely covered her bvttocks, clearly wearing nothing underneath.

When the curtains opened again, she was wrapped in a towel, confirming his suspicions. Ye Li stood behind her, holding her.

Resentment and rage surged through him. Why was she letting him hold her? Why wasn’t she fighting back? Was she willingly imprisoned?

The conflicting thoughts culminated in a fleeting desire to kill Niu Shurui.

But in an instant, he took a deep breath, telling himself she must be forced. No matter how clever she was, she was still a woman, no match for Ye Li.

It had to be that way.

It had to.

It must.