Ensnared - Chapter 1

I was a daughter of an illustrious clan, and I was starting to panic.

Not because the man on top of me was thrusting so hard I could barely breathe, but because the System had just informed me that this body’s husband was on his way home.

Wait. If her husband was on his way home, who the hell was the man on top of me?

The room was too dark to make out his face. I pushed at his muscular chest, trying to wriggle out from under him.

But he was like a cat that had caught the scent of fish. His thick arms pinned my shoulders down as he drove into me even harder.

How was my frail little body supposed to take this?

The demands I wanted to shout at the lunatic came out as a string of moans.

[Host, keep enjoying yourself and the villain will pound you into mincemeat!]

The System’s warning brought me to my senses. I raked my nails down the man’s back.

He grunted in pain, but his hips didn’t stop. If anything, he grew bolder.

For heaven’s sake, was this a pile driver come to life?

He was tormenting me so badly I nearly cried.

Then I remembered what the villain was capable of, clenched my fists, and forced a warning through my teeth.

“My husband’s coming home!”

“Only just noticed I’m not your husband’s size?” The man chuckled against my ear. “Well, madam? Am I to your liking?”

I glared at him, my sharp nails leaving scratches on his arm.

Just then, my maid Qingliu’s voice came from outside in the courtyard.

“Young Master Shen, my lady has gone to bed. Please leave.”

Young Master Shen was, of course, my husband, Shen Zhou: the future chancellor whose power would dominate the imperial court.

According to the novel, Shen Zhou rose to the highest rank a subject could attain while still very young.

He was ruthless, a prolific killer. He even slaughtered his first wife’s entire family, putting righteousness before kinship.

And I was that first wife.

Shen Zhou came from an obscure family, but he was exceptionally gifted and had passed the provincial examination at a young age.

The Cui clan of Qinghe recognized his promise and proposed a marriage alliance, offering him this body’s original owner, Cui Ying.

Cui Ying looked down on Shen Zhou. She thought his lowly origins made him unworthy of a daughter of the Cui clan.

Besides, her grandfather had served three emperors, her uncle was the current chancellor, and her father was Minister of Rites.

As a daughter born to the principal wife, she was beautiful, accomplished in music, and close to the Third Prince. By all rights, she should have been all but guaranteed a place as his consort.

Then Shen Zhou had cut in, reducing her from a future prince’s consort to the wife of a mere provincial graduate. She felt terribly wronged.

But Cui Ying didn’t dare blame her clan, so she took her anger out on Shen Zhou instead.

Even her personal maid looked down on the family’s new son-in-law and still addressed him as “young master.”

By the time I arrived in this body, Shen Zhou had been driven to move into the academy.

And my mission, unfortunately, was to win over this future mass-murdering villain.

I’d planned to ask him to come home once morning came.

Instead, Shen Zhou had returned of his own accord that very night and immediately started getting handsy.

It was pitch-black. I couldn’t see what he looked like.

But he kept calling me his wife, and his voice sounded almost exactly like the Shen Zhou in the original owner’s memories. The System hadn’t said a word either, so I’d assumed he was Shen Zhou.

As the saying goes, affection grows with time spent together. Besides, the original owner was his wife. I felt awkward turning him down, and so we’d begun exploring the origins of life.

We hadn’t even finished our research when the System informed me that the man on top of me was an impostor.

And the genuine article was standing right outside the courtyard.

Honestly. What kind of mess was this?

I wanted to cry but couldn’t. All I could do was silently pray that the man on top of me would keep quiet and the one outside would leave.

But Heaven seemed determined to spite me. The man on top of me wouldn’t behave at all.

I covered his mouth with my hand, hoping to silence him.

He opened his mouth around my index finger instead, his warm, wet tongue circling the tip.

I cursed the bastard under my breath and pinched the soft flesh at his waist.

As if in retaliation, he gave a hard thrust. My body was far too sensitive to withstand that. Before I could stop myself, I cried out.

The bed creaked softly. Together with my voice, it immediately caught Shen Zhou’s attention.

“She’s gone to bed this early? I’ll look in on her.”

Shen Zhou started toward the room, but thankfully Qingliu stopped him in time.

“My lady has already put out the lights. What are you going in there for?

“Why can’t you show some consideration? My lady feeds and clothes you, and you won’t even let her sleep in peace!”

While the two of them argued, I hurriedly begged the man on top of me.

“Please. Just go.”

My voice was thick with tears. He, however, was thoroughly enjoying himself.

“I’m not done playing yet.”

He moved a few more times. Luckily I bit my lower lip in time to keep from making a sound.

Dear, sweet Heaven, where had you found this lecher?

I was furious, but I couldn’t afford to fight him. I had to give in.

“Then play some more next time. Just let me live through this first.”

At that, he lowered his head and bit my neck hard. As if venting his anger, he spilled himself into me before finally pulling out, still reluctant to stop.

The wet sound was painfully distinct in the silent room.

Outside, Shen Zhou seemed to hear it too. He abandoned his argument with Qingliu and made to force his way in.

This was bad. And the lecher still wasn’t in any hurry.

He leisurely picked up his discarded clothes while the footsteps outside drew nearer.

For all her usual arrogance, Qingliu couldn’t hold Shen Zhou back.

The door creaked. Clear moonlight poured in, faintly illuminating the dark room.

Shen Zhou stood in the doorway in a blue-green robe, his brows drawn together.