No! Help!

"Stop!" Pan Yueyang glared furiously at the unruly woman before him.

Huh? Wanwan turned around, tilting her head gently, her little calico face full of confusion. She hadn’t offended this person; in fact, she was always the one being bullied. Why was he so fierce toward her?

With his hands clasped behind his back, he walked step by step toward Wanwan. "You’re called Wanwan?" His tone was unexpectedly gentle and amiable.

"Mm." Wanwan stretched out her right hand and bit down on her index finger’s knuckle.

"Why do you have all this filth smeared on your face?" Pan Yueyang drew so near, he was almost touching her.

Wanwan frowned, "I don’t know." Her simple answer irked Pan Yueyang.

"Don’t know?" He scrutinized her again. If she had ulterior motives, her clear eyes betrayed nothing. He couldn’t fathom why he felt such patience with her, when he’d always been someone who cared only for himself.

Suddenly, Wanwan pouted at him, her alluring almond eyes crumpled as she looked at Pan Yueyang. Unintentionally, her expression was the ultimate weapon of temptation for a man. Her face, washed and chaotic, now dried up, truly fitting the description of a little calico cat.

"Still not leaving? Must I personally escort you back?" Pan Yueyang didn’t intend to keep stalling with her. Besides her peerless beauty, he found little else to praise. Yet, his words came out surprisingly gentle, his voice lowered, as if afraid she’d be startled again. Even he was inwardly surprised at himself.

"Where should I go?" Wanwan looked at him in confusion. Even if she wanted to leave, she suddenly realized—how was she to find her way back?

...

Pan Yueyang glared angrily at her. "Leave the way you came." He suppressed the urge to explode; he was truly irritable!

Wanwan picked up the water bucket, struggling to move, peering in all directions, wandering a few steps in confusion. Suddenly she set the bucket down, looking back at Pan Yueyang, as if pleading for help or venting her discontent. Then she picked up the bucket again and walked a few more steps.

"Wanwan," Pan Yueyang called out, watching the calico cat’s small figure, "set the bucket down."

"Hm?" Wanwan set it down, staring blankly at him.

He strode forward, scooped her up, and quickly led her out of the pavilion. "You’re at Yunlu Courtyard? When did you enter the manor?" He remembered never seeing her in his courtyard before, though he spent half his time away. That didn’t mean he didn’t know precisely how many people he kept in his manor.

"Half... half a month ago." Forced to move at his brisk pace, Wanwan spoke breathlessly, casting worried glances back at the abandoned bucket. She needed to fetch water.

"Half a month ago?" Pan Yueyang’s eyes narrowed. How coincidental.

He strode like the wind, carrying Wanwan to a hall where Dan Yunji was calculating expenses on an abacus. Many tasks required the steward’s personal attention. The door was rudely flung open, Dan Yunji frowned, and spoke without looking up, "Such disregard for decorum! The general is always—" As he raised his head mid-sentence, he saw the general carrying someone toward him. He hurriedly rose and respectfully greeted his master.

"She claims she’s from Yunlu Courtyard?" Pan Yueyang hadn’t released his left arm, still holding Wanwan.

Wanwan was uncomfortable being dragged along like this. She squirmed, but it was futile—the man’s strength held her fast, her waist immobilized in the crook of his arm.

Dan Yunji looked carefully at Wanwan beside Pan Yueyang. The calico cat visage caught his eye. He scrutinized her and said, "She is indeed from Yunlu Courtyard. Half a month ago, an old woman came to sell a servant. The original Wanwan had reached her term and was sent out. The kitchen lacked extra hands, so Miss Xueqing was looking for someone and brought this girl back. However..." Dan Yunji paused, glanced at Wanwan again, and continued, "When I met her today, I didn’t recognize her as the servant sold to the manor back then. She looks different unless one looks closely." Dan Yunji reported honestly.

"Mm." Pan Yueyang glanced at the petite Wanwan, barely reaching his chest, still struggling to move. Her small body, rubbing against the thin summer fabric, sent a sudden thrill through him.

A sensual smile curled on Pan Yueyang’s lips. Carrying her, he turned and strode away. Since she’d delivered herself to his door, he’d see what game she was playing. Such a coincidental timing—surely a deliberate entry? He’d let her calculate her schemes under his watchful eyes. Free delicacies were never to be refused. For over a month, he hadn’t indulged himself, busy investigating the enemy’s movements for the emperor.

Dan Yunji watched Pan Yueyang’s departing figure, deep in thought. This Wanwan—he’d need to pay closer attention.

Pan Yueyang brought Wanwan to Yunlu Courtyard, his own quarters. Along the way, he ignored the servants’ respectful greetings and astonished glances. He strode straight into the inner chamber and called to the maid outside, "Prepare the bath!"

With a thud, Wanwan was unceremoniously dropped to the floor. The plush carpet softened the blow, so it wasn’t terribly painful. She rolled over, innocently glaring at the man before her—he seemed nothing short of a demon.

"Go wash yourself. Clean up thoroughly," Pan Yueyang commanded, standing over her, his voice still low, but with a habitual dominance now laced with patience.

Wanwan obediently stood, looked around, and headed toward the door.

"Come back! How dare you! Did I give you leave?" Pan Yueyang’s brows nearly shot upright—this woman truly wasn’t afraid of him.

"Bath..." Wanwan whispered timidly. He’d told her to clean herself, and she was terrified, trembling as she looked up at Pan Yueyang.

Narrowing his eyes, Pan Yueyang stepped close, and in a flash, ripped her clothes apart, exposing the skin beneath the wooden ash smeared on her garments. As he tore the fabric away, his fingers brushed her shoulder—its delicate texture sent a shudder through him. His gaze roamed down her trembling shoulder. The bothersome undergarment was made of ordinary cotton, haphazardly embroidered with a few small patterns. Pan Yueyang impatiently tore it away, and in an instant, Wanwan’s entire body was exposed.

Gasping in shock, Wanwan instinctively tried to cover herself, but Pan Yueyang stopped her, gripping her arms. The sudden revelation of her body made Wanwan shyly twist away, but in Pan Yueyang’s eyes, desire was already ablaze.

"Mm..." Wanwan whimpered under Pan Yueyang’s scorching gaze, twisting her body. She longed to cover herself, mortified at being stripped before a man, trembling in fear, unable to utter a sound.

Her soft, provocative moan only fueled Pan Yueyang’s excitement. His heated eyes fixed on Wanwan—she hadn’t done anything, yet effortlessly stirred his passion.

Watching her struggle in shock, Pan Yueyang abruptly swept Wanwan into his arms, striding toward the screen on the right side of the bedroom.

With a splash, Wanwan was tossed into the bath. "Ah!" She choked on the bathwater, unable to cry out, and began desperately coughing. "Cough, cough, cough..." Wanwan, half slumped over the tub, her hair damp and hanging beside her ears.

Just as she tried to climb out, the demon’s hand reached in, tearing at the only skirt she wore.

No! Wanwan clung desperately to her thighs, preventing him from proceeding, but her head was shoved back into the water, his large hands roughly scrubbing her face and neck.

"Help—!" Wanwan cried out, her breath weak, unable to endure his violent strength.

"Wash that calico face clean for me!" he ordered, tearing away the cloth from her head, letting her silky, soft hair tumble free.

Wanwan, exhausted from his torment in the bath, could only grip the tub’s edge, occasionally grabbing his clothes in resistance.

Outside, the maids exchanged glances. Though the woman inside was making only small noises, the commotion suggested the general was being rough with her. The general was not known for violence, so today’s behavior left them both bewildered.

Inside, Pan Yueyang had already washed Wanwan’s face clean. He unceremoniously lifted her out of the bath—her face now pale as snow, exhausted like a drenched chick—and slung her over his shoulder, striding toward the bed.

"Ah!" Though the bed was piled with soft bedding, Wanwan was tossed onto it in an arc and hit it, dazed and confused. Regaining her senses, she shook her head and rushed toward the door, determined to escape.

Pan Yueyang loosened his belt and outer robe, watching her movements. In the next moment, he pinned her beneath him...