After being reborn, the aloof female CEO became a paranoid.

The night was as dark as ink. Zhou Yu stood alone on the balcony, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers. His gaze passed through the high-rise buildings, but he had no interest in appreciating the neon-lit urban prosperity.

Now, all he could think about was Xu Xinran, whom he hated with a passion. Because he knew perfectly well what he would face when this person came out of the bathroom.

Recalling the humiliation and helplessness he felt when he was forced last time, Zhou Yu's brows furrowed even more tightly.

He considered storming out and escaping this suffocating place, but reason told him that it would be futile.

If he tries to escape, Xu Xinran's anger could easily spill over onto innocent people, not to mention the bodyguards watching downstairs.

The bathroom door opened, and Zhou Yu's body tensed instantly, as if even breathing became difficult.

Xu Xinran walked out of the bathroom with a lazy air and saw Zhou Yu standing by the window. His handsome face was even more defined in the night.

A seductive smile played on her lips as she casually poured two glasses of red wine and strode toward Zhou Yu.

"Come on, have a drink to relax."

Zhou Yu took a deep breath, suppressing the panic in his heart, and took the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The numbing effect of alcohol might allow him to temporarily forget the impending pain and humiliation.

After finishing his drink, Zhou Yu remained silent and walked straight to the bed. However, when he stood by the bed, the fear and resistance in his heart surged up again, making him stop in his tracks.

He knew he was powerless to change his fate that night, and finally, he gritted his teeth, lay down on the bed, and wrapped himself tightly in the blanket, as if that would shut him out from the outside world.

Xu Xinran put down her wine glass, slowly walked to the bed, took off her bathrobe, and changed into a sexy and alluring nightgown. Her curvaceous figure looked even more tempting wrapped in the nightgown.

She lifted the covers and lay down next to Zhou Yu, her fingers intentionally or unintentionally tracing his back, sending shivers down his spine.

Even through his pajamas, Zhou Yu couldn't accept this intimate contact, and his body stiffened uncontrollably once again.

He sat up abruptly, looking at Xu Xinran with a tense expression. When her naked body came into view, he instinctively wanted to escape from the bed.

However, Xu Xinran would not let him off so easily.

Her soft arms, like water snakes, quickly wrapped tightly around his waist. Before he could react, she parted her red lips and breathed sweetly into his ear.

“Zhou Yu, don’t even think about running away. You don’t want us to end up like last time, do you? Fulfilling your duties as a husband isn’t difficult for you.”

Zhou Yu's eyes were filled with silent resistance, and despair surged in his chest.

At that moment, the woman's hand climbed onto his shoulder, forcefully turning his face to meet her gaze, her tone filled with undeniable domineering authority: "I want you, I want you now."

Those few words, like a sharp knife, completely severed the last glimmer of hope in his heart.

Afterwards, Zhou Yu got out of bed with a cold expression and went straight into the bathroom, letting the cold water wash over his body, trying to wash away the humiliation and resentment.

After a long while, he walked out of the bathroom with a gloomy face, returned to the balcony, and plopped down on a chair in the corner.

He stared blankly out the window, puffing on his cigarette one puff after another, without any enjoyment.

Xu Xinran watched him quietly without saying a word or disturbing him, and simply walked into the bathroom.

When she came out after washing up, Zhou Yu was still sitting there blankly, but the cigarette in his hand had been extinguished, and he seemed to have been drained of his soul, completely motionless.

She walked slowly over and gently hugged him from behind, pressing her soft lips lightly against his cheek, trying to soothe the turmoil in his heart.

Then, she spoke slowly, her voice tinged with pleading: "Zhou Yu, give me another chance, let me love you properly, okay?"

Zhou Yu did not respond, but simply pried open the soft hands that were wrapped around his neck and silently returned to the bed.

His silence was more hurtful than any words, piercing Xu Xinran's heart once again.

The excruciating pain spread rapidly throughout her body like lightning.

She looked at the man whose back was to her, a hint of coldness and helplessness flashing in her eyes.

The next morning, the first thing Zhou Yu did when he opened his eyes was to look at the seat next to him.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that no one was around. The events of last night echoed in his mind like a nightmare.

Thinking of what Xu Xinran had said in his ear, Zhou Yu found it utterly ridiculous.

Does she really think she can forget those painful memories and accept her again?

He closed his eyes, shook his head, and tried to banish those distracting thoughts from his mind. After a long while, he finally came to his senses. Just as he was about to get out of bed to go to the bathroom to wash up, he saw a note left by the bedside.

He picked up the note, looked at the neat handwriting, and couldn't help but frown slightly.

The note read: "Thank you for your hard work last night. Stay home and rest today. I'll have the driver pick up Xiaochuan tonight, and we'll have dinner together then."

Zhou Yu smirked, revealing a hint of disdain, and threw the note directly into the trash can.

Then he went into the bathroom and saw that the bathtub was already filled with hot water, and the temperature was just right.

Once upon a time, he would meticulously prepare all of these things for her, and he would do so with great pleasure. But now, everything has changed.

He looked at the basin of hot water, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Xu Xinran, no matter how you treat me in this life, it cannot change the harm you caused me in my past life.

Those wounds, like branded marks, are deeply etched in his heart and can never be erased.

Zhou Yu's eyes were filled with deep sorrow and resentment...