Rain poured from the heavens like a punishment. Cold, sharp, relentless.
Yun Lan tightened the grip on her umbrella as she crossed the narrow alley behind the flower shop she worked at. She had taken the shortcut home many times before, but tonight… something was different.
A low groan sliced through the silence, followed by the wet sound of something—or someone—slumping against the bricks.
She froze.
Another groan.
Her heart hammered in her chest as she turned, her eyes landing on a figure sprawled on the ground. A man. Drenched in blood. His black shirt was torn open, a deep wound staining it a violent crimson.
She hesitated only a second before she rushed over.
"H-Hey! Sir? Are you okay?" she asked, kneeling beside him. Her umbrella tumbled away, forgotten.
The man's breathing was ragged. His eyes were closed, jaw clenched, soaked lashes stuck to sharp cheekbones. He looked dangerous. Brutal. His knuckles were bruised, tattoos climbing up his neck. But Yun Lan didn't move back.
Her instincts screamed danger. But her heart whispered something else.
She touched his face, gently. "You need help."
His eyes fluttered open—and met hers.
For a moment, the rain vanished. So did the alley. So did time.
Dark eyes, bottomless, wild, locked onto hers. There was fire in them. Fire and… disbelief.
"You…" he rasped.
She frowned. "Can you stand? You're bleeding badly."
She helped him sit up with effort. His body was heavy, pure muscle and tension. He flinched as her hands brushed his waist, where the bullet wound oozed fresh blood.
"I live just two blocks away. You'll die here if you stay," she said, panting.
He didn't respond. Just stared at her.
"You saved me," he finally muttered.
"No, not yet," she whispered, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and dragging him up.
Ten Minutes Later
Yun Lan slammed her door open, half-carrying the stranger inside. She kicked off her wet shoes, threw a towel over him, and guided him to sit on the floor against her couch.
Her apartment was small—just one bedroom and a kitchen—but warm and filled with the smell of jasmine and mint from the candles she made herself.
She grabbed her first-aid kit and knelt beside him.
"I'm going to clean your wound. This will hurt."
He didn't flinch. "I've had worse."
Yun Lan didn't answer. She was too focused on his injury. She peeled back the blood-soaked fabric, revealing a gunshot wound through his side.
Her eyes widened. "You were shot?!"
He looked at her with mild amusement. "Only grazed."
"Only grazed?" she muttered in disbelief as she cleaned the wound. He didn't make a sound, not even when she pressed antiseptic against raw flesh.
Her fingers trembled slightly. He noticed.
"You're brave," he said quietly.
"I'm not," she whispered. "I'm just doing what's right."
Something dark flickered in his eyes.
She paused and looked up. "Why were you shot? Are you in trouble?"
There was a long silence.
"I am trouble," he said simply.
Yun Lan swallowed. "Are you… a criminal?"
His lips curled into a smirk. "Would you kick me out if I said yes?"
She looked at him. Really looked at him. Despite the danger oozing from every pore, he hadn't hurt her. He had let her help him.
"No. I wouldn't," she whispered.
Their eyes locked.
Then, without warning, he reached out and touched her cheek. His hand was warm, heavy, rough.
"You're kind," he murmured.
Yun Lan's breath caught.
"Too kind for your own good," he added.
Before she could respond, his fingers slid behind her neck. His body moved—fluid, deliberate, like a predator.
And then he kissed her.
His lips claimed hers, uninvited, hot and fierce. Her eyes flew wide. His bloodied hand held her still, his mouth moving over hers like he owned her.
She panicked.
She raised her hand—
SLAP!
The sound echoed in the room.
He didn't move. His face turned slightly from the force of her slap, his lip split just enough to bleed.
Yun Lan panted, her chest rising and falling. "What the hell are you doing?!"
He slowly turned his face back to her, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. And then—
He smiled.
Not a mocking smile. Not cruel. Just… pleased.
"You slapped me," he said, almost to himself. "No one's ever done that before."
"You kissed me without asking! I saved you, and this is how you repay me?!" she shouted, backing away.
He stood. Towering. Dominant. Shirtless and bleeding, yet utterly composed.
"I didn't kiss you to repay you," he said darkly. "I kissed you because I wanted to."
"You're insane."
"No." His eyes burned into hers. "I'm obsessed."
Yun Lan stumbled back until she hit the wall. "Stay away from me!"
He walked toward her, stopping just inches away. He leaned down, his voice a whisper against her ear.
"You saved me tonight. You're mine now, Yun Lan."
She froze.
"How… how do you know my name?"
He didn't answer.
He turned and walked to the door. As he opened it, rain poured behind him like a curtain.
"I'll come back for you," he said.
And then he was gone.