Chapter 280: Dangerous... utterly dangerous!

This wasn’t the first time Hua Jing had seen Fu Jing Rong bare-chested. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Back in the other world, when he was still Zhao Yan, she had seen plenty — but even so, the sight still made her pulse skip.

Droplets rolled slowly down from his damp hair, tracing the strong line of his neck, over his broad shoulders, and sliding perfectly along the ridges of his abs before disappearing into the waistband of his sweatpants. Her throat tightened, and she swallowed unconsciously.

With her phone now lying on the bed, Fu Jing Rong casually took a towel to his hair, ruffling it carelessly. His eyes held the faintest smirk as if savoring her reaction.

He stepped closer, voice teasing. "Done looking?"

Hua Jing immediately bent to grab her phone, her ears heating. "Who was looking? I wasn’t looking!"

He chuckled, low and amused. "You were looking."

Her fingers fumbled, and she turned her face away, forcing herself to calm down, fighting the thoughts flashing through her head. If he knows he looks this good, why does he insist on torturing me by walking around like this? How am I supposed to survive this? This is just cruel...

The thoughts tumbled out, soft but audible — and she only realized too late that she’d spoken them aloud.

Fu Jing Rong’s laughter came from right behind her, warm and unrestrained.

She spun around. His eyes curved into perfect crescents, that rare, carefree smile lighting up his face. With his damp hair falling over his forehead and his shirtless figure standing there, he looked effortlessly magnificent.

Her hand flew up, finger pointing straight at him. "This smile is only reserved for me. If I see you smiling at any other person, I’ll break your legs!"

His grin widened. "Break my legs? What then will you use?"

Hua Jing blinked, face flushing crimson. "W-what? I wasn’t thinking about that!"

"I wasn’t thinking about that either," he said lightly, his gaze deliberately lingering on her. "So... what were you thinking about?"

She realized she’d been baited. Huffing in frustration, she turned away. "I’m serious!"

Fu Jing Rong’s laugh was low and deep. "I’m serious as well."

Hua Jing’s face burned, and she had no idea where to hide. But before she could escape, he bent down, catching her lips in a searing kiss.

The world seemed to tilt as they sank slowly into the mattress, the warmth of his body pressing against hers. Their lips moved in sync, unhurried but intense, each kiss lingering just a little too long.

Time blurred until her breath grew shallow, and only then did Fu Jing Rong pull away. He knew exactly where the line was — and for now, it was one he would not cross. She still hadn’t regained her full strength, and until then, this was the only way to quench the fire in his chest.

They kissed again. And again. Soft, slow rounds that left her breathless and his eyes dark with restraint.

Finally, Hua Jing curled into his arms, her head resting against his chest. She picked up her phone and resumed scrolling.

Fu Jing Rong’s gaze fell on the screen. His brows drew together the moment he saw Hua Ling’s smiling face beside Xu Ming. The sight was like ice down his spine. That woman had stolen Hua Jing from the hospital and left her in that remote, cold house deep in the forest — alone, helpless. If he hadn’t woken up in time, she might not even be alive now.

His eyes narrowed, a dangerous chill flickering in them.

Sensing his mood shift, Hua Jing tilted her head up. "What?"

He reached down, playing with her hair casually, but his voice was edged. "Nothing. They’re just... an eyesore."

She followed his gaze to the couple on her screen, and her lips curved in agreement. "That’s right. A complete eyesore."

Looking at Fu Jing Rong’s reaction, Hua Jing couldn’t help but remember the ancient world they had once lived in.

It was the day Hua Ling and Xu Ming were to be married. She had attended too — she was Hua Ling’s sister, after all — and Chen Li, Hua Ling’s mother, had been quick to tattle about the grand occasion.

Chen Li’s intentions were clear as day. If she could lure Crown Prince Zhao Yan to the wedding, the event would instantly gain a high place in the eyes of the empire. His presence would mean prestige, power, and face. It would mark the Hua family as one worthy of royal acknowledgment.

But fate had no intention of giving Chen Li what she wanted.

When Zhao Yan arrived, the opposite happened. His eyes had quickly pierced through the glittering decorations and smiling faces, landing instead on Hua Jing. And in that moment, the truth had surfaced — the cruelty and humiliation she had suffered in her own home before being married off.

That knowledge had set Zhao Yan ablaze with anger.

It was not the polite anger of a court prince. It was a cold, lethal fury, the kind that stripped titles and toppled power. He had wasted no time in making his stance clear — Hua Jing was not to be treated as an ornament for the Hua family’s benefit, and the wedding they had so painstakingly prepared would be destroyed from the inside out.

The uproar that followed was unforgettable. Chen Li’s pleased expression had shattered in an instant. Hua Ling’s face had gone pale as the carefully built illusion of her perfect day collapsed into chaos. The guests had whispered, scandal brewing in every corner, and by the time the dust settled, the wedding was nothing more than a cruel joke.

Hua Jing could still recall how Zhao Yan had stood at her side that day, his presence like an unshakable mountain. Every word he spoke had carried weight, and every glare he sent was like a blade.

Her lips curved faintly at the memory.

Now, sitting beside Fu Jing Rong in this world, she could not shake the thought that Zhao Yan’s rage had followed him here. His protectiveness felt the same. The way his gaze had darkened at Hua Ling and Xu Ming’s names was almost identical to that day when he had stood in front of the Hua family, unyielding and furious.

Because here, too, the pattern had repeated.

The Hua family had not treated her well. They had turned a blind eye when Hua Ling brazenly stole her fiancé. They had stayed silent, just as they had back then, even when she was left humiliated.

And just like before, the message was clear.

She had no place in the Hua family’s heart.

Only usefulness. Only when she could bring them benefits.

Everything else... could be discarded without a second thought.

Fu Jing Rong looked at her happy expression and asked softly, "What is so funny?"