In ancient times, the powerful and wealthy seized power step by step.

Lord Gu's so-called "more desire" is not just empty talk.

He held Zhu Qingyu's face, preventing her from moving, and kissed her all the way from her ear back to her cheek, gently pecking and licking her lips, rolling the last bit of lip gloss on her lips into the tip of his tongue, using the tip of his tongue to pry open her teeth, sharing her own taste with her, and demonstrating to her what he meant by "more wanted".

On her way here, Zhu Qingyu had spent a long time preparing herself mentally, displaying a reckless courage that could have numb her and allowed her to complete the transaction. However, this resolve was just interrupted.

Once the will to fight is broken, it is difficult to rekindle.

Lord Gu's presence was so strong, and the two were so close. Whether it was his forceful and passionate demands during their passionate kiss or his haphazard exploration of her body, she couldn't possibly shut herself off. She could only instinctively want to escape.

But she was trapped between the bed and his body, with nowhere to escape or hide.

Her helpless and silent struggles beneath him were so weak; her attempts to avoid and push away during their entanglement were more like a playful refusal, utterly devoid of any offensive power. Instead of making Gu Zhao stop, they only made him more engrossed and unable to control himself any longer.

Why are you avoiding me?

You're already on my boat, where do you think you can hide?

Her avoidance and resistance fueled his anger and caused him to lose control even further.

What he wanted was the intoxicating response from her, just like in countless haunting dreams.

When Gu Zhao lost control and tore open her clothes, trying to put his hand inside, Zhu Qingyu could no longer remain indifferent. She grabbed his hand and stopped him from going any further.

Gu Zhao finally stopped, neither continuing nor getting up.

A chaotic and dangerous atmosphere permeated the air.

Her breathing was disordered, and his aura was dangerous.

Gu Zhao let out a long sigh of relief, finally steadying his breathing. He slightly increased the distance between himself and her, and asked:

"The person has changed, are you not used to it?"

This is a dangerous topic, because no matter how she answers, it will always involve Zhang Shen. Once Zhang Shen is involved, it will inevitably rekindle Lord Gu's murderous intent that has just subsided.

She eventually needed to talk to him about wanting to see Zhang Shen, but she needed a suitable time, not today, not at this time.

Bringing it up at this time will only add fuel to the fire.

Zhu Qingyu took several steps back, hiding herself deeper into the bed, then pulled the blanket up to cover her torn front, and whispered:

"Shouming, you're pressing on my wound, it hurts a lot. Please, be gentle, okay?"

Gu Zhao knew this was just an excuse she had come up with. He had deliberately avoided touching her wounds, but he still got up at her suggestion, moving away from the bed to create more distance between them, and said:

"Okay, you should focus on recovering."

Taking time to recover from an injury is a good excuse; not only does she need it, but he needs it even more.

Gu Zhao realized that he had overestimated his self-control.

The way she pulled her clothes together and hid in bed was so pitiful.

Her hair, half-fallen like dark clouds, and her red lips, marred by makeup, resembled a delicate flower that had been abused. Not only did it tempt one to pluck it, but it also stirred within one a desire to go further, to meld her into one's body and shatter her completely.

He was confident that he would give her time, patience, and trust.

But she had only been in his arms for less than half an hour when he lost control.

His previous self-assurance was simply because she wasn't by his side then.

When she appears in his sight, she doesn't even need to do anything special; a simple gesture like rolling up her trousers to reveal half her leg is enough to make him lose his composure.

If it's out of control, then it's out of control.

Gu Zhao gave up resisting his instincts. He was simply unable to control his physical attraction to her. He had struggled with it before, but now he didn't want to break free.

Why try to break free?

Since it's destined to get out of control, it's better to succumb.

Now that she's here, she's destined to belong to him.

He could accept her excuse of recovering from an injury, which was a good opportunity to give the sudden change in their relationship a buffer, allowing her some time to adapt and gradually get used to him.

But she had to be clear that she would eventually have to accept him, both physically and spiritually.

Gu Zhao understood why she resisted. This naive woman must still think she had a way out, that her efforts would be rewarded, and that others would understand her helplessness.

Although it was cruel, Gu Zhao decided to sever her unrealistic hopes and said:

"Qingyu, you need to understand that now that you've boarded my ship in public, there's no going back to the Zhang family."

Zhu Qingyu was not surprised by what Gu Zhao said and nodded calmly:

"I know, I'm not planning to go back to the Zhang family."

Worldly chastity meant nothing to her, but it was of great significance to the world.

From the moment she boarded the ship alone, even though nothing happened between her and Gu Zhao, in the eyes of the world, everything had already happened.

But what does it matter? She can no longer be the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhang family, but she can still be the daughter-in-law of the Zhu family. She can support herself with her medical fees.

Although she could only earn a little money and her living conditions would be drastically different from when she was in the Zhang family, with her consumption level plummeting, she had always been an ordinary girl from a humble family who wore simple clothes and ate home-cooked meals. Returning to her previous standard of living was not a big deal.

Although somewhat surprised that Zhu Qingyu accepted it so calmly, her answer still calmed Gu Zhao's agitated and out-of-control heart.

Since she wasn't planning to return to the Zhang family, where else could she go besides here?

In Gu Zhao's heart, this was almost a promise she made to him.

Because of this promise, Gu Zhao's tone softened, and he returned to his usual gentle and polite demeanor:

"I was too hasty just now and lost control, hurting you. I'm very sorry. I'll give you time to recover and get used to me. Once you're healed, we'll have a long future ahead of us and get to know each other better."

When Gu Zhao said she could no longer return to the Zhang family, Zhu Qingyu remained calm. But now, when he said the words "there's plenty of time in the future," he truly shocked Zhu Qingyu.

She thought their relationship was just a short-term transaction, but the phrase "there's plenty of time" meant that Gu Zhao wanted to develop a lasting and stable relationship.

This isn't modern times. In this world, given the huge difference in their social status, and the fact that she's a married woman, the only possible long-term relationship between them would be as a mistress or a concubine, neither of which she could accept.

Things got out of control, far beyond her expectations.

Perhaps it was because the shocked expression on Zhu Qingyu's face was too obvious, Gu Zhao thought to himself, could he really be so wicked in her eyes, just a villain who played with innocent women and was irresponsible?

Yes, since she promised him she wouldn't go back to the Zhang family, he should also give her a promise to take responsibility for her.

Gu Zhao said in a solemn tone:

"Don't worry, although I'm not a gentleman, I'm not a philanderer who starts relationships and then abandons them. Since you're with me, I will treat you well and won't leave you without a place to live."