Xue Lingjun removed her silk blouse and stepped into the bathing tub. Rose petals covered the warm, clear water. She had always pursued perfection, and her demands in daily life verged on the exacting. Her flawless white body sank into the water like a white lotus quietly unfolding. She was in the finest years of a woman's life, a time of beauty and maturity. Yet as she stroked her delicate, silky skin, a trace of indescribable sadness stirred within her. A woman's prime was fleeting, and she would be no exception. Before long, her beauty would fade. An ordinary woman whom no one noticed might accept that peacefully, but she had lived beneath other people's gaze since birth, accustomed to their admiration and respect. If one day she appeared before them with crane-white hair and chicken-skin wrinkles, and their admiration and warmth turned to contempt and indifference, what sorrow that would be.
If that day ever came, I would rather die!
Xue Lingjun's emotions quickly settled, and the fear in her eyes transformed in an instant into seductive tenderness. She carefully searched the other person's face for any familiar features. Soon, she was certain she had never seen that face before.
The ugly, sleazy-looking man gestured for her to be silent, then drew a dagger. Its blade hovered barely half an inch from her face. Most women treasured their looks more than their lives, and Xue Lingjun was especially so. She glanced at the blade and understood his intent. "What do you want?" she asked softly. Her deliberately lowered voice carried a distinctive allure, plainly tempting a man into sin. As she spoke, she deliberately bent her right leg, exposing most of its enchanting length above the water.
The man kept his gaze fixed on her eyes. In a hoarse