Luna was curled up on the small cot, her head buried deep under the covers. Gideon walked over and pulled the blanket back from her head. Seeing her flushed face, the corners of his lips curved slightly without him realizing.

After an unknown amount of time, he withdrew his gaze. He stood up to turn off the light, but the person on the cot turned over restlessly, appearing as though she might wake at any moment.

Gideon switched on a small orange lamp on the desk. Just as he was about to leave, he heard her murmur. He walked over and realized she was calling his name.

Luna was having a nightmare. She had been thrown into an endless abyss, cold and damp, where no one responded no matter how she cried out.

She was terrified, feeling as though she were dying.

"Gideon, I don't want to love you anymore. It hurts so much, I feel so bad..." She began to cry softly, shivering like a kitten abandoned by the roadside.

Only then did Gideon realize she was burning up with fever.

He frowned and patted her cheek. "Luna, I’m taking you to the hospital."

She shook her head, her face covered in tear tracks. "No, going to the hospital alone is scary. Gideon hates me so much, he won't care even if I die."

Gideon's frown deepened. He reached for his phone to call a doctor, but as soon as he moved, Luna grabbed him, crying even harder. "Don't go. Don't leave me alone."

Chapter 17: Cold Medicine

"I'm not leaving." He let out a silent sigh. Just as he was about to settle her on the bed, Luna clung to him, pressing her lips against his in a disorganized manner.

It was as if long-suppressed emotions had exploded in an instant, desperately seeking an outlet.

She didn't know what she was doing; she was simply instinctively looking for someone to lean on, someone to pull her out of that cold, damp abyss.

Gideon was pushed down by her, his eyes darkening.

In an instant, he took control, cupping the back of her head and invading her space inch by inch.

The temperature in the originally cool room rose sharply.

Luna felt like a rice dumpling being peeled layer by layer. Her most private places were brushed by a gentle hand.

It made her already hot body feel as if it were boiling, desperate for release.

Then, all her scattered consciousness was torn apart in an instant.

She cried out in pain, biting down on his shoulder.

The man above her paused and kissed her sweat-dampened forehead.

After a long time, the small whimpers gradually broke into fragments.

In the study, only the small orange lamp remained lit, flickering with a dim glow.

...

Luna felt that she must have had a fever-induced, ridiculous nightmare.

And she hadn't woken up from this dream yet.

Otherwise, why would Gideon be sleeping beside her, and why were they both wearing nothing?

Luna wasn't stupid. Even if there was a gap between dreams and reality, they couldn't have just been chatting under the covers. This situation was far too bizarre.

She decided to go back to sleep. Maybe the nightmare would be over when she woke up.

By the time Luna woke up again, it was nearly noon. Gideon was indeed gone, but why was she still unclothed, with her garments scattered on the floor?

Luna sat up clutching the blanket, lost in thought.

She wondered if last night had been a dream or if it had actually happened.

Just as she was trying to find a way to deny reality, Gideon walked in. He placed a glass of warm water and two pills on the small table in front of her. Just as he was about to speak, Luna laughed self-deprecatingly. "I know. It's the morning-after pill, right? It's fine. Last night was just an accident. I won't use this to threaten you or make you take responsibility."

She finished speaking and swallowed the pills dry. They scratched her throat, making her eyes water.

Gideon glanced at her before handing her the water. His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "It's cold medicine."

"What?" Luna coughed a few times, abandoning her final shred of stubbornness to take the water. After finally catching her breath, she realized the blanket wrapped around her had slipped.

It revealed her shoulders, a large portion of her chest, and the blue and purple marks covering them.

It was clear how intense the "nightmare" had been.

She hurriedly pulled the blanket tight, trying to say something to break the awkward silence. But what should she say?

It was very comfortable last night, thanks for your hard work?

But she had no memory of it at all; she only felt her body aching.

Moreover, she seemed to remember that she was the one who initiated it.

After some deliberation, Luna spoke solemnly. "Gideon, regarding last night, let's just act as if it never happened. From now on, things will go back to the way they were."

"Mhm." Gideon gave a faint response. He took the glass from her hand, set it on the table, and then spoke slowly. "Then, have you thought about how you want to 'play' today?"

Chapter 18: Perfectly Normal

"..." Luna gave a dry, forced smile. She accidentally met his gaze and found a dangerous, dark tide hidden within those usually cold black eyes.

She instinctively backed up. "I was joking yesterday, don't take it—"

Gideon leaned in, easily pinning her down. "Too late."

...

Because the wedding had delayed her for two days, by the time Luna returned to the office, she had become the target of everyone's attention.

She slinked into the supervisor's office, and after being scolded, she returned to her desk to daydream.

Fortunately, it was late autumn, so the marks on her neck could be hidden by a turtleneck sweater. However, the marks in her heart couldn't be smoothed away so easily.

She didn't understand why things between her and Gideon had turned out like this.

How did they end up as "friends with benefits" while carrying the title of husband and wife?

In her previous life, hadn't he been so disgusted he couldn't even look at her? Why was there such a massive change now?

Luna racked her brain but couldn't figure out where the problem lay.

After work, when she shared her thoughts with Annie, Annie spat a mouthful of water all over her face. "Is there something wrong with your brain? What the hell? 'Friends with benefits'? You're a married couple. Doing that kind of thing is perfectly normal!"

Luna frowned and wiped her face. "But if there's no emotional foundation for the relationship, how is it different from being friends with benefits?"

"...Are you showing off to me? I'm not eating this dog food. Get out."

"Annie, I think I might be doomed again."

After her rebirth, she had finally made up her mind to sever ties with Gideon. But recently, things had gone completely differently than she expected. Gideon seemed to have become someone she didn't recognize.

It seemed she was... falling in love with him again. And the feeling was far more intense than before.

Luna lowered her head, looking dejected.

How useless.

Annie bit her straw and looked at her in confusion. "Lulu, I remember you used to like Gideon a lot. Why do you always seem so repelled by his presence now?"

Luna opened her mouth but didn't know how to explain.

Tell her about the rebirth? If she hadn't experienced it herself, she would never believe such a thing existed.

After a while, she said, "Remember when I was hospitalized? During that time, I had a dream. I dreamt that Gideon and I were married for three years, and he hated me from start to finish. In that house, I had no family or friends. I could only talk to the air every day. Finally, I..."

"Finally, what happened to you?" Annie asked.

Luna smiled and shook her head. "Nothing. It's all in the past."

She had made a decision. She was going to lay her cards on the table with Gideon. No matter the outcome, things couldn't continue in this stalemate.

Back at the villa, Luna felt anxious. She didn't know how to speak so that Gideon would believe her, or how to say goodbye on good terms.

But she was definitely overthinking it, because Gideon didn't come home all night.

When she dragged herself to the study to sleep, she found the cot had been removed. Luna smiled self-deprecatingly. Since he wouldn't even let her stay in the study, why keep her around at all?

In a fit of anger, Luna slept on the sofa in the downstairs living room.

But on the second day and the third day, Gideon still didn't return.

The scenes from her previous life were repeating themselves.

Chapter 19: Nothing to Do With Her