Her plea clearly annoyed Qin Haiyue. She saw Qin Haiyue frown, her blue eyes shadowed under the dim yellow glow of the nightlight.
“Did I treat you too well tonight, making you think you could push your luck again?”
Her hand moved threateningly to Ye Xingmian’s neck, where a leather collar was fastened. The chain had been pulled off earlier, deemed a nuisance by Qin Haiyue.
Ye Xingmian panicked, instinctively apologizing, her body trembling violently. “S-sorry…”
Yet, Qin Haiyue remained relentless.
“Isn’t it better to just stay at my place? One bedroom here is bigger than the entire living room of that Lin family’s house.”
“As long as you’re obedient and don’t try to run away, I can even remove your chain. We have a swimming pool, an entertainment room, every place you could imagine.”
She paused, seemingly waiting for the girl in her arms to respond.
However, Ye Xingmian remained utterly silent, not daring to utter a word, only trembling intensely.
Knowing Ye Xingmian was afraid, Qin Haiyue simply smiled, embracing the girl’s frail body even more gently and warmly.
At this moment, she was gentler than ever before, yet like a python trying to strangle its prey.
“Stop thinking about your class monitor, Liu Yinuo. She can’t give you anything. She can’t even stand up to her own parents. What use is going to her, besides being a burden?”
Her voice was soft and coaxing, though it was unclear how many words actually reached the girl in her arms.
But it didn’t matter. She continued, “And that Lin family, why do you want to go back? They don’t love you. That place will never be your home.”
“Your younger sister bullies you too, doesn’t she? It shows your status in that house must be low. So, why go back?”
“Also, what about that mother of yours who abandoned you and hasn’t been seen for so long… haven’t you ever wondered why she hasn’t come looking for you or come to get you all this time?”
“What if she simply doesn’t want to find you? What if she’s already had enough of you? Besides, she’s just a woman, with no diploma, no skills. She might not even be able to take care of herself. Is she really worth your hope?”
The trembling of the girl in her arms intensified. Qin Haiyue believed her words were having an effect and smiled.
“So, just stay at my house, okay? As long as you’re good and obedient, be my little pet, I won’t hit you. I can take care of you. Stay here forever. I have money. I can give you anything you want. How about it?”
Ye Xingmian felt an unprecedented fear from Qin Haiyue’s words.
Her body trembled violently.
Forever… locked up here…?
She would rather die now than face such a terrifying future.
“Hmm? Why? Didn’t I make it sound good enough?”
Not angry, Qin Haiyue propped her head up with her hand, looking down at Ye Xingmian’s profile.
Ye Xingmian, however, was only terrified by the future she described, remaining silent. She had just recovered from that extreme situation earlier and naturally had no mental space to ponder Qin Haiyue’s words.
Although, even if she thought it through clearly, she would never agree.
Qin Haiyue had anticipated her reaction and ultimately didn’t press the matter. The conversation ended inconclusively.
It was predictable that Qin Haiyue wouldn’t let her go anytime soon. How long would this last? A day? Two days? Or longer? She didn’t know. In any case, she held little hope for tomorrow.
She had had enough. A whole day of darkness and loneliness had nearly driven her mad. She wanted to sleep, but the dryness in her throat burned and ached unbearably.
She managed to fall asleep, only to be awakened by thirst, her stomach also aching from hunger upon waking.
How much longer would days like this last?
The future seemed wrapped in a pitch-black curtain, placing a coffin lid over her soul. Not a sliver of light was visible, only suffocating despair.
The thought that such days would continue for who knows how long drove her nearly to madness.
What could she pray for? She had prayed with hope all day, constantly thinking—her foster parents, the Lin family, teachers at school… She had lost all hope in these people.
Only Liu Yinuo’s name retained a faint, weak glimmer of light.
How she wished Liu Yinuo would come to save her today.
But as night fell, that expectation ultimately shattered.
Could she still hope? Would Liu Yinuo really come?
Ah, when it came down to it, why should she come to save her?
Just because of some unexplained kindness? Or a bit of pity?
Maybe it was just her own wishful thinking.
In the dead of night, Qin Haiyue behind her had quietly fallen asleep, but she remained awake, her eyes open, the whites streaked with unsettling blood vessels.
***
The next day.
When she woke, Qin Haiyue was already gone. The bedroom was still pitch black, making it impossible to tell the time. The chain had been reattached to her neck, making a clinking sound with her movements.
She sat up almost neurotically, grabbing the chain behind her neck and pulling with brute force until she choked, until the pain became unbearable.
Only when her strength gave out did this near-self-harm behavior stop.
She lay on the bed, her head hanging over the edge, gasping for breath, her eyes fixed dead on the dark ceiling.
Footsteps sounded outside from someone unknown, but she paid no attention. She just stared blankly.
—A knock sounded at the door.
“Miss Ye, the young mistress asked me to bring you breakfast this morning. I have it here. Could you open the door?”
Breakfast?
That voice… sounded familiar.
Ye Xingmian’s hair was somewhat disheveled, her bangs partially obscuring her vision. She sat up, a hint of confusion rising in her eyes.
She walked to the door and placed her hand on the handle. She hadn’t expected it to open, but with a gentle pull, it did—clearly, Qin Haiyue hadn’t locked it when she left.
Outside stood a middle-aged man wearing sunglasses, a kind smile on his face.
However, upon seeing her, his smile stiffened and then fell.
Ye Xingmian sensed a bit of concern in his gaze.
She lowered her eyes, turning her head away, not wanting him to look at her. The chain around her neck clinked with the movement.
After a night’s rest, her voice had returned to normal, though it still carried a trace of exhaustion.
“Breakfast…? Just put it inside, thank you.”
The driver placed the food inside the room, nodded to her without a word, and left.
Ye Xingmian closed the door. Even though she desperately wanted to see the world outside the room, at this moment, she only wanted to shrink back inside.
Opening the packaging, inside was a simple breakfast: a few steamed buns, a cup of soy milk, and a thermos filled with water.
She ate quietly. As she ate, tears suddenly began to fall.
She wiped her tears and continued eating.
***
Outside the villa, the driver sat in his car and dialed a number.
It connected quickly.
“Hello, boss, the young mistress, she…”
He instinctively wanted to blurt out what he had just seen and heard, but then the voice that came from the other end made him freeze.
“This is Qin Jiangmian. What did you want to say?”