Su Tao stood frozen in place. Countless photographs of her covered the wall, all of them staring back at her.
Her mind buzzed.
“Ah, you found it.”
Su Tao suddenly turned around.
Lu Shiyu leaned against the doorframe with a camera in his hand. With the light behind him, she could not make out his expression.
“Taotao.”
He took a step toward her.
“I didn’t want things to turn out like this.”
As he drew closer, the red light in the secret room slowly illuminated his face.
Su Tao finally saw the dark, obsessive intensity hidden in his eyes.
A sharp alarm rang out in her mind. Fachai’s voice was frantic.
【Host! Host! The male lead’s character has collapsed! His blackening value has exceeded the threshold! He has entered an uncontrollable state! The host’s current condition is extremely dangerous! Please evacuate immediately. Please—】
With a burst of static, Fachai’s voice was abruptly cut off, leaving only a piercing electrical noise.
Su Tao covered her ears and staggered toward the door.
But her body would not obey her. Her legs felt as heavy as lead, and every step seemed to sink into a swamp.
The exit was clearly only a few steps away, yet the door seemed farther and farther from her.
Her knees suddenly gave way, and she fell toward the floor.
A pair of strong arms caught her securely.
That familiar scent, the faint fragrance of laundry detergent… It had once made her feel safe. Now it sent a chill through her.
Su Tao used the last of her strength to push Lu Shiyu away. Her palm pressed against his chest, but she could not move him.
“What… what did you do to me…?”
During the struggle, the sparkling water beside the beanbag was knocked over.
The plastic bottle fell onto the floor, and the liquid spilled out, fizzing softly in the silent room.
Su Tao stared at the puddle and suddenly understood.
She had been drugged.
Lu Shiyu lowered his head. His lips brushed lightly against her ear, his breath warm and his voice quiet.
“I’m sorry, Taotao. I can’t let you leave me.”
He suddenly lifted her into his arms and carried her deeper into the dark room.
Su Tao’s consciousness gradually blurred. The scene before her melted away, and the entire world was swallowed by the red light.
Her consciousness slowly returned.
She was still in that red-lit dark room.
She tried to move and discovered that her hands were restrained.
She was lying on a tilted leather recliner, her hands secured on either side.
The black metal rack stood directly in front of her. The objects on it gleamed coldly beneath the red light.
Su Tao closed her eyes and dug her fingernails into her palms.
It was a dream. It had to be a dream.
She counted to three and opened her eyes.
The same black rack.
The same red light.
“Awake?”
Lu Shiyu’s voice came from behind her.
He stepped out of the shadows, holding a glass of water. His expression was calm, even carrying a hint of gentle concern.
It was exactly the same expression he had worn on countless mornings when he brought her warm milk.
This gave Su Tao a glimmer of hope.
Lu Shiyu had always been gentle. Perhaps what had happened earlier was only because she had asked to break up and he had acted impulsively.
Maybe there was still a chance to turn things around. Maybe if she softened her attitude and acted spoiled, he would become the same person he had always been.
Su Tao instinctively tried to reach for his arm, but her hands were restrained.
She could only lift her head and look at him with a hint of timid pleading.
“Lu Shiyu, my hands hurt. Can you untie me first?”
Lu Shiyu smiled and gently stroked her head. His palm was warm.
“Taotao.”
He lowered his head and met her eyes.
“I told you. Lies have to be punished.”
His hand moved down from the top of her head, his fingertips brushing lightly across her cheek. His voice remained gentle.
“This is your punishment.”
The smile on Su Tao’s face froze. The corners of her lips slowly fell.
She looked into his eyes, trying to find even the slightest trace of a joke, but all she saw was seriousness.
“How long are you going to keep me here?” Her voice was dry. “You can’t keep me locked up for the rest of my life.”
Lu Shiyu tilted his head, as if seriously considering the question.
“Why can’t I?”
Su Tao finally felt genuine fear. Her voice trembled.
“Lu Shiyu, this is unlawful imprisonment.”
He did not argue. He crouched down, bringing his gaze level with hers.
“This wouldn’t have been necessary. We could have been happy together. But, Taotao, why did you have to break up with me?”
“Just thinking about you being with another man makes it hard for me to breathe.”
“You were the one who came into my life first. You can’t just abandon me like this.”
Su Tao looked at the familiar yet frightening face before her and felt a chill run through her.
【Fachai!】 Su Tao desperately called out in her mind. 【Are you there? What should I do now?】
【Ho…st…】
Fachai’s voice came through intermittently, fragmented and broken.
【Male lead… collapsed… system… malfunction… static… attempting… repair… static…】
Then came another burst of piercing electrical noise.
After the noise faded, there was nothing.
She called out in her mind again and again, but the only response was complete silence.
The system had broken down. No one could help her now.
Fear surged up from deep within her chest, and tears suddenly streamed down Su Tao’s face.
She wanted to wipe them away, but she could not move her hands. She could only let the tears run down her cheeks.
Lu Shiyu reached out, wanting to wipe away her tears. Her instinctive fear made her turn her head away.
His hand stopped in midair.
After a long moment, he gently held her chin and kissed her.
The kiss was forceful and overwhelming, leaving her frightened and unable to react.
Su Tao struggled to catch her breath, her mind going blank from the sudden closeness.
His hand rested at her waist, and the contact sent a tremor through her.
Su Tao felt an unfamiliar warmth spreading through her body.
Something stirred within her, confusing and impossible to control.
She felt ashamed.
Under these circumstances, restrained, imprisoned, and overwhelmed by fear, her body seemed to react despite what she truly felt.
Her thoughts gradually became hazy, and her reason began to slip away.
Instinctively, she tilted her head back and responded to his kiss, a faint sound escaping her throat.
For a moment, she even found herself leaning toward him.
However, just when she was completely overwhelmed by the confusion, Lu Shiyu suddenly pulled away.
Su Tao froze for a second.
A tremendous sense of emptiness swept over her.
The places he had touched felt strangely sensitive, leaving behind an uncomfortable restlessness.
It spread slowly beneath her skin, leaving her shaken and confused.
Lu Shiyu looked at her.
He saw her dazed eyes and trembling expression, then smiled.
“Looks like the drug is starting to take effect.”
The back of Lu Shiyu’s finger gently brushed across her cheek.
The touch was extremely light.
Yet Su Tao’s body suddenly shuddered, and a strange warmth spread from the place he had touched.
Su Tao whispered, “Lu Shiyu… what… what did you do to me…?”