He Qian took only one day off before returning to school. He was hiding from Zhou Xuying. That madman actually loved him!
“Zhou Xuying, do you like me?”
“Yes.”
He Qian’s suspicion was correct; Zhou Xuying had wanted to possess him all along. In his original world, perhaps because He Qian’s father was a powerful prosecutor, he would not have fallen into those clutches so easily. But now, He Qian had nothing. He was a lamb to the slaughter, forced to endure the man’s obsession.
He Qian had not slept all night. Zhou Xuying’s distorted love terrified him. The love of a madman was no different from a normal person holding a knife and saying, “I want to kill you.” A chill ran down the back of He Qian’s neck.
Upon returning to school, he walked so quickly that he collided with someone. His dazed state caused him to stumble back two steps. “I am sorry,” he murmured, looking up wearily.
A familiar face entered his vision: Shen Xi.
Shen Xi was He Qian’s best friend. Their families were of similar status, they were close in age, and they had grown up together. Naturally, they became friends. He was also the person He Qian had turned to for help during his second escape attempt.
That second escape happened while He Qian was on his way to deliver a meal to Zhou Xuying. He had fled under the pretext of buying Zhou Xuying a gift and happened to run into Shen Xi. He had grabbed Shen Xi’s hand, desperate.
“Help me, help me call the police. Someone is illegally detaining me! Shen Xi, save me!”
Shen Xi had been surprised that the stranger before him knew his name. He froze for two seconds, his eyes wary rather than their usual gentle self. “What did you say?”
“Someone is illegally detaining me,” He Qian said, forcing himself to stay calm.
Shen Xi did not say much but took He Qian to the police station. Half an hour later, Shen Xi had to leave due to an emergency at home. He Qian sat alone in the station, nervously clutching the hem of his shirt.
Another thirty minutes passed, and heavy rain began to fall outside. Zhou Xuying appeared at the entrance holding a black umbrella. He beckoned to He Qian with one hand, his eyes dark and sinister, like a demon from hell. He Qian shrank back, his lips turning pale.
The police officer reviewed the identification documents Zhou Xuying had submitted, verified them again, and allowed Zhou Xuying to take He Qian away. The officer even said to He Qian, “He is the trustee appointed by your family before their passing. You are purely concealing the truth and wasting police resources!”
He Qian’s lips trembled as he looked at the information Zhou Xuying had fabricated: He Qian, 19 years old, both parents deceased. There was even a letter of entrustment. Zhou Xuying had forged his entire identity. He Qian had no way to argue; without family, he could not overturn that document.
He followed Zhou Xuying out. Under the black umbrella, He Qian stood as far away as possible, his fists clenched. His body was mostly soaked, and water droplets clung to his face as he bit his lip, trembling.
Zhou Xuying pulled him back into his arms with one hand. He Qian snatched the entrustment letter, tore it to shreds, and then bit Zhou Xuying’s arm fiercely, leaving a clear set of teeth marks.
Thunder crashed, and torrential rain hammered against the umbrella. Zhou Xuying leaned down to bite He Qian’s earlobe, whispering unclearly, “Why do you think Shen Xi suddenly had to go home?”
He Qian’s heart turned cold instantly. After bringing him home, Zhou Xuying sat on the sofa with his legs crossed and forced He Qian to watch the news. Shen Xi’s family was embroiled in scandals, their stock had plummeted, and the elder Mr. Shen had been hospitalized in the intensive care unit out of anger.
Zhou Xuying tilted He Qian’s frozen chin upward. “Destroying someone is far easier than you imagine. Do you want to try?”
“Zhou Xuying.”
“He Qian! I asked if you want to try?”
“No.”
Zhou Xuying lit a cigarette, a cold light flickering in his eyes. With a bang, he smashed the ashtray on the floor, shattering it into porcelain shards. “Then be obedient!”
His leather shoes crunched over the shards as he walked toward He Qian. Under his dark gaze, all restraint vanished. The “gift” had been a lie; He Qian only wanted to run. Zhou Xuying gripped the back of He Qian’s neck, demanding he be voluntary and well behaved. The strength in his hand felt as if it would crush He Qian’s bones, a pain he remembered to this day.
“Is it you?” Shen Xi recognized He Qian.
He Qian froze.
“How did that matter turn out? Are you also a student at the China University of Political Science and Law?” Shen Xi looked at He Qian’s military uniform. “A freshman?”
“Yes.”
He Qian’s eyes flickered. He brushed past Shen Xi and walked away. He did not dare speak to him, fearing he would provoke that madman, Zhou Xuying.
As He Qian walked away, a younger student in a military uniform beside Shen Xi nudged his arm. “Senior, do you know him?”
“I do not know him, I have seen him.”
“Where did you see him? He Qian is my classmate. He usually does not socialize with anyone in class. He is probably rich; he is picked up and dropped off in luxury cars every day. He is a Beijing local, just like you, Senior. Do you really not know him?”
Shen Xi shook his head. “I saw him at the police station.”
The autumn wind blew bitterly, and soon a heavy rain began. Military training was moved indoors and continued for several days until the weather cleared for the final two days. He Qian had not fully recovered from his illness, and the rain had made it worse.
His fever persisted, yet he insisted on coming to school. Since his confrontation with Zhou Xuying, he had been deliberately avoiding him. Zhou Xuying seemed to sense this and had not come to the hotel to find him for several days. Even so, Zhou Xuying would not let him go. He Qian could not escape this abyss.
After military training ended, the atmosphere in the class became noticeably warmer, except for He Qian. He remained cold, like a block of ice that no one could melt.
On the first day classes resumed, Chen Ran sat next to He Qian as usual. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yes.”
“About that training institution.”
“No need, thank you.”
Chen Ran looked at him, nodding blankly and saying “oh” several times before turning back to focus on the lecture.
In the afternoon, the class teacher tagged everyone in the group chat, saying there was a lecture that evening and everyone needed to bring their lecture notebooks for stamping. He Qian had no classes in the afternoon, so he went to his tutoring job arranged by Zhou Xuying. The student was an athlete recovering from an injury at home. The residence was very close to the university, only a ten-minute walk.
He Qian usually went there directly when he had no classes, but he had not expected an evening session. He only saw the group message at dusk. By the time he arrived with his notebook, the lecture was about to start. The auditorium was packed. When he entered, Chen Ran waved to him.
He Qian found it difficult to find a seat in the crowd but eventually sat down. As soon as he sat, he heard a girl whispering to another.
“Today’s lecture is about financial crime cases. I heard the speaker is a well-known entrepreneur in Beijing.”
“Then the financial crimes he deals with must be cases only Red Circle law firms touch, right? This is textbook material!”
The moderator’s voice came from the stage. “Students, please be quiet.”
“Today, the China University of Political Science and Law is honored to invite the well-known entrepreneur, Mr. Zhou Xuying!”
The words that followed turned into a piercing ringing in He Qian’s ears. His blood seemed to freeze as he looked up rigidly. His gaze cut through the crowd, the applause, and the lights, landing directly on Zhou Xuying, who stood there in a tailored suit.