Volume 1 Chapter 2: The Past
Ruan Yu was six years old when she was taken out of the orphanage by Mr. and Mrs. Ruan. From then on, her identity changed from an orphan with no parents to the only daughter of the Ruan family.
For a long time, Ruan Yu felt as if she were dreaming—like Cinderella suddenly surrounded by fantasy, everything was so beautiful. Only occasionally would she lose focus, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.
Ruan’s mother, Lu Yuan, was a well-known artist. Her love story with Ruan’s father, Ruan Zhen, was a favorite tale in their social circle, and their journey of struggle had been featured multiple times in financial newspapers.
However, their child had never been seen in public; no one had ever laid eyes on the fruit of their love.
Ruan Yu had also been moved by their love story and became even more convinced that she had struck incredible luck to be adopted by such a wonderful couple.
But as she grew older, children in their teenage years tend to be more sensitive. Ruan Yu began to notice something strange about them. For instance, they didn’t allow her to attend school, instead hiring several private tutors to teach her everything she needed to learn. Occasionally, the way they looked at her didn’t seem like the gaze of parents, but more like that of butchers in a slaughterhouse.
Every few months, Lu Yuan would personally return to check on Ruan Yu’s development. She didn’t allow a single flaw in Ruan Yu, from her hair to her toes, sparing no effort in maintaining every detail.
They were hiding a secret, one that everyone around them knew about, yet no one ever spoke a word of it to her.
Ruan Yu sensed something was off. Could it be that her parents had adopted her for another purpose?
But when faced with her parents’ gentle smiles, she felt ashamed of her own suspicions.
Although Lu Yuan and Ruan Zhen didn’t put much effort into raising her—leaving all of Ruan Yu’s affairs to the servants and barely seeing her a few times a year—the kindness of adopting her was still genuine. To speculate about them like this made her feel like an ungrateful wretch.
Ruan Yu despised her own sensitivity more than once.
Until the night before her eighteenth birthday.
For the first time, Lu Yuan visited her before bedtime. Her well-maintained hand gently stroked Ruan Yu’s hair as she said with satisfaction, “You are perfect.” Her gaze subtly drifted downward, lingering on Ruan Yu’s fair, pinkish skin, and the smile at the corner of her lips deepened slightly.
Lost in the long-awaited warmth of familial affection, Ruan Yu flushed with excitement. “Because I am Mother’s child.”
“Hahaha,” Lu Yuan laughed, her expression unexpectedly not one of pride or tenderness. “Is that what you think? How…” She didn’t finish her sentence, instead handing over a cup of warm milk.
“Drink this and sleep well. You’ll be an adult tomorrow, and Mother has a big gift for you.”
Ruan Yu felt an inexplicable unease but obediently drank the milk under Lu Yuan’s watchful gaze.
Lu Yuan, in high spirits, took a tissue and wiped the traces from the corner of Ruan Yu’s mouth. “Goodnight. I hope you’ll like the gift tomorrow.”
…
When Ruan Yu woke up again, she found herself in an unfamiliar room, wearing nothing but a thin silk camisole. A wave of heat surged through her body, accompanied by a dense, throbbing ache and itchiness.
The surroundings resembled a hotel room, and judging by the decor, it seemed to be a presidential suite.
She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.
The faint sound of running water came from the bathroom—someone else was in the room!
On the floor by the bathroom door lay a pile of clothes, all in men’s styles.
Her head spun uncontrollably, but faced with the gradually fading sound of water, her survival instinct forced her to push herself up. Slowing her steps, she opened the bedroom door despite the maddening itch, just as the bathroom door swung open.
A large, stout man walked out completely naked, locking eyes with Ruan Yu standing in the doorway.
A buzzing sound filled Ruan Yu’s ears, drowning out everything for a second. The noise echoed in her mind as her feverish body nearly gave out. Without another moment’s hesitation, she yanked the door open and fled.
“Ruan Yu!” the man shouted hoarsely, but she ignored him, running desperately without even time to feel fear.
The hotel was vast. She raced down the corridor, not encountering a single person along the way. Her throat burned so painfully she couldn’t make a sound.
Her strength waned, the scene before her growing increasingly blurry, but she dared not collapse.
The greasy man’s voice seemed to whisper right beside her ear, as if another second would bring his hand grasping her arm.
Goosebumps crawled over Ruan Yu’s skin. She was on the verge of breaking.
Just hold on a little longer. Once I find Mom, everything will be fine.
Ruan Yu silently encouraged herself, but her consciousness slipped away uncontrollably. Just as her strength failed, a strong arm caught her steadily.
The pleasant scent of pinewood washed over her as her body pressed against the crisp fabric of a suit. Relief washed through her, and only then did boundless panic surge from deep within.
The world before her blurred into overlapping shadows. She wanted to cry for help, but the first words that left her lips were: “I feel awful… Could you hold me?”
As soon as she spoke, Ruan Yu keenly sensed the man’s displeasure, but the feverish heat in her body left no room for further thought.
Driven by an instinctive longing, she pressed against the man’s solid chest, rubbing against him familiarly as if she had done so many times before, finding a sense of security.
She froze for a moment. Everything that had happened today was beyond her ability to process. Her mind buzzed with noise one moment, then echoed with that man’s furious shouts the next.
Naturally, her eyes reddened, tears welling up but not quite falling. “I’m so uncomfortable… Please help me.”
The man seemed to sigh, then took off his jacket and wrapped it around her slender frame. Holding her securely with one arm, he turned and carried her into a room.
His warm lips, rough fingers, and the pleasant scent that clung to him brought Ruan Yu immense relief.
It was like a hunter saving a witch from the flames.
Ruan Yu allowed herself to sink into his tenderness.
“Don’t kiss there…” Later, as Ruan Yu regained some clarity, her expression was a mix of satisfaction and grievance. She covered her neck.
Her enchanting eyes shimmered, gazing directly at the man.
“Be good, I won’t kiss there anymore.” His voice was hoarse—was it because of her? A secret sense of satisfaction stirred within Ruan Yu.
Unable to resist, she raised her hand and clumsily reached out, touching the man’s tall, sweat-dampened nose bridge.
A soft, satisfied laugh escaped her lips, but her head remained heavy and foggy, waves of restlessness coursing through her body.
After what felt like an eternity, a knock sounded at the door. Ruan Yu saw Lu Yuan rush in and finally allowed herself to drift into a deep, relieved sleep.
Mom is here. I’m safe now.
…………
Later, Ruan Yu learned that Lu Yuan had only wanted to adopt her because of her looks, and all those years of grooming had merely been to turn her into a tradable object.
It was Lu Yuan who personally delivered her to the room of that greasy, fat pig, all because he had a major order deal with the Ruan family.
But unexpectedly, Ruan Yu woke up earlier than planned and fled the room, only to be taken advantage of by a stranger. The business partner was furious, and the ensuing troubles left Lu Yuan overwhelmed. She urgently needed to find another untouched girl to make amends.
The mishap caused by Ruan Yu displeased Lu Yuan—such a carefully cultivated object had now become worthless in her hands.
Though she could no longer use Ruan Yu as a bargaining chip, Lu Yuan couldn’t simply give up on over a decade of investment.
Resentment and unwillingness festered in Lu Yuan’s heart, marking the beginning of a three-year imprisonment.