Yan Sui’s eyes flickered slightly.
Aside from the few strands of hair she was missing, everything else was exactly as she had left it.
Had someone been here? Just to take a few strands of her hair?
It was so absurd that she wondered if her memory was playing tricks on her.
Naturally, she thought of that cloying, watchful gaze that always seemed to linger on her from time to time.
How interesting.
She meticulously inspected every corner of the room again, confirming that nothing had been tampered with and that there were no hidden cameras or listening devices.
Once she was sure it was safe, she sprinkled a bit of colorless powder near the window.
Then she drifted off into a blissful sleep.
That night, Yan Sui was likely the only one who slept soundly.
Lin Jian was overwhelmed, bowing and scraping as he made countless phone calls, only to end up throwing his phone away with a dark expression.
Since his ex-wife’s death, he had enjoyed only a year of glory before the group began its decline.
Now, the only reason he could still barely cling to the aristocratic circle was the solid foundation of the Yan Group.
Recently, another investment in a new industry had resulted in a devastating loss, causing severe cash flow problems.
The night before, he had pulled strings to invite several influential figures, hoping to seize the opportunity to win them over and ask for their help in navigating the Yan Group through this crisis.
But why had there been a snake?!
Why was there a snake here?!
He felt like tearing his hair out.
In another room, He Wan was consumed by immense fear and agitation.
The cold, slippery sensation still seemed to linger on her calf.
For some reason, the snake had coiled tightly around her, almost crushing her bones, and she couldn’t pry it off no matter how hard she tried!
She called Lin Qi over: “Your coming-of-age banquet was ruined, all because of that bitch Yan Sui!”
Although Lin Qi was also deeply annoyed by the snake, he found his mother’s words absurd: “What does she have to do with it?”
He Wan recalled Yan Sui’s face and the words she had spoken, trembling with rage:
“Are you an idiot? Can’t you see how cunning she is?
“She puts on a pitiful act in front of others but curses me behind my back.”
“And as soon as she showed up, there was a snake. Maybe she was the one who released it!”
But Lin Qi remembered Yan Sui smiling softly at him, her voice gentle and light.
He pushed He Wan’s hand away: “Mom, she’s only a year older than me and grew up in the countryside. Where would she learn such cunning?
“And her releasing the snake? Does she look like someone who’d dare to touch a snake?
“Why do you have to be so harsh? Can’t you even tolerate a girl who won’t compete with me for the inheritance?”
He Wan was completely stunned.
She stared at her son in disbelief.
But Lin Qi had no desire to shoulder his mother’s emotions any longer.
With a dismissive “I’m going back to sleep,” he stormed out of the room.
Inside, the sound of a cup shattering violently against the floor echoed.
Lin Qi returned to his room.
His phone buzzed with a flood of messages, all from his friends asking for Yan Sui’s contact information.
He cursed at each of them, replying: She doesn’t want to add you. Get lost.
Bang!
A loud noise suddenly erupted!
Startled, he looked toward the window.
Something had struck it.
But this was the third floor.
He stood up, hesitantly approached the window, and opened it.
A gust of night wind surged, carrying with it a thick, metallic scent of blood that made his hair stand on end—
A bird had crashed into his window and died!
Its neck was twisted, its feathers stained with blood and stuck to the glass and windowsill.
Its lifeless eyes stared straight at him.
“Fuck!”
He couldn’t help but curse, taking a step back as his heart pounded wildly.
Finally catching his breath, he instinctively reached out to push the dead bird off the windowsill.
Why was today so unlucky!
The moment he pushed, an intense pain exploded in his fingers—
“Holy shit!!”
A razor-sharp blade had suddenly protruded from the bird’s back, stained black with blood, completely invisible in the darkness!
Lin Qi gritted his teeth, staring at the bleeding wound. He grabbed a cup from the table, smashed the bird down, and slammed the window shut.
His heart raced uncontrollably, the searing pain in his hand mingling with the cold, stiff corpse of the dead bird.
It sent shivers down his spine.
After a long while, the light in his room finally went out.
In the darkness not far away, a figure blended into the night let out a faint, malicious, and mocking—
“Tsk.”
Yan Sui slept soundly.
When she woke up in the morning and opened the curtains, the pile of powder remained unchanged.
But outside the window, a wild rose had inexplicably appeared.
The rose was still covered in dew, its delicate petals trembling slightly in the breeze—the most vibrant bloom in the cluster.
Scattered leaves and vines surrounded the rose, as if swept there by a midnight storm.
The girl blinked, picked up the rose, and placed it in the vase by her bed.
After getting ready, she headed downstairs to return to school.
But Lin Jian stopped her.
The middle-aged man had dark circles under his eyes, and his gaze swept over her face as if appraising a decorative piece.
Then, in an unyielding tone, he said:
“Spend the next two days learning etiquette. Tomorrow evening, you’ll accompany me to a banquet.”
Yan Sui blinked.
What, had the schedule for selling off his daughter been moved up?
The girl obediently agreed.
Lin Jian’s tone softened slightly. “Don’t be nervous. This is to formally introduce you into this circle. Make sure to behave well and don’t disappoint me.”
Although last night had been a complete disaster, not everything had been a mistake.
For instance, this morning, he had received messages from several business partners praising the beauty of the daughter he had brought back.
He suddenly realized he had underestimated Yan Sui.
Originally, he had planned to let Yan Sui finish university, gain some polish, and then marry her off.
But now it seemed that a beautiful, innocent girl who had just come of age might have more appeal in the market.
Yan Sui nodded obediently. “Understood, Dad. I’m off to school.”
“Go ahead,” Lin Jian said with a satisfied nod. “Oh, and have the driver take you.”
There was only one driver in the household, and this was the first time Yan Sui had received such preferential treatment.
The girl eagerly got into the car, opened her phone, and casually scrolled through.
Suddenly, a news notification popped up on the screen.
[Middle-aged man found dead naked in an alley, case under investigation…]
Her finger paused, and she tapped open the photo.
Even with the mosaic blur, she recognized the man at a glance—the same one who had harassed her yesterday.
The time of death was just ten minutes after he had harassed her.
She read and reread the news, a faint shiver suddenly creeping up her spine.
This meant the murderer had been no more than five hundred meters away from her.
A vendetta? Impulse killing? Random killing?
But on her way home last night, she hadn’t sensed any danger at all.
Only the feeling of being watched.
The feeling of being watched?
She licked her lips and, almost as if compelled, bookmarked the news article.
Arriving at school,
Yan Sui returned to her dormitory.
The dorm rooms at the elite school were all single occupancy, and Yan Sui loved it here.
Fortunately, Lin Jian cared about his reputation. Even if he had no desire to spend money on her, he would still send her to such a school to gild her image.
After putting down her things and taking a sip of water, it was time to head to her first class.
She slung her backpack over her shoulder and stepped out.
Her slender figure soon disappeared around the corner of the hallway.
Suddenly, the lock on her room door made an almost imperceptible click.
A tall, dark figure slipped silently inside.
Footsteps landed softly on the floor.
His gaze swept across the small room as pale fingertips picked up a long strand of hair that had fallen near the door, carefully tucking it away.
Then, like a ghost, he moved noiselessly toward her bed.
Kneeling on one knee, he lifted the cup from the bedside that Yan Sui had just taken a sip from. His fingers hesitated, then cautiously and delicately touched the faint imprint of her lips left on the rim.
Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the door!
Yan Sui flung the door open!