New Novel - Read Here
Smoke curled through the dimly lit study.
Shen Yu sat behind the large black walnut desk, his slender fingers holding a half-burned cigar.
At that moment, he was looking at the massive electronic sand table in front of him. Several flashing red dots on it were located east of the Salween River.
“Speak,” Shen Yu said.
A-Ken stood with his head lowered and replied respectfully, “Yes. The partner from last time said it was a misunderstanding and wants to arrange a meeting with you.”
“A misunderstanding?”
Shen Yu let out a cold laugh. His fingertips lightly tapped the edge of the ashtray, causing the gray-white ashes to fall in tiny fragments.
“In the business world, failing to follow the rules is the biggest taboo. Since he insisted on crossing the line and interfering, there is no need to continue discussing anything.”
A-Ken’s eyelid twitched.
But this was exactly Mr. Shen’s style.
“Also, inform the technical department to upgrade the manor’s security system again this week, especially my building.”
A-Ken was startled. He subconsciously glanced in the direction of the first floor before immediately lowering his head.
“Understood.”
Shen Yu walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the entire Black Wolf’s Den.
The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the distant mountains blood-red, making them look like a massive beast quietly lying in wait.
He was used to controlling everything, the passage of routes, the allocation of assets, and the operations of his entire team of subordinates.
As for the little frightened puppy downstairs, it was nothing more than a tiny bit of entertainment in his dull life.
……
First-floor guest room.
The sound of running water stopped.
A thick layer of steam covered the bathroom mirror.
Xia Zhiyao raised her hand and wiped away a clear patch on the mirror’s surface.
The person reflected in the mirror had skin flushed red from the hot water, yet the color still could not hide her sickly paleness.
Her neck and arms were covered with bruises left behind from the past few days inside the iron cage and on the muddy ground. The sight was shocking.
She picked up the hair dryer from the counter. Her fingers were still trembling slightly because of the long-term tension and malnutrition.
Xia Zhiyao, you’re still alive.
She looked at herself in the mirror and silently encouraged herself.
Hang in there.
Stay alive.
As long as she was alive, there was hope.
As long as she was not thrown to the dogs, as long as she was not violated by that group of demons, then even if she had to polish that man’s shoes, even if she had to work as a servant, or even if she had to… do something even more excessive, more humiliating, and more unbearable, she would endure it.
Her uncle… Xia Hongwen.
He had watched her grow up since she was a child.
Her parents had been abroad for many years, and it was practically her uncle who had taken care of her.
Why…?
Why had he done this?
She had to stay alive, return to Hua Country, and personally ask him why he had done such a thing.
Her father and mother’s lives or deaths were still unknown. She had to find them.
After drying her hair, she opened the wardrobe.
Inside were only a few simple white men’s shirts and several pairs of cotton pants with a somewhat gender-neutral style. Clearly, these clothes had not been prepared for a woman.
She picked the smallest white shirt and put it on. The hem reached all the way down to the top of her thighs.
Then she found a pair of gray sports shorts. The waistband was too loose, so she could only tighten the drawstring as much as possible.
After taking a shower, her tightly wound nerves finally relaxed. The exhaustion that had been suppressed for days instantly swept over her like a tide.
She did not even have the energy to think about anything else. She climbed onto the soft single bed, and the moment her cheek touched the pillow, her consciousness completely shut down.
This sleep was deep and endless.
When she woke up again, the room was completely dark. Only a few beams of light from the searchlights outside filtered through the window.
Her stomach let out an uncooperative growl, and a sharp cramp twisted through her abdomen from the long period of starvation.
Xia Zhiyao fumbled around and pressed the switch beside the bed.
Warm yellow light filled the room.
To her surprise, she discovered that a tray had appeared on the small round table at some point.
A thermal cover was placed over it, and there was also a bottle of water beside it.
She got out of bed barefoot and lifted the cover.
A rich, sour, and spicy aroma immediately rushed toward her.
Inside was a bowl of tom yum seafood noodles, accompanied by a plate of freshly cut green papaya salad and several mangosteens.
It was not some luxurious feast, but after surviving on spoiled leftovers for five days, this was practically a royal banquet.
Xia Zhiyao had originally wanted to maintain some sense of elegance, but the moment the first sip of soup entered her throat, the warm, sour, and spicy flavor instantly awakened her taste buds. Tears almost welled up in her eyes.
She began eating the noodles in large mouthfuls.
The shrimp was fresh and sweet, while the mushrooms were smooth and tender. Every bite gave her a genuine feeling of being alive again.
Ten minutes later, not even a drop of soup remained at the bottom of the bowl.
After eating her fill, her rationality slowly returned.
Xia Zhiyao looked at the empty plates, feeling slightly uneasy.
This was not a restaurant. There were no waiters here.
Although Aunt Mei seemed kind, she was still the person in charge of this place, not her nanny.
Thinking of this, she picked up the tray and walked into the bathroom.
There was no dish soap, so she used hand soap instead. There was no dishcloth, so she carefully scrubbed everything with her fingers.
She washed everything thoroughly, rinsing the bowls and chopsticks until there was not a trace of grease left. Then she neatly arranged them back onto the tray and placed it on the table.
Not long after she put it down, a knock came from outside the door.
Aunt Mei pushed the door open and walked in, holding several oranges in her hand.
“Oh, you’re awake? I saw that you were sleeping so deeply, so I didn’t wake you. I left the meal here for you.”
Aunt Mei entered with a smile, but when her eyes landed on the spotless bowls and chopsticks on the table, she froze for a moment.
“This… you washed these?”
Xia Zhiyao stood awkwardly beside the table, twisting her hands together in front of her.
“Mm… Aunt Mei, I finished eating. I thought I had nothing else to do, so I washed them while I was at it. Thank you for the dinner. It was really delicious.”
Aunt Mei looked at the girl standing in front of her.
Wearing an oversized white shirt that made her already thin figure look even more fragile, Xia Zhiyao’s tiny face—barely larger than a palm—was filled with cautious eagerness to please.
“Tsk, what a sensible child.” Aunt Mei’s heart softened slightly, and her tone became much warmer.
“You don’t have to be so polite. Here, as long as you follow the rules, your days won’t be too difficult.”
“Mm.” Xia Zhiyao obediently nodded.
Aunt Mei placed the oranges down, and picked up the tray, her expression became slightly more serious.
“You can go to the kitchen on the first floor. The second floor is the meeting room. The third floor is Mr. Shen’s private living area and study. That place is forbidden.”
Aunt Mei pointed toward the ceiling and lowered her voice.
“Unless Mr. Shen calls for you, even if the sky falls, don’t go running up to the third floor. Mr. Shen hates people prying into his privacy.”
Xia Zhiyao’s face turned pale, and she nodded firmly.
“I understand. I absolutely won’t go up there.”
“Mr. Shen doesn’t sleep well. If he’s at home, after 10 o’clock at night, keep your movements quiet. Don’t make any noise that might disturb him.”
“And also…”
Aunt Mei paused, looking at her with a complicated expression before softly warning her:
“In this base, besides Mr. A-Ken and me, don’t trust anyone else.”
“Especially those subordinates. They spend years traveling outside. When they see a woman, it’s like a wolf seeing meat. Although Mr. Shen’s reputation keeps them in check, if you wander around and accidentally end up near the back mountain or somewhere else, and something happens, Mr. Shen may not punish his men because of you.”
Xia Zhiyao felt a chill run through her body and quickly promised, “I won’t wander around. I’ll just stay in this room.”
Aunt Mei nodded in satisfaction.
“Alright, go rest early. Don’t be too scared either. Although Mr. Shen looks fierce, as long as you don’t provoke him, he usually won’t kill the people around him.”
Usually… won’t… kill the people… around him…?
Xia Zhiyao felt her scalp go numb.
Was this supposed to be a way of describing someone’s kindness?
Why did it sound so strange?
Aunt Mei left after finishing what she had to say.
Xia Zhiyao closed the door and leaned her back against it, letting out a long breath of relief.
The following days passed much more peacefully than she had imagined.
It could even be said that they were… extremely boring.
Shen Yu seemed to have disappeared.
Every day, Xia Zhiyao stayed in her room. Other than eating and sleeping, she would look through the gaps in the window at the lawn outside.
Sometimes, she could hear distant sounds. Those were the security personnel training.
Sometimes, she could see A-Ken coming and going, always looking hurried and busy.
That man never appeared.
At first, Xia Zhiyao was constantly on edge, afraid that Shen Yu would suddenly break in and demand that she fulfill some kind of obligation.
But as time passed, that fear slowly turned into a strange kind of anxiety.
Had he forgotten about her?
If he had forgotten her, did that mean… after some time, if he didn’t kill her, perhaps he would let her go?
Or maybe, one day when he suddenly remembered her and felt that she was only wasting food, he would simply dispose of her?
This feeling of waiting for judgment was even more torturous than direct punishment.
She found several outdated English magazines in the room. Although she could not understand those high-end equipment models, she forced herself to read them word by word, using them to pass the long and dull hours.
The fourth night.
The rain outside poured heavily.
The rainy season in Southeast Asia was always like this — torrential downpours accompanied by rumbling thunder.
Xia Zhiyao lay on the bed, listening to the sound of raindrops hitting the window. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
Over the past few days, she had developed the habit of sleeping lightly. The slightest disturbance would wake her up.
She did not know how much time had passed when, in a daze, she seemed to hear the heavy sound of footsteps.
They were different from Aunt Mei’s gentle steps and different from A-Ken’s brisk and efficient footsteps.
These footsteps carried a sense of steadiness and certainty.
They stopped right outside her door.
Xia Zhiyao instantly woke up, her heart jumping into her throat.
She held her breath and stared at the doorknob in the darkness.
Click.
The door opened in one motion.