Ye Siyu fell into a deep sleep and woke up again, unsure of how long she had been unconscious. Her body felt heavy and weighed down.
Upon waking, she discovered that the messy bedsheets and duvet had already been replaced with clean ones. Her body had also been washed, and she was now wearing a neat white nightgown.
It felt as if Fei Shi had been here, yet also as if she hadn’t.
It had been a long time since they last met, and Ye Siyu truly hadn’t engaged in these kinds of intimate acts for a long while. Thus, under Fei Shi’s teasing and dominant touch, she had grown increasingly sensitive. Unconsciously, she drifted along with Fei Shi’s rhythm, floating and sinking, nearly drowning in that pervasive cold sandalwood fragrance.
The wall clock ticked steadily away, making the quietness of the room feel even more pronounced.
Ye Siyu sat up, intending to go to the bathroom for a shower. However, as soon as she pushed off the edge of the bed to stand, a wave of soreness and exhaustion hit her lower back, forcing her to lean against the bedside to rest.
Having slept for too long, her head felt heavy and foggy.
Over these past few days, she had been relentlessly tossed around by Fei Shi, to the point where her entire body seemed steeped in that cold sandalwood scent.
Fiddling with the delicate bracelet on her wrist, Ye Siyu listened to the faint tinkling sound made by the tiny bell clashing against the small metal butterfly. After waiting for a moment, she picked up the remote control and turned on the television. Out of habit, she tuned directly to the financial channel.
Leaning against the bed, she listlessly scrolled through a few news items until, sure enough, a report she was interested in came on screen.
“Good evening, viewers. Welcome to the Evening Financial News. A major bombshell shook the business world today as Fei Shi Charles, the new head of the Charles family, launched a thunderous offensive to repel rival factions, causing massive waves across the industry.”
“Upon taking power, Fei Shi Charles swiftly executed a ‘sever and seize’ strategy, decisively cutting off the competitor’s capital chain and taking over ownership of both the upstream and downstream sectors of their core operations, forcing the opposition into a crushing defeat and total retreat. Subsequently, Fei Shi rapidly annexed the rival’s assets, achieving a meteoric expansion of her commercial empire. Her ruthless style has been described by industry insiders as ‘unstoppable.’”
“According to insider rumors, Fei Shi’s youngest uncle, Dennis, attempted to seek peace, but was met with an unyielding rejection. Currently, both parties have resorted to legal action, bringing the internal family feud further into the public eye.”
Ye Siyu lowered her eyes, her fingers absently stroking her bracelet.
No wonder Fei Shi had been a bit busy lately, she was dealing with these people. And true to form, Fei Shi never disappointed, her methods were uncompromisingly ruthless, acting with swift, lethal decisiveness in everything she did, especially toward that uncle of hers.
Perhaps this was who Fei Shi truly was all along. She seemed like an entirely different person compared to the domineering yet subtly pleasing Fei Shi who forced Ye Siyu to stay…
“Ah…”
Ye Siyu sighed softly.
The warm glow of the setting sun spilled through the window frames, coating her body in a gentle heat. She held onto the bed canopy curtain, staring blankly at her bracelet. Under the warm evening light, the bracelet was draped in a hazy, painterly sheen of light and shadow.
Outside the window, beneath the softly clouded sky, Shanhai Town lay quietly basking in the sunset.
Outside the courtyard of the only high-end hotel in this small town, a stretch Bentley was parked, guarded by several security personnel in black suits stationed at key thoroughfares.
It seemed Fei Shi hadn’t been lying, she truly couldn’t walk out of here.
Ye Siyu stared out the window, lost in thought for a moment. Before she knew it, her bare feet stepped onto the plush carpet as she walked over to the window.
Outside the sliding glass door was a balcony, but the glass door in front of her wouldn’t open, it was clearly locked.
Ye Siyu rattled the door, but it wouldn’t budge, emitting only a series of loud clattering sounds.
“Fei Shi, you bastard… you’re even more of a bastard than before.”
Saddled with a sore back and discomfort elsewhere, Ye Siyu felt a flare of irritation rising within her. During all the time she had spent in Shanhai Town, she had never lost her temper with anyone, even when that yellow haired guy harassed her before, her choice had been to ignore him.
But right now, Ye Siyu desperately wanted to throw a temper tantrum, at Fei Shi.
The locked glass door in front of her transformed in her mind into a surrogate target named Fei Shi. Raising her slender arms, her pale fingers gripped the door handle as she forcefully shook the glass door.
The door was sturdier than she imagined. Or perhaps it was because she had been in poor health recently and had grown too thin, lacking strength, all she managed to do was make the glass rattle loudly while her fair fingertips turned a deep shade of crimson from the exertion.
On the stand beside the sliding door sat a Roman style vase holding dried roses. Bumped by the force, the vase tumbled directly off the edge and shattered into pieces right at Ye Siyu’s feet.
The flying shards of glass grazed her ankles, instantly slicing several cuts of varying depth into her fair skin. Before long, bright red blood began to seep from the wounds.
The sharp, piercing pain made Ye Siyu furrow her brow as she slowly squatted down. She ran her fingers across her ankle, smearing her hand with fresh blood.
The stark contrast between the bright crimson blood and her pale skin was strikingly vivid. Ye Siyu looked at the blood on her hand without reacting immediately. It was as though she were waiting for something, remaining motionless amidst the scattered debris.
Sure enough, a moment later, the bedroom door opened.
Fei Shi pushed the door open and walked in, holding antiseptic supplies in her hand, her expression somewhat displeasure laden. With a cold face, she walked over, set down the medical supplies, and forcefully pulled Ye Siyu up.
The sofa in the bedroom was small, a compact two-seater. With a cold expression, Fei Shi pulled Ye Siyu by the hand and tossed her onto the sofa.
Ye Siyu was likely too frail, with a single push, she fell heavily back into the sofa cushions.
The next second, her ankle was seized by a hand, and a icy swab soaked in iodine was gently wiped across her wound.
It stung slightly, and Ye Siyu tried to pull her foot back. But the hand holding her offered no room for resistance, pulling her ankle back with firm force.
Because Ye Siyu had originally been sitting slumped on the sofa, having her leg pulled up like this left her almost lying down in the sofa.
Feeling waves of sharp pain on her ankle, Ye Siyu knitted her brows and forced herself to sit upright.
“I knew it. Fei Shi, is it really necessary for you to monitor me like this?”
Fei Shi kept her eyelashes lowered, meticulously applying the medication to Ye Siyu’s ankle. Her cascading hair draped over her shoulders like a waterfall, catching the passionate golden glow of the sunset outside and reflecting a rich, oil painting luster.
After a brief pause, she switched to a fresh cotton swab, wiped away the traces of blood around Ye Siyu’s wound, and only then spoke slowly.
“As long as you stay by my side, nothing else matters.”
The room fell quiet, save for the low hum of the television, though neither of them cared about what was being broadcast anymore. One sat on the sofa while the other squatted at her feet, holding onto a delicate ankle. Both were bathed in a warm, passionate orange-red glow from the sunset, resembling a quiet painting of two beauties.
From Ye Siyu’s angle, Fei Shi’s lowered face revealed long eyelashes, a high and defined bridge of the nose, and delicate, thin nostrils. Concentrating on the task in her hands, she looked remarkably focused.
On her fair hand, near the web of her thumb, was a fresh tattoo, the English letters “YSY”, which stung Ye Siyu’s eyes slightly.
Pausing, Ye Siyu pursed her lips and tried once more to pull her foot back.
“I can do it myself…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Fei Shi’s long fingers tightened slightly, tugging her foot back again.
“Don’t move. I’ll settle accounts with you properly in a moment.”
“Settle what accounts? Do I owe you something?”
Displeased, Ye Siyu tried to retract her foot again. This time, Fei Shi held her ankle even more firmly, pinning it in place.
“Hurt yourself like this is challenging my bottom line.”
Fei Shi’s voice sounded somewhat muffled, yet every word was articulated clearly.
A sudden surge of anger flared within Ye Siyu. Having restrained her temper for so long, she could no longer hold back her emotions.
“Fei Shi, President Charles, what is the point of all this? With the sheer amount of assets you own now, who could possibly compete with you? Is any of this really necessary?”
She struggled forcefully, about to lose her temper completely, but she didn’t expect Fei Shi to look up at that exact moment.
Those bright eyes were now filled with a shimmering glaze of tears, her long lashes damp. Holding Ye Siyu’s ankle, she looked extraordinarily pure and innocent.
“Sister, please stop struggling, okay? Your wound is still bleeding.”
In that instant, Ye Siyu fell silent.
Fei Shi’s brows were slightly knitted, making her appear even more defenseless. “Let me bandage it up for you, okay?”
It was as if she knew with certainty that Ye Siyu was weak to this act, she simply held Ye Siyu’s ankle, tilting her face up, gazing at Ye Siyu with obedient, gentle eyes that were as clear and harmless as a freshwater spring flowing through a mountain valley.
After a long pause, Ye Siyu ultimately didn’t say another word, though the resistance in her leg dissolved completely.
Indeed, Ye Siyu was completely susceptible to this side of her.
The white gauze was wrapped around her ankle, making a faint rustling sound that rang out clearly in the quiet room.
Once the bandaging was complete, Fei Shi remained half-kneeling at Ye Siyu’s feet.
She raised her face again, staring quietly at Ye Siyu like a gentle, obedient little animal, gazing up pitifully with eyes full of pure, harmless clarity.
In that moment, Ye Siyu felt a tug at her heartstrings.
A sudden breeze seemed to blow from nowhere, melting her heart into softness.
Ye Siyu moved her wrist slightly, causing the silver butterfly and bell on her bracelet to collide, producing a crisp, delicate chime.
For a moment, it felt as though the silver butterfly of her thoughts fluttered its wings, whipping up a silent storm within her memories.