The morning sunlight filtered through the thick curtains of a luxury hotel suite. Long Shen sat shirtless on the edge of the bed, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers, smoke curling around his chiseled figure. The scent of sandalwood lingered in the air, mingling with the perfume left on the sheets.
Beside him, a woman stirred, her red silk dress from the night before now crumpled at the foot of the bed. Wrapping herself in the duvet, she leaned against him, her manicured fingers gliding across his bare back.
"昨晚真美妙," she purred. "Last night was amazing."
Long Shen didn't respond. He stood, picked up a wad of red RMB notes from the table, and tossed it onto the bed.
"Take this," he said coldly in Mandarin. "Don't wait for a second round."
The woman's eyes gleamed at the sight of the money. She clutched it with a greedy smile. "Thank you, Boss Shen. Maybe next time—?"
But Long Shen was already buttoning his black silk shirt, ignoring her. With one final glance, he left the room, his expression unreadable.
---
A few hours later, his black Bentley purred into the driveway of the Suzhou-style mansion. Meilin—still called Xiao Yu in this world she never asked for—was in the garden, tending to a patch of azaleas near the koi pond. The dew on the petals sparkled like tears.
Their eyes met. Long Shen paused.
Meilin looked away first.
Inside, the house was calm. The staff bowed and greeted their boss with quiet reverence as he passed. He offered nothing in return but a curt nod before vanishing upstairs.
---
Two weeks passed.
Long Shen was away again, his underworld business pulling him to Shanghai and Chengdu. The compound grew quieter without him, though the guards remained alert. For Meilin, the silence was freedom. Or the illusion of it.
This morning, she dressed in crisp white sneakers, denim jeans, and a simple polo shirt. Her long black hair was pulled into a low ponytail, and a small jade pendant—one she'd secretly kept from her real home—hung around her neck.
"Wow, Miss Xiao Yu, you look beautiful," one of the maids said with a soft smile.
"It's Meilin," she corrected gently. But her tone lacked the fight it once had.
"Have fun on your first day at university!" another chimed.
Meilin gave a tight nod. But her smile faded when she stepped outside and spotted the matte black Audi—and the stone-faced guard waiting beside it.
"Is this necessary?" she muttered.
"指令就是指令," the guard replied. "Orders are orders."
Meilin sighed and climbed into the back seat. The two-hour drive was long, winding past rivers, city bridges, and green hills. When they arrived at the prestigious Guanghua International University, her heart pounded.
The sprawling campus shimmered with life—students chatting, bikes whizzing by, elegant red lanterns swaying in the breeze. The modern glass buildings gleamed under the sun, a stark contrast to the prison she came from.
---
But freedom was still an illusion.
The guard followed her everywhere—from the lobby to the Department of Business Administration. Students stared. Whispered. Laughed quietly.
Meilin felt like a zoo animal, walking under scrutiny. She found a seat in the back of the lecture hall, trying to shrink into the wall.
She wasn't Meilin the girl anymore. She was Xiao Yu the property.
---
That afternoon, they drove back. As they entered the mansion, Meilin saw Long Shen descending the stairs, a fitted black changshan hugging his lean frame.
"You're back," he said coolly. "How was school?"
Meilin muttered, "Fine."
"Good. Get dressed. You're coming with me."
She froze. "Where are we going?"
Long Shen's gaze hardened. "You have thirty minutes. You don't get to ask questions. You are mine. Understand?"
Meilin clenched her fists. "Yes… Master Long."
She hated how easily the words left her lips.
---
An hour later, they arrived at Nightshade, Long Shen's exclusive VIP club hidden in the heart of the city. Neon signs glowed under moonlight, and deep house music throbbed through the walls.
Long Shen led her past velvet ropes into the VIP section. "Sit," he ordered.
She obeyed, eyes scanning the crowd—businessmen, mafia lieutenants, and models draped in silk and glitter. Meilin stuck out like a sore thumb.
"Get to work."
"…Work?"
He snapped his fingers. A waitress arrived, bowing. "Take her. She'll serve drinks tonight."
The waitress nodded and tugged Meilin away.
Long Shen called out coldly, "Be the slave you were bought to be."
---
Within minutes, Meilin was changed—forced into a skimpy skirt and low-cut blouse, her jade pendant taken away for "safety reasons." A tray of cocktails balanced on her trembling hands as she weaved through the crowd.
Every step felt like another chain around her throat.
"宝贝儿,过来喝一杯," one man slurred, "Come have a drink with me, sweetheart."
Another reached out to grope her waist. She pulled back, swallowing the bile in her throat. She couldn't even scream.
A third man caught her wrist, leering. "你叫什么名字?" "What's your name?"
She jerked away. "Let go."
But his grip only tightened.