Helian Cheng's instruction about "gifts" was like an ice cone tempered with poison, piercing Su Wan's last bit of luck. Suspend the studio project? Cut off all external contacts? That means that she will be completely stripped of her identity as "Su Wan" and completely reduced to a canary kept in a golden cage! And the "gift" for Lin Xiao... those cold words made Su Wan's blood freeze, as if she had seen the terrible fate her friend suffered because of her.
"No——!" A desperate scream broke through her throat, with a cry of blood. Su Wan burst out the last of her strength from nowhere, and suddenly jumped up from the carpet, like a little beast forced into a desperate situation, desperately pounced on Helian Cheng, and grabbed the front of his ironed suit with both hands, so hard that her knuckles turned white.
"Don't touch Xiaoxiao! Please! Helian Cheng! It's all my fault! It's my fault! I shouldn't smash things! I shouldn't talk back at you!" She begged incoherently, tears pouring out, soaking his expensive clothes in an instant, "I'll be obedient! I'll listen to you in everything! Please let her go! Let Lin Xiao go! I'll do whatever you want me to do! Please!"
She looked up, her red eyes filled with extreme fear and humble begging, her body trembling like a leaf in the wind because of the intense emotions. At this moment, dignity, design, and freedom became insignificant in the face of the danger that her friends might face. She just wanted to keep Lin Xiao safe.
Helian Cheng lowered his eyes and looked at the little hands on his chest that were bulging with joints due to the force, and were stained with tears and despair. His expression did not change at all, and he was still that unfathomable calm. Su Wan's collapse, her pleading, and her humble attitude at this moment seemed to be within his expectations, and even... it was the result he was happy to see.
He let her hold him, without pushing him away or responding to her pleas. The silence itself was a deeper torture.
Chen Mo was like an emotionless machine, turning a blind eye to the one-sided collapse and pleas before him. He bowed slightly to Helian Cheng, his voice still flat and calm: "Understood, sir." Then he turned around and left the room silently and quickly to execute the order that was enough to destroy Su Wan's last line of defense.
The sound of the door closing gently was like a heavy hammer hitting Su Wan's heart.
"No... don't..." Looking at the direction where Chen Mo disappeared, Su Wan's strength seemed to be drained away in an instant, and the hand holding Helian Cheng's collar slipped down, and her body fell softly.
However, she did not fall on the carpet.
Before she completely collapsed, a strong and powerful arm firmly embraced her waist, with irresistible force, lifting her whole body up and tightly clamping her into a hard and warm chest.
Helian Cheng's breath instantly enveloped her completely. The cold and refreshing fragrance mixed with strong male hormones was no longer a temptation, but a suffocating shackle. Su Wan was stiff all over, and fear made her unable to struggle. She could only let him hold her like a puppet without a soul.
He lowered his head, his thin lips almost touching her earlobe, and his deep voice with a kind of almost soothing cruelty clearly penetrated into her buzzing mind:
"It's too late."
Two words, light and floating, but like a death sentence.
"I gave you a chance, Su Wan." His arms tightened, causing pain in her ribs, as if he wanted to crush her into his body, "You chose the wrong way to start."
He raised his other hand, with an almost morbid tenderness, and touched her wet, cold cheek, slowly wiping the tears that kept rolling down with his fingertips. His movements were as gentle as wiping a precious porcelain, but it only made Su Wan feel chilled to the bone.
"Now, crying is useless." His voice was filled with a subtle sense of satisfaction in control of everything, "Remember this lesson. Next time, learn to put yourself in the right position when I say 'game start'."
He tilted his head slightly, and his cold eyes fell on her pupils that were out of focus due to fear. Word by word, he clearly imprinted the new rules:
"As for your friend...her fate depends on your next performance."
This sentence was like a sword of Damocles hanging over her head, completely shattering all of Su Wan's will to resist. She trembled violently in his arms, her teeth chattered, but even her crying turned into silent sobs. The huge despair was like a cold tide, completely drowning her. She understood that in front of this man, she had no bargaining chips, and even caring about her friends became a weakness that he could exploit at will. She could only give in and exchange everything she had for Lin Xiao's safety.
Helian Cheng seemed very satisfied with her complete domestication at this moment. He held her like a large doll that finally calmed down, and turned to the huge cold bed. He gently placed her on the soft mattress, and his movements could even be called "gentle".
Su Wan seemed to have all her bones taken away, and she collapsed on the dark gray sheets, staring at the high and cold ceiling with empty eyes, and tears silently slid into her temples. The physical exhaustion and mental collapse made her not want to move even a finger.
Helian Cheng did not leave. He stood by the bed, looking down at her fragile posture after the collapse. The light cast a heavy shadow on his deep eye sockets, and it was hard to tell what he was feeling. He reached out his hand, and his cold fingertips brushed her slightly swollen eyelids again, then slowly slid down along her slender and fragile neck line, and finally stopped at the clavicle that was faintly visible under the collar of her thin pajamas.
The cold touch made Su Wan's body shudder instinctively, but she didn't dare to resist at all.
"Go to sleep." His low voice sounded in the silent room, with an imperative soothing, "Tomorrow, do what you should do."
He didn't touch her again, and turned to leave the master bedroom. The heavy door closed, isolating his powerful presence, but leaving deeper despair and coldness in the room.
Su Wan curled up on the huge bed, like a young animal abandoned in the cold night. The studio dream that was forcibly stripped away, the external contacts that were cut off, and the invisible knife hanging over Lin Xiao's head... All of these were like heavy shackles, pressing her breathless. She didn't dare to think about what kind of "gift" Lin Xiao would receive, and the unknown fear gnawed at her nerves. She could only hold on to the words "It depends on you" left by Helian Cheng - that was the only illusory life-saving straw she could hold on to.
That night, Su Wan kept her eyes open in cold fear and endless darkness until dawn.
---
At the other end of Jingjiang City, in a messy studio filled with design drawings, fabric samples and semi-finished jewelry models.
Lin Xiao, with a messy short hair and red and swollen eyes, was pacing back and forth in the small space anxiously. She called Su Wan's number again and again, and the cold and mechanical "The user you dialed is turned off" was always heard. She tried to contact several journalist friends she knew who covered social news, but the calls either didn't go through, or the other party hesitated and hung up quickly after the call was connected.
A huge sense of uneasiness enveloped her. Helian Cheng! It must be Helian Cheng's doing!
"Asshole! Bastard! A beast who bullies others by taking advantage of his power!" Lin Xiao waved her fist angrily at the air, wishing to tear the owner of that name to pieces. She regretted not being able to stop Su Wan from attending that damn celebration banquet last night, and even more regretted not being able to discover the abnormality earlier.
Just when she was almost driven crazy by worry and anger, the doorbell of the studio rang.
Lin Xiao was startled and almost rushed over to open the door. Standing outside the door were not policemen or reporters, but two tall men in black suits, expressionless, and as if they were copied and pasted. They carried a cold sense of oppression that was exactly the same as Helian Cheng.
The leading man held a thick, pure white envelope without any logo in his hand.
"Ms. Lin?" The man's voice was flat and his eyes were sharp as a knife.
"It's me! Who are you? Where's Wanwan? What did that bastard Heliancheng do to her?" Lin Xiao stood at the door like a cat with its fur standing on end, staring at them fearlessly.
The man ignored her questioning and handed the envelope to her directly: "Mr. He ordered this 'gift' for you."
"Gift?" Lin Xiao took it suspiciously. The envelope was very light, and there seemed to be only a thin piece of paper inside. Her heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition instantly gripped her. She trembled with her hands and tore open the seal.
What fell out was a check.
A check for a huge amount, enough to buy her studio several times. The long string of zeros behind the amount column of the check was particularly dazzling under the pale light of the studio.
On the blank space of the check, a line of words was clearly printed in a printed font:
**[Miss Su Wan has donated funds to Miss Lin's studio for transformation. I wish her a bright future. Please do not worry or disturb her. ]**
With a "hum--" sound, Lin Xiao's mind went blank in an instant.
This is not a gift. This is a naked warning! It is a buyout! It is a humiliation! It is Helian Cheng telling her in the most direct and coldest way: Su Wan was "bought" by him at a sky-high price, and she, Lin Xiao, together with her and Su Wan's joint efforts - this studio carrying their dreams, in his eyes, is nothing but dust that can be easily dismissed with money! He not only wants to cut off Su Wan's contact with the outside world, but also cut off the strongest bond between her and Su Wan - their common dream and career!
"Son of a bitch!!!" Lin Xiao burst into a heart-wrenching roar, and the huge anger and humiliation made her tremble all over. She grabbed the light but heavy check and tore it hard with all her strength! The expensive paper made a harsh shattering sound in her hands, and instantly turned into countless pieces, like butterflies torn by the wind, and scattered on the floor.
"Take your filthy money! Tell Helian Cheng! Su Wan is not a commodity! I will definitely rescue her! Just wait!" Lin Xiao roared at the two expressionless men, her eyes red, like a completely enraged lioness.
The two men did not react to her anger and the act of tearing the check, as if they were just watching an insignificant farce. The leading man nodded slightly, his voice still calm: "The 'gift' has been delivered. We will convey Miss Lin's words to Mr. He." After saying that, the two turned around and took mechanically precise steps, quickly disappearing into the dim corridor.
Lin Xiao slid to the ground with her back against the cold door panel, looking at the check fragments all over the floor, and a huge sense of powerlessness and deeper fear drowned her like a cold tide. Helian Cheng's power was more huge and cruel than she had imagined. Calling the police was useless, the media was silent, and now he was warning her in this insulting way... Could she really save Su Wan from that devil?
She took out her phone tremblingly, looking at the gray, unreachable head of Su Wan on the screen, and her tears finally burst out, hitting the cold floor, leaving a trail of desperate water.
---
He's house, the huge, cold master bedroom on the second floor.
The heavy curtains were silently pulled open by the maid, and the overly bright morning light instantly poured in, stinging Su Wan's bloodshot eyes that had not slept all night. She curled up suddenly like a frightened rabbit, and subconsciously covered her head with the quilt.
"Madam, it's time to get up." Xiaoling's respectful but emotionless voice sounded beside the bed, "The master ordered that you need to learn some necessary etiquette and... knowledge today."
Etiquette? Knowledge? Su Wan's heart sank to the bottom. Is this what Helian Cheng called "what should be done"? Completely transform her into an exquisite vase that meets the standards of "Mrs. He"?
She was numbly helped up from the bed by the maids, and was escorted into the bathroom like a puppet to wash up. The warm water washed over her body, but it could not wash away the coldness in her heart and the shock left by last night. The mirror reflected a pale and haggard face with dark blue eyes, and the eyes were empty, losing all the brilliance.
After washing up, the maid brought her no longer the pearl white dress from yesterday, but a champagne-colored suit with extremely sophisticated tailoring and luxurious fabrics. The style is classic and conservative, with a low-key but not negligible nobleness, which wraps her slender figure meticulously, but also completely wipes out the designer's unique freedom in her.
The size is still exactly the same.
Su Wan looked at the strange and exquisite "Mrs. He" in the mirror, and felt a chill rushing from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. She was being forcibly wiped of the traces of "Su Wan" and put on a gorgeous shackle called "Mrs. He" made by Helian Cheng himself.
She was led downstairs. Helian Cheng was not there. In the huge restaurant, at one end of the long dining table, an exquisite single-person breakfast was placed. Uncle Fu stood quietly by the side.
"Madam, please have breakfast." Uncle Fu's voice was still gentle, but there seemed to be a subtle sigh in his eyes.
Su Wan had no appetite and ate a few bites reluctantly like chewing wax. As soon as she put down her knife and fork, Chen Mo appeared at the door of the restaurant like a precise clock.
"Madam, the teacher is here and is waiting for you in the tea room." His voice did not have any emotional ups and downs.
Su Wan's heart sank suddenly. What was supposed to come finally came.
The tea room is located on the west side of the villa. The environment is elegant and it is decorated with expensive tea sets and calligraphy and paintings. A middle-aged lady wearing a decent suit and a rigid and serious temperament is already waiting there. She saw Su Wan, nodded slightly, and looked up and down sharply, as if evaluating the quality of an item.
"Hello, Mrs. He. My last name is Wu, and I will be responsible for guiding you in the necessary cultivation of social etiquette, manners, jewelry and clothing appreciation, celebrity family pedigree, etc. in the future." Teacher Wu's voice was as rigid as her, without a ripple, with a professional alienation and condescending scrutiny.
The next few hours were like torture for Su Wan.
"Mrs. He, straighten your back! Open your shoulders! Keep your chin slightly tucked in! Look straight ahead, calm and... a little detached. Yes, that's it. Remember, you represent the face of Mr. He and the world, and your every move must be flawless..."
"When eating, the way you hold your knife and fork, the angle, the order... must not be wrong. When drinking soup, scoop from the inside out with a spoon, and don't make any noise..."
"When talking to people, keep your speed moderate and your tone soft. Don't look directly into the other person's eyes for more than three seconds, and don't avoid them completely, but maintain a... decent attention. Keep the topic safe and avoid any private opinions that may cause controversy..."
"This Van Cleef & Arpels' high-bead series, the design inspiration comes from..."
"Jingjiang City's upper class society is intertwined. The Gu family is mainly engaged in real estate, and has cooperation with Mr. He but is not an ally; the Bai family has its roots overseas, and Miss Bai Weiwei seems to be... quite concerned about Mr. He, so you need to pay attention; the Zhao family..."
Teacher Wu's voice was like cold raindrops, hitting Su Wan's nerves non-stop. Every correction of movement, every inculcation of knowledge points, carried an unquestionable coercive force, and rudely covered her original habits and cognition. She was like a robot that was forcibly input with a program, rigidly repeating those elegant gestures and stereotyped knowledge that did not belong to "Su Wan".
A huge sense of fatigue and the suffocation of the soul being stripped swept over her. She felt that she was being dismantled and reshaped alive, becoming the soulless "Mrs. He" that Heliancheng needed.
The afternoon class was jewelry appreciation. On the huge velvet tray, there were dazzling gems of various colors and design albums. Teacher Wu was explaining the historical origins of an emerald-cut diamond ring.
Su Wan's eyes were involuntarily attracted by an inconspicuous jewelry design album with a worn edge in the corner of the tray. There was a familiar line full of oceanic atmosphere on it - it was the first draft of the "Liuguangzhiyu" bracelet before Heliancheng forced it to modify it! Somehow it was mixed in these expensive physical jewelry albums.
The familiar line, like a faint light, instantly pierced her numb heart. She subconsciously stretched out her fingers, and her fingertips trembled imperceptibly, gently stroking the smooth and free curve on the page.
At this moment, the door of the tea room was silently pushed open.
A familiar, powerful and cold breath instantly spread, causing the temperature in the room to drop by several degrees.
Teacher Wu's voice stopped abruptly, and he immediately stood up respectfully: "Mr. He."
Su Wan's body suddenly froze, and the fingers stroking the album instantly retracted as if they were burned, and her heart beat wildly in her chest. She didn't even dare to look back, she only felt that cold and sharp gaze, like a physical searchlight, accurately falling on her back, and then slowly moving to the old atlas she had just touched.
Helian Cheng walked in, his steps steady and without making any sound. He didn't even look at Teacher Wu and the dazzling jewels, his eyes fell directly on Su Wan's stiff back and the atlas in front of her, which was printed with the first draft of "Liu Guang Zhi Yi".
The air solidified instantly, with a heavy pressure of impending storm. Teacher Wu held his breath and dared not breathe.
Helian Cheng stood behind Su Wan. The shadow cast by his tall figure completely enveloped her. He didn't speak, but stretched out his bony hand, with a slow, suffocating sense of oppression, over Su Wan's shoulder, and picked up the atlas that carried her broken dreams.
Su Wan's body couldn't help but tremble slightly. She lowered her head and stared at her tightly clenched fist on her knees. Her nails dug deep into her palms, but she felt no pain. Only her heart was pounding against her ribs like a drum.
Helian Cheng flipped the old atlas casually, and the paper made a slight rustling sound, which was infinitely magnified in the dead silence of the tea room. His eyes stayed on the page of the first draft of "Liu Guang Zhi Yi", and his slender fingers slowly moved over the design lines that Su Wan once cherished.
Then, he closed the atlas.
"Pah." A light sound.
He casually threw the atlas back on the velvet tray, with a light action, but with a condescending indifference. The book that carried Su Wan's past efforts, against the backdrop of the dazzling jewels and the brand new atlas, looked particularly old and... out of place.
"Teacher Wu," Helian Cheng finally spoke, his voice low and gentle, no emotion could be heard, but his eyes were still locked on Su Wan's stiff back, "It seems that your teaching focus today is a little off."
Teacher Wu's face turned pale instantly, and fine cold sweat oozed from her forehead: "Mr. He, I'm sorry! It's my negligence! This old booklet shouldn't be here! I'll get rid of it immediately!" She hurried forward and reached out to take the "troublesome" booklet.
"No need." Helian Cheng's voice was not loud, but it carried an absolute authority, which froze Teacher Wu's hand in mid-air.
He leaned forward slightly, and his warm breath brushed Su Wan's sensitive earlobe, bringing a cold shudder. His voice sounded low, clearly penetrating Su Wan's ears, and also striking the tense nerves of the other two people in the room:
"Since my Mrs. He is so obsessed with these...'things from the past'."
He paused, with a hint of cold amusement in his tone:
"Then let her watch carefully."