Lu Chenzhou was pulled from sleep by a blade of sunlight.
The curtains hadn't been drawn completely, a thin sliver of gold slicing through the gap to land directly on his eyelids. His eyes snapped open. The unfamiliar ceiling above sent a wave of disorientation through him, swiftly followed by the cold, brutal tide of last night's humiliation and struggle.
The other side of the bed was empty, the sheets folded with military precision, as if no one had ever lain there. Only the faint, lingering scent of cedar in the air assured him it hadn't been a nightmare.
He sat up abruptly, his gaze dropping to his clothes—still the same set of sleepwear, though the collar was askew, and a faint, throbbing ache lingered on his lips. Fu Jingshen… hadn't pushed further?
The realization left a complicated, bitter taste in his mouth—a confusing mix of relief and sheer absurdity.
"Awake?"
The voice came from the doorway. Lu Chenzhou's head jerked up to see Fu Jingshen framed there, dressed in an impeccably tailored light-gray suit, his hair perfectly styled. He held a cup of coffee, watching Lu Chenzhou with an infuriatingly composed air.
The sunlight behind Fu Jingshen outlined his tall, broad-shouldered frame and sharp, handsome features, a face that was almost brutally sculpted. But to Lu Chenzhou, it represented nothing but unyielding oppression.
"President Fu." Lu Chenzhou threw back the covers and got out of bed, deliberately ignoring the other man's assessing gaze, his voice tight.
Fu Jingshen walked to the bedside, his eyes sweeping over Lu Chenzhou's disheveled hair and tense profile, a faint, mocking smile touching his lips. "Slept well, I see."
"Thanks to you," Lu Chenzhou retorted, the sarcasm dripping from his words.
Fu Jingshen didn't rise to the bait. He simply swirled the coffee in his cup. "Breakfast is ready downstairs. After you eat, you're coming with me."
"Where?" Lu Chenzhou's brow furrowed with immediate suspicion.
"You'll see when we get there." Fu Jingshen turned to leave. "Don't keep me waiting."
Lu Chenzhou stared at his retreating back, his fists clenching. Finally, he turned and stalked into the bathroom. The mirror reflected a face shadowed by faint bruises under the eyes, lips marked by a faint red line—a souvenir from last night's biting, a brand of shame.
He twisted the faucet, splashing icy water onto his face, trying to shock the simmering agitation out of his system.
During breakfast, Fu Jingshen slid a card across the table.
"What's this?" Lu Chenzhou made no move to take it.
"For you." Fu Jingshen pushed it closer. "There's a hundred thousand on it. Buy whatever you want."
Lu Chenzhou's face darkened. "What is this? Am I your pet now?"
"You could say that," Fu Jingshen replied, his tone disturbingly matter-of-fact. "I can't have my… associate… looking shabby."
"I don't need it." Lu Chenzhou pushed the card back, his rejection clear in his eyes. "My own clothes are fine."
His things were still in his locker back at the club—the black security uniform. It was plain, but it was the last tangible proof of who he was, of being *Lu Chenzhou*.
Fu Jingshen studied his tense profile for a moment, then retrieved the card without argument, though a flicker of coldness passed through his eyes. "Suit yourself."
After breakfast, Lu Chenzhou was ushered into Fu Jingshen's car. Instead of heading into the city, they drove into the suburbs, eventually stopping before a secluded villa.
It was smaller than Fu Jingshen's residence, surrounded by high walls topped with electrified wire. It looked less like a home and more like a high-security prison.
"Out." Fu Jingshen unbuckled his seatbelt.
A cold dread settled in Lu Chenzhou's stomach. "Where is this?"
"You'll be staying here from now on." Fu Jingshen's voice brooked no argument.
"What?" Lu Chenzhou whipped his head around to stare at him. "You said… I was staying with you."
"This is quieter." Fu Jingshen pushed his car door open. "Get out."
Lu Chenzhou didn't move, the embers of his temper flaring. "Fu Jingshen, what the hell is this? You're locking me up?"
Fu Jingshen turned, leaning down to look into the car. All traces of earlier amusement were gone, replaced by pure, icy control. "Lu Chenzhou, stop playing dumb. Did you really think I'd let you roam free and cause trouble for me?"
He paused, a cruel smile touching his lips. "Here, your only job is to be obedient. Your purpose is to wait for me."
The words were a cold blade, severing Lu Chenzhou's last shred of hope. He finally understood. Fu Jingshen had never intended to give him any freedom. The offer to 'live together' was just a transfer from one cage to a sturdier, more fortified one.
"You're insane!" Lu Chenzhou snarled, grabbing for the door handle, but it was locked.
Fu Jingshen tapped on the window, gesturing for him to roll it down. Lu Chenzhou glared, refusing.
Unfazed, Fu Jingshen pulled out his phone, hit a number on speed dial, and put it on speaker.
A woman's voice answered promptly. "Mr. Fu?"
"Put Miss Lu Yao on the phone." Fu Jingshen's voice was flat.
Lu Chenzhou's heart leaped into his throat.
A few seconds later, his sister Lu Yao's frail voice came through. "Hello? Is that… my brother?"
"Yao Yao!" Lu Chenzhou's voice instantly softened, layered with desperate concern. "Are you okay? Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm fine, brother," Lu Yao's voice held a spark of excitement it had lacked for months. "The doctor President Fu hired is amazing! I feel so much better today! The doctor says they can schedule the bone marrow match soon!"
"That's good… that's really good…" Lu Chenzhou's eyes burned.
"Brother, are you with President Fu?" Lu Yao asked, her tone curious. "He's so kind. You have to thank him properly…"
"Yeah. I know." Lu Chenzhou's voice cracked.
Fu Jingshen snatched the phone back. "Ensure she rests," he said into the receiver, and ended the call.
He pocketed the device, watching Lu Chenzhou's pale face in the car, that cruel smile returning. "Hear that? Your sister is doing very well."
Lu Chenzhou closed his eyes, drawing a deep, shuddering breath. When he opened them again, the anger had been extinguished, replaced by numb resignation.
He knew he had no choice.
Finally, he pushed the car door open and stepped out.
Fu Jingshen gave a nod of satisfaction and led him into the villa. The interior was sparsely decorated: one bedroom, a living area, a kitchen, a bathroom. A nicely appointed cell.
"A housekeeper will see to your needs," Fu Jingshen said, indicating a middle-aged woman standing silently in a corner of the living room. "You may move about the garden, but you will not step outside the main gate. You will not attempt to contact anyone outside."
He paused, his tone laced with warning. "Don't even think about running. The security here is tighter than a penitentiary's. If you disobey—"
"I know," Lu Chenzhou interrupted, his voice hoarse. "I won't run."
Fu Jingshen eyed his tense profile for a moment longer, then turned to leave. At the door, he stopped and glanced back. "Oh, and I almost forgot. Your phone has been… stored away. You won't be needing it here."
With that, he walked out. The heavy front door slammed shut behind him, the sound of the lock engaging echoing through the silent house.
The thud of the turning deadbolt struck Lu Chenzhou's heart like a physical blow, a final pronouncement of his lost freedom.
He walked to the window, watching Fu Jingshen's car disappear down the road. A hollow emptiness opened up inside him, filled only with vast, desolate anger and despair.
He drove his fist into the wall beside him. The impact was a dull thud, his knuckles instantly blooming red.
"Damn it!" he growled, the sound thick with frustration and shame.
The housekeeper stood motionless in her corner, head bowed, as if she had seen and heard nothing.
Lu Chenzhou looked at her, a wave of utter powerlessness washing over him. He knew. Here, no one would help him. Everyone was Fu Jingshen's. Everyone was a warden.
He was a trapped beast in a gilded cage, and no matter how he struggled, he couldn't escape the web woven from money and threats.
Lu Chenzhou sank onto the sofa, digging his fingers into his hair, pulling hard. He thought of his sister's pale face, her happy voice on the phone, of Fu Jingshen's controlling, arrogant expression…
Finally, all resistance dissolved into a sigh of utter defeat.
He had to endure.
Endure this one year.
He just didn't know if, during this long imprisonment, he would lose his mind completely, becoming nothing more than an obedient puppet.