Chapter 6 – The Second Hug
The black car rolled into the courtyard, sleek and silent.Qiao Xueran tilted her head like a curious child, then skipped innocently to the backseat, humming as if she were playing a game. The guards exchanged confused looks but said nothing — everyone in the mansion already knew she was "the fool."
The next morning, the air was soft with the smell of spring rain. By the garden fountain, Xueran crouched at the edge of the pool, dipping her fingers into the water, laughing softly at the ripples.
From the colonnade, Han Zixuan appeared, hands behind his back, his sharp presence softened by the scene before him. For a long moment, he just watched her — the way her hair glistened, the way she seemed untouched by the filth of his world.
Finally, he stepped closer.
"What are you doing?"
She didn't answer. Just kept splashing the water gently, as if she hadn't even heard him.
His brow furrowed. Then, in a low voice, he said,
"Hug."
Her hands stilled. Slowly, she turned her head, eyes wide, face empty — but her silence pressed on him like a weight.
He stepped closer, crouching so his shadow fell over hers.
"Hug," he repeated.
This time, she rose to her feet. Their eyes locked — hers seeming vacant, but inside, sharp as blades. Then, with a sudden softness, she wrapped her arms around him.
Han Zixuan held her, tighter than before. Then, without a word, he lifted her off her feet and carried her across the garden, through the grand doors of the mansion.
From the balcony above, Xun Lanyue watched. Her face twisted for a heartbeat, but when the servants turned to her, she forced a gentle smile, voice sweet as honey.
"The boss is merciful," she said softly. "Even to someone so… simple."
Not long after, Xueran's aunt and uncle arrived, bowing and scraping before Zixuan in the grand hall.
"Boss Han, we only wish the best for our niece. We hope she does not trouble you."
They spoke with fake courtesy, their eyes glittering with greed.
But before anyone could say more, Xueran slipped from Han's arms and ran upstairs, bare feet pattering across the marble, laughing like a child as she disappeared into her room.
The sound echoed, strange and haunting.
Downstairs, Xun Lanyue pressed her nails into her palm until the skin broke, yet her smile never wavered. To the uncle and aunt, she looked like the perfect kind-hearted niece.
But inside, her rage was boiling.