Li Wang guided Jian through the grand house, pointing out each room with an almost practiced ease. Jian trailed behind, quietly noting every turn, every hallway. He mapped the layout in his mind. One day, if it came to it, he'd need to find his way out of here.
The place was extravagant, every inch dripping with opulence. High ceilings adorned with intricate French-style motifs, walls covered in classical paintings, and chandeliers casting a warm, almost eerie glow over everything. It all felt a little too grand, too suffocating.
As they rounded a corner, a particular picture frame caught his eye—a family portrait. Jian stopped, his gaze fixed on a younger version of Mister Wen standing beside a middle-aged couple, their smiles stiff and practiced. Next to them was a boy, probably a few years younger than Mister Wen, looking just as uncomfortable in his skin.
Li noticed his interest and smiled. "Ah, that's my father, Hui Wang—Uncle Hui, to you."
Jian's eyes flicked to him, taking in the resemblance. Li definitely looked like his father, no denying that. "How many cousins do I have? Just you?"
"Oh, no, you've got three cousins. I'm the youngest," Li replied, leading him to another room on the first floor.
Three pairs of eyes turned his way the moment he stepped inside, sizing him up. Jian met each stare without flinching, his gaze hard as he assessed each face.
"This is my mother," Li gestured to a woman who looked like she'd spent her whole life perfecting her disapproving look. She scoffed the second their eyes met, turning her face away as if he was beneath her notice.
Li continued, "And this is Giya, my second sister." Giya, who looked around his age, threw him a withering glare. Lastly, he nodded to the man at the head of the room. "And that's my eldest brother, Lui."
The eldest brother, looking all polished in a three-piece suit, watched him with an unsettling, almost predatory interest. But before Jian could say anything, his aunt's voice cut through the tension.
"Oh, so this is the stray your uncle picked up?" Her voice dripped with disgust, her gaze narrowing with disdain.
Jian didn't flinch, just settled into the empty seat beside Giya, who immediately bristled.
"Who said you could sit there?"
"Who said I couldn't?" he shot back, a hint of a challenge in his tone. He leaned back, meeting her eyes with a mocking smile. "We're cousins now, aren't we?"
Her nostrils flared, and she let out a frustrated huff before storming out of the room. Jian only smirked as he watched her leave, then shifted his attention to his eldest cousin, who hadn't taken his eyes off him.
The interest in Lui's gaze was unmistakable, and something about it sent a faint chill down Jian's spine.
Jian gave Lui a casual smile. "What? Got something interesting on my face?"
Lui's gaze was sharp, almost predatory, as he rose to his feet. For a second, Jian thought he'd storm off without a word, dismissing him like the rest of the family seemed to want. But Lui didn't leave. Instead, he took a few slow, deliberate steps toward Jian, stopping just in front of him. He loomed there, tall and imposing, staring down with an unreadable intensity.
"Tonight, the Rai family is hosting a birthday gala. Be ready by eight," he said, voice flat, yet there was a hint of authority that left no room for argument. Without waiting for a response, Lui turned and left the room.
Jian's aunt, who had been simmering with barely contained disdain, couldn't hold back any longer. "Lui! Why are you inviting that thing?" she spat, her voice rising in outrage. "He doesn't belong at social events! It's an embarrassment!"
But Lui merely shot her a cool, detached look and kept walking. It was as if her words didn't even reach him. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving a tense silence in the room.
Li Wang, who'd been watching the whole exchange with a grin, let out a low whistle. "Whoa, looks like my brother has his eyes set on you," he teased, eyebrows raised mischievously.
Jian felt a flicker of unease at that. He didn't like the sound of it one bit. "That so?" he muttered, keeping his tone neutral.
Li Wang didn't seem to notice—or care—about Jian's discomfort. He jumped to his feet, still grinning. "Come on, I'll show you your room," he said, practically bouncing out of the room as if this whole scene hadn't been the least bit tense.
Jian followed him, though he had to quicken his pace to keep up with Li's excited strides. "I need to check on my grandfather," he said, trying to keep the urgency out of his voice. He'd expected the introductions to be brief, but this house tour had taken longer than he'd planned. His grandfather had been left alone downstairs all this time, and knowing how restless he could get…
"Oh, don't worry about him," Li Wang waved a dismissive hand. "He's already settled."
Jian frowned, something about that answer rubbing him the wrong way. "Where?"
Li just shrugged, looking uninterested. "Dunno. They took him somewhere. But anyway, here's your room." He flung open a door, gesturing with a dramatic flourish.
Jian stepped inside, taking in the lavish decor. The room was as ornate as the rest of the house, with plush carpets, heavy curtains, and an oversized bed that looked more like a display piece than something to sleep on. It felt foreign, even hostile in its luxury.
Li leaned against the doorway, smiling at Jian with an almost conspiratorial air. "Make sure you're ready by eight. Bye!" With that, he spun on his heel and disappeared down the hall, leaving Jian alone in the room.
As the door clicked shut, Jian let out a sigh, his mind racing. The entire family felt like a trap waiting to spring. He could still feel the lingering tension of his aunt's glare, the calculating look in Lui's eyes, the dismissiveness in Li's easygoing demeanor. And his grandfather… They'd "situated" him somewhere, but where?
"Guess I'll have to find out myself," Jian murmured, slipping out of his room. He soon spotted a young maid bustling down the hall and approached her quietly. "Excuse me," he said, keeping his tone calm, "do you know where my grandfather is?"
The maid nodded with a polite smile. "Yes, sir. He's just in the guest room next to yours."
Jian thanked her with a nod and made his way to the room beside his. Pushing open the door, he found his grandfather pacing anxiously, his eyes darting up the moment Jian entered. Relief flooded his wrinkled face, and before his grandfather could say a word, Jian wrapped him in a tight hug.
"Grandpa!" he murmured, holding him close. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing, my boy…" His grandfather's voice wavered slightly as he patted Jian's back. "I was just…thinking about you. Is everything alright? Did the family treat you well?"
Jian nodded, even though he could feel the tension still clinging to him. He didn't want to worry the old man. "Yeah, everything's fine. They even invited me to some gala tonight."
The old man's face relaxed, his shoulders visibly lowering. "Oh, that's good. That's very good…" He sighed, his relief palpable. "Maybe they like you, then. That's good, my boy. But you must promise me," he said, squeezing Jian's hand with a gentle but trembling grip, "if they treat you poorly, you tell me right away, understand? We'll leave here in an instant if you want."
Jian gave him a reassuring smile, squeezing his hand back. "I'll tell you everything, Grandpa, I promise. But you have to promise me the same. There might be times when I'm not around, and if anyone bothers you, you let me know, alright?"
The old man's face softened, and he gave a small nod, his grip still holding on as if for comfort. "Alright, alright… I will."
Jian pulled him into another hug, feeling the fragility in his grandfather's embrace. His heart tightened with a pang of guilt. Maybe bringing him here was a mistake, he thought, brushing a hand over his grandfather's back. He's more at risk here than he ever was at home.