The man's handsome features, which were as distinct as if they were carved with a knife, softened with his smile, losing a bit of their sharpness and gaining a touch of gentleness, especially those profound phoenix eyes that resembled a quiet and deep pool, so pure and serene, seemingly ready to draw one in.
Wei Anning was transfixed; the man's handsome face gradually enlarged in front of her eyes, and a strange, fragrant medicinal scent assaulted her, making her heart race. Instinctively, she shrank back to avoid his thin lips that seemed about to press against hers.
"I'd like to go out for a walk," Wei Anning stood up and hurried toward the main door.
Leng Youchen looked up at her retreating figure, a flicker of displeasure vanishing in an instant as he followed her out, wheeling his chair along.
The sweltering summer season meant that even the ten o'clock sun was scorchingly fierce.
As soon as Wei Anning stepped under the sun, she felt as if her skin was about to be cooked. She didn't shrink back, walking determinedly into the vibrant garden, where exotic plants thrived and burst with color, unpruned yet growing in a wild, passionate manner.
The fierce sun above her was suddenly blocked, and turning, she saw a sharp-featured maid holding a parasol, standing silently by her side.
From behind, the sound of wheels crunching over fallen leaves reached her, and turning back, she saw Leng Youchen being pushed out by a servant, his features looking even paler under the sunlight.
"Anjing, it's high noon now, and it's very easy to get heatstroke. How about we go for a walk in the evening instead?"
Wei Anning shook her head and continued forward, the line of people silently following her. She reached the seaside and, gazing out at the boundless ocean, she asked, "Are there any boats here?"
"There are speedboats for going out to sea or patrolling, but there's not enough fuel to reach the mainland," Leng Youchen pointed toward a nearby dock where indeed two or three speedboats were moored.
Wei Anning felt a desolation in her heart. The sea breeze lifted the hem of her dress, and she appeared so fragile as if she might disappear with the wind. Remembering what the maid had said that morning, she asked further, "If I want to leave this place, can I only do so by helicopter?"
"Yes!"
Wei Anning pressed her lips together tightly, turning to look at the majestic castle in the sunlight, her expression filled with helplessness. "Leng Youchen, my real name is Wei Anning. Can you let me leave this place? I still need to go to school, and there are many things I need to do."
"Anjing, I know it would be hard for you to live here with me for a lifetime, but I assure you, I will treat you well. Please stop thinking about leaving, okay?" Leng Youchen looked up at her, his gaze sincere.
Wei Anning closed her eyes. She wasn't Wei Anjing. How could she make him believe her? "I'm tired, I'll go back to my room first."
Leng Youchen watched her leave, then looked back at the sea, his face contemplative.
Wei Anning returned to her room and stayed there all day. When a servant came to call her for lunch, she had no appetite and sent the servant away. She lay on the bed, her mind a chaotic mess, unable to sort through her thoughts.
Unconsciously, she fell asleep on the bed.
She didn't know how long she had been asleep until a suffocating pressure on her chest woke her, as if something was pressing down on her. Her breathing was restricted, and she suddenly opened her eyes.
It was already dark outside, and the room was dimly lit, but she could clearly see a man on top of her, a silver mask on his face shimmering coldly in the darkness.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she was instantly engulfed in terror.
Stricken with panic, she kicked and drew back, only to realize her hands and feet were locked in leather chains,
Her eyes widened in shock, "Bastard, what have you done to me?"
The masked man looked down at her from above, his thin lips curving slightly, and his long phoenix eyes full of malice. "Wei Anjing."
The man's voice was sexy and hoarse, enough to make her flesh crawl with goosebumps.
Wei Anning's scalp tingled. Before she could react, she saw the masked man withdraw a sharp dagger and slowly cut through the little dress she wore...