Today marked three agonizing months since Nuan Nuan was held captive. She mechanically went through her morning routine, her heart heavy with despair. As she turned, a familiar, wicked laugh pierced the air, sending shivers down her spine.
Chu Anxin stood before her, a smug grin spreading across her face. "Aiyo, sister, how have you been?" Anxin's voice dripped with sarcasm, her eyes gleaming with malice.
"Sister, how has ge Chenheng been treating you?" Anxin's words cut deep, implying a twisted relationship. "I'm sure he treats you well; you still look delicate." Her gaze raked over Nuan Nuan's worn, yet resilient, appearance.
Anxin's mocking tone turned nastier. "Sister, did you change your style? Why are you wearing such a revealing gown?" She clicked her tongue, feigning concern. "Oh, I'm sure it's to please ge Chenheng."
Nuan Nuan's eyes widened, her face frozen in shock. Memories of Anxin's past cruelty flooded back. Anxin's grasp on her cheek tightened.
"I told you, I will send you out of the Chu family one day," Anxin hissed. "I will have everything you have – your life, Brother Baili, everything!" Her grip released, replaced by a patronizing pat.
"Sister, that will be all. See you soon." Anxin's parting words hung in the air like a toxic promise.
Everything changed when Nuan Nuan's mother married into the Chu family. Once, they were a happy duo, shielded from the world's cruelty. But Anxin's schemes and manipulation corroded their bond.
A cherished childhood memory resurfaced – a stuffed animal her mother bought her. Anxin had coveted it, playing the victim, and Nuan Nuan's mother, blinded by Anxin's tears, forcibly took it away.
"Anxin, Mum is giving you this as a gift. Sister is too old for stuffed animals." The words still stung.
Nuan Nuan's eyes welled up with tears as the past and present collided, her heart shattered into a million pieces.