Chapter 2 Betrayal

• “Heavens! Wan, what happened?”
• Lan Muwei had just walked out of the bathroom when she heard an astonished cry.
• Lin Yayu walked in from outside, clad in a custom branded dress. Her eyes were suffused with jealousy as they landed on Lan Muwei’s nightgown, but her expression changed into one of concern when the latter looked over.
• “You and Director Feng… did you really drug him?” She cried out in astonishment.
• There were other servants in the villa going about their own chores. Despite trying their best to lower their presence, many of them couldn’t help but steal disdainful glances.
• Lan Muwei pursed her lips as she observed all of Lin Yayu’s expressions.
• This body of hers had retained the memories of its original host—Lin Yayu was Su Wan’s only friend in the Feng Family.
• “Feng Shihan is my husband, why would I need to drug him?”
• Lin Yayu’s eyes flickered. “No, Wan, I don’t mean it that way… have you really slept with Director Feng?”
• “Naturally.”
• Lin Yanyu’s eyes darkened, but she resumed a smile when she noticed the other party looking over. There was a poison-drenched vine growing in the depths of her heart.
• Lan Muwei tugged her clothes downward. It was fairly uncomfortable being stared at in that getup. “I’m going back to my room if there’s nothing else.”
• Su Wan wasn’t living together with Feng Shihan.
• “Rest well, then. Tomorrow, the old madam and Feng Shihan will be attending the funeral of Lan Muwei, the young madam of the Fu Corporation. The Feng and Fu families have been enemies for many years, but the old madam says she’s acquainted with the deceased lady. It’s only proper that she should send her off.”
• A sudden ache wracked Lan Muwei’s heart, and her legs gave way.
• Funeral...
• “Wan, what’s wrong?”
• “It’s nothing, I’ll retire first.” Lan Muwei was in no mood to feign civility at this point. She returned to her room with brisk steps, leaving a baffled Lin Yayu behind. Why was that dumb woman, Su Wan, so cold to her today?
• Could it be that she had discovered some things?
• ——
• Lan Muwei crawled into her bed and blacked out. It was as though she had been drained of all strength.
• Memories flooded into her heart, devouring her and turning the entire world on its head.
• “Chen, please let me go out, I promise not to go anywhere.” A miserable Lan Muwei was on her knees, her hands bound behind her back. The iron chains around her fair wrist had drawn deep outlines of blood around it.
• The man in front of her looked down with dark eyes akin to a beast—a handsome, refined beast. There was a sinister smile hanging from the corners of his mouth.
• “Weiwei, don’t blame me. I simply love you too much.”
• A cold hand caressed her face, causing Lan Muwei to shiver. She said tearfully, “Then, let me go. I beg of you…”
• “I can let you go. You just need to remove your jacket, kneel at the company doors, and say you love me. Tell the entire world that I’m the one you love!” He suddenly drew closer and dragged her up by the hair.
• “Fu Chen, you pervert. You’ll get your just desserts one day…”
• For more than half a year thereafter, he kept her chained to a steel bed in the basement. He would feed her sedatives in the daytime, and only leave for work after making sure she was sound asleep. The torture and humiliation would then continue after his return. He would even feed her high-doses of sex hormones. This made the young wife lie willingly on his chest and yield in servitude under his body, all in order to gain his favor and grace.
• Half a year later, Lan Muwei was no different from a walking corpse. There seemed to be no end to her muddle-headed days, and the only thing she could do was beg Fu Chen to let her go at night.
• She didn’t know why this gentle, loving husband suddenly became so terrifying. Less than a year after their marriage, Fu Chen became less and less patient with her. He gradually became obsessed with control and possession, going so far as to check on the people she was meeting. The punishment she would receive for the slightest disobedience came in the form of unbearable humiliation.
• At times, she was even forced to stand at the door, naked and trembling.
• Later on, his methods became increasingly cruel, forbidding her from leaving the house entirely. Finally, she was locked in the basement just because she had chatted briefly with the property management staff who had come to collect fees.
• She had no idea there was actually a basement in the house.
• The chamber was cold, humid, and its walls were decorated with all sorts of alarming torture equipment. There were numerous human-shaped dolls piled up in one of the corners, their lifelike eyes staring at her at all times. These figures were crippled, amputated, or even quartered… and under the faint light, she could see Feng Shihan’s face on them.
• A chill slowly crept up her spine.
• She knew Feng Shihan. He was the head of the Feng Family, a young and capable person with boundless potential, and also a long-time enemy of the Fu Family.
• Reportedly, Fu Chen and Feng Shihan had been fighting since they were kids, but the latter would always gain the upper hand. Fu Chen was always just a bit lacking compared to him.
• The media of Xiangjiang City loved to compare the two men.
• Lan Muwei couldn’t begin to imagine Fu Chen’s hatred for Feng Shihan.
• An unknown length of time passed yet again. Lan Muwei was gazing blankly at the ceiling, her eyes so dry that she could no longer shed tears. But that afternoon, her sister Lan Zhixi rushed into the basement to save her.
• “Sis, I never thought Fu Chen would treat you that way…” Lan Zhixi cried profusely while hugging her. It was a touching scene of sisterly love.
• Seeing Lan Zhixi in tears, Muwei felt as though her heart was being cut into pieces. At the same time, she felt satisfied knowing that the former still loved her quite a bit despite having stolen her designs.
• She decided not to pursue her sister’s plagiarism if she could leave this place alive.
• Lan Zhixi brought her away from the mansion and arranged for her to receive treatment at a hospital.
• Who would’ve thought that she would escape from one prison just to end up in an even more terrifying hell?
• “Sis, my body cannot hold out much longer. Didn’t you say you can forgive me, that you’ll do anything for me? Please give me your heart. I don’t want to die, I really don’t want to die…”
• “My teacher has already commended me to take part in next year’s International Design Contest, I must live on. Sis, you won’t want your designs to fade into obscurity, right? Rest assured. Just give me your heart for transplant and I’ll take your designs onto the international stage…”
• Lan Zhixi’s tone started out as a discussion, but eventually, her voice grew higher and higher as she became more agitated.
• Within the ICU, a drowsy Lan Muwei heard her voice.
• “Zhixi, what are you talking about?”
• Lan Zhixi was born with congenital heart disease and had never gotten a heart for transplant all these years. Hence, her body was fairly weak and the doctor said she wouldn’t live past thirty.
• It was because of this that Lan Muwei felt sorry for this half-sister of hers, and always favored her. Even when the latter had stolen her designs, all she did was lose her temper.
• But Zhixi just said she wanted to transplant her heart?
• Extremely disappointed, Lan Muwei used all her strength to push Lan Zhixi away. “Scram!”
• “Sis, I’m sorry.” Lan Zhixi wasn’t afraid of the sister hearing her. No one else knew about this matter anyway.
• A cold smile appeared on Lan Zhixi’s pale, sickly face as she picked up the syringe from the table. A hint of malice appeared on her countenance when she thought about how she would no longer need to take drugs every day or worry about a viable donor. She wouldn’t need to worry anymore about the reaper knocking on her door.
• She was afraid, truly afraid.
• The doctor had told her that she wouldn’t live past thirty, but Lan Zhixi felt that she was lucky to have lived twenty-five years.
• She was still young. She didn’t want to die yet—she wanted to find a job, taste success, fall in love, feel cherished… At the thought of this Lan Zhixi braced herself and stabbed the needle into Lan Muwei’s neck.
• Lan Muwei struggled with all her might, fueled by a strong desire to live. But after suffering half a year’s worth of torture, her body was no match for Lan Zhixi.
• She glanced at that frail sister who usually looked like she would collapse from a gust of wind, and saw that her eyes were full of murderous intent. Lan Zhixi held onto the needle that was sticking into Lan Muwei’s neck and pushed its medicinal contents into her vessels.
• Lan Muwei’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Before she finally lost consciousness, she saw the doors open and in came Fu Chen in his red suit.
• “Chen, save me…”
• Lan Muwei felt a wisp of hope upon seeing Fu Chen. She believed the man wouldn’t allow her to die.
• “Fu Chen, you’re here.” Lan Zhixi’s voice was gentle, almost like a shy, harmless rabbit.”
• “How’s she doing?”
• “She’s still unconscious, I think my sister won’t wake up anymore…”
• Fu Chen arrived beside the bed and stood there for a while. Then he said with a cold voice, “Then let her sleep for a while longer. Her heart is very important to you, notify the doctor and have him prepare for the operation.”
• Lan Muwei’s heart sank to rock-bottom as even her last thread of hope had been shattered.
• Her eyelids finally closed on their own, and she fell into a world of boundless darkness. What followed was a bout of intense pain. Her body spasmed for a moment, and finally turned cold…”