Just then, the person on the bed grew even more distressed, clutching the sheets, her expression helpless and aggrieved, mumbling that person’s name.
“Wen Zheng, it was my fault, I shouldn’t have misunderstood you, I’m sorry…”
At that moment, Shen Zhengyu was consumed by rage, completely losing his reason. He reached out and clutched Quan Heng’s neck, tightening his grip.
Feeling suffocated in her sleep, Quan Heng suddenly jolted awake. As soon as she opened her eyes, she was met with Shen Zhengyu’s crazed expression.
She struggled to push his hands away, forcing out broken words from her throat: “Ah Zheng, what… what are you doing?”
Shen Zhengyu’s fury had not abated. His hands did not ease up in the slightest. “What am I doing? You should ask yourself! Even in your dreams, you call his name. Are you really that unwilling to let him go?!”
Quan Heng’s face was flushed red from being choked, almost unable to breathe. She pushed hard against Shen Zhengyu, but his grip didn’t loosen at all.
“After all this time, no matter how good I am to you, you still won’t spare me a single glance. Wen Zheng hurt you, deceived you, kept you like a mistress, made you cry so much—and yet, your heart is still only his. Why?!”
Shen Zhengyu’s eyes were bloodshot, his body radiating violence. “Why is it that we share the same blood, but he was born to sit high above, with everything within his reach, while I have to fight just to survive? The only thing I’ve ever had is you, but even that—he wants to take away!”
As he shouted, tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes, dropping onto Quan Heng’s face.
Seeing her in so much pain she was on the verge of death, Shen Zhengyu felt a twisted sense of satisfaction.
At least, in this moment, he wasn’t the only one in pain.
Just before Quan Heng was about to suffocate to death, he finally eased his grip enough for her to barely breathe. Then, with a trembling voice, he asked: “Heng’er, I just want to know—have you ever, even for a single moment in this life, loved me?”
Quan Heng coughed violently, her face pale as she looked at him and said coldly, “Never.”
“My feelings for you have only ever been those of friendship. All these years, I’ve seen you as an older brother—nothing more.”
After speaking, she closed her eyes.
“If you want to kill me, then do it. I’ve lived this long by sheer luck anyway.”
In that moment, she had already prepared herself to die. But the man in front of her didn’t move.
After a while, she opened her eyes again, only to see Shen Zhengyu already in tears.
“…Forget it. It was me who forced it.”
With a bitter laugh, he turned and walked out of the room.
Just then, a cold gust of wind blew in, chilling Quan Heng to the bone.
The door was caught by the wind and slammed shut with a loud bang, sounding especially jarring in the darkness.
At that moment, Quan Heng suddenly had an odd thought—today, Shen Zhengyu hadn’t had any alcohol. Even if he wanted to pretend he blacked out tomorrow, he couldn’t.
The pretense was finally shattered.
The thing she’d always feared had finally happened. She should’ve been too anxious to sleep, but perhaps because the hope she’d been clinging to had finally died, she slept soundly.
Maybe that too was a kind of heartless peace.
***
The next morning, no one came to wake her. By the time she got up, it was already noon.
Luyi came in to help her wash up and said, “The young master went out today. We don’t know when he’ll return. Please have lunch by yourself.”
Hearing that, Quan Heng felt a wave of relief.
After what happened last night, if she had to sit and eat with him today, she probably wouldn’t even be able to stomach a spoonful of soup.
After eating, the sky outside suddenly darkened.
She walked into the courtyard and saw that storm clouds had gathered, and the wind was howling.
It looked like a heavy rain was coming.
Everyone in the courtyard was bustling around, trying to finish their tasks before the downpour.
Just then, she saw a maid bump into a Pozi.
The Pozi had been carrying a large basin of clothes, which spilled onto the ground. She couldn’t help but curse.
The maid looked apologetic and kept bowing and saying sorry.
Seeing her, Quan Heng’s brow twitched.
This girl—wasn’t she one of the maids assigned to guard the firewood shed? She’d seen her before.
Now, because of the collision, the keys at the girl’s waist had fallen out and were mixed in with the clothes.
Quan Heng’s heart stirred. She stepped forward to help pick up the clothes, and while doing so, secretly slipped the keys into her sleeve.
Both the maid and the pozi were shocked to see her help. The pozi hurriedly pushed her hand away, panicked. “Miss, let us handle this kind of rough work. It’s about to rain. Please return to your room quickly. If you fall ill, the young master will surely punish us.”
Having achieved her goal, whether or not she picked up clothes no longer mattered.
She sighed and said, “Alright, then you two finish up quickly and go back inside too. The weather’s bad. Better not stay out.”
The two nodded fearfully, finished collecting the clothes, and left.
Quan Heng calmly returned to her room, pretending she was just avoiding the rain. Once the courtyard was empty and the rain was pouring down, she carefully opened her door and, with the keys in hand, headed to the firewood shed.
She checked her surroundings thoroughly and, seeing no one, swiftly unlocked the door and slipped inside, closing it behind her.
When Ziyun saw her, she rushed forward in excitement, but held back her tears, afraid that the sound might alert others.
Clutching Quan Heng’s hand, she whispered, “Miss, why are you here? How did you get the key?”
Tears welled in Ziyun’s eyes. She looked at Quan Heng with deep gratitude—until she noticed the deep red bruise around her neck. Shocked, she asked, “What happened to your neck? Who did this? I’ll fight them!”
Quan Heng grabbed her hand and gave a bitter smile. “Long story. Shen Zhengyu did it.”
Ziyun was furious. “Back when that dog Shen lived next door, he still looked like a human being. Who would’ve thought he’d turn into such a beast!”
Quan Heng shook her head. “Let’s not talk about that now. I came to get you out of here.”
She checked the shed. No windows, and no light—climbing out wasn’t an option.
Thinking quickly, she said, “You’ll leave through the front door. It’s raining hard, and everyone’s gone inside. This shed is remote. Once you’re out, they likely won’t notice.”
Ziyun, eyes misty, looked at her. “Miss, aren’t you coming with me? Let’s go together. If you stay, you’ll suffer.”
Quan Heng patted her hand comfortingly. “You go first. I’ll follow. If we go together, we’ll draw too much attention.”
She frowned at the rain outside. “Once you escape, go find Wen Zheng. Don’t wait for me. I might not make it out. But if you can, we still have a chance.”
Taking her hand, Quan Heng led her to the door. “Go now. The faster you run, the safer you’ll be. I’ll open the door. You run.”
Ziyun nodded. Quan Heng gritted her teeth, opened the door, and watched her rush into the storm and disappear into the distance.
Only then did she feel slightly at ease. She quietly shut the door and locked it again, pretending nothing had happened.
As long as she could delay, she would.
She returned to her room, planning to pack up and escape too.
Half an hour later, just as she slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped out the door, she bumped straight into someone’s chest.
Immediately, dread flooded her heart.
She slowly looked up—and sure enough, it was Shen Zhengyu.
Soaked from head to toe, his eyes dark and terrifying, he looked down at her.
“Heng’er, it’s pouring out. Where were you planning to go?”
As he spoke, he walked into the house, forcing Quan Heng to back away until she stumbled over the table and fell.
The next moment, Shen Zhengyu pulled her up and pinned her tightly in his arms, not letting her move. He whispered, “If I’m not wrong, you’ve already let Ziyun go, haven’t you?”
Quan Heng’s eyes widened in shock. “How do you know?!”
Shen Zhengyu sneered and ran a finger down her face. “I passed by the firewood shed on my way back. Did you really think you were that clever?”
Seeing her tremble all over, Shen Zhengyu was in a great mood. “Heng’er, tell me—how should I punish you this time?”
“If I go after her now, I should still catch up, right? She’s been locked up for so long—she must be weak. Even if she runs, how far can she get?”
The last spark of hope in Quan Heng’s heart went out. Rage burned so fiercely it hurt her chest. She raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.
“What exactly do you want?! You’re not allowed to go after Ziyun! She grew up with us—do you really have no heart?!”
Shen Zhengyu didn’t get angry. Instead, he laughed and touched the spot she hit. Cheerfully, he said, “You hit me? You know you’ll have to pay for that, right?”
With that, he forced her onto the bed, leaving her no chance to escape.
Then, he took off his outer robe, hooked a finger under her chin, and said:
“How about this—sleep with me, and I’ll forget your mistake this time. I won’t go after Ziyun either. How’s that?”
Quan Heng felt darkness closing in around her.
Now, Shen Zhengyu had completely torn off his mask. He used to be such a refined and gentle man—but now, his shameless appearance was like night and day compared to the past.
She suddenly spat in his face. “Let go of me! You disgusting thing!”
Shen Zhengyu leisurely wiped his face and raised an eyebrow. “Heng’er, your temper is still as fierce as ever. But I like it.”
“I was being kind and giving you a way out, yet you didn’t appreciate it. Do you really think, in your current state, you have any bargaining power with me? Just a mere maidservant—if I wanted to crush her, it’d be an effortless thing.”
Quan Heng sneered coldly. “Indeed, I’m now dependent on others, without a single relative or friend by my side. Of course, you can do as you please. But isn’t it me you want most? What if I told you—if you dare go after Ziyun, I’ll die right in front of you?”
Shen Zhengyu grabbed her collar with a backhand, the distance between them no more than a fist. “You dare?”
