Xiao Yu's eyes blazed with anger as she stared hard at the man, her face contorted in irritation. She struggled to free her hand from his grasp, but he held tight.
The man smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "You look stubborn. I guess you're new here," he said, his voice oozing condescension.
Xiao Yu's face twisted in disgust. "Let go of my hand," she warned, her voice firm and sharp.
The surrounding men laughed, enjoying the spectacle. The man stood up, attempting to flirt further, but Xiao Yu shoved him forcefully, sending him stumbling back into his seat.
Silence fell. All eyes turned to her.
"Don't you ever touch me again," Xiao Yu snapped.
As she turned to leave, she almost collided with Long Shen, who stood behind her, his face unreadable.
"What's going on here?" he asked, voice low and dangerous.
The man straightened himself, feigning innocence. "Your worker humiliated me. She was rude."
Long Shen's gaze sharpened, and he stepped closer to the man. "I saw what you did," he said coolly. "Don't try that again, unless you want to leave here with missing fingers."
The man looked away, cowed.
"Enjoy your night," Long Shen added, voice thick with sarcasm.
When he turned around, Xiao Yu was gone.
Outside, Xiao Yu stood in the shadows behind the building, fuming. "Asshole," she hissed.
Long Shen found her moments later, calm as ever. "Why are you here?"
"I want to go home," she bit back.
"You will. After you finish your job."
"Are you serious?!" she snapped. "I don't belong here. Take me back or I'll find my way myself."
Long Shen's expression turned cold. "Xiao Yu, I own you until your debt is paid. You'll leave when I say."
Suddenly, his eyes caught movement. A masked figure emerged from a distance—gun raised.
Bang!
A shot cracked through the night. Long Shen tackled Xiao Yu to the ground, shielding her as chaos erupted. Xiao Yu screamed, burying her face into his chest.
His guards responded swiftly, bullets flying, securing the perimeter.
Long Shen swept Xiao Yu into his arms and rushed to the car.
An hour later, back at the mansion, Xiao Yu bolted inside, trembling. She hid under her blanket, sobbing uncontrollably.
She'd seen violence in films—but never in her reality.
The next day, Xiao Yu jolted awake at 10 a.m. Her class started at one.
She rushed through her morning routine and emerged dressed, only to find Long Shen already standing in the hall.
"Finally awake. I thought you'd died in your sleep," he said, amused.
She rolled her eyes.
"Why so early? Thought you had an afternoon class?"
"I don't want to be late on my second day."
Just then, two of Long Shen's men—Chen Wei and Lao Qiang —dragged a bloodied man through the door.
"Boss, we have him."
Long Shen nodded. "Take him to the chamber."
Xiao Yu gasped. "What are you going to do to him?"
Long Shen gave her a chilling smile. "None of your business."
Later, Xiao Yu sat alone in the campus hallway, her head resting on the table. Chen Wei had gone to get her lunch.
"Mind if I sit here?" a gentle voice asked.
She looked up to see a stylish girl with glasses and a warm smile.
"Sure."
"I'm Mei Li. What's your name?"
"Xiao Yu," she replied softly.
"Business major too?" Mei Li asked.
"Yeah. You?"
"My family owns a company, I'm taking over someday."
Xiao Yu smiled. "Nice."
Just then, Chen Wei returned. "Here's your lunch, Miss Xiao Yu."
Back at the mansion, Long Shen paced. It was past her return time, and neither the driver nor Chen Wei were answering their phones.
When they finally walked through the door, he exploded.
"What happened to your phones?!"
The men bowed low. Xiao Yu stepped forward. "It was my fault. Don't blame them."
Long Shen glared at the men, then stormed off.
"Are you guys going to be in trouble because of me?" she asked softly.
Chen Wei shook his head. "Not really, Miss Xiao Yu."
She sighed deeply, her heart heavy as she walked up the stairs, knowing she was still trapped.
As days flew by, Meili Jiang and Xiao Yu became inseparable, their bond strengthening over shared textbooks and whispered secrets. Meanwhile, Long Shen remained entangled in the ruthless underworld, negotiating blood-soaked deals with men who only respected violence.
This afternoon, Xiao Yu and Mei Li were tucked in the university library, heads bent over a thick finance textbook. A looming presence stood two feet away—Xiao Yu's ever-watchful bodyguard, dressed in sleek black, his eyes scanning the quiet room.
Meili stole glances at him, her brow arched in curiosity. "Is he going to follow us everywhere?" she whispered, her voice barely above a hush.
Xiao Yu shrugged slightly, her tone dry. "Yes."
Meili's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Is your dad some paranoid billionaire? Or are you being hunted by secret enemies?"
Xiao Yu's eyes flicked away, her voice low and flat. "Yes... too many enemies. He's just trying to protect me."
Meili leaned in, curiosity glowing in her eyes. "Ohhh. That makes sense. Still... he's kind of cute."
Xiao Yu chuckled, her voice softening. "Do you like him?"
Meili turned bright red. "No! I'm just saying he looks... dedicated. What's his name?"
"I don't know."
Meili blinked in disbelief. "You've been guarded by him for weeks and don't even know his name?"
"He doesn't talk much," Xiao Yu defended. "How would I even ask?"
Meili giggled. "Try next time. Ask nicely. Who knows? Maybe he has a soft side."
Changing the subject, Meili brightened. "Hey, are you free this weekend?"
Xiao Yu looked intrigued. "I think so. Why?"
"My stepbrother's throwing a huge birthday party. I want you to come."
Xiao Yu's eyes widened. "Really? I've never been to a party before."
"What? Seriously? Not even as a kid?"
Xiao Yu lowered her gaze. "No. My... dad never let me attend."
Meili's smile softened. "Well, this Saturday will be your first. You'll love it."
She scribbled the address onto a slip of paper and pressed it into Xiao Yu's hand.
---
★LONG SHEN'S MANSION★
Later that night, Xiao Yu sat at the dining table with Long Shen. The food in front of her barely touched as she hesitated before speaking.
"There's a birthday party this weekend... Meili invited me. I'd like to go."
Long Shen didn't look up from his plate. "You're not going."
Xiao Yu blinked. "Why not?"
His voice was flat, final. "Because I said so."
She clenched her fork. "You don't control everything I do. I already told Meili I'd be there."
His eyes lifted to hers, cold and unblinking. "You're still mine. You live under my roof, and my rules. That's final."
"Can we just have a normal conversation without you throwing the word 'slave' around like it's my name?!" she snapped.
Long Shen leaned back in his chair, his tone mocking. "If the title fits, wear it."
"I won't even be alone. Your guard follows me around like a shadow, remember?"
"Still no."
Xiao Yu grumbled under her breath. "Heartless brute."
"I heard that," he said, not missing a beat.
---
The next morning, Xiao Yu doubled her efforts. She followed Long Shen around like a persistent kitten—pleading in the garden, trailing him on the balcony, even appearing at the poolside with her most innocent expression.
No change.
Later, she found him lounging on the veranda, sipping wine and reading the news. His guards loomed nearby.
Xiao Yu sat down on the floor near his feet and gently began to massage them.
He peeked over the edge of the paper. "What are you doing?"
"Massaging your tired feet. Does it feel good?" she said with a playful pout.
He scoffed. "This won't change my answer."
"You're so impossible," she muttered. "You old man."
He lowered the newspaper slightly. "Did you just call me old?"
Xiao Yu grinned. "You heard me. Old men don't know what fun feels like."
"Fun doesn't pay debts," he replied coolly.
She threw her hands up. "I just want to feel normal for once!"
Long Shen stood up, brushing past her. "Normal doesn't exist in this life, Little Slave. Get used to it."
But Xiao Yu, watching him walk away, made a silent vow: one way or another, she would go to that party.