On the day of graduation, I was dragged by my rich father to get the certificate

"Awake?" Nangong Xuan's voice came from the corner of the room.

Only then did Gu Wan notice that her mother was sitting on a single sofa in the dark, dressed meticulously in a Chanel suit. How could she look sick at all?

"Mom! What do you mean?" Gu Wan struggled to sit up and found a faint red mark on his wrist, which was obviously left when he was forcibly brought here.

Nangong Xuan elegantly crossed her legs and took a sip of her tea. "What do you mean? I have to ask you, what's the point of hiding with my granddaughter and Si Yehan?" She set her teacup down with a soft thud. "Have you forgotten the Nangong family's blood feud? Did I give birth to you just to have an affair with my enemy's son?"

Gu Wan's chest heaved violently. "Mom... No, Ye Han said he's willing to help us find out the truth... Besides, we got married six years ago..."

"Shut up!" Nangong Xuan suddenly raised her voice, her well-kept face contorted with anger. "I know, but the person Si Yehan married six years ago was called Gu Wan, and you're now Nangong Wan, unmarried!"

“Mom…” Every word Nangong Xuan said was like a knife stabbing into Gu Wan’s heart. She clenched the bed sheet tightly, her knuckles turning white. “But I am Gu Wan!”

"No! You're not! Gu Wan was declared dead six years ago." Nangong Xuan interrupted her coldly, "Wanwan, you really disappoint me. I carefully trained you for six years and let my beloved disciple Liang Heng teach you architecture step by step. This was so that you could inherit the Nangong family and avenge the Nangong family, not so that you could be blinded by love."

Gu Wan suddenly understood something, and a chill ran down her spine. "So... you pretended to be sick this time just to bring me back?"

Nangong Xuan stood up and straightened her wrinkle-free skirt. "You're my daughter. You should have thought of this earlier." She walked towards the door, her high heels tapping a cold rhythm on the marble floor. "From today on, you will reflect on your actions right here. You are not allowed to go anywhere before the engagement ceremony."

“Engagement?!” Gu Wan jumped off the bed, but was stopped by two maids who came in at some point. “What engagement? Who am I engaged to?”

Nangong Xuan turned around, a perfect smile on her lips. "Of course it's my most proud student, Liang Heng. Your master has waited so long for you, it's time to give him an explanation." She paused. "By the way, my granddaughter... her name is Nian Nian, right? It's a lovely name. If you cooperate, she can grow up safely."

The door slammed shut like a thunderclap. Gu Wan slumped to the ground, tears finally pouring out. Her mother's last words weren't a threat, but a threat—if she didn't obey, Nian Nian would be in danger.

Raindrops pattered against the window. Gu Wan curled up in the corner, tears already streaming down her face as she recalled the warm memories of the past three days with Si Yehan and their daughter.

Think about how naive she had been, believing love could conquer all. Now she was imprisoned in this golden cage, and Si Yehan didn't even know where she had gone.

Gu Wan wiped away her tears and forced herself to calm down. There was an antique clock on the bedside table—3:27 AM. Si Yehan must be frantic right now, and so must Nian Nian, her beloved child, who was terrified of thunder. Without her mother by her side...

"Si Yehan..." She buried her face in her hands, silently calling out her lover's name, "Find me, please find me..."

Outside the window, the rain continued to pour. Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, the lights in the Si family compound remained on all night. Si Yehan stood by the French window, repeatedly dialing Gu Wanzao's number, which he couldn't get through.

In his hand was a screenshot of the surveillance footage of Gu Wan's last appearance sent by his subordinates, his eyes darker than the night.

Si Yehan clenched his fists, a cold glint in his eyes. Nangong Xuan had finally crossed his line.

"Wanwan..." He called his wife's name again, his voice filled with unprecedented determination, "This time, I won't give in."

Then he said to the assistant behind him, "Investigate!" His voice was as cold as ice. "Turn over every property of the Nangong family and dig deep underground to find her."

Cold moonlight filtered into the room through the iron bars, casting prison-like shadows on the floor.

Gu Wan curled up in the corner, his fingers unconsciously stroking the bruises on his wrists left by yesterday's struggle.

This was the fifth day she had been imprisoned by her mother, Nangong Xuan, and the second day after her third failed escape attempt.

"Miss, it's time to take your medicine." The voice of the maid Xiaomei came from outside the door, accompanied by the sound of keys turning.

Gu Wan quickly wiped the tears from her face and straightened her back. She wouldn't let anyone see her vulnerability, especially her mother's minions.

The door opened and Xiaomei came in carrying a silver tray with a glass of water and a few white pills on it.

"Madam said you don't look well today." Xiaomei lowered her head, not daring to look directly into Gu Wan's eyes. "These medicines can help you relax."

Gu Wan sneered and reached out to knock over the tray. The pills rolled onto the carpet, and the water cup hit the wall with a crisp shattering sound.

"Tell Nangong Xuan that I don't need her 'concern'." Gu Wan's voice was as sharp as a knife.

Xiaomei took two steps back in shock, hastily cleaned up the mess, and fled the room. The door locked again, and Gu Wan breathed a sigh of relief, collapsing back onto the bed.

She knew that such resistance was pointless and would only bring about more severe punishment, but she had to let her mother know that she was not a puppet to be manipulated.

The footsteps of patrolling bodyguards could be heard outside the window. Gu Wan tiptoed to the window and observed through the gap in the curtains.

Four bodyguards in black patrolled the perimeter of the villa, passing by her window every fifteen minutes.

The night before yesterday, she tried to escape from here by tying a rope with a bed sheet, but was discovered by the patrolling bodyguards the moment she landed.

"Miss Gu, Madam asks you to go to the study." An hour later, the voice of the housekeeper, Lao Zhou, sounded outside the door.

Gu Wan's heartbeat quickened. Every time she was called to the study, it meant a new round of mental torture. She straightened her messy hair and forced herself to remain calm.

In the study, Nangong Xuan was sipping black tea elegantly, as if imprisoning her own daughter was a very common thing.

She was wearing a custom-made dark green cheongsam, her hair neatly tied back, and every fine line left on her face by the years revealed an unquestionable majesty.

"Sit down." Nangong Xuan said without raising her head.

Gu Wan didn't move. "What tricks are you trying to play?"

Nangong Xuan finally raised her head, a faint smile on her lips. She took an envelope from the drawer and pushed it to the other end of the table. "Take a look at this."

Gu Wan hesitated for a moment, but still walked forward and picked up the envelope. Inside was a stack of photos—photos of her daughter, Gu Nian, at the kindergarten gate, playing in the park, and on her way home from school.

In every photo, a figure in black can be seen not far away, obviously the person sent by Nangong Xuan.

"You sent someone to follow Nian Nian?" Gu Wan's voice trembled with anger, and his fingers almost crushed the photos.