cold clothes

In her sleep, Leng Yi vaguely felt colder and colder. No matter how tightly she hugged herself, she couldn't warm herself up. It was as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

She couldn't feel any light yet, but someone called to her: "Get up, it's time for lunch."

I opened my eyes to find a food box in front of me, and a faint candlelight on the wall in the distance. I couldn't see any sunlight, and I never imagined it was noon.

Her stomach was growling with hunger. Leng Yi sat up and lifted the lid of the food box. Her hair, which hadn't been combed all day, was a mess and covered her face. Suddenly, her eyes lit up because there was fragrant braised pork and steaming chicken soup inside the box.

Wow! It seems Aunt Hu didn't want her to die, but could she really survive half a month alone in this dark and freezing dungeon? No bed, no blankets, no bathing, no combing her hair, only two meals a day… Leng Yi surrendered; dignity was worthless in the face of hunger. If Aunt Hu were in front of her, she would definitely rush up, hug her leg, and kneel down, crying, "Mom, I'll be good and won't let me go hungry," just like her "whatever the boss says goes" attitude in front of clients in her past life.

That seems too spineless...

But honestly, she had never suffered like this before. When she was a child, she lived in the countryside with her grandparents, but she never went hungry or cold. Her grandparents always gave her the best. It goes without saying that when she came to her stepfather's house, even though her status was criticized, she was still a pampered young lady who never had to lift a finger. Even after she broke off relations with her stepfather and started her own business, she never ended up as miserable as she is now. It would be better for her to die than to go a day without a bath.

Leng Yi was feeling really down and wanted to talk to someone, so she struck up a conversation with the girl who delivered her food: "Sister, why am I all alone in the dungeon?" She was really bored to death with no one to talk to.

The young woman had a blank expression, but she still answered her question: "Everyone who was previously locked in the dungeon is dead."

Leng Yi suddenly felt a chill down her spine; the cold wind in the dungeon seemed to have turned into a ghostly wind blowing by evil spirits.

"I think I'm about to die too..." Noticing the girl's suddenly sharp eyes, Leng Yi groaned, "The dungeon is so cold at night, I'm afraid I'll freeze to death, so, could you bring me a quilt?"

The young woman was silent for a moment, then said, "Okay, but it would be troublesome if you died or fell ill."

"Thank you, sister!" Leng Yi quickly put on an innocent and bright smile. Taking advantage of her cuteness, she became bolder and started making small talk while eating. The older sister answered her nonsense in a serious manner. After Leng Yi finished eating, she picked up the food box and left. Not long after, she returned with a straw mat and a quilt.

Leng Yi felt extremely safe and secure hugging the thick quilt.

With basic needs like food and clothing largely met, the issues of cleanliness and emotional well-being became more prominent. Leng Yi felt itchy all over, as if lice were crawling on her. The most terrifying thing was the quiet darkness around her, with only the flickering candlelight on the wall and the mournful sound of the wind. Staying in such an environment for a long time wouldn't be too frightening, but the sense of emptiness and loneliness was about to engulf her.

Being awake is the most useless thing, so Leng Yi let herself fall asleep, and in that sleep she dreamed of the past.

The banquet was about to begin, and fireworks had already lit up the courtyard. Today was my stepfather's birthday, and many of his business partners had come to offer their congratulations.

Her mother asked her to go out and greet the guests, but she refused, saying, "My brother is enough on his own."

Helpless, her mother left, leaving her alone in the room. She looked at herself in the mirror, meticulously dressed, her light brown curly hair neatly combed, orange eyeshadow making her pupils appear even darker and brighter, and her lips adorned with Armani's red tube lip gloss, an extremely vibrant red that perfectly complemented her little red dress. Without a doubt, she would be the center of attention the moment she stepped out.

Leng Yi was as beautiful as her mother, and the high nose she inherited from her father added a touch of aloofness to her beauty. Many people praised her for being born with a life of wealth and honor, like a peony, while others mocked her, saying that her face suggested a wicked heart.

Flattery is not to be taken seriously, and harsh words are just as hurtful and difficult to ignore. Therefore, Leng Yi dislikes dealing with all sorts of people from her stepfather's side.

Although there was no way to escape, she could stall for as long as possible... Just as Leng Yi was thinking this, the door suddenly opened, and her stepbrother, dressed in a black suit, stood in the doorway like a fierce god.

The stepbrother frowned and scanned Leng Yi from head to toe, then said impatiently, "Come out. Don't let others say our family is ill-mannered."

Leng Yi's stepbrother, Liu Yuping, had disliked her since childhood and had played many pranks on her, such as burning her homework, locking her in the storage room, or putting snakes in her schoolbag. He only became more mature and composed when he entered his senior year of high school, which made Leng Yi even more afraid of him. His stepbrother's face, with its sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and icy demeanor, was even more intimidating than her stepfather's.

"Okay." Leng Yi didn't dare to offend her stepbrother and could only leave. She wanted to slip away from him quickly, but he grabbed her arm, his long fingers squeezing her so hard it hurt.

Leng Yi frowned and looked up at him with a hint of fear, but he actually took her hand and led her forward. Leng Yi was very confused and helpless, unable to resist. She was led by her stepbrother to a crowd of elegantly dressed people, and she could only force an awkward but polite smile to deal with the greetings from everyone.

"Yu Ping and Xiao Yi, wow, they're a handsome man and a beautiful woman."

"I heard that Yuping got the top score in the finance department. He's really a promising young man."

"Which university does Xiaoyi want to go to in the future? It would be great to go to Stanford like her brother, haha."

Leng Yi maintained a stiff smile. The surrounding noise gradually faded in her ears, but the sound of fireworks bursting forth was as clear as if from another world. After midnight, the banquet ended, and the villa returned to its quiet solitude.

Leng Yi felt thirsty and wanted to go downstairs to get a glass of water. As she passed her mother's room, she heard her stepfather and mother making sounds, which made her feel a little embarrassed. When she went downstairs, she found her stepbrother pouring water, and Leng Yi's body immediately stiffened.

Her stepbrother noticed her and gave her a cold glance. Leng Yi quickly said, "I came down to get a glass of water." The implication was that she hadn't intentionally appeared to be in his way.

"..." The stepbrother didn't speak, but poured a glass of water for Lengyi.

Leng Yi was so startled that she didn't immediately take the water. It wasn't until her stepbrother frowned that she realized what was happening. She took the water and said thank you, thinking to herself that her stepbrother had changed quite a bit since he went abroad to study a year ago.

After finishing her drink, Lengyi went back to her room. Her stepbrother was still sitting on the sofa watching his tablet when his gaze suddenly fell on the glass Lengyi had drunk from, where there was a faint lipstick mark on the rim.

His gaze darkened and became inscrutable. He got up and headed upstairs. He paused for a moment as he passed the master bedroom. By listening to the sounds, he realized that his father was pressing his stepmother against the door.

He only started to feel drunk after drinking at the banquet, and then he knocked on Leng Yi's door.