Mr. Zhongli, we can't slack off anymore!

"Should we take these too?" A clear but hesitant male voice rang out from not far away, breaking the silence in the room and penetrating my chaotic consciousness.

Immediately afterwards, a voice as cold and clear as a winter spring responded mercilessly, like a bucket of ice water being poured over someone's head: "'She took all her things,' which word of that sentence didn't you understand?"

"But...but...these..." The first voice hesitated even more, with a hint of embarrassment: "Elheisen, how about...you take care of it?"

"What do you think a housekeeper does?" The icy voice rang out again, brief yet chilling.

Immediately, another, more respectful voice intervened: "Mr. Kavi, please don't be embarrassed. I will take care of Miss Lü's personal belongings."

So many unfamiliar voices... It's so noisy...

My head is spinning.

Has a thief broken into my house?

Oh no, what should I do? I'm so scared...

We need to call the police... Yes, call the police...

The excessively bright light shining through my eyelids stung my eyes and suddenly reminded me of something more urgent—what time was it? Was I going to be late for school?

Why isn't anyone waking me up?

They're still talking... they probably won't notice me, right?

I closed my eyes and held my breath, but my heart was pounding wildly in my chest. The "bang bang bang" sound was so loud it was frightening, and I could almost feel the mattress vibrating slightly.

My body was trembling slightly uncontrollably. I was afraid that the noise would reveal that I was awake, and I was curled up here like a startled rabbit.

"What's wrong with her? Is she awake?" The clear male voice asked uncertainly, seemingly moving closer to me. "Elheisen, are you sure you know her well? We...we won't be mistaken for..."

The man called Elhesen did not answer, leaving him only with a brief silence.

It was discovered!

My breathing suddenly became rapid, and I gasped for air uncontrollably, as if I had just finished running a marathon, my chest heaving violently.

"Miss Lü, are you alright?" A man's voice suddenly rang out very close to the bedside.

Immediately afterwards, a hand landed gently on my shoulder with a tentative force.

"Ah—!" I was so scared that I almost couldn't catch my breath. Almost instinctively, I grabbed the soft pillow next to me and threw it hard in the direction of the sound with all my might!

I didn't even have time to see the "bad guys'" reaction. Like a spring, I jumped off the other side of the bed and ran away in the opposite direction through the glass door leading to the balcony!

I pushed open the balcony door abruptly, slipped inside, and immediately grabbed the doorknob tightly, closing it behind me.

This door... can't be locked from the outside! I can only pull it with all my might; this thin door panel is my only barrier.

Through the not-too-thick glass door, I was horrified to see the faces of the three "bad guys" in the room.

At the same time, my own face was vaguely reflected in the glass—a face filled with panic.

who is she?

Is it me?

But... it looks so unfamiliar.

And this place... this isn't my home at all!

The room's layout and the view outside the window were all terrifyingly unfamiliar!

what is going on?

A huge wave of panic overwhelmed me.

"Miss Lü, are you alright?" The man with brown hair and an exotic style of clothing looked at me with a seemingly worried expression.

His movements seemed very restrained, even somewhat cautious, as if I were some important person who needed to be treated with care.

Is he calling me?

But... my name isn't "Lü Ren"...

“Um… Miss Lu… Miss Lu Ren.” The blond guy in the strange white clothes (the one with the clear voice?) spoke somewhat incoherently. He pointed to the scantily clad, cold-faced, and fierce-looking man next to him. “Calm down first. Look, the Elsie you know… uh, Elheisen is here. He’s not a bad guy.”

"I don't know you!" I screamed, my voice trembling with fear. "Human traffickers! You're human traffickers!"

"Don't, don't shout!" The blond man panicked and was at a loss. "It'll cause misunderstandings! It's a misunderstanding, right... Elhesen?" He looked at the cold-faced man beside him for help.

However, the man called Elhesen did not answer him. He just stared at me with his sharp, emerald-green eyes, as if scrutinizing and analyzing something.

His focused and cold gaze terrified me. My eyes stung, and hot tears welled up uncontrollably, streaming down my cheeks.

"Ah—help! Help!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, using up all the air in my lungs.

The school's safety education class teaches that if you encounter danger, you must shout for help loudly if you have the chance!

“Miss Lu!” The brown-haired man hurriedly explained, “Are you dissatisfied with my service? I haven’t had a chance to explain why I opened the door for these two gentlemen. They have official credentials from Grand Disciplinarian Seno, and… and a handwritten letter from Little Lucky Grass King, proving that they have a close relationship with you and are here to take care of you.”

God?

Little Lucky Grass King?

Have I been abducted into some cult?

There are no gods in the world! There is no Santa Claus! That's all just a lie to fool children!

No wonder...no wonder everyone's wearing such strange clothes! Now everything makes sense!

"Help! Let me go! I want to go home!" After hearing his explanation, instead of calming down, I felt even more terrified and shouted louder, my voice filled with desperate sobs.

"Get out." The man who had been silent the longest and looked the fiercest finally spoke coldly.

He didn't even glance at me again. After saying that, he turned around decisively and strode towards the door of the room.

"Hey! Elhesen! You're just leaving like that? What about her?" The blond man exclaimed in astonishment. He looked at his departing companion, then at me, huddled on the balcony, trembling and with tears streaming down my face. Finally, he stamped his foot and chased after him.

"Miss Lü, please... get some rest." The butler-like man bowed respectfully in my direction, his face displaying a professional yet slightly flustered expression: "If you need anything, please ring the bell, and I will come immediately to await your orders." With that, he quickly left the room and gently closed the door behind him.

With a soft click, the room fell completely silent.

I'm all alone now.

I have to escape! I must escape and call the police! Contact my parents…

We can't go through the main entrance; they might be waiting there, just waiting for me to walk right into their trap!

Go down from the balcony? Yes, let's see if we can climb down from the balcony!

I wiped away the tears and snot from my face haphazardly with the back of my hand, forcing myself to calm down.

I slowly turned my head, my heart still pounding, and looked out onto the balcony—

As far as the eye can see, there is an endless expanse of green.

The trees, enormous beyond imagination, are like giant pillars supporting the sky and earth, their lush canopies stretching like a sea, gently enveloping the entire city.

The strangely styled buildings, like vines, twine around thick tree branches and steep rock walls, appearing and disappearing in the morning mist.

A refreshing morning breeze, carrying a cool and invigorating sensation, caressed my face. The air was filled with the uniquely sweet fragrance of various unknown plants, an aroma that was incredibly pleasant.

Is there such a place on Earth?

But where is my home?

Can I... go back?

This thought, like a heavy boulder, suddenly pressed down on my heart.

If we can't go back... does that mean... we won't have to go to class anymore? And we won't have to do homework anymore?

The thought only flashed through my mind for a fleeting second.

Compared to the headache-inducing classes and assignments...

Compared to this strange and beautiful place, which is like a dream...

I'd rather... go home right now.