Chapter 1: Escape from the Compound

The day Su Nuo escaped and returned, she instantly dominated every trending topic. Nearly all headlines bore her name, accompanied by photos of her gaunt frame and terrified eyes.

“A Nightmare Journey! Heiress Tormented Beyond Recognition”
“Was Su Nuo Truly Abducted or Is She Playing the Victim?”
“Adopted Daughter of the Duan Family Found on the Streets Three Months After Disappearance”

She fled from the compound, jumping through windows, crawling through mud pits, dodging electrified fences, dragging a fractured leg as she evaded pursuers and their hounds, nearly drowning in a river before she barely managed to crawl ashore.

When she appeared before the crowd, she was covered in blood and filth, her clothes in tatters, looking worse than a stray dog. Flashbulbs exploded all around her, the press closing in with their cameras trained on her face.

“Miss Su, what inhuman treatment did you suffer these past three months? How did you end up like this?”
“Online rumors say you ran away from home out of spite and brought this on yourself—what do you have to say?”
“Were you forced into any trades?”

Su Nuo’s gaze was vacant, shrinking back, clutching her head as she tried to escape, her muffled whimpers barely audible.

The reporters relentlessly blocked her way, unwilling to let her go.

“Miss Su, is this a show you orchestrated to win Mr. Duan’s attention?”
“How many buyers did you go through? How did they treat you?”

Each sharp question was like a blade, stabbing at her from all sides.

Ever since news broke of Su Nuo’s abduction three months ago, the media had been in a frenzy. For Su Nuo was the adopted daughter of the Duan family, the city’s most famous heiress—spoiled, dazzling, lively, and always the center of attention. Even more sensational was her relentless pursuit of the Duan family’s CEO, a scandal everyone relished.

No one had imagined the proud little princess would be reduced to this state.

Su Nuo didn’t dare speak above a whisper. Hunched, she fled blindly, muttering over and over,

“Please, I’m sorry… please, I’m sorry…”

Soon, a group of bodyguards outfitted with professional gear surged into the crowd, heading straight for Su Nuo. A commotion broke out, the cacophony of questions and protests swelling to chaos.

Su Nuo instinctively cowered lower, trembling, her hands clutching her head so tightly her nails dug into her scalp.

Suddenly, a pair of strong hands gripped her hunched shoulders.

Su Nuo reacted as if facing a mortal enemy, thrashing wildly, her first thought that she’d been caught again!

In an instant, she shrieked and kicked with a desperate, feral strength, her cries sharp and harrowing, drawing every gaze in the crowd and unleashing a barrage of shutters and flashes.

“Miss! Miss! It’s me!”

Su Nuo fought with everything she had, her thin limbs flailing like a wild animal, her bony joints striking helplessly against the iron-hard chest before her.

The hands held her tighter, the voice growing frantic—almost a shout. “Miss! Look at me! It’s me! I’ve come to take you home!”

Home…

Su Nuo froze.

Through tear-blurred vision, she saw a pair of black leather shoes and matching suit trousers.

The voice came again from above her. “Miss, come with me!”

This time, there was a stiff gentleness in his tone.

Su Nuo shuddered. She finally recognized the voice—it was Chi Ling, the chief bodyguard.

For the past six years, it had always been Chi Ling dragging her out of the CEO’s office. “Dragging” was the better word, for every time he would sternly pull her by the sleeve and hustle her out of the Duan Corporation building. To keep her from sneaking back in, Chi Ling would stand guard like a wall.

If she moved, he’d block her, never giving her a chance, all because Duan Yubai was thoroughly fed up with her. But back then, Su Nuo had both a thick skin and endless affection, and was always undeterred, returning again and again to seek out Duan Yubai.

So the phrase she heard most from Chi Ling was, “Miss, come with me!”

Unlike all those times before, today “come with me” became her lifeline. She clung tightly to his suit sleeve, leaving two smeared, bloody handprints.

She could feel Chi Ling pause, and all the cameras instantly zoomed in on her ravaged hands and raw, bloodied feet.

But Su Nuo was long since numb. Compared to the wounds inside, these were nothing.

Chi Ling looked at her hunched, skeletal frame and couldn’t help but speak in a heavy voice. “Miss…”

Though she kept her head down, eyes fixed on the ground, Su Nuo could still hear the pity in his tone.

Was he pitying her?

He ought to feel relieved, she thought. After such an ordeal, she would never dare pester Duan Yubai again, nor trouble Chi Ling.

Perhaps it was her imagination, but Chi Ling’s pace quickened as he forced a path through the crowd, his arm around her shoulders tightening as he nearly carried her, so light she barely touched the ground as they reached the car.

All the reporters were held back a hundred meters away by bodyguards, their constant flashes unable to pierce the tinted luxury vehicle.

Su Nuo obediently got in, the familiar scent hitting her at once. The long-missed warmth nearly made her weep, but she remained rigid, not daring to relax.

In the quiet cabin, Duan Yubai sat with his eyes closed, not even opening them when he heard her enter.

His long lashes shaded a face of cool composure and innate nobility. His perfectly tailored suit, immaculate hair, and tasteful accessories all declared his success. Paired with his striking, cold features, he was the sort that drew countless admirers—a man as handsome as a god.

Of course, with her gone, he must have enjoyed peace these past months.

Suddenly, Duan Yubai frowned, as if detecting an odd smell. He turned toward her, and his eyes filled with nothing but disgust and disdain.

He nearly shouted for the bodyguard to throw her out, but then his expression shifted to shock. He hesitated, then called out tentatively,

“Su Nuo?”

Su Nuo lowered her head, pretending not to see anything, and replied meekly, “Mm.”

Her heart was long since numb—what were a few looks, compared to being beaten? This was a hundred times better.

His attitude toward her could no longer stir any wave in her heart. After this abduction, she finally understood she was only the adopted daughter of the Duan family.

She had no right to be arrogant or willful. Just like this time—if Duan Yubai hadn’t agreed to ransom her, her worthless life wouldn’t even be fit for a dog.

Duan Yubai’s frown deepened, his irritation unchanged.

“How did you end up like this? Do you have no self-respect at all!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! It’s all my fault, I didn’t mean to, I’ll never do it again…” Su Nuo blurted out without thinking.

But Duan Yubai’s anger didn’t subside. He looked her over with scorn.

“Are you trying to play the victim to make me feel sorry for you? Three months and you’ve learned nothing! Clearly, you haven’t suffered enough!”