Chapter 38: He Treats Her So Well

After the meal, Duan Yubai reminded Su Nuo that she needed to head to the company soon. Su Nuo had assumed he would have forgotten about it, so she was taken aback to realize he still remembered.

She felt a wave of discouragement. She didn't have a single outfit suitable for work. All her clothes had either been discarded by Mo Xiaoxue, sold, or given away. Seeing her hesitant expression, Duan Yubai grew impatient.

"Is there something else? Why aren't you going to change?"

"I..." Su Nuo looked up and forced herself to speak, "I don't have any suitable clothes."

"Didn't you buy a few white suits for the New Year? Just wear one of those. You need to dress formally at the company, understand?" After saying this, Duan Yubai turned to Mo Xiaoxue. "Xiaoxue, help her go get some clothes. It wouldn't do for her to go to work looking like this."

Mo Xiaoxue nodded immediately. "Of course, I'll take her upstairs right now."

No one noticed Mo Xiaoxue's tightly clenched fists. She cast a cold glance at Su Nuo. "Miss, let's go upstairs."

Su Nuo instinctively stepped back and bumped into Chi Ling. "I—I'm sorry." Her voice trembled.

Chi Ling remained expressionless, but he turned his gaze toward Mo Xiaoxue. "Ms. Mo, I believe I saw some white suits in the storage room."

Duan Yubai, who was about to head upstairs, turned back. "The storage room?"

"Yes. Yesterday, while I was helping the young lady tidy up her room, I went to the storage room to retrieve her bedsheets, covers, and a few coats," Chi Ling said, his voice devoid of any inflection. "The mistress asked me to help organize the guest room, and I did indeed find many things in storage. Most of the young lady's belongings should be there as well."

Duan Yubai looked at Mo Xiaoxue with hesitation. "Xiaoxue, what is this about?" Although he had allowed Mo Xiaoxue to stay in Su Nuo’s room, he had specifically told her not to touch Su Nuo’s things.

Mo Xiaoxue swallowed hard and spoke with difficulty. "Mr. Duan, you forgot? You were the one who told me to pack up and discard the young lady’s things."

Duan Yubai frowned, and Mo Xiaoxue quickly added, "It was after that dinner with Mr. Wang from Shanghe Real Estate. You saw that the young lady hadn't returned, and that was when you ordered me to get rid of her things. You said that since she wasn't coming back, she wouldn't need them, so I should just throw them away."

Her voice took on a tone of apology. "I knew the young lady's items were expensive, so I took the liberty of putting them in storage instead. The company has been busy lately, and I didn't get a chance to ask you..."

She let her voice trail off, but the point had been made. The items were discarded on Duan Yubai's orders; she was merely following instructions. Moreover, she had been "kind" enough to put them in storage. Privately, she had intended to sell them—they were worth a fortune.

Duan Yubai could no longer recall giving the order, likely having said it in a moment of frustration. He waved his hand dismissively. "It’s not a big deal. No need to report such things. Su Nuo, go change."

With that, he headed upstairs.

Chi Ling looked at Su Nuo. "Miss, let’s go retrieve your things." Su Nuo nodded gratefully. As they turned to leave, Mo Xiaoxue’s voice rang out from behind them.

"Chi Ling, you're certainly good to the young lady."

"She is the eldest daughter of the Duan family; it is only proper," Chi Ling replied coldly. He continued walking, leading Su Nuo away.

Mo Xiaoxue narrowed her eyes. The eldest daughter of the Duan family? What kind of daughter was Su Nuo? She was nothing more than a stray dog that had been cast out—worse than a stray! Sooner or later, she would trample Su Nuo under her feet.

The Duan estate had a large storage area where unused items were kept until they were periodically cleared out. As Su Nuo followed Chi Ling inside, her eyes turned red. Amidst a pile of waste, she saw her suitcase and a mountain of clothes. Many of her custom-made pieces were now in tatters—some slashed, some torn to shreds, and others stained.

Her bags were nowhere to be found. Su Nuo remembered having many limited-edition handbags, each one an appreciating asset. But here, there were only clothes and shoes. Recalling Cui Jie’s behavior, she could guess what had happened; her belongings had likely been carved up and taken. Previously, they might not have dared, but now there was nothing they wouldn't do, knowing she lacked the courage to confront them.

She lowered her head, unable to look at the wreckage any longer. Chi Ling stepped forward. "Some of these can still be worn; just make do with them for now, and forget the rest. Is there anything else among your daily necessities you need to take?"

Su Nuo picked through the remains, ultimately managing to pack only a single suitcase. The rest had been ruined.

Chi Ling had been frowning the entire time. "Miss, should we tell Mr. Duan?"

"No," Su Nuo shook her head gently. What would be the point? He wouldn't stand up for her; he would only accuse her of being dramatic, claiming she had ruined the clothes herself. He had never believed her anyway.

Su Nuo sniffled and forced a smile. "This is enough, really."

Chi Ling looked at the young woman with a hint of heartache, then silently carried the suitcase out for her.

When Su Nuo emerged in her changed clothes, Duan Yubai was already seated in the car, with Mo Xiaoxue naturally sitting beside him. Su Nuo hesitated, then opened the door to the passenger seat.

To her shock, she saw the limited-edition crocodile leather bag she had wanted for so long. She had pestered Duan Yubai to buy it for her months ago when he went on a business trip to France. She remembered his initial reluctance, yet he had returned with that very bag. She had been so happy then, thinking that despite his complaints, he had bought it for her. Sadly, she had been abducted before he could give it to her.

It was identical to the one she had wanted. As she stared in astonishment, Mo Xiaoxue picked it up.

"Sorry, I forgot you were going to work today too." She coolly placed the bag between herself and Duan Yubai. "Mr. Duan gave me this bag as a year-end bonus, and a birthday gift, too. Work hard, and you’ll have one too."

Duan Yubai glanced at the bag, pausing for a split second before returning to his documents. Su Nuo had enough bags to fill a house; one less didn't matter. It had been Mo Xiaoxue’s birthday, and thinking it would be a nice surprise, he had simply handed it over. Catching sight of Su Nuo’s stunned expression in his peripheral vision, he let out an impatient click of his tongue.

Su Nuo hurried into the car and closed the door. Seeing her blank look, Duan Yubai shook his head. If she liked it, she could just buy another one; was there any need to look so dazed?