Shen I held onto A Miao's arm and took no more than a few steps before turning his head to ask, "Boss, where should we…"
"Just find a random dark room." Shen Xinglan waved impatiently. "Not the underground."
"Understood." Noticing that A Miao was faintly trembling, Shen I comforted her while dragging her. "Don't worry. I'll be locking you in the storeroom. When boss' mood improves the next morning, I'll let you out."
Worrying that she would catch a cold at night, Shen I kindly found a particularly small storeroom and even placed a quilt inside. When he saw how A Miao lied on the quilt without moving, he said nothing and locked the door.
It was pitch-black inside the storeroom without even a hint of the moonlight. In the darkness, A Miao began to quiver. She could not stand staying in a cramped space like this. To a claustrophobic person, this was life-threatening torture.
"Let me out! Let me out!" She crawled to the door and began to smack it incessantly. Unfortunately, she was locked in a storeroom located within a larger storeroom. Her voice could not reach the people outside at all.
The night deepened, plunging the entire villa into silence. The only sound still resounding in the air was of A Miao pleading as she banged on the door.
"Please, I beg you. Please let me out… I beg you…" Her palms had become all red and bruised but she continued to hit the door. Her voice gradually turned weaker until it resembled the whimper of a dying beast.
But she did not stop hitting hard on the wooden door. Soon, her fingernails all broke and wood splinters pierced her fingers. She continued to claw at the door with empty eyes as if she was numb to pain.
The darkness of the room swallowed this scene whole until the sun lit up the horizon.
"Boss, should we release A Miao?" During breakfast, Shen I tried to probe his boss' intentions.
Shen Xinglan glanced at him. "You seem very concerned about her."
"Not at all! I'm just giving you a reminder," Shen I immediately said, not daring to look at him.
"Shen II will be trailing me from now on." Shen Xinglan put down the newspaper. "You're too loud."
Shen I's face scrunched up. "They send me here because they didn't want to see Shen II looking so expressionless like you each day…"
When he saw Shen Xinglan getting up, he asked, "Boss, where are you going?"
Shen Xinglan walked leisurely. "Checking on that woman. I want to see if she's still that stubborn."
The moment they opened the door, a person collapsed in front of them.
"My God! What's wrong with her?" Shen I helped A Miao up and noticed that she had fainted.
Shen Xinglan yelled, "Damn it! Send her to the hospital immediately!"
A Miao's hands were a mess of blood and flesh. Even her white bones were showing.
"Boss, look at her eyes." Since Shen I was carrying A Miao, he noticed that there seemed to be something covering her eyes.
Shen Xinglan's expression was terrifyingly dark. He did not expect her to resort to such extreme measures just because he locked her up for a bit. If not for the fact that this woman still had some use to him, he really wanted to stab her and be done with it.
"What the hell is it?" he asked in a sinisterly cold voice.
Shen I slowly and carefully peeled off two thin film-like objects from A Miao's eyes.
"It's human skin, boss." His tone became solemn.
Shen Xinglan's eyes glinted. He took the objects from Shen I and carefully examined them. He then pointed at A Miao. "Peel open her eyes."
"No, I can't see it." Shen I tried to do as he was ordered but because A Miao was unconscious, he was unable to see any change in her.
Rubbing the human skin between his fingers, Shen Xinglan's expression gradually turned solemn. It seemed like he would have to wait for this woman to wake up to get an explanation.
They sent A Miao to the emergency room. When the doctor finished treating her, he walked out and addressed them.
"How did her hands get injured that badly? She hurt her bones. I'm afraid that her regular movements will be affected even after recovering."
Shen Xinglan stared coolly at him. "I don't need you people to treat her. Send her to the first class ward."
"Who the hell are you? You can't act like this even if you're rich! What right do you have to refuse treatment for the patient?" The young doctor evidently assumed that this was a case of domestic violence. He was prepared to ask the nurse beside him to call the police.
Shen I stopped him. "Your dean's number."
A Miao was sent to the first class ward. Shen II, who had rushed over after receiving the news, spoke as soon as he entered the room. "Boss, I managed to catch hold of Le Yi."
Just as he finished speaking, Shen Xinglan's phone started ringing.
"It's me, Le Yi."
He said nothing except, "Come back."
He ended the call. A Miao, who was lying on the bed, began to stir.
"Boss, she seems to be awake!"
Shen Xinglan bent his waist to stare straight at A Miao's face. As her eyes slowly fluttered open, she used her bloodied hands to grab onto Shen Xinglan's sleeve. She opened her mouth and tried to speak.
"My… My hands…"
"I'll get you treated." Shen Xinglan pressed his lips tightly while staring coldly at her.
He did not expect that a small smile to appear on A Miao's face. "If my hands don't heal, then you… you won't have anyone to steal for you. Hehe… Let's see… Let's see if you dare to lock me up again." Her grip on his sleeve then loosened as she fell unconscious.
"Boss… She didn't open her eyes… I didn't get a clear look." Shen I immediately dashed away from Shen Xinglan after speaking. Dear God! This was too terrifying. This woman was truly brave. Even when she was reduced to such a state, she still did not forget to provoke their boss.
If emotions could be materialized, Shen Xinglan would have combusted into flames.
"Boss, there's a problem in Europe. They're waiting for you to go over." Shen II promptly changed the topic.
Shen Xinglan took in a deep breath. "Stay here and watch her. Call me when Le Yi arrives."
"Yes!" Shen I held the door open for him.
When A Miao finally regained consciousness, she saw an unfamiliar man standing at the end of her bed.
"You're up?" The man's voice was gentle. "How do you feel?"
"Who… Who are you?" The moment A Miao opened her mouth, she felt as if flames were licking her throat. She could not help herself from coughing.
The man helped her up so she was leaning against the bed frame and brought a glass of water to her mouth. "Drink some water. You cried so much that your voice is all hoarse."
"Thank… Thank you." A Miao lifted her hand."I'll…" Before she could finish her sentence, she winced in pain.
"You can't move your hands for at least two months," the man reminded her. "If you don't want to be handicapped, you best stay put."
A Miao lifted her heavily-bandaged hands. When she tried moving them, a searing pain greeted her.
"Are you a doctor?" Her throat felt much better after she drank water. She looked around the room. Even though it looked as lavish as a hotel room, the emblem on the wall was something that belonged only in a hospital.
The man's eyes were constantly curved into crescents as if he was always smiling. He nodded as he sat down on the edge of her bed. "I'm a doctor but I don't work in this hospital."
"What does he mean…" A Miao became alert.
"Hehehe!" The man burst into laughter. "Don't worry. Shen Xinglan purposefully summoned me here to treat you."
This worried A Miao even more and she leaned backward. "Then, you must be his friend?"
"You can say that." The man extended his hand to her. "Nice to meet you. I'm Le Yi."
She shook her bandaged hand, vaguely touching his hand with it. "I'm A Miao."
"A Miao?" Le Yi asked curiously. "Your surname is A?"
A Miao narrowed her eyes. "What's so strange about it? Your surname is rare too!"
"Hehe. We sure are fated then." Le Yi stared straight at her eyes. "Do you find me familiar?"
A Miao began to feel uncomfortable under the man's intense gaze and turned her head. "Impossible. I would never have the chance to meet someone as handsome as you in my entire life."
The people she met in the past were all ordinary folks who were busy making a living. Later… Later, all she met were perverts, hooligans, and beasts.
"Looks like you've recovered enough to hit on a man."
A Miao's face fell after hearing this voice. She immediately dived under the covers and stayed very still.
"Shen, you frightened her." Le Yi looked slyly at Shen Xinglan who had just walked into the room. "I'm not trying to criticize you but why did you torture her to this point? Even if she doesn't like you, you can't use force on her!"
"Who would like this pervert?!"
"Who would like this ugly woman?!"
Two voices resounded at once. Then, Shen Xinglan could not stop himself from asking, "Your… Your eyes?"
A Miao climbed out of the covers and glared at the man who caused her to lie in a hospital bed. "See! This doctor said I wouldn't recover for another two months! You want me to steal for you? Dream on!"
"What's wrong with your eyes?" Once again, Shen Xinglan used an interrogative sentence that was rare for him.
"Oh no!" A Miao quietly cried. She asked in a panicked voice, "Where's the mirror? I want a mirror!"
Shen I immediately rushed out from behind them with a mirror in hand.
"Ah!" A Miao buried her face in her hands after taking just one glance at her reflection and hid under the covers.
Frowning, Le Yi reminded her, "Be careful with your hands."
Shen Xinglan paid his words no need and grabbed A Miao's wrist. "Please tell me what's wrong with your eyes."
"You…" His words stunned A Miao so much that she forgot to even cry out in pain.
It was Le Yi who made Shen Xinglan release his grip on her. "That's enough. Speak calmly, whatever it is. None of you should be agitated."
"I promise you I won't touch you, but you must tell me what's wrong with your eyes."
Shen Xinglan stared at A Miao's face without blinking. Her triangular eyes had now transformed into large glistening eyes. It was a pair of rarely-seen phoenix eyes, the kind where the outer corners inclined upward. It breathed life into her entire face and revealed her intoxicating charm.
More importantly, her eyes were identical to the eyes of the person in his memories.
"Fine." A Miao sighed. Since things had come to this point, there was no way for her to conceal the truth. She told them her mother's dying words and then concluded by saying, "Please help me keep this a secret. I don't want the Xia family to know."
Le Yi nudged Shen Xinglan when he saw that the latter was staring at A Miao without moving. "Did you hear her?"
"Keep an eye on her." Shen Xinglan stood up. "I'm leaving."
"Wait!" A Miao stopped him. "You haven't promised me that you'll keep this a secret." Just as she was about to threaten him that she would not steal for him until he agreed, she saw the man who had already had his back to her nodded solemnly.
It was not until Shen Xinglan, Shen I, and Shen II left that she turned to look at Le Yi with a worried expression. "Did that psycho agree or not?"
"Hehe. He agreed." Le Yi looked at her. "What's wrong? You seem to hate him."
A Miao lifted her hands. "If someone turned your hands like this, will you like him?"
"I heard Shen I said that it's just a misunderstanding. They didn't know you'd…" Le Yi gestured. "If you just went to sleep, everything would have been fine the next day."
"Impossible!" A Miao glanced at him. "I have claustrophobia and nyctophobia."
Realization dawned on Le Yi. "No wonder your hands would be this badly injured."
Someone with claustrophobia and nyctophobia would naturally be unable to remain in a dark and cramped space. It was not much different from killing them.
"Shen I." Inside the car, Shen Xinglan's gaze was unfathomable. "Go and investigate. I want details of her whereabouts in the years when she went missing."