Chapter 10: The First Signs Emerge

Shi Ran moved into Villa No. 13.

Having escaped Zuo Yelin’s presence, she collapsed onto the plush, oversized bed and rolled about. The mattress, as soft and airy as a cloud, seemed to pull her into a state of pure indulgence.

"At last, the bitterness ends and the sweetness begins," the thought crossed her mind. After spending so much time by Zuo Yelin’s side, she was finally enjoying some comfort. Though it was a little late, she only realized how wretched her previous living situation had been once she moved into this villa. It wasn't just the size; the soundproofing and the amenities were worlds apart. In such comfort, she found no reason to miss the past.

Moreover, she noticed that the villa was equipped with smart home technology and an automatic climate control system. Upon entering, she had even received a health monitoring notification.

"Brown sugar water has been delivered. Please enjoy it while it is warm." A robot, standing over a meter tall, rolled to the bedside carrying a tray and issued a mechanical reminder.

Shi Ran rolled to the edge of the bed, sat up, and picked up the drink to test the temperature. Finding it just right, she downed it in one go and placed the cup back on the tray. The robot retreated.

Just as she prepared to lie down again, her phone rang. It was Mei Lan.

"You useless girl, how can you not even handle such a small task? I told you to keep Jiaqi on a string, not to give up your job. Can't you wait until after work to have dinner with him?" The lecture hit her like a freezing downpour.

"I..." Shi Ran opened her mouth to explain, but when the words reached her lips, she chose to stay silent. She saw no trace of maternal responsibility in this woman; instead, she was treated as a tool for profit, as if she were merely a piece of merchandise born to be traded.

"Don't 'I' me! You’re not happy to be scolded? Do you have any idea how hard it is to raise you? Now that you're grown, it's time you thought about this family. If you had the talent to climb onto Zuo Yelin’s lap and into his bed, would I have to exhaust myself arranging all these things for you?"

What could she say? She *had* climbed into Zuo Yelin’s bed—though, in a way, not quite completely.

"I understand," Shi Ran sighed helplessly.

"Remember to act quickly. If you lose Jiaqi, it won't be easy to find another man who has eyes only for you," Mei Lan’s tone softened slightly.

"Mom, a friend of mine saw Jiaqi at one of those entertainment venues..." Shi Ran tried to use this as an excuse to convince her.

"How could Jiaqi possibly go to a place like that? Your friend must have seen it wrong. That friend is a girl, isn't she? She’s just jealous of you, afraid that you’ll hook onto the Zuo family and soar to the top!" Mei Lan rambled on incessantly.

Unable to bear the nagging any longer, Shi Ran hung up.

When the phone rang again, she ignored it. A moment later, she received a text: "You useless girl, I’ve set you up with Jiaqi for tonight. I’ve sent you the address. Put on a good show, and remember to delete this message afterward."

A deep sense of powerlessness washed over her. She had seen it with her own eyes, and with the video evidence provided by Zuo Yelin, how could it be fake? Then there was Jiaqi’s behavior—the desperate way he had tried to devour her was something she had experienced firsthand. Could that be fake, too?

"Forget it, I might as well take this chance to investigate," she sighed. She knew that if she didn't show up tonight, her phone would ring off the hook tomorrow. Mei Lan was always like this—she would never stop until she got what she wanted, and she never considered Shi Ran’s feelings. No matter what happened, she would always use the excuse of "it’s for your own good" to shut her down.

Shi Ran memorized the address and deleted the message. She lay back down and, lulled by the softness of the bed, drifted into a hazy sleep.

She was startled awake by the ringing of her phone. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the caller ID.

"Young Master," she said, her voice trembling as she answered.

"Assistant Shi, this is Su Yu. Mr. Zuo has a dinner engagement tonight. I’ve sent you the address; be sure to arrive on time." Before she could reply, the line went dead.

Shi Ran looked at the new notification on her phone. She groaned and pulled at her hair. Why was everything being scheduled for the evening? Couldn't they do it in the afternoon or tomorrow?

Hesitantly, she dialed Zuo Jiaqi’s number.

"Ranran, where are you?" his ethereal voice drifted through.

"I'm at home. I'm not feeling well, so I won't be able to make it tonight," she said, feigning weakness. She felt her performance was quite convincing—at least eight or nine points out of ten.

"You're at home? Why didn't you answer when I knocked on your door?" Zuo Jiaqi asked, puzzled.

Shi Ran bolted upright. "You’re at my door?" Her tone was full of shock, devoid of any feigned weakness.

"Yes, I was debating whether to knock again when you called. Why don't you come and open the door? I bought you some fruit and medicine," his sweet, caring words came through the phone.

To Shi Ran, it sounded like a death sentence. She clawed at her hair, searching for a strategy. First, she absolutely could not let him in. She was at Villa No. 13; even if she rushed over by taxi, she would run into him at the door, and that would be impossible to explain.

"Ranran?" When she didn't respond, his voice sounded confused.

*That's it,* she thought. *If I don't answer, he'll eventually leave.*

"Ranran, are you there?"
"Ranran?"
"Ranran, if you don't answer, I’m going to call a locksmith."

*No, that’s too risky.* Hearing his threat, she immediately abandoned that idea. If he really called a locksmith, the truth would be exposed.

"I'm here, I'm here!" she hurriedly replied.

He let out a sigh of relief on the other end. "Thank goodness. Ranran, you're okay."

"I just went to the bathroom," she lied, her face flushed. "Jiaqi, I’m not feeling well these past few days, so I can't go out. I'll accompany you to dinner once I’m feeling better," she said, politely declining while dangling a promise.

"Do you need to go to the hospital? Or should I just leave the medicine at the door? I won't come in, just take the things inside," he said, sounding frantic.

"It's my period." Her face grew even hotter as she forced the words out through gritted teeth. She suspected he was doing this on purpose—what other reason could a girl have for feeling unwell for several days in a row? Could he really be that oblivious?

"Oh, right. You shouldn't eat anything messy during your period. I'll take these things back, and we can prepare another meal when you're better." Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt his initial enthusiasm had dimmed.

Seeing that he wasn't pressing the issue, she breathed a sigh of relief and stopped paying attention to the subtle nuances.

"Ranran, there are some things at the company I need to handle, so I’m heading back. I’ll explain things to your mother about the dinner. Get some rest." Before she could reply, he hung up.

Shi Ran replayed his words in her mind. She couldn't shake the feeling that Zuo Jiaqi was acting strange. As someone who held three percent of the company's equity, how busy could he possibly be? Why couldn't he even spare the time to wait for her answer?

Something was wrong.