After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

The warm atmosphere that was about to thaw was abruptly cut short.

The basement was so quiet that the only sound could be the two people's uneven breathing.

"Nianxi?" Zhu Xun Chuan raised an eyebrow slightly and called out tentatively.

Lu Nianxi did not look up.

Her fingers, which were gripping the knot, slowly loosened.

Then, she stood up.

When she looked up again, the pitiful and guilty expression on her face had vanished without a trace.

Instead, the creepy smile that used to send chills down your spine was replaced.

It was even more sinister and twisted than before.

"Brother Chuan, your heart is beating faster."

Lu Nianxi tilted her head and gently touched Zhu Xunchuan's chest with her finger, feeling the vibration coming from there.

"Do you really think I'd believe what you just said?"

Zhu Xun Chuan's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm: "What do you mean?"

"When my dad had his accident, our family accounts were frozen, and I had to be careful even to afford a bowl of spicy hot pot. If you really think I'm some high-class princess who's easy to fool, you're sorely mistaken!"

Lu Nianxi giggled.

"Furthermore, you just said it was just a fling. But I saw with my own eyes you checking into a hotel with that woman surnamed Shen. You were kissing that female counselor in the underground parking garage. Does a fling really need to go this far?"

Lu Nianxi reached out and pinched Zhu Xunchuan's chin, her nails digging into his flesh.

"Your mouth is such a liar."

"I almost, I almost fell for your trick again."

She released her grip and took two steps back.

He bent down and picked up the scalpel from the ground.

"But it's okay."

Lu Nianxi turned and walked towards the iron gate, her back to Zhu Xunchuan.

Since your heart is not with me, then I can only leave your heart here forever.

"Don't worry, I'll be very gentle."

She gripped the iron gate handle, turned back, and gave Zhu Xun Chuan an extremely sweet smile.

"You think you can fool me with these words? Dream on!"

"Bang!"

The heavy, soundproof iron gate was slammed shut, the sound of the lock clicking particularly jarring in the quiet space.

The incandescent light overhead flickered twice and then went out completely.

The basement was plunged into complete darkness.

Darkness deprives us of sight, so our senses of hearing and smell are amplified infinitely.

The basement was filled with the pungent smell of formaldehyde and the lingering scent of gardenias.

Zhu Xun Chuan sat on the iron chair, the hemp rope on his wrists digging into his flesh. He didn't struggle, relying on the foundation of the system's basic physical enhancement potion, silently feeling the flow of blood in his body. The effects of the drug were gradually fading, but it would still take time for him to fully recover his explosive power.

Thanks to his enhanced biological clock, he knew clearly that a full twelve hours had passed since he lost consciousness.

It was daylight outside.

"bite--"

From the iron table not far away, came the crisp sound of glassware clinking together.

Lu Nianxi was humming a song. It was an unknown children's song, with a light and cheerful melody, yet it exuded an eerie and chilling atmosphere in this confined space.

"Brother Chuan, you're awake?" Lu Nianxi's voice drifted from the darkness, carrying a sweet laugh. "Don't rush, I'm adjusting the ratio of the preservative solution. I've checked the information; if the formalin concentration isn't high enough, the specimen will change color. I want you to stay this beautiful forever."

Zhu Xun Chuan didn't take the bait with this weirdo.

He adjusted his breathing, his tone still casual, even slightly teasing: "Nianxi, mixing that stuff will damage your skin. How will you, the daughter of a municipal party secretary, ever get married if you have to smell this every day?"

"I told you, I only want you!" The ear-piercing sound of a knife tip scraping against an iron table came from the darkness.

"Fine, I'll take you." Zhu Xun Chuan's lips curled into a roguish smile. "But I have a problem; I get kidney deficiency if I'm kept in the dark. If you really turn me into a specimen, I'll only be able to look at me but not use me. Wouldn't that be a loss?"

Lu Nianxi's breath hitched for a moment.

"Shut up! What else can you do besides lie to me?" Her voice trembled, clearly disturbed by those words. "I won't fall for your tricks again!"

Zhu Xun Chuan remained silent. The seed had been planted; although this girl was crazy, deep down she was still a love-struck, love-craved individual. As long as he didn't provoke her, he just needed to stall for time.

He has been out of contact for twelve hours.

Outside, things are probably in complete chaos.

……

Nine o'clock in the morning, the top-floor penthouse of Xinghewan.

Morning light streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling onto the scripts and call sheets scattered on the floor.

Su Mucheng walked barefoot on the cashmere carpet. She wore only a thin V-neck silk slip dress that barely covered her upper thighs, leaving her two straight, shapely, and fair legs exposed to the air. The silk fabric clung to her skin, outlining her breathtakingly smooth and snowy curves.

But at this moment, she had none of her usual charm and allure; on her lightly made-up face, there was only visible panic and anxiety.

"The number you dialed is currently switched off..."

The mechanical female voice came through the receiver for the fifty-seventh time.

Su Mucheng's fingers trembled, and she smashed her phone onto the sofa.

"I can't find it! I still can't find it!" Her eyes were red and her voice was trembling with sobs. "Sister Song, he's never turned off his phone! We made plans to play games together last night, he would never ignore me for no reason!"

Assistant Sister Song stood to the side, watching her little princess frantically streaming down her face, and quickly comforted her, "Chengcheng, don't scare yourself. Who is Young Master Zhu? He drives a Panamera, casually spends ten million, he's a big shot with plenty of bodyguards. He's probably at some high-end club with no cell phone signal, or his phone died. Men need some personal space sometimes..."

"You don't understand!" Su Mucheng turned her head sharply, staring intently at Sister Song. "Even if the sky were to fall, he would still reply to my message!"

The moment he finished speaking, the phone on the sofa started vibrating incessantly.

Su Mucheng's eyes lit up, and she lunged forward to grab the phone. But the moment she saw the caller ID, the light in her eyes quickly dimmed.

Caller: Xie Jinghong.

She took a deep breath and slid the answer button.

"Su Mucheng, what on earth is wrong with you?" On the other end of the phone, Xie Jinghong, the big boss of Jinghong Entertainment, spoke with a voice as cold and sharp as a knife. "Jinghong Entertainment spent 30 million on your public relations to turn things around. Your public image is booming right now, and it's the crucial period for you to reap the benefits and strive for the Best Female Singer of the Year award. And today you actually turned down the recording of three top-tier S+ variety shows, and you didn't even attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a high-end luxury brand?"

"Director Xie." Su Mucheng gripped her phone tightly, her knuckles digging into it. "Zhu Xunchuan has disappeared. I can't find him."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by an extremely rational, cold laugh.

"Missing? Su Mucheng, use your brain. Zhu Xunchuan is rich and handsome. If he's not answering the phone at this hour, he's probably still in bed with some woman. Are you going to jeopardize your future for a man who's out fooling around?" Xie Jinghong's tone was brimming with capitalist arrogance, even tinged with a hint of bitterness she herself didn't realize. "Have Sister Song take you downstairs immediately. The car is waiting for you in the underground parking garage. If I don't see you in ten minutes, your album is completely ruined!"

"Xie Jinghong."

Su Mucheng suddenly called him by his name.

Her voice was no longer that of a soft-spoken idol who fawned over capital, but rather a resolute determination that came from the brink of disaster.

"My life, everything I have today, is all thanks to him. Without him, I'd be nothing at all!"