The Ensnared Star and a Desperate Escape

Lin Yi remained stubbornly defiant, his lips pressed tightly shut. The medicinal powder on Chen Sishi’s finger had already begun to dissipate, yet she still couldn’t force any of it past his clenched teeth.

Under the strenuous struggle, Lin Yi could no longer hold his breath. He desperately inhaled the clean air through his nose.

Fortunately, this particular powder couldn’t linger in the air. Its inherent weight caused it to quickly fall to the ground once it lost its point of support.

Unperturbed, Chen Sishi dipped her fingertip into the powder again. This time, she feigned an attack, then swiftly changed her direction.

The girl’s finger easily slipped into Lin Yi’s nostril. Caught completely off guard, Lin Yi inhaled the powder in an instant.

A sudden dread seized Lin Yi. The powder had already entered his body, traveling down his respiratory tract.

Even holding his breath now would be useless.

“Hehe, sleep well, Lin Yi.”

“When you wake up, you’ll see your new home. No one else will bother us then, no malicious women.”

“Lin Yi won’t have to worry about daily chores or expenses anymore. Lin Yi will just stay at home, docilely waiting for me to return. You’ll love a life like that, won’t you?”

“I love Lin Yi so, so much. So much that I want to absorb you into my very being.”

“You are my everything, the very meaning of my existence.”

‘So… can I become the only star in your heart?’

“Can you, from now on, become like me, only loving me?”

“Ahaha, am I being a little too selfish? I truly am, truly, very wicked.”

Chen Sishi’s voice echoed incessantly in his ears, attempting to ensnare Lin Yi. She wanted him to become just like her, to love only her.

****

The sensations in his body grew fainter, until Lin Yi’s entire frame went limp in Chen Sishi’s embrace.

A warm feeling enveloped him, as if a voice ceaselessly whispered, ‘Sleep, it’s alright to sleep.’

His consciousness grew increasingly hazy. Lin Yi gazed at the exquisite girl before him, opening his mouth, but no words would come. Then, his mind plunged into complete darkness.

Seeing that Lin Yi had fallen unconscious, Chen Sishi produced a rope from somewhere. She bound his limbs, then found a black bag and placed him inside.

She knew she couldn’t linger in the manor indefinitely; discovery was inevitable. Yet, her strength alone wasn’t enough to transport Lin Yi, and this realization gnawed at her.

As she watched the light rain begin to fall outside, a sense of urgency welled up in Chen Sishi’s heart. Lost in thought, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts.

Her phone book contained few numbers: only her father, the butler, and a few classmates.

She dared not call Chen Lujun; if he discovered this, he would not let her off lightly.

Hesitating for a moment, she ultimately decided to call the butler. The butler had watched Chen Sishi grow up, and she believed he would temporarily help her conceal this matter.

After a few rings, the call connected, and the voice of a middle-aged man sounded from the other end.

“Hello? Sishi, what brings you to call me?”

“Uncle Butler, there’s something I need to ask of you.”

After Chen Sishi recounted the day’s events to the butler, silence reigned on the other end of the line for a long moment.

The butler had served Chen Lujun for many years and knew both Chen Sishi and her mother intimately. Upon learning of the situation, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

‘The mother and daughter truly share the same temperament.’

However, he was reluctant to get involved. Precisely because he had watched her grow up, he couldn’t allow her to make another mistake.

“Sishi, I’m afraid I cannot help you with this. If the Master finds out, neither you nor I will escape his wrath.”

“Uncle~ just this once, please? Just this once? I’ll give you a raise when we get back.”

“No!”

“Uncle~”

“Alright then, I’ll send a car to pick you up shortly. I can only keep this a secret for a week; after that, I won’t get involved.”

Caught between the young mistress and the master, either one alone was enough to cause the butler significant trouble. Unwilling to lose his job, he ultimately offered a compromise.

Chen Sishi, of course, had no objections. Her goal was to take Lin Yi away, and all she needed was enough time to settle him.

Hanging up the phone, Chen Sishi gazed at the gloomy sky. The departure time was set; it was time to leave with Lin Yi.

She glanced at the bulging black bag, a fresh wave of worry washing over her.

Lin Yi was a grown man, weighing at least a hundred *jin*. She couldn’t possibly lift him alone; she would need to find some tools.

****

On the other side of the manor, a head emerged from the waist-high grass. Having crouched there for so long without Chen Sishi coming to find her, Qin Ruoxue began to feel anxious.

‘I run fast anyway,’ she thought. ‘Even if I go out, Chen Sishi wouldn’t be able to catch me with her stamina.’

With this mindset, she tiptoed back onto the path.

Maids passing by instinctively glanced over at the furtive Qin Ruoxue.

Qin Ruoxue paid them no mind. She could simply walk back to the starting point now.

Halfway there, Qin Ruoxue spotted Xu Wei hiding in a corner.

Truth be told, Xu Wei’s hiding skills were quite terrible. There was no need to specifically search for her; one could spot her even on a casual stroll.

Realizing her position was compromised, Xu Wei cautiously retreated a few steps.

“You weren’t found, right?”

“No.”

“Really?”

Xu Wei eyed Qin Ruoxue suspiciously. Only after seeing that she made no move to catch her did she dare to take two steps forward.

However, as soon as Xu Wei took two steps, she retracted her legs. Her emerald eyes still gleamed with wariness.

“Really?”

“Oh, why are you talking so much?”

Annoyed by Xu Wei’s indecisive movements, Qin Ruoxue decided to ignore her and simply leave.

“Hey! Where are you going?”

“To find someone!”

Qin Ruoxue’s voice faded into the distance, leaving Xu Wei to watch her go. A flicker of confusion crossed her mind.

‘Find someone… find someone… was she caught after all? Then why didn’t she come for me?’

Unable to comprehend it, she knew she couldn’t just stand there waiting. The manor was so vast; perhaps Chen Sishi had gone somewhere else.

****

The banquet had just concluded when Lin Yiting inexplicably felt a surge of panic. She and Chen Yanjun began walking out of the castle, searching for a bench where Chen Yanjun could sober up.

Just then, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky. Lin Yiting looked up at the gloomy heavens, her sense of unease intensifying with each passing moment.

Overwhelmed by the feeling, Lin Yiting made a call to Uncle Lin.

“We’re sorry, the number you have dialed is currently switched off…”