*Chapter 35: No Escape*
The days blurred into each other, each marked by rules she couldn't escape. Zhao Liang didn't raise his hand to her, but his words were sharper than blades. His reminders of the contract fell like shackles on her wrists.
"You knew the terms," he said one evening, as she sat staring at the city lights. "You signed willingly."
"Willingly?" she whispered. "What choice did I have?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he reached for his glass of wine, his silence more suffocating than anger.
In the living room, Shen Wei and Han Qiang were sprawled across the sofa, laughing over a basketball game on TV. Their easy camaraderie felt like another universe. They mocked each other, made bets, lived freely.
Li Xue watched them, her chest aching with quiet envy. Friendship, laughter, freedom — things the contract had stolen from her.
When she excused herself and returned to her room, she found the contract waiting on her desk. Zhao Liang had marked several clauses in red ink.
Clause 2: Maintain appearances of affection in public.
Clause 8: Failure to comply results in compensation claims.
Her hands shook as she touched the paper. It wasn't just rules anymore. It was a reminder that she had no way out.
No escape.