*Chapter 47: The Weight Returns*
Li Xue had just returned from evening classes — her math homework tucked carefully under her arm, her bag slung loosely over one shoulder. The streets were quiet, the city lights casting long reflections across wet pavement from the afternoon rain. The freedom of walking alone, breathing in the night air, gave her a fleeting sense of relief, one she clutched desperately.
But the moment she stepped into the penthouse, the air changed. Zhao Liang's silhouette was visible against the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights reflecting coldly in his eyes.
"You're late," he said softly, almost lazily.
Li Xue's stomach tightened. "I finished school early…" she began, but he cut her off with a slow, deliberate step toward her.
Clause 14: The wife must be available upon return from external activities. Non-compliance results in evaluation of penalties.
She froze. The words she had memorized, the chains of ink and paper, seemed to wrap themselves around her chest.
"You should have informed me," Zhao Liang continued, his tone almost intimate but edged with control. "Do you understand why I am displeased?"
"Yes," she whispered, barely audible.
He reached out, his hand brushing hers, and the touch was cold, precise, yet heavy with unspoken intent. Li Xue's pulse quickened, a knot of fear tightening inside her. She had learned that his presence alone could dominate her mind, that his proximity, his slightest gesture, could make her tremble.
Meanwhile, Mei Yan was at her office, struggling through another case. The legal documents blurred as exhaustion weighed on her. She thought of Li Xue, of the growing weight she sensed in her friend's life. Mei Yan drafted notes for a possible plan to ease Li Xue's isolation, but she knew nothing could truly soften Zhao Liang's cruelty.
Outside, Shen Wei and Han Qiang were attending a corporate charity event. Shen Wei's thoughts kept drifting to Mei Yan, wishing he could somehow bridge her burden and Li Xue's cage. Han Qiang noticed his friend's distraction, shaking his head with a grin, oblivious to the emotional heaviness beneath.