My face flushed even more, but once the arrow was shot, there was no turning back.
The moment my coat hit the floor, I collapsed like a corpse, burying my face in the soft silk mattress.
I didn't know if it was my imagination, but I seemed to hear a man's chuckle. I didn't have the courage to look.
A muffled voice came from under the quilt, "Yanchen, start now."
To ease the awkward atmosphere, I even made a joke, "Don't pity me just because I'm a delicate flower."
"Okay." His laughter became more pronounced.
Then he lifted my calf.
I'm extremely sensitive to touch from the opposite sex, and I instinctively wanted to avoid it.
"Don't be afraid, Wanwan."
He soothed me, suppressing my uneasiness. I felt him apply a cool ointment and push it against my calf.
The air was filled with the faint scent of medicine, and I couldn't help but cry out at his touch. "I haven't used too much force yet. Relax a little."
"Okay."
He kneaded gently. "It'll be a little painful at first, but this ointment combined with the massage technique will heal in a moment. Tomorrow, the pain won't be so severe."
I was terrified and stammered, "Again, a massage?"
"You stretch after exercise, and you use a fascia massage gun on your legs. It's the same principle. Don't be nervous. Just think of me as a masseur."
How dare I!
Who in the world would dare to mistake Lu Yanchen for a masseur?
But his technique seemed quite professional! Each massage stroke accurately hit the acupuncture points and tendons.
I clutched the sheets with both hands, gritting my teeth in pain. He whispered soothingly, "Bear with it a little while. It'll be better after a while."
"Yeah."
I watched the sheets deform in my hands.
Soon, the pain eased, and the stiff muscles in my calves softened. I even felt a little relieved, eager for him to move on to the next area. "Are you feeling better now?"
"Much better, Yanchen. How come you even know how to massage?"
I rested my chin on the back of my hand, curiously asking.
Aside from his crippled legs, my uncle is absolutely perfect!
"I just learned it. Okay, now I'm going to give you a thigh massage. Is that okay?"
Thinking of his technique, I completely trusted him.
"No."
I soon realized I'd spoken too soon.
Feeling him lift my skirt to my thighs, the heat that had faded from my face returned.
The moment his fingertips touched my forehead, I cried out.
A cold sweat dripped from my forehead. He looked at me gently, "Baby, bear with it."
There was an inexplicable hint of ambiguity in his voice.
I didn't dare look at him again, burying my face in the quilt.
I silently said to myself: "Don't see me, don't see me."
But the touch of his fingertips was so distinct, and every scrape of them sent erotic thoughts racing through my mind. Outside, I'd forgotten when the heavy snow began to fall again, scattering gracefully under the dim yellow streetlights.
The yard was also decorated with small colored lights, creating a particularly warm atmosphere.
I gradually lost myself.
Whenever I'd been hurt before, I'd dealt with it silently, no one ever paying any attention.
My family's gaze was fixed solely on Su Ning'an.
Lu Yanchen had been massaging me for almost two hours, lasting longer than a fascia massage gun.
Even a professional would have grown tired of it by now. Although I felt quite comfortable, I still felt a little reluctant.
"Yanchen, I feel much better. No more massage. Aren't your hands sore?"
"Not bad, really?"
I jumped off the bed and spun in front of him. "Look, it's really better... ah..."
My legs gave way, and without warning, I fell into his arms. His hand slipped through my slender waist, holding me close to him. His deep, husky voice reached my ears: "Wanwan, I'm a normal man. You're making me..."
I quickly doggy-paddled myself onto the bed, tucking myself tightly into the quilt. I muttered, "Yanchen, good night."
He smiled softly, his voice doting, "Good night."
Though it was over, the warmth of his fingertips still lingered on my body.
But I was too tired to dwell on it, and quickly fell asleep.
The next day, after another long day of training, Shen Ji reminded me: "Madam, the Su family invited us over for dinner tonight."
The Su family?
I stopped crunching, beads of sweat trickling down my cheeks. "Who are you inviting?"
"Everyone from the Lu family."
It looked like just a regular family dinner. Perhaps there had been some discord between the two families recently, and the Su family wanted to use the New Year holiday to smooth things over.
It just so happened that I'd been wanting to go back. I still had some important relics in my room. Among them was a diary, recording all my experiences over the past few years, naturally including what Su Ning'an had done to me.
I hid this diary very secretly, so I doubt the police had taken it.
In the future, this diary will become the most important evidence to bring down Su Ning'an!
"Okay, I'll go change."
I dragged my exhausted body back to my room to shower. Afterward, Lu Yanchen was waiting for me with medicine in hand, smiling. "Come on, Wanwan, take off your clothes."
After last night's experience, as he said, "first time, second time, familiarity makes perfect," I was no longer so shy.
"Yanchen, excuse me, did you find the leg massage helpful? If so, would you like me to give it to you?"
He'd done so much for me, and I wanted to do something for him.
"Okay, let's try it another day."
...
We went to the Su family together, back to this villa that I had both loved and hated for so many years.
Every blade of grass and every tree seemed familiar, yet I had become a stranger. As we entered the courtyard, a cat hopped down from a plum tree and landed right in my arms.
It was Xiaobai!
The Su family didn't allow me to keep a cat, so Xiaobai was a stray I found. I built a little nest outside the villa and fed it cat food from time to time.
After I died, it continued to wander, rubbing against my face.
It was so affectionate, as if it had just seen its owner.
Mrs. Su was much more polite today. "It's that same dead cat again. Why is it here again? Mrs. Lu, I'm sorry, it's a stray. It often comes here to eat and has a very bad temper. Last time I tried to chase it away, it scratched me twice. Let it go quickly, or it'll bite you."
"It's okay, it seems well behaved."
I put Xiaobai down, and as I stood up, I met Su Ning'an's inquiring eyes. "How strange! This cat used to only like me, but I didn't expect it to be so affectionate towards Mrs. Lu."
My heart skipped a beat. Did she notice something? "Maybe it's just that Su Wan and I look a lot like each other."
"That's true, Mrs. Lu. I'm sorry for what happened before. I invited you all here today to apologize."
She put on that sympathetic front again. Just two days ago, she held a knife to my neck.
What a good faker!
I feigned a hint of fear, not wanting to meet her eyes, so she'd think my warning had worked. After dealing with her for a while, I let Lu Yanchen drag her while I snuck off to the backyard. My room was just up the second floor, right there.
I'd done this kind of thing a lot as a kid; I knew the route by heart.
Thankfully, the patio door wasn't locked; I just pushed it open.
I retrieved the notebook from the hidden safe in the mattress.
Every entry was a record of Su Ning'an's evil deeds against me!
I ignored the sadness and retraced my steps. I dropped the notebook onto the lawn and was about to jump when I heard a male voice: "What are you doing?"
My heart skipped a beat.