Lin Wan thought to herself, Maybe I should just give in to him. I've been struggling so much, I'm exhausted. Being soft is also a stance. Like a tree standing tall, it's proud, but the wind will bring it down. Why not become a soft reed, floating with the current? It's another way of protecting myself.
After preparing herself mentally, Chen Jin didn't show up again. He was always like this, sitting backstage, watching her struggle on stage with a smug look. Now, she wasn't in such a hurry to act. As he said, the air here was fresh and the scenery beautiful. She might as well treat it like an early retirement.
That afternoon, Lin Wan sat by the pool, feeling incredibly bored. The pool water was a deep, clear blue, so clean it made her want to dive in and embrace it. She dipped her hand in to test the temperature; it was just right. The warm sunlight from above made her realize that summer was almost here. Over the past six months, her sense of time had become increasingly dull, as if the days were pushing her forward without her control. She kicked off her shoes and let her feet dangle in the water, absentmindedly stirring it, using her hands to prop herself up, tilting her head back and closing her eyes to bask in the sunlight.
But her frail mental fortitude couldn't convince her to relax and enjoy everything in front of her. Good things aren't always the right things. Even if something is good, it's useless if it doesn't suit you. Here, with the gates tightly locked and the high walls towering above, she felt like a canary in a gilded cage—lonely, watching the exquisite prison, waiting for an occasionally kind glance from a greedy yet heartless man.
With more free time, her mind wandered. These days, she often wonders if if it weren't for that car accident, I'd probably be a young housewife by now, maybe even carrying a child. If not for Chen Jin's interference, she would have been healing from her grief, slowly overcoming the pain.
Sometimes, she even found herself superstitiously thinking, Did I owe the Chen family something in my past life? Maybe I killed them all, and now the Chen brothers are chasing me down to collect the debt, taking everything important to me, piece by piece…
Her thoughts drifted aimlessly, and before she knew it, she had lain down. The stone tiles behind her were warmed by the sunlight, and her back felt comfortable pressed against them. She fell asleep without realizing it. She didn't know how long she'd been asleep when someone woke her up. She opened her eyes to see Old Zhou standing nearby with a strange expression. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Miss Lin, it's not good to sleep like this for your health."
"Oh." Lin Wan sat up indifferently, stepping into her shoes, her feet all wrinkled and damp from being in the water. She glanced at the large scissors in Old Zhou's hand and casually asked, "Are you going to cut flowers?"
"Yes, Miss Lin. What kind of flowers do you like?"
Lin Wan knew there was a flower house next to the villa that she had never visited. She said, "I'll go take a look myself." Her intention was simply to look around—cutting the flowers and putting them in a vase seemed a waste. After all, they were living things. But Old Zhou misunderstood, nodded, and handed her the scissors and a small bucket. Lin Wan hesitated but took them, and he reminded her, "There are gloves on the wall in the flower house. Wear them so you don't prick your hands."
Lin Wan stared at the scissors in her hand, unsure of what to do. Old Zhou clapped his hands and walked off. He wasn't worried about her destroying the flower house because Mr. Chen had told him that as long as she didn't set the house on fire, she could do whatever she wanted. Besides, Lin Wan was being kept in isolation like a little animal, and everyone felt sorry for her. If she wanted something, they'd try to fulfill it.
The flower house was large, with a glass structure facing the sun. The lighting was perfect, and there was a small pond in the center with round water lily leaves floating on the surface, surrounded by colorful fish swimming energetically. There was a row of flower pots along the walls, and two wicker chairs near the window with a small wooden table in between.
They really know how to live, Lin Wan thought, looking around casually. She noticed she couldn't identify most of the flowers. Suddenly, a familiar fragrance filled her senses. Her gaze was drawn to a large pot of white flowers—jasmine. It was blooming perfectly, the tiny white petals pure and translucent, making her feel a sense of tenderness. She instinctively reached out with two fingers to gently lift a flower, lowering her head to smell it.
"This…" Old Zhou's voice came from behind her. Lin Wan turned to see him standing at the door with an anxious look. After a brief hesitation, he said, "Miss Lin, have you chosen which one you like? Or should I cut it for you?"
"No, it's fine. I'm just looking," Lin Wan replied.
"Oh," Old Zhou sighed in relief. He had walked quite a distance when he remembered that one pot in the flower house shouldn't be touched. The villa, he thought, was like a display, and Mr. Chen rarely stayed there. The flower house was just a part of the decor, but one day, Mr. Chen had unexpectedly called and asked if they had jasmine. He then told Old Zhou to buy a pot and bring it back, but after that, there had been no further instructions.
But Old Zhou figured, since it was the master's request, he'd better be careful. As for Miss Lin, he had to keep an eye on her—what if she pricked her hand on a thorn?
Chen Jin had been spending most of his time recently working and socializing with Xiang Yang, Fang Zheng, and others, frequenting places of pleasure, occasionally playing along, but always stopping short at the critical moment. Over time, everyone started to find it odd. One of the guys jokingly asked if they should introduce him to a doctor.
Sitting beside him, Xiang Yang glanced at the displeased expression on Chen Jin's face. Out of all of us, if anyone had a problem, it would be him. Even Fang Zheng, that playboy, is still bouncing around, tormenting women. It definitely wouldn't be Chen Jin. Finally, one day, while riding in the car with him, Xiang Yang noticed something peculiar.