As the crimson sun dipped behind the horizon, casting a fiery glow across the sprawling city, an elegant woman stood before the grand gates of a Suzhou-style mansion. Her silvery-white hair was swept into a neat chignon, secured with a jade hairpin. Her moss-green eyes shimmered—not with hope, but with the weight of finality. Dressed in a sleek black coat over a muted jade qipao, she exuded power and precision. Her heels clicked softly against the stone pathway.
Beside her stood a sixteen-year-old girl—thin, quiet, and wide-eyed. Her name was Meilin. Her long chestnut hair curled down her back in unruly waves, and she wore a modest white dress that no longer fit her well, paired with scuffed sneakers. Her hands clutched her aunt's coat sleeve like a lifeline.
"Auntie Lin," Meilin whispered, peering up at the towering mansion. "Why are we here?"
Aunt Lin Xue's expression faltered for a fraction of a second before she offered a tight, rehearsed smile. "Don't worry, child. Everything is going to be… better now."
But the lie hung in the air like incense smoke—sweet, cloying, and heavy with dread.
The towering gates opened with a mechanical hum. As they stepped through, Meilin's eyes widened. The driveway twisted toward a palatial estate cloaked in wealth: walls of white marble etched with dragons, a koi pond glimmering in the distance, red lanterns swaying in the breeze.
But no amount of beauty could hide the barbed wires at the top of the high walls or the cameras that silently tracked every move.
Inside, the mansion was even more intimidating. The air was cool and fragrant with sandalwood. A grand staircase curled upwards like a dragon's spine. Gold-lined vases stood guard in corners. The silence pressed on Meilin's chest.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from above.
A man appeared on the balcony, half-shrouded in shadows. His presence was a storm in a room full of still water.
He was devastatingly handsome. Sharp cheekbones, piercing black eyes, and a mouth that almost smirked. His black hair fell messily over his forehead. Dressed in an obsidian suit with a jade pin on his lapel, he looked every inch the predator this place warned her about.
Meilin instinctively hid behind her aunt.
His eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" he asked, voice low and commanding.
Lin Xue straightened, her voice tight. "Mr. Long Shen, I brought my niece. As agreed."
Meilin gasped, gripping her aunt's hand. "Auntie… what's happening?"
Lin Xue hesitated only a moment before her voice hardened. "This is the deal. You'll be taken care of here."
Long Shen raised a hand. A subordinate stepped forward with a brown envelope, heavy with cash. He tossed it to Lin Xue.
"Payment complete," he said coolly. "She's mine now."
"No!" Meilin cried, her voice cracking. "Auntie, please, don't leave me here!"
Lin Xue jerked her arm away. Her eyes were sharp and cold now. "Your parents left you with me and disappeared without a trace. I lost everything because of you. My business, my freedom... You were a burden I never asked for."
Tears poured down Meilin's face. "I'll be good. I promise! Please don't leave me here!"
But Lin Xue was unmoved. "This is your new home. He will feed you, clothe you, and make you useful. More than I ever could."
She turned and walked out.
Meilin collapsed to the floor, shaking. Long Shen stepped forward, his voice like steel. "Stop crying."
She flinched.
"What's your name?" he asked.
Meilin said nothing. Her sobs muffled her voice.
"Don't make me ask again."
"…Meilin," she whispered.
Long Shen sneered. "What a useless name. From now on, you'll be called Xiao Yu."
"I don't like that name," she said through trembling lips.
"You don't have to like it," he said, eyes gleaming with threat. "You belong to me now. If your aunt doesn't return with the second half of the payment before you turn eighteen—" he paused, his voice dropping lower, "—you'll repay the debt with your life."
He turned and walked away.
Meilin curled into herself, clutching the last pieces of her stolen name, whispering, "I'm not Xiao Yu… I'm Meilin."