Hot...
So hot...
The surrounding light scorched, rising in a haze of mist that made it hard for her to discern where she was.
All around her were cold photography equipment. She clutched at a thin, transparent veil, futilely trying to cover her bare body, staggering backward like a fairy who had wandered into a trap.
A man in a black suit approached her, tall and imposing, with a severe face that made him look like a demon from the depths of hell. He came closer, forcing her to the ground, tearing off the veil covering her body with a brutal hand, and then she felt a sudden, sharp pain...
She cried out, screamed, desperately trying to push him away, struggling futilely.
The pain was like purgatory, overwhelming her like a tidal wave, making her feel as if her body was being torn into countless pieces, her consciousness drifting, vision darkening...
Before losing consciousness, she only remembered the man's terrifyingly cold eyes and a faint "click".
That was the sound of a camera shutter.
......
Su Xingyu awoke with a scream from the nightmare, drenched in cold sweat.
All around was the quiet hospital room, the warm late spring sun spilling in, spreading over the white bedding. She panted in terror, barely calming herself down, one hand trembling slightly at her side, clenched into a fist.
She had that nightmare again.
She had lost count of how many times she had dreamt of that man and the terrifying incident two years ago.
Two years ago, on her eighteenth birthday, she was assaulted by an unknown man who stole her first night. To this day, she didn't know who that man was or how he found her, only that he was very frightening, terribly so, as if his gaze wanted to devour everything.
Demon.
That was her only impression of him.
She no longer wanted to investigate what happened back then, or rather, didn't dare to. Instinctively, she understood that man was someone she could absolutely not provoke. Even though he violated her so cruelly, she had no power to pursue it, let alone seek justice. She could only consider it an accident, having spent countless nights over the past two years tormented by nightmares, facing the pain alone.
Suddenly, the phone beside her pillow rang, startling her.
She picked up, only to be met with a string of sharp curses: "Su Xingyu, where the hell are you?! Don't you know today's your sister's coming-of-age ceremony?! Get your ass over here, if you miss it, I'll skin you alive!"
It was her stepmother Liu Meizhi's voice.
Su Xingyu froze for a moment, then remembered today was her half-sister Su Xingqi's eighteenth birthday. The family had prepared a coming-of-age ceremony in grand style for her, inviting affluent locals and media reporters, creating quite the buzz.
She had been unwell for a few days, hospitalized due to an infection from a cold, and had truly forgotten about this.
Hastily, she said, "Got it, Mrs. Liu, I'll be right over."
On the phone, Liu Meizhi continued to berate her: "Hurry up, hurry up! The media reporters are already here, if they don't see you, they might think there's some conflict within the Su Family, which wouldn't be good for your sister's reputation! Where are you, how long till you get here? Do you have clothes ready? Dress nicely, don't embarrass your sister!"
Her stepmother had always had this attitude towards her. For years, she didn't even bother to retort, only saying, "I'm hospitalized at Cining Hospital, I'll take a taxi over right away, about forty minutes."
Liu Meizhi didn't care at all why she was hospitalized, cursing again: "Forty minutes? Are you trying to kill yourself?! There's only half an hour until the ceremony starts! You troublesome girl, you want outsiders to say the Su Family has no manners, say you're born but not raised, don't you?! How did I end up so unlucky, burdened with a jinx like you! Just wait at the hospital, I'll send a driver to pick you up, and bring you a set of clothes! If you dare wear those filthy hospital clothes over, I'll deal with you!"
After speaking, she hung up, still cursing.
Su Xingyu looked at the not-so-new phone in her palm, a hint of sarcasm at her lips.
Born but not raised? Isn't that exactly her?
Her biological mother had died when she was five, and after her stepmother Liu Meizhi entered the family, she was harshly critical, skimping on her food, clothing, and daily needs. Never mind her current hospitalization, even if she wasn't, she couldn't find a decent outfit from home. Compared to Liu Meizhi's biological daughter, Su Xingqi, she, the eldest daughter of the Su Family, was like an inconspicuous servant.
She waited a while in the hospital room, and sure enough, the driver arrived, bringing her a set of clothes and jewelry.
The middle-aged, balding driver told her, "Miss, madam said this dress and jewelry are lent to you. Be careful when you wear them, don't ruin them. Once the second miss's coming-of-age ceremony is over, you must take them off and return them to madam."
"Understood," Su Xingyu said.
Ever since she was little, she'd gotten used to it. Every time there was an important event, Liu Meizhi would find a dress to put on for appearances, lend it to her, and take it back immediately afterward. This way, the Su Family's reputation was preserved, and money was saved.
When she was younger, she would cry with sadness and grievance, why did her sister get to wear fine clothes while she had to borrow a dress just to attend an event? But now, she didn't care anymore; she was twenty years old this year, once graduated from college, she could get a job and live independently, and then she would earn what she ate and wore by her own hands.
She accepted the dress from the driver and went to the bathroom to change into it.
It was a smoky-gray cocktail dress, basic style, slightly ill-fitting for her frame, paired with a featureless necklace, looking very understated. In other words, even walking into a bustling party, she wouldn't stand out.
All these years, the dresses Liu Meizhi lent her were of similar style, respectable but extremely plain, never needing to worry about outshining Su Xingqi. Instead, this blandness set off her sister Su Xingqi's stunning allure; people would say the Su Family's second miss was the true beauty, far surpassing the eldest miss.
Su Xingyu arrived at the coming-of-age ceremony venue with the driver.
It was a five-star hotel, with the Su Family having booked an entire floor of the banquet hall. The staff at the entrance was polite, guests in formal attire came and went, with several media reporters mingling, creating a lively scene.
Su Xingyu looked at the bustling spectacle, feeling a faint sorrow in her heart.
On her eighteenth birthday, no one at home even remembered, let alone held a coming-of-age ceremony. Otherwise, she wouldn't have snuck out that day to celebrate herself, only to have encountered such a thing.
The eyes from the nightmare hovered unexpectedly, cold, cruel, making her shudder.
Su Xingyu shook her head, dispelling those unpleasant memories, and walked into the banquet hall.