Su City, night like a thick inkstone, deep and impenetrable.

Mu Ran only felt her heart plunge into an ice cave, merging with the night. Curled up in a corner, her heart was full of heartache that she couldn't express. A single tear still hung from the corner of her eye.

Before the

there were three tall figures, each like a wolf that preys on humans in the wild, greedily devouring their food, leaving nothing but bones.

“Dyan, if the Mu Group goes bankrupt, we'll lose everything! I've already pleaded with Ou Yan on the phone. He said that as long as I pay the corresponding price, he will help us through this crisis! Uncle begs you, just help Uncle this once!" Mu Zhenhua was in tears, almost kneeling before Mu Dian.

So, did he pay the corresponding price as he said?

Why?

Mu Ran pursed her lips, feeling a mix of unspoken grievance and bitterness in her heart: "Uncle, I don't want to pay the price for Mu Shi. You already have a son, you could ask your niece..."

Slap—

Before he could finish his words, the aunt slapped him hard across the face. Sharp words hung in the air above the villa: “Stop! You ungrateful wretch! Few people in Su City have ever seen Ou Yan’s true face. The outside world says he is an old man of fifty or sixty. He's my only treasure, how could I let him jump into a fire pit!”

So, can we jump then?

Is that because you lost your parents at a young age and were raised by them? But for eight years, you've served them like a servant every day, while they seized control of the Mu Corporation founded by your father and live carefree lives.

Now, in order to recover their interests and for the most innocent victims, Mu Ran has a thousand and one unwillingness in her heart!

"Snow fell!" Mu Zhenhua roared angrily: "How could you lay your hands on Dain and say such things!"

"Is what my mom said wrong?"

Mu Mengqi, the domineering and arrogant eldest miss of the Mu family, glared at Mu Ran with a venomous look: "You despicable person! Don't you forget that you lived in my house for eight years! Eating and drinking for nothing all day! Now that my family is having some trouble, asking you to help is too much? I tell you, whether you want to or not, you have to help!"

Mu Zhenhua also anxiously clutched Mu Ran's icy hand, repeatedly pleading: "Ranran, just repay your uncle for eight years of raising you! Your uncle is truly at the end of his rope, please help him!"

Mu Ran forcefully shook off his hand and took a step back, her face ashen.

Mu Zhenhua saw that Mu Ran was still unmoved, so he hurriedly spoke, revealing his last trump card: "Ranran, I heard that your grandmother suddenly had a cerebral hemorrhage and is now in the hospital waiting for money for surgery. What do you think? As long as you help your uncle with this favor, your uncle will send your grandmother to a specialized hospital for thorough treatment, and I'll cover all the expenses! I guarantee your grandmother will live a healthy life!"

When it came to her terminally ill grandmother, Mu Ran's eyes dimmed, a dull ache spreading through her heart: "Uncle, is what you said... true?"

"Really, really! You've done Uncle a big favor, of course, Uncle has to thank you properly!"

For her grandmother, Mu Ran finally held back her tears and gritted her teeth in agreement: "Alright, I'll help you."

Upon seeing the agreement, the three present all breathed a sigh of relief. The anger on Yin Xue Luo's face vanished instantly, replaced by a bright smile. She took Mu Ran's hand and led her upstairs, carefully dressing her up. With a serious tone, she instructed, "Ran Ran, listen to your aunt, you have to be smart and coax this man, Ou Yan well. He is a financial tycoon, the ruler of Su City, with the economic lifeline of the world in his hands! If you make him happy, who knows? Maybe in the future, the Mu Corporation could flourish under his protection."

Mú Rǎn gazed at the pale reflection in the mirror, her aunt's words washing over her unheeded.

A handsome face kept swirling in her mind, eventually taking over all her thoughts. It was Mu Ran's boyfriend of three years: Xu Han Yi. For three years, she had only held hands with Xu Han Yi; there hadn't been any crossing of boundaries. But now, she was about to dedicate herself completely to another man. Mu Ran lowered her eyes, feeling an overwhelming sense of sadness.

It was a summer solstice night, yet a cold wind blew across the sky. Accompanied by thunder and lightning's furious roar, dark clouds gathered layer upon layer, covering the entire sky in blackness. Then, hailstones the size of beans poured down relentlessly, like beads severed from their string.

Rain is the tears of the sky.

Mu Ran stood in the pouring rain, pushed by her uncle and aunt to the front of Suite 201 at the luxurious HaoYu Hotel. She kept taking deep breaths, hesitating whether or not to open the door. At this moment, she had no idea that once she stepped inside today, her future would be irrevocably changed.

The hotel corridor was eerily silent, bathed in the soft glow of the rain drumming against the window. My heart pounded as I took a step back, unable to cross the invisible barrier in my mind. Instinctively, I wanted to flee the hotel, but then I remembered the greedy uncle and aunt who were still waiting for me.

They saw Mu Ran retreat at the last moment, and both were anxious and angry. Yin Xue Luo reacted quickly, catching Mu Ran who was trying to escape, while Mu Zhenhua knocked on the door of the Presidential Suite.

Mu Ran saw the scene, her spine trembled, her beautiful eyes gradually dimmed, and there was nothing worse than a broken heart.

After a long while, the door of the Presidential Suite creaked open a crack.

They immediately shoved Mu Ran inside, and when they tried to talk to the other party, the door had already closed.

The suite was pitch black. Mu Ran was shoved in roughly and, out of habit, slammed onto the floor. The carpet on the ground cushioned her fall, so she wasn't hurt.

Mu Ran struggled to stand up, looking around at the sightless surroundings. Fear gradually consumed her reason. Thinking of a lecherous old man in his fifties watching her in the dark, trying to violate her, she couldn't bear it any longer. She scrambled towards the door, wanting to escape, but she never reached the doorknob.

Under the oppressive darkness, human fear was amplified manifold. Mu Ran felt a mix of despair and helplessness, tears welling up silently from her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. She was terrified, unable to do anything but continuously pound on the door, entrusting her entire hope to anyone passing by in the hallway.

"Let me out! Is anybody there! Please, help me!"

"Uncle, aunt, please save me! I beg you, this job is too much for me, I quit!"

She cried hysterically, feeling as if all her strength had been drained away in an instant. Her continuous cries left her voice hoarse. No one came to her rescue, and gradually she gave up hope. She slumped to the ground, devoid of fear, only a serene acceptance of despair.

In a profound silence, the sound of rain outside was muffled. Mu Ran leaned against the door, an inexplicable feeling pricking at her senses. She always felt as if a pair of eyes, like swirling black seas, were silently observing her every move in that darkness.

This feeling unsettled me deeply, like I was merely a plaything in his hands, a dish on his platter. He was hunting in the shadows, and whenever he desired, he could capture and kill me at any moment.

"I don't want to just sit here and wait any longer," he clenched his fingers on the edge, biting down, stammering, "What...what do you want to do..."

The silence remained, as still as death. No one answered the foolish question.

Mu Ran knew the other party could definitely hear her, and she was desperate: "Can you let me go?"