Master Naoya didn’t return to the dormitory as usual but took me out of the school.

This was only the second time I had been to the city since leaving the Zenyuan’s household.

Just like last time, the bustling crowds and the incessant noise of songs and advertisements made me feel somewhat stifled, recalling the helpless and suffocating feeling from last time, as if I were alone in a strange world.

Many high school girls passed by, wearing their school uniforms with skirts reaching their knees, short socks, and backpacks.

Most of them looked at me with surprise when they saw me.

I covered the patched traces on my clothes, lowered my head, and stopped looking around.

When I came to my senses, I had already followed Master Naoya into a shop.

A woman pulled me over, sat me down on a chair, and draped a gray wide cloth in front of me. I looked at my reflection in the full-length mirror in front of me, feeling at a loss, and turned my head to try to find Master Naoya.

But he was nowhere to be found.

It seemed like I was in a separate small room.

“He’s waiting outside.”

My chin was gently lifted, and I saw the woman’s spirited face. She had a short haircut, slightly curled, and was dressed in a crop top and work pants.

Unlike her cool attire, she had a very soft voice. “Your bangs are too long and heavy, covering your beautiful eyes like this is a pity. But your hair quality is really good.”

She was talking to me.

I lowered my gaze, too nervous to meet her eyes, but also knowing that not responding would be very impolite, so I stammered, “Y-yes.”

“Are you a high school student?”

I shook my head quickly.

“Middle school?” She was slightly surprised, thinking she had guessed my age wrong.

I folded my hands in front of me, nervously squeezing them together. “N-no, I-I never went to school.”

She looked at me with the same surprised look as the female students outside, but quickly withdrew it when she noticed my embarrassment. Just like the gentle smile before, she asked me, “Has your boyfriend already decided on a hairstyle for you? Would you like to see it first and then I can help you?”

I whispered, “Just listen to him.”

Only then did I realize she had actually referred to Master Naoya as my boyfriend. I quickly raised my head, waving my hands in panic. “He’s not…”

She touched the damaged part of my hair, interrupting me. “Abused at home.”

I instinctively followed her topic. “It wasn’t him.”

It happened in the school building when Takuto pulled me.

“Well, girls should still have their own opinions, and at your age, you should be in school. Knowledge can change your destiny. You shouldn’t rely entirely on a man for your future.” She lowered her head to pick up scissors, whether she believed me or not.

“Okay.” I lowered my head again, not wanting to explain further.

People outside probably couldn’t understand the Zenyuan family at all, nor could they understand that I was already trying very hard just to survive and have enough to eat.

Independence and school were always beyond my reach.

The new hairstyle wasn’t much different from before. It just added some layers to the waist-length hair and trimmed the bangs, thinning them out.

I replaced the white hairband I used to tie my long hair with a sakura pink hair tie adorned with tiny bells. I also put aside the cherry blossom-shaped tassel hairpin that used to adorn my temples.

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I felt a little stunned for a moment.

The woman seemed satisfied but still somewhat regretful. “You still look a bit too obedient, like someone from the old times. If we cut your hair shorter, curl the ends, and change the color, it would be more fashionable.”

Outside…

Master Naoya had been waiting impatiently, sitting on a chair with his arms folded over his face, yawning listlessly.

It wasn’t until he noticed me coming out that he lowered his arms slightly, revealing his lazy golden eyes, staring at me.

After a moment of staring, he beckoned with his finger.

I understood and approached him slowly.

He reached out and played with the tassel of my hairpin, his expression calm but with a hint more satisfaction in his tone than before. “Finally looks more pleasing.”

“Yes.”

The people around seemed shocked by his playful attitude, casting pitying or indignant glances at me.

I ignored them all.

Next, he took me to a high-end kimono store.

Seeming to have found a new interest, he brought out nice clothes for me to try on. There were also many traditional Japanese hair ornaments and earrings in the shop, which he also picked out for me.

By the end, my head felt so heavy, covered with colorful hair accessories.

The shop assistant seemed to notice something and was very enthusiastic towards Master Naoya.

But she only got a sideways glance from him. “Wrap them all up.”

The shop assistant was overjoyed and quickly recommended a set of kimono, rose pink and light apricot in color. The rose pink dominated, while the apricot was mainly concentrated in the patterns and belts, giving off a summery vibe.

“This set is the latest release, handmade. We’ve only received five pieces so far, and four have already been sold. This is the last one.”

This time, Master Naoya didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids and just replied to a text, “Take her to try it on.”

“Of course, of course.” The shop assistant nodded repeatedly, obsequious.

With a generous master present, the shop assistant was all smiles, even towards me. It was the first time I had been treated so warmly by someone, and I felt very uncomfortable.

I declined her offer to help me put on the kimono in the fitting room, drew the curtain, and stayed in the enclosed space.

I took a deep breath.

I deliberately spent a little more time in the fitting room to relieve the pressure. It wasn’t until I heard Master Naoya’s impatient question asking why I hadn’t come out yet that I pulled back the curtain of the fitting room.

Master Naoya’s gaze glanced over for a moment.

But he quickly withdrew his eyes, looking disdainful, as if I were something dirty, contaminating to even glance at for too long. “With your looks, only this kind of clothing suits you.”

However, the shop assistant chimed in, “This young lady is beautiful and has a great figure. No matter what she wears, she’s eye-catching. This outfit looks even better on her than on the model.”

Master Naoya chuckled, as if he had heard a joke, but ultimately refrained from making any sarcastic remarks.

The shop assistant packed all the clothes Master Naoya had picked out into shopping bags, totaling more than ten. The shop assistant was taller than me, and it was quite difficult for her to carry them.

She staggered over to Master Naoya, attempting to hand him the shopping bags.

Master Naoya didn’t take them, keeping his arms crossed in front of his chest, his expression still indifferent, with a hint of disdain. “Are you kidding me?”

The shop assistant was puzzled and was about to ask.

I hurried forward, took the shopping bags from the shop assistant’s arms, and hugged them. There were so many bags that they almost covered my face, making it difficult for me to hold them, and I was at risk of dropping them accidentally.

Master Naoya stood nearby, looking haughty and indifferent, showing no intention of helping. Even when he saw me holding the bags, he simply turned and walked away.

The shop assistant was completely shocked by the scene before her, losing her previous obsequiousness. “This…”

I smiled at the shop assistant, then staggered along behind Master Naoya.

As we passed by, I occasionally heard some reproaches.

Among them, one male voice was particularly loud.

“That guy is not even a man, letting his girlfriend carry so much stuff while he walks away so lightly.”

The next moment,

The speaker suddenly stumbled and fell flat on the ground, his face covered in blood.

Master Naoya chuckled as if he had seen something amusing, even going out of his way to walk back and step over the fallen person, even using his foot to crush the person’s hand.

The person let out a scream like a slaughtered pig.

But Master Naoya walked away calmly, in high spirits.

I forcibly averted my gaze from the panicked crowd and followed behind Master Naoya.

However, Master Naoya’s strides were large, and I had to protect the shopping bags from falling while also being careful not to trip on the trailing hem of my kimono. Plus, the mall was large, and there were many people.

Before long,

His figure disappeared into the crowd.

And I could feel that many people were looking at me.

I felt even more flustered.

I wanted to shout for Master Naoya, but having grown up in the Zenyuan family, I had been deeply influenced by those rules for over ten years and never dared to speak loudly. Even if I mustered the courage to shout a little louder than usual, it was quickly drowned out by the bustling crowd and music.

Three boys approached.

Wearing identical uniforms and carrying backpacks, they bent down and asked if I needed help with the shopping bags.

I took a step back, shaking my head quickly. “N-no, thank you.”

They looked disappointed, then asked if I had lost my friend because I had been standing here for a while.

Seeing me nod and describing Master Naoya’s attire, they exchanged a glance.

Grinning and scratching his head, he said he saw it, as if we had left the mall and could take me to find him.

I was full of joy.

Just as I was about to follow them, my arms suddenly felt empty.

Someone had taken away the shopping bags.

Immediately, my arm was forcefully grabbed, so tight that it caused me pain, furrowing my brows and bringing tears to my eyes.

He pulled me behind him, blocking me completely, not even a strand of hair exposed.

With a familiar tone, deliberately elongated to sound somewhat arrogant, he said, “You guys are attracted to this kind of beauty? You must rarely see women besides your mother. Pathetic.”

“What do you mean?”

One of the three high school boys, the most impatient, couldn’t sit still.

Master Naoya seemed too lazy to bother with them and pulled me away.

The boy wanted to come over and ask for clarification.

But he was stopped by the other two, advising him, “That guy looks unusual. It’s best not to cause trouble.”

Master Naoya still held onto my arm tightly, and he didn’t return the more than ten shopping bags to me, carrying them with one hand. His hand was large, and he had strength. He could easily carry them with just one hand, looking effortlessly comfortable.

“How did you manage to lose me on such a short walk? Also, whenever someone talks to you, do you just go with them?” His voice sounded somewhat displeased. “If your legs are useless, they might as well be cut off. If your mind is so dull that you’re easily deceived, you might as well be deaf and dumb, so you won’t hear anyone talking to you again.”

I stiffened, quickly apologizing, “I’m sorry.”

I didn’t dare to make excuses, such as the bags being too heavy, even though it was true.

Because I understood.

No matter what kind of explanation, it would only add fuel to the fire.

He grunted, his attitude easing slightly, and the grip on my arm loosened a bit, sliding down to grab my wrist.

After a while,

He slid his hand down again, grabbing my hand.

His palm was very warm, with a hint of calluses, and it tickled when he held my hand, not very comfortable in the summer.

But I didn’t dare to struggle, obediently letting him hold my hand.

At the same time, I discreetly lifted my head to observe his expression.

It was still the same, extremely arrogant, looking down on everyone, but I could discern from the subtle changes at the corners of his mouth that his current mood was still okay.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

My tense body gradually relaxed.

When we returned to school, it was already dark. While Master Naoya was taking a bath, I also took a bath in the storage room of the girls’ dormitory.

When I returned,

Master Naoya had finished bathing and was lying on the bed, yawning and flipping through a teenage comic.

In recent times, it was obvious that he was gradually losing interest in the comic, becoming increasingly impatient while flipping through it. This time was no different; he only flipped through a few pages before tossing it aside.

He asked, “Where did you go?”

“To take a bath.”

“Oh.” He didn’t pay attention to where I went to bathe, but gestured for me to come over.

I approached.

He patted the bed.

I cautiously sat on the edge of the bed, just a little closer.

He spoke, “Come up a bit more.”

I complied, sitting a little closer.

He became increasingly impatient, reaching out to grab my arm and pulling me up onto the bed.

The mattress was soft and springy.

Excluding the time I had massaged Master Naoya’s temples while sitting on the edge of the bed, this was the first time I had completely stayed on top of it.

I knelt nervously beside Master Naoya’s pillow, my whole body stiff, not daring to move. I was afraid that if I moved even a little, I would damage the soft mattress.

The next moment, I felt weight on my legs.

Master Naoya leaned against my thighs, apparently finding the light too dazzling. He covered his eyes with his hand and ordered, “Turn off the light.”

The light switch was a bit far from me.

Stretching my arm wasn’t enough, I needed to bend down a bit.

Concerned about Master Naoya lying on my thighs, I didn’t dare to bend too hard, so I stretched my hand to press it. When it was just a little bit away, I made up my mind and bent a bit more.

“Click.”

The light went out.

Master Naoya’s hot breath, even through the thin fabric of his clothes, reached my chest.

I quickly straightened up.

The room plunged into darkness, and Master Naoya, with his eyes closed, turned over, his face facing my abdomen, his breath falling on it, tickling and hot.

His voice became lazy, “Can you sing?”

The space was very quiet, and my voice was even smaller than usual. “A little.”

“Sing.” He yawned.

The only song I know is the little tune my mother used to sing to put me to sleep when I was young. As I recalled it, I sang softly, and by the fourth repetition, Master Naoya became thoroughly impatient, pinching my face to prevent the next line of the tune from coming out of my mouth.

“I almost have the lyrics memorized. Is this the only song you know?”

“Yeah.” My voice was timid and muffled as he pinched my face.

He scoffed and pinched my face again, not releasing until he saw a glimmer of tears in my eyes in the darkness. “And what about dancing?”

“I can’t.”

“Piano, tea ceremony, flower arranging, anything like that?”

“I, I can’t do any of those either.”

Master Naoya sneered again, his words vibrating in my stomach. “I suggest you learn more. Otherwise, you won’t even be able to attract a man in the future. Seriously, I worry about your future. Are you going to stay unmarried even when you’re old?”

“I’ll try my best. I won’t let Master Naoya worry about my future.”

For some reason, this seemed to strike a nerve with him.

He instantly changed his demeanor, pushing me away harshly. “Get off.”

“Yes.”

I was frightened, scrambling off the bed and sitting on the floor.

It was still the same spot where he had laid out many of my clothes, which I had intended to tidy up in the morning, but maybe Master Naoya had other plans.

On the bed, Master Naoya pulled the blanket over his face, rolling over to face away from me.

I wasn’t sure what had angered him, so I didn’t dare to lie down, let alone sleep. I sat there with my knees hugged to my chest, trembling.

The curtains on the balcony were not drawn.

Master Naoya only pulled them closed when he wanted to do certain things.

I looked out through the balcony door.

The lush foliage of the trees blocked the view, but the sound of cicadas, loud and clear, indicated it was midsummer.

Suddenly, I felt a pull on my arm.

I was completely startled and let out a loud scream.

Master Naoya covered my mouth, glaring at me fiercely. “You’re too loud, shut up.”

I nodded repeatedly.

Only then did he release his hand covering my mouth and instead tightly hugged my waist, burying his head in the crook of my neck. His voice sounded weak, as if he were exhausted.

“Go to sleep. If you dare make a sound and disturb me, I’ll kill you.”