The wind cut through the empty docks of Xiamin Lake like a knife, sharp and unforgiving. A thick fog lay over the water, even the faintest sounds could not be heard. By day, this place was a tourist spot, bustling and alive. By night, it became a graveyard for the living, abandoned and haunted, a place where whispers spoke of the drowned and forgotten.
Liang Xi struggled against the ropes that bound her wrists behind her back, but it was useless despite her attempts to break free. Her bloodied red gown clung to her, torn from the vicious handling she had endured. She was sprawled across the wet planks of a private miniature yacht at the l edge of the lake, her body aching with every breath. Every bruise, every cut, every sprained muscle screamed at her: she was alone, helpless, and at the mercy of monsters.
Zhen Wei sat on a small stool nearby, the expensive Armani suit he had worn to the Zhen family dinner that evening, was discarded at his side. Golden knuckles gleamed dangerously in the foggy moonlight as he lazily rolled a cigarette between his fingers. He drew a long drag, letting the smoke curl around him like a menacing snake.
"You should have taken the money and disappeared," he said softly, almost lazily, as if he were commenting on the weather.
"But no. You had to show your face. And now…" His lips curled into a smirk. "…now you'll pay."
Liang Xi's lips trembled, but she could not speak. Her throat was raw, her mouth dry. She had never felt so small, so powerless, so… exposed. She was a princess of the Liang family once, born into wealth, privileged, and a life where every whim had been indulged. And yet now, she was nothing—beaten, bloodied and discarded.
Zhen Wei leaned forward slightly, his sharp eyes inspecting her like a predator studying prey. "Tell me, Liang Xi," he said, voice low and dangerous, "did you think anyone would care if you fell?"
She tried to close her eyes, but the pain in her body made it impossible. Her head throbbed as if she was at death's door, her stomach twisted with the memory of each punch, each kick, each strike. Six men had beaten her relentlessly, ignoring her pleas, ignoring her frailty. Every part of her screamed to collapse, to surrender to the darkness, but she clung to the last thread of life she had.
The cruel laughter of his goons echoed around the yacht, a chorus of menace.
"Look at her, sir! She's barely breathing! Is she even alive?"
Zhen Wei's smirk widened. "Does it matter?"
He stood slowly, the sound of his polished shoes against the deck echoing like a drumbeat.
"She's alive enough to be useful."
Liang Xi's mind swirled in a haze of terror and pain. How had she fallen so far? How had the life of luxury, the friends, the admiration, turned to nothing? She had once been admired, respected, even feared in her own right. Now, she was trampled under the boots of those who had once bowed before her.
Her thoughts flickered back to that terrible day—the grand opening of the animal shelter. Her stubbornness had led her father there, insisting on new toys. And then… the fire. The shopping center, the screams, the chaos. The world had changed in an instant. She had lost everything: her family's wealth, their reputation, their safety. Even now, she carried the scars—both visible and hidden.
Zhen Wei's voice sliced through her reverie. "Do you remember the red packet?" His tone was mocking, venomous. "Grandma Zhen gave it to you for your silence… and yet, you schemed against her. You always thought you were clever, didn't you?"
Liang Xi said nothing. There was nothing she could say. Every word felt meaningless against the weight of her reality.
"You're nothing now," he continued, circling her like a shadow. "Your family has fallen. Your friends have vanished. And yet, here you are, thinking you're still someone."
One of the goons kicked her side, and she gritted her teeth against the pain, refusing to cry. She had learned something during the past six months: survival was not about courage—it was about endurance. Each blow, each insult, each humiliation was a test of how far she could stretch without breaking.
"Do you even know how close you came to death?" Zhen Wei asked suddenly, crouching in front of her. "If one of my men hadn't seen you in time…" He let the words hang, a threat sharper than any knife.
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze, though her eyes were swollen and blurred. She tried to summon any semblance of strength, of defiance—but all she could feel was exhaustion, fear, and despair.
And yet, somewhere deep in her chest, a small ember of rage burned. She would not die like this. She would not be nothing.
Zhen Wei laughed softly, as if reading her thoughts. "Oh, don't think your little fire will save you. It's amusing, really. But useless."
He straightened, flicking an imaginary speck of dust from his sleeve. Then, almost casually, he walked to the edge of the yacht, the golden light of his knuckles reflecting in the water below. "You see, Liang Xi… life has rules. Power has rules. And tonight, you learn yours."
Liang Xi's body shivered at his words. She had learned that fear could be a tool, but it could also be a cage. And right now, she was trapped.
The goons laughed, their voices echoing against the water. But Zhen Wei raised a hand, silencing them instantly. "Enough. Let her think she has a choice. Let her believe she can bargain. It makes the lesson more… memorable."
Hours passed. Liang Xi's mind drifted between consciousness and pain-induced haze. Memories flashed—her childhood, her family, the fire, the betrayal of friends, the theft of her life by Fu Xiexie and the Zhen family. Every memory was a sting, every thought a reminder of how far she had fallen.
Finally, Zhen Wei knelt beside her again. "Remember this," he said softly, almost tenderly, though the cruelty in his tone was unmistakable. "No one will save you. No one will cry for you. You are alone. And if you fail… you will die alone."
Liang Xi's lips trembled. She wanted to scream, to beg, to fight—but all she could do was blink through the tears.
And then, as the first hints of dawn touched the horizon, Zhen Wei's voice dropped to a whisper, the coldest sound she had ever heard:
"But don't think you're finished yet. This is only the beginning."
The fog rolled over the lake, swallowing the yacht, the goons, the cries, and the battered figure of Liang Xi. Outside, the world was waking to a day unaware of the nightmare that had unfolded—and the nightmare that was far from over.
Liang Xi's eyes closed, not from sleep, but from sheer exhaustion. Her mind clung to one thought as darkness overtook her, as they threw her body over the yacht and into the depths of the lake.
She was not done. Not yet. It she ever had the chance to restart her life… they will regret this.