C15 Endless Torture

"Do you have anything else to say?"

"Mr. Steward, may I ask you a question?"

"What do you want to know?"

"The servants here, were they all brought here like I was?" She wasn't sure if he would answer, but she had to try if there was even the slightest chance.

"Well..." Mr. Steward looked into her clear eyes, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded.

"Is your master involved in some kind of underworld activities?" she pressed on.

"Miss, I can't answer questions about other matters. If you have any more questions or things you can't figure out, you can ask the master himself!" Mr. Steward was smart and knew she was fishing for information, so he skillfully dodged her inquiry.

He opened the door to a room that was as simply furnished as could be. Pointing to the food on the table, he said, "These dishes were specially prepared by the kitchen according to your health needs, as instructed by the master. You should eat."

Though the aroma from the table was tempting, she had already eaten a little earlier, so she wasn't in a rush to eat. What she really wanted to know was who this mysterious and eccentric man named Muhan was, and what kind of place this was.

"Wait, can I ask you one more question?" She didn't want to miss any opportunity, no matter how small.

"What else do you want to ask me?" The steward pulled out a vintage pocket watch from his coat and glanced at it. He seemed a bit anxious, as if something was worrying him.

"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you. I just want to know, where exactly is this place? Is it in the States or abroad?" Although she hadn't seen much of the world outside, the clear blue sky she just observed didn't resemble the smog-covered skies she was used to.

"Alright. This is France, and this castle is enormous, bigger than you can imagine. I advise you not to overthink it and just listen to the young master. If you pass his test, I guarantee you'll get what you want in the future!" The steward gave her a meaningful look.

"Get what I want?" Su Ranxi scoffed inwardly. All she wanted was freedom, the freedom to leave this place!

"Yes! Well, I've said too much already. Go on in, I have to leave now!" The steward's gaze shifted past the open door and into the room beyond.

Su Ranxi silently followed the steward's instructions and walked inside.

Three days had passed!

Su Ranxi hadn't seen Muhan for three days, and even the maids who had previously given her a hard time seemed to have vanished.

During these three days, she was well-fed and taken care of, but her mood hadn't improved one bit.

She was confined in a small room, roughly 150 square feet, with nothing but a wall clock, a bed in the corner, and a blanket on it. Meals were delivered through a small window in the door, and once she finished eating, she placed the dishes back by the window for someone to collect. The room had no windows, and for three days, she hadn't seen a ray of sunlight. The ceiling light was a constant, glaring presence.

Everything she did—eating, drinking, and other necessities—happened in this cramped space, making her feel like she was on the brink of madness. A surveillance camera on the ceiling monitored her every move, leaving her with almost no privacy, except for a small bathroom in the corner. Being confined in such a tiny space felt worse than being in a prison cell.

How long was this jerk planning to keep her locked up? A week? Two weeks? A month? Or even longer? The thought made her restless. She'd rather confront him directly than be trapped like this, at least then she'd feel like a person, not someone forgotten and stripped of her memory.

In the study, Feng Muhan closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair. His pale, well-defined fingers gently massaged his temples. His eyes were half-closed, and his thick lashes fluttered slightly. His features, with a strikingly perfect, almost sculpted look, were beyond criticism.

**Knock, knock!** Two raps sounded at the door.

"Come in!" He adjusted his posture slightly, his gaze fixed on the entrance.

When the butler entered, he saw that Muhan had wrapped up his work. "Sir, we've received news from Ireland. There were some hiccups along the way, but the task is complete. There's no need for concern."

"Mu Ling is the most capable among everyone, yet she performed the worst this time. What's the reason?" Muhan ignored the outcome and focused on the cause, as he despised situations spiraling out of control.

"Sir, the report didn’t specify what slowed the progress, but the task was completed without any losses."

The butler instinctively wanted to defend Mu Ling. He knew well how demanding Muhan could be, especially with the female staff. His pursuit of perfection was sometimes hard to watch, even for an outsider like the butler.

Then again, without Muhan's nearly relentless standards and quest for perfection, the Feng Group wouldn't be what it is today.