Chapter 20: Nothing At All

Su Nuo kept her head bowed, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Her mind raced. She knew that perhaps there was no harm in telling Duan Yubai the truth now. After all, she was the adopted daughter of the Duan family; it made no sense for her to be bullied like this by the servants.

But just as she looked up, she met the gloomy glare of Sister Cui.

"Miss, speak up! Aren't these things you said you didn't want anymore?"

"Are you trying to say I'm framing you?"

Another servant chimed in loudly, "That's right! The young lady said she didn't want them, so we came in to clear things out. We were just cleaning up some trash."

"Trash?" Duan Yubai’s grip on Su Nuo’s hand tightened slightly.

"This bag is trash? And this suitcase too?"

His eyes were wide with fury. Su Nuo had insisted on buying that phone bag last year because he owned a document bag from the same collection. As for the suitcase, it was one she had yearned for, bought specifically so they could travel together—they each had one.

And now, they were considered trash?

"If you take all her things away, what is the young lady supposed to wear and use?" Chi Ling spoke coldly, but Sister Cui was well-prepared.

She quickly kicked a plastic bag toward them.

"The young lady said she wanted to wear these. They’re clothes I used to wear; I’ve already washed them."

"Young Master, I am truly wronged. If the young lady hadn't said she wanted to wear commoner's clothes, would I have dared to come in here?"

Looking at the rags inside the plastic bag, Duan Yubai’s expression grew even darker.

"Su Nuo, is this what you wanted? Speak!"

Su Nuo nodded in resignation, then shook her head, but she couldn't force a single word out.

Chi Ling kicked the plastic bag aside and took the items from the servants' hands.

"If the young lady doesn't want these things, it’s not for you to decide what to do with them. Why haven't you taken your trash and gotten out?"

The two servants dared not argue, quickly dropped what they were holding, and hurried out of the utility room.

"Wait!"

Duan Yubai suddenly spoke, and the two froze in fear.

He walked over to Sister Cui and snatched the phone directly from her pocket.

"You even dared to take her phone?"

And she had even dared to take the phone charm that meant the most to her!

Sister Cui’s eyes widened. "That... the young lady asked me to hold it for a moment, I wasn't going to take it."

If there might have been an excuse for taking other things, what about the phone? And that phone charm—who didn't know that Su Nuo treasured it like her own eyes?

"Get out!"

Duan Yubai was furious, gripping the phone tightly.

He could clearly see what was happening, but why was Su Nuo remaining silent?

Was she truly willing to endure this much just to garner sympathy?

"Su Nuo!"

"Miss Su, are you practicing 'remembering bitterness to appreciate sweetness,' or is this some new trick?"

Mo Xiaoxue walked in, smiling, carrying a tote bag.

"Sister Cui just said Miss Su was acting up again, saying she didn't want the clothes in the room, so I brought some over."

She glanced at a shirt scattered on the floor that Sister Cui hadn't managed to retrieve.

"This? Miss Su, even if you want to garner sympathy, there's no need to wear clothes like this, is there?"

"If others see this, or if someone takes photos—you might get your sympathy, but what about the Duan family? The stock price has only just recovered."

Her voice was soft, but it terrified Su Nuo into stillness.

Mo Xiaoxue was right. She could wear whatever she wanted, but the Duan family couldn't afford this kind of humiliation.

Thinking of everything that had happened before, Su Nuo spoke instinctively, "I'm sorry, I know I was wrong."

A flash of triumph crossed Mo Xiaoxue's eyes.

Yet she continued in a lecture-like tone, "You mustn't be so willful in the future. But if the young lady doesn't want these clothes, just give them to Sister Cui and the others; it won't be a waste..."

Before she could finish, Duan Yubai grabbed Su Nuo by the arm and led her out.

He took her straight out of the villa and into the garden behind it.

It was late into the night, and only a faint light shone from the rooms.

Su Nuo kept her head down, and Duan Yubai couldn't see the expression on her face.

But he knew she was afraid.

What was she afraid of? Or was she just pretending to be?

Holding up the phone, he demanded fiercely, "Did you give this to Sister Cui, too?"

Su Nuo stared fixedly at her own toes, unable to say a word.

As clever as Duan Yubai was, how could he not understand?

She knew he understood everything, but he just wanted to humiliate her, believing that her actions were disgraceful. Perhaps he didn't even want to understand; he just hated her and had brought her out on purpose.

The temperature plummeted at night, and Su Nuo began to shiver. She could only wrap her arms tightly around herself, trying to keep warm.

"So, you can give away your phone, and this phone charm is meaningless—just trash, is that it?"

Duan Yubai knew the importance of that charm to her.

Su Nuo went through two new phones every year, but that charm had always been with her.

It was just a trinket he had bought at a temple fair on a whim; how could she have treasured it for so many years only to give it away?

It was clear those two servants were lying, so why wouldn't she fight back?

"Su Nuo, speak! Are you mute?"

Duan Yubai gripped her chin firmly, forcing her to look up.

There was no more adoration or joy in her eyes; there was only fear.

The fear in her eyes stung Duan Yubai, and he instinctively let go.

His force had been too great, and Su Nuo was knocked to the ground.

The rough gravel scraped her palms, but she felt no pain at all.

Because she saw that Duan Yubai was bleeding, too.

His hand had struck a flower rack, and his finger was cut by a small shard.

"Hiss!"

Duan Yubai quickly pulled his hand back, looking at the bead of blood.

"Damn it!"

Catching the scent of blood, Su Nuo became instantly tense.

Before Duan Yubai could react, she had already stood up and torn a small strip from her T-shirt.

Her hands were shaking, yet she quickly bandaged Duan Yubai’s finger.

She sniffed hard, terrified that her tears might fall.

She kept whispering, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault, I'm sorry."

"What are you doing?"

Duan Yubai pushed her away and put his finger into his mouth.

Su Nuo instinctively took a few steps back and quickly lowered her head.

She didn't dare look at him, fearing she would meet his angry gaze.

He had expected Duan Yubai to remain angry, but instead, he sighed.

"Su Nuo, this act is over the top. Is this really necessary?"

Su Nuo looked up in disbelief, catching a glimmer of helplessness in his eyes.

"Su Nuo, what is wrong with you?"

Duan Yubai was no idiot; he had certainly noticed that something was off about her.

But Su Nuo had left a deep-rooted impression on him over the years.

She was the arrogant, overbearing, and unbridled Miss Su.

The "little sister" who followed him around every day, constantly clinging to him.

But ever since she returned, it seemed as if everything had changed.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady his emotions, and looked at her intently.

"So, Su Nuo, what on earth happened to you in these past few months?"

Su Nuo’s eyes widened sharply, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Suddenly, a figure flashed past the third-floor window.

Su Nuo spoke instinctively, "Nothing at all!"