Chapter 26: Have a Sweet Dream

"Miss Su, how could you forget so quickly? I specifically came back this morning to tell you."

Mo Xiaoxue looked at her with a hint of surprise. "You haven't been preparing all day, have you? Didn't I tell you this morning in your room? Many netizens feel that Mr. Duan's press conference wasn't convincing enough, so they hope you can clarify things in front of everyone."

A cruel expression flashed across Mo Xiaoxue's face. Of course, she had kept it from her on purpose. If she had told Su Nuo at the start, Su Nuo would have spent the entire day in a panic. But if she only fell apart once she reached the venue, wouldn't that be a much better show?

"Didn't you say you would definitely be ready?" Mo Xiaoxue feigned surprise. "You didn't really prepare at all, did you? The press conference is tomorrow, and this is...?"

Duan Yubai was already beyond furious. "Su Nuo, that’s enough. The press conference concerns the entire company. What exactly are you trying to do?" He had specifically asked Mo Xiaoxue to come back today for this very reason. If Su Nuo didn't appear before the media, certain things simply couldn't be cleared up. The Duan family's rivals were clearly stirring up trouble, and a wave of internet trolls had begun to attack them. This decision only came about due to the Duan family's emergency public relations; he hadn't expected Su Nuo to have forgotten.

"Miss Su, you should hurry back to your room. There are certain things that must be prepared in advance," Mo Xiaoxue said, her tone soft. "You still remember what I told you, right?"

Su Nuo nodded hurriedly, not daring to admit that she had no idea what she was talking about.

Mo Xiaoxue glanced at the time. "Mr. Duan, I think Miss Su just had a momentary lapse. It’s getting late, let’s go back." Her words carried an ambiguous tone.

*Let's go back?* Are the two of them returning to the same room? Thinking of the black underwear she had seen while tidying the room earlier that morning, Su Nuo felt her breath hitch. So, during the time she was gone, Duan Yubai hadn't just stopped caring about her; he had found someone else. *That’s fine, isn’t it? That’s perfectly fine.* Su Nuo repeated this to herself until she could no longer hear any other sounds.

Seeing her vacant expression, Duan Yubai assumed she was just throwing another tantrum. His earlier concern vanished, and he turned and headed upstairs.

Only then did Mo Xiaoxue step forward, looking down at Su Nuo. "You’d better be prepared for tomorrow’s press conference. There will be plenty of reporters and media, and even a live stream. Su Nuo, you know what to say, don't you?"

Su Nuo’s body stiffened, her mind going blank. What was she supposed to say? Was she expected to reveal her ordeal in front of everyone? No, that was impossible; the Duan family would never let her speak of it. Thinking of the threats from Mr. Duan, she couldn't help but tremble. If she truly revealed that she had been kidnapped, Mr. Duan would never forgive her, and she would never get back her mother’s belongings.

But if she didn't speak, what would everyone think of her tomorrow? Would they all assume she was just a spoiled heiress who didn't care about anyone else's life? That she had wasted so many public resources just to seek attention? She would become a pariah, someone everyone would want to trample.

"Su Nuo, you wouldn't want those videos to go public, would you? I’m doing this out of the kindness of my heart to help you, so please don't disappoint me."

As Mo Xiaoxue’s ghostly voice echoed, Su Nuo didn't dare to move. She felt as if an invisible hand were gripping her heart, and that the slightest pressure would end her life. She tried to take a deep breath, but the air simply wouldn't enter her lungs.

"Miss Mo, are you not resting yet?" Chi Ling’s voice broke the silence, and only then did Su Nuo dare to gasp for air. It felt as though as long as he was there, she still had a sliver of safety.

"Chi Ling, you’re not sleeping this late either?" Mo Xiaoxue looked him over with displeasure, then immediately flashed a sweet smile. "Yes, Mr. Duan said I wasn't resting well and told me to sleep early, so I’ll head back now. Miss Su, remember to be ready." She patted Su Nuo’s shoulder firmly, but Su Nuo remained frozen in place.

Chi Ling poured himself a glass of water, his peripheral vision catching sight of some candy and a piece of bread in the trash can. Ever since Su Nuo went missing, he had been living at the Duan residence. Duan Yubai claimed not to care if Su Nuo lived or died, yet he would occasionally order him to go out and search for her. But it seemed that was the full extent of his concern. For example, in all the time Su Nuo was missing, Duan Yubai had only ordered Chi Ling to search twice. And the candy in the trash—he knew Su Nuo loved it, yet he only ever gave her two pieces, only for them to end up in the bin.

He opened the refrigerator and took out a strawberry cake.

"No, I can't eat that," Su Nuo shook her head repeatedly. What was her status? A foster daughter who was less than a servant—how could she eat something from the fridge? Seeing Su Nuo’s extreme humility, Chi Ling found it hard to believe. Was this shrinking, fearful girl really the heiress, Su Nuo? The old Su Nuo wouldn't have just eaten cake; if she wanted barbecue from over a hundred kilometers away at two in the morning, she would have pestered Duan Yubai until he bought it for her.

He shoved the cake into her hands. "It’s mine. The supermarket had a promotion—buy a hundred dollars worth and get a free cake. I don't like sweets, you eat it." Fearing she wouldn't, he added, "It expires tomorrow, don't waste it."

Su Nuo looked at the cake. The date clearly showed it hadn't expired. She recognized the brand, too; a single slice cost over a hundred dollars. How could it be a supermarket freebie? But when she looked up to say something, Chi Ling had already returned to his room.

Clutching the cake, Su Nuo eventually ate it in two bites. Hunger overcame her reason. She knew her situation all too well; she could be discarded by the Duan family at any moment. She had to survive by any means necessary, or she would end up with nothing.

When Su Nuo returned to her room, she glanced back at Chi Ling’s room. They both lived on the first floor, albeit on opposite sides of the villa. She whispered a soft "thank you."

Since her return, Chi Ling was the only one who had been kind to her, and she kept that in her heart. She hadn't had much interaction with him in the past. Most of the time, she would go looking for Duan Yubai only to be coldly turned away by Chi Ling. But now, he seemed to be the only person in this villa she could trust.

Hearing the sound of the door closing carefully on the other side, Chi Ling’s lips curled into a smile. Then, he sighed. The young heiress seemed to have forgotten to brush her teeth. Thinking of how she had cried like a baby when she saw the dentist last year, he shook his head. He wondered if her teeth were still alright this year.

Just as he thought this, he heard the sound of Su Nuo opening her door again. The door to the utility room seemed to be in need of repair, always making a faint scraping sound. As a bodyguard and assistant, he had a sharp ear for such things.

Not until Su Nuo was back in her room did he finally close his eyes.

*Young Mistress, I wish you a pleasant dream.*