章 21: Chapter 21 Locked for a Lifetime
On the second floor, there was a master bedroom and a guest bedroom, each with its own bathroom. At the easternmost end was a study, equipped with a large desk and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. The shelves held a considerable number of books, seemingly tailored for him, with a focus on psychology and philosophy, as well as French literature, a subject he had been passionate about since high school.
The absence of a computer in the study left him feeling slightly disappointed. He closed the door and walked into the master bedroom.
Just as Aunt Ren had mentioned, the room was fully prepared. A faint scent of rose aromatherapy lingered in the air, and the central air conditioning was running at full blast. The bedding and sheets were brand new, and the wardrobe was filled with recently purchased clothing, with the tags still attached. Even the sizes of the underwear and socks, those most intimate items, were a perfect fit.
This filled Lu Heyang with a terrifying suspicion.
The bedroom was connected to a rather large balcony. He opened the door and took a look. The balcony was fully enclosed, and shiny iron bars had been installed outside the windows, clearly a new addition. The gaps between the bars were just wide enough to fit an arm through. The building across from him was at least 500 meters away, making it nearly impossible for anyone to see or hear a cry for help.
He grabbed the bars and shook them with all his strength. They didn't budge.
Just as he was engrossed in this covert attempt, the sudden ringing of a telephone startled him. He quickly withdrew his hand, scanning the room until he spotted a landline phone flashing on the bedside table.
Aunt Ren hadn't picked it up. The phone rang persistently, and Lu Heyang had a gut feeling the call was meant for him.
With his heart racing, he reached out and lifted the receiver.
"Hello?"
A low breath came from the other end, stirring the air in his ear, but no one spoke. After two seconds of silence, the person finally spoke.
"Are you settling in?"
"Lu Xun!!" Lu Heyang recognized the voice instantly. "Are you out of your mind?!"
"Listen to me..." Lu Xun tried to calm him. "Don't try to escape. The windows are sealed. I'll come see you in a few days."
Lu Heyang was incredulous. "What do you want? Is this... protection?"
But then, feeling self-conscious, he changed his tone, his voice trembling. "Or is this revenge? Let me out first. We can talk."
But Lu Xun responded with nothing but endless silence. Lu Heyang slumped onto the edge of the bed, his fingers tangled in his hair, nearly hysterical. "I have work, Lu Xun!"
"You're still under suspension and investigation. I've already spoken to the dean for you. He fully supports you laying low for a while."
"This isn't what I meant by laying low."
This situation was no different from being imprisoned.
"And where did you get the money to buy a villa and hire people? What have you been doing these past few days, Lu Xun?!"
Lu Xun's sudden disappearance was already a mystery. Now, everything was even more uncertain.
"If you're bored, there are plenty of books in the study. You can also watch TV..." Lu Xun's voice was flat, emotionless. "Wait for me."
"Lu..."
The line abruptly went dead, and a busy signal echoed in the room.
Throughout the brief conversation, Lu Heyang never once had control.
He stood there, holding the receiver, feeling like a kite that had been severed by a gale, left to flutter and fall.
Suddenly, he put down the phone and quickly walked over to the low cabinet across from the window, meticulously inspecting everything. From the decorative painting to the bottom edge of the drawer, he finally discovered a faintly flickering red light inside the socket hole—a hidden pinhole camera.
The most chilling realization was that this was definitely not the only one. There were countless eyes in this house. He was living under constant surveillance.
The study, the dining room, even the bathroom.
He admitted that he was physically safe here, but he had no dignity.
He had already fallen into the mud, and Lu Xun was stepping on him, just as he had ten years ago, mocking him at the skating rink.
Lu Xun was humiliating him.
In a fit of rage, he swept the decorative items and vases off the low cabinet, sending them crashing to the ground. As the fragments scattered around him, his heart crumbled too, leaving only ruins.
Lu Xun watched the scene unfold on his phone, the screen divided into 131 sections by the numerous cameras. He could switch between any of them and adjust the angles.
Eventually, he found Lu Heyang sitting pale-faced in the garden, on a bench hidden among the light purple rose bushes. He sat there motionless, like a pool of stagnant water that had lost all vitality.
"Pleased with the result?" Xu Jianzhong casually crossed his legs in the spacious black leather seat of the Maybach, idly spinning the ruby ring on his thumb.
"Thank you for your efforts, Mr. Xu." Lu Xun hid his pain, his expression indifferent as he gazed out the window.
"Too much of a moral compass isn't always a good thing. From what I see, your dear brother doesn't quite understand your good intentions." Xu Jianzhong gave a meaningful smile. "But I wouldn't mind selling this villa to you. If he doesn't behave, you can lock him up as long as you like—lock him up for life if that's what you want."
For life. He wouldn't be able to use that pretty face to charm anyone anymore. He wouldn't be able to tell him no, wouldn't be able to reject him. He would be trapped in the cage Lu Xun had built for him, a gilded cage where he would be nothing more than a canary.
Even if he died, it would be in Lu Xun's arms.
"That's not a bad suggestion," Lu Xun said, narrowing his eyes with a smirk.
Xu Jianzhong had chosen Lu Xun because he saw that they were the same type of person.
Smart, able to weigh pros and cons, to adapt to the circumstances, and most importantly, Lu Xun was a wild horse. That spark of madness was rare, and to him, taming such a horse for his own use would be something to take great pride in. It would also make his future business dealings much easier.
Of course, he also understood Lu Xun's vindictiveness and didn't mind adding fuel to the fire, using Lu Xun's brother to please him.
Lu Xun undoubtedly hated his brother, especially after his identity shifted. That brother would become nothing more than a stain on his record, a dirty encounter.
But Xu Jianzhong saw it clearly—Lu Xun's hatred was also his weakness.
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