Meng Shu entered, and at the words, his gaze settled on Chu Mian, lingering for a long moment before he remarked with a sigh, "Yes, she’s so much like the young miss. When her episodes hit, she was just as quiet. She was even graceful when she passed away." "She was only twenty-one when she died." As he spoke, Li Tianque’s voice grew heavy, thick with some suppressed emotion. "The young woman has undergone a basic physical exam," Meng Shu reported. "No infectious diseases, and she shows no signs of aggression. It’s safe for you to be with her, but please remain cautious. Also, we found nothing on her identity." "That's not important," Li Tianque scoffed. "What identity does a substitute need?" "..." So, an old flame, most likely. What the hell was this? His schizophrenic lover dies, so he finds a twenty-one-year-old psychiatric patient to be her emotional stand-in? Fuck. Was she destined to be nothing more than a substitute her whole life? First for Chu Xing, and now for the man in front of her. A string of curses echoed silently in Chu Mian's mind. Li Tianque sat before her, casually shrugging off his overcoat and tossing it aside. "You're dismissed," he ordered coldly. "I'm going to get some sleep here." "Yes, sir." Meng Shu bowed his head slightly, took two steps back, and then turned to leave. Wait? Get some sleep? What was happening? As the thought crossed her mind, Li Tianque suddenly reached out and patted her cheek as if she were a pet. He stared at her, the corners of his eyes lifting in a lazy, wild smirk. "Remember this. From this day on, you belong to me, Li Tianque." "..." An endless chill washed over Chu Mian. *Belong to him? What did that mean?* Tension coiled in her gut. Sitting before her, Li Tianque’s long fingers went to the sapphire buttons of his shirt, undoing them with a fluid grace. He parted the fabric, revealing the clean lines of his torso and perfectly sculpted abs—lean and powerful without being bulky. *...You have got to be kidding me.* Undressing in front of a "patient" with a mental disorder... was this man a pervert? *Don't,* she pleaded silently. Li Tianque suddenly stood, his hand moving to the belt at his waist. With a flick of his wrist, he slid it free. Chu Mian’s breath caught. *Don't take anything else off!* As if hearing her silent roar, Li Tianque actually stopped. Shirt in hand, he turned with a nonchalant swagger and headed for the bathroom. The moment the bathroom door clicked shut, Chu Mian shot up from the sofa. She had to escape. She went to the window and glanced out. In the courtyard below, several bodyguards stood watch, handguns glinting at their hips. Her head throbbed. Back on Fengdao, where law and morality were suggestions at best, plenty of people couldn't control their urges and would take what they wanted. But no one had dared to try anything with her. She truly never imagined that the president of the country's top conglomerate would have a secret fetish for the mentally ill. It was insane. The main entrance was out of the question. Chu Mian moved through the villa, checking rooms until she found a promising one and pushed open its window. She looked down. From this angle, she could jump to the top of the perimeter wall, then down to the other side. The jump itself wasn't hard; the challenge was doing it without making a sound, or she'd be dragged right back. Whatever. She had to try. Gritting her teeth, Chu Mian scrambled onto the windowsill. Just as she settled herself, the sound of heavy footsteps approached from outside the door. How could he be done with his shower so fast? Chu Mian stared at the door in shock as the footsteps drew closer, and closer...