Ten Rules to Bind Her Heart - Chapter 40
The training room.
No…
Fear was a conditioned reflex.
The instant Shen Yu finished speaking, before any thought could form, Xia Zhiyao’s knees gave way and struck the floor.
“Mr. Shen… I was wrong…”
Head bowed, she twisted her skirt in both hands, her eyes immediately turning red.
Her voice shook, the words tumbling out rapidly.
“I won’t make any decisions without your orders again…
“Please. Please spare me…”
She was truly afraid.
Her injuries still ached. She could not imagine whether she would survive another punishment tonight.
The room remained silent for a long while.
Seated in the armchair, Shen Yu played with a cigar cutter.
He looked down at the little thing trembling at his feet.
The little thing**was certainly fluent when confessing her mistakes.
Even her pleas sounded rehearsed.
She understood the situation and knew when to yield.
Obedient and adorable.
The nameless anger that had risen because she seemed too happy in someone else’s territory inexplicably faded by more than half when she knelt.
He had never truly intended to strike her.
Anya, that madwoman, had been right. The little thing was fragile, and her injuries had not fully healed. Another punishment might genuinely be more than she could bear.
Then she would no longer be fun.
Some of the darkness left Shen Yu’s eyes. His thumb moved across the cold cigar cutter as though evaluating her sincerity.
“Quick to admit your mistake.”
He scoffed, then changed direction.
“But I don’t listen to empty words.”
Xia Zhiyao shuddered. Believing punishment inevitable, she finally began to cry, tears striking the floor.
“Enough.”
Shen Yu threw the cutter onto the table with a sharp crack.
Xia Zhiyao flinched and held her breath, awaiting judgment.
“I’ll put the beating on your account.”
Shen Yu rose. His black shirt outlined muscles filled with explosive power, and his shadow descended over her.
“Tonight, you will kneel here and reflect carefully on what rules mean.”
His voice was cool and emotionless.
He approached, his boots stopping less than two feet from her.
“If your reflection is unsatisfactory, there will be no reason to keep you here.”
Without looking at her again, he strode from the room.
His towering shadow disappeared, but the pressure remained.
The door clicked shut.
Xia Zhiyao sagged, cold sweat covering her back.
…
Time slowed to a crawl.
Outside, the sky darkened from orange-red to deep blue.
No light was on. Xia Zhiyao huddled in darkness.
Shen Yu’s final words echoed endlessly in her mind.
If your reflection is unsatisfactory, there will be no reason to keep you here…
If she was not kept here, where would she go?
What did it mean to lose Shen Yu’s protection in this man-eating Golden Triangle?
Would he throw her into the jungle for wolves? Send her back to Boss Ba’s horrific compound?
Fear overwhelmed her exhaustion. Gritting her teeth, she did not dare move.
The door opened a crack, letting in a band of yellow light.
Click.
The lock turned again.
Xia Zhiyao straightened instinctively.
But the person entering was not Shen Yu.
“Oh, my…”
Auntie Mei came in with a tray and jumped at the small figure kneeling before the armchair.
On the tray were a steaming bowl of shrimp custard and a dish of stir-fried vegetables.
“Miss Xia, what happened?”
Auntie Mei set the tray on a small table, switched on the wall light, and hurried to help her.
“Get up. The floor is cold.”
The sudden brightness made Xia Zhiyao squint. She refused Auntie Mei’s support.
“It’s all right, Auntie Mei… I did something wrong. Mr. Shen ordered me to reflect here.”
Her voice was hoarse, and holding the same position for so long had left her pale.
“Oh dear.”
Auntie Mei sighed. Once she knew it was Mr. Shen’s order, she could say little.
“At least eat first. A body as slight as yours can’t bear kneeling here without food.”
“Why don’t I bring the meal to you, and you can eat a little where you are?”
Xia Zhiyao swallowed.
The aroma of steamed egg drifted beneath her nose, making her stomach growl.
But she still shook her head timidly.
“I won’t eat… Mr. Shen told me to reflect. What if he finds out…”
“He told you to kneel, not to starve.”
Auntie Mei understood Shen Yu’s temperament.
“Since he didn’t forbid you to eat, you’re allowed to. If you grow thin from hunger, that will only add another offense.”
Xia Zhiyao blinked.
That… seemed reasonable.
She knew Auntie Mei was helping her. Her eyes warmed, and she nodded gratefully.
“Then… thank you, Auntie Mei.”
“No need for thanks. Eat.” Auntie Mei handed her the bowl and chopsticks.
Xia Zhiyao did not dare rise. Still kneeling, she bent over the little table and wolfed down half a bowl of rice.
Her knees hurt terribly. Once her stomach was full, the pain in her body seemed even clearer.
After the final bite of egg custard, she returned the dishes to the tray.
“I’m finished, Auntie Mei. Please take it away. Thank you.”
She urged her to leave, afraid Shen Yu might suddenly return.
Auntie Mei sighed and gathered the tray.
“All right. But don’t be too honest. If you’re tired, rest secretly for a while. Mr. Shen is busy in the council hall tonight. I doubt he’ll be back soon.”
Xia Zhiyao did not answer. She merely corrected her posture and straightened her back.
She did not dare gamble.
In this place, taking one chance could lead to ruin beyond recovery.
Auntie Mei left with the dishes, and darkness reclaimed the room.
Night deepened.
Only the occasional beam of a searchlight passed the window, accompanied by unfamiliar insects calling in the distant jungle.
At first, Xia Zhiyao silently recited the Ten Commandments. But her body soon reached its limit.
Her eyelids grew heavier, and her awareness began to blur.
Her knees had gone numb with pain, leaving only a prickling itch like needles. Sleep rose like a tide. Her head dipped again and again. Each time she nearly fell, she jerked awake and resumed kneeling.
But determination could not overcome physical limits forever.
She did not know how much time passed. Perhaps it was midnight, perhaps one in the morning.
At last, she could endure no more.
Her upright body slowly tilted. Her upper half came to rest on the floor, curling her into an awkward, pitiful posture as she sank into sleep.
…
Two in the morning.
Steady footsteps sounded in the corridor.
The door opened without a sound.
