Chapter 4 the gate of the abyss (part2）

The night enveloped the entire city like a thick, ink-dyed cloth, pressing down heavily on every street and alley. The evening breeze swept over the residual heat of the day, rustling the phoenix tree leaves by the roadside in soft, whispering sounds. It was past ten o’clock when Zhou Hu’s motorcycle came to a steady stop at the gate of Su Liwan’s neighborhood. The roar of the engine cut off abruptly, shattering the quiet of the night.

Su Liwan lifted the helmet off her head, her fingertips still carrying the warm temperature that had lingered on the surface. She handed it back to Zhou Hu gently, her hair tousled by the wind, sticking softly to her smooth forehead. Her eyes still held a faint daze, mixed with a trace of coquetry after being cherished and spoiled.

“Did you enjoy yourself today?” Zhou Hu looked down at her, his voice low and magnetic, with an unhurried yet overwhelming dominance. His gaze fell on her face like an invisible net, wrapping her tightly within his reach.

“Yes,” Su Liwan nodded instinctively, her voice soft and light. The scene from the billiards hall kept replaying in her mind—everyone addressing her respectfully as “Sister-in-law,” bowing to her willingly. The feeling of being held high above the crowd, admired and flattered, made her sink deeper into greed.

Zhou Hu suddenly reached out. His strong, bony fingers gently gripped her chin, lifting it slightly, forcing her to raise her head and look directly into his eyes. His palm was rough with calluses, burning hot against her skin. Su Liwan felt a slight pain, yet she stood frozen as if spellbound, not struggling at all. She stared into Zhou Hu’s eyes, which blazed with unmasked possessiveness, straightforward and scorching desire, and something she could not understand—not tender, affectionate love, but a declaration of ownership over his belonging, overbearing and unrefusable.

“Good. From now on, stay with me, and I’ll make you this happy every single day.” His tone carried a firm promise, yet it was laced with suffocating control. Every word struck Su Liwan’s heart, leaving her flustered, yet hopelessly intoxicated.

“I understand,” she whispered, her eyelashes trembling lightly. She dared not meet his gaze any longer, yet she could not bear to escape the attention that belonged solely to her.

Zhou Hu released his hold, his fingertips brushing casually across her cheek, carrying an aggressive kind of tenderness. He pulled an exquisite velvet box from his pocket and pressed it firmly into her palm without waiting for her response. The box felt heavy, radiating a luxurious aura.

“Take it. It’s for you.”

Su Liwan’s fingers trembled slightly. She lifted the box cover gently, and was immediately dazzled by the glow inside. An exquisitely designed watch lay quietly on the soft fabric, its bezel encircled by tiny, glittering diamonds. Under the dim yellow streetlamp at the neighborhood gate, it reflected a hazy, breathtaking radiance—unreal, beautiful, just like everything she possessed at this moment, illusory yet fatally attractive.

“This is too expensive…” She instinctively tried to push it back. Her rationality screamed at her that she should not accept such a gift, yet her fingertips refused to let go of the brilliance.

“Only something this expensive is worthy of you,” Zhou Hu closed the box and stuffed it directly into the side pocket of her backpack, his movements dominant and natural. “Don’t be polite with me. Politeness only makes us distant.” His tone left no room for refusal, as if giving her gifts was a privilege she should cherish.

Su Liwan no longer resisted. She gripped the backpack strap tightly and walked into the neighborhood. The concrete road beneath her feet felt soft, as if she were stepping on cotton, weightless and unreal. A gust of evening breeze brushed past her, and she finally realized that she had long fallen into the gentle trap Zhou Hu had woven for her.

The voice-activated light at the hallway entrance flickered on with her steps. The dim yellow glow stretched her shadow long. When she entered home, only a small night-light was on in the living room. Her mother had already fallen asleep, steady breathing drifting from the bedroom. Her father remained sitting on the sofa, watching the late-night news with the volume turned low. The atmosphere was quiet, heavy, and oppressive.

“You’re back?” Her father lifted his eyes to glance at her, his gaze carrying an unspoken worry, his eyebrows faintly furrowed.

“Mm,” Su Liwan changed her shoes quickly, lowering her head to avoid his eyes, hurrying to escape into her own small world.

“Wait,” her father stopped her, his voice mixed with tiredness and seriousness. “Why have you been coming home so late lately? Final exams are coming. Where have you been putting your mind?”

“I went out with classmates,” Su Liwan replied, her eyes lowered. Her lying skills had grown increasingly skilled; no trace of panic showed on her face, yet her heartbeat accelerated quietly.

“Which classmates? Boys or girls?” Her father pressed, his gaze locked firmly on her, trying to read something from her expression.

“Girls. Lin Xiao and the others. We were studying together,” Su Liwan answered calmly, weaving a seemingly flawless lie. A faint sense of guilt brushed past her heart, yet it was quickly swallowed by the satisfaction brought by material luxury.

Her father stared at her for a few seconds, watching the unmistakable vanity and restlessness flickering in his daughter’s eyes. He sighed softly, his tone softening, filled with heartache. “Liwan, I don’t want to control you. I’m only afraid you’ll go down the wrong path. You’re still young. People’s hearts are complicated. You can’t see through everything. Don’t be deceived. Don’t walk into a life you can’t escape.”

“I know, Dad,” Su Liwan nodded obediently, her voice gentle. Yet inside, she disagreed completely. She thought she was living a wonderful life, that she had not strayed at all. She turned and quickly stepped into her bedroom, slamming the door shut, blocking out her father’s warnings.

The moment the door closed, the obedient smile she had forced onto her face vanished instantly, replaced by an indescribably complicated emotion.

She sat down on the edge of her bed, placing her backpack gently on her lap. She pulled out the watch Zhou Hu had given her, then turned on her desk lamp. Warm yellow light spilled over the dial, and the diamonds reflected scattered, hazy rays—beautiful enough to make her heart ache, yet empty enough to stir unease.

She slid the watch onto her wrist, lifting her hand to turn it under the light again and again. The cold metal pressed against her skin, yet it burned her chest tightly. She stared at the radiance on her wrist, then thought of her plain school uniform, of Qin Ruhai’s gentle gaze. Two completely different lives clashed violently in her mind, torturing her yet addicting her completely. After a moment of hesitation, she carefully took it off, placed it back into the box, walked to her wardrobe, and hid the box deep inside—as if guarding a sweet, yet dangerous secret.

Afterward, she pulled out the tutoring book Qin Ruhai had given her from her desk. Her fingertips brushed over the cover, and she flipped it gently to the first page. The familiar line of handwriting came into view again: Mathematics is beautiful, but don’t let it become your whole world.

She stroked the words lightly with her fingertip, clearly feeling the faint indentations left by the pencil. He had written each stroke carefully, steadily, with hidden tenderness and care—no material display, no deliberate flattery, pure enough to break her heart.

Su Liwan held the book tightly against her chest, lay down on the bed, and stared at the dark ceiling. Tears welled up in her eyes without warning, yet she forced them back fiercely.

Two voices raged inside her, tearing at her reason and emotions.

One voice whispered greedily: Zhou Hu can give you everything you want—money, luxury, the vanity of being admired. He can lift you out of your ordinary life and make you the most dazzling person in the crowd. These are things Qin Ruhai can never give you. You must hold onto him tightly.

The other voice spoke soberly, painfully: Qin Ruhai’s kindness to you is pure and genuine, without any conditions. He worries about your studies, cares for your well-being. But everything Zhou Hu gives you comes with a hidden price. Behind this glitz lies an abyss you cannot afford to fall into.

She closed her eyes, trying to calm her chaotic heart, yet her mind was filled with Zhou Hu’s domineering tenderness, Qin Ruhai’s gentle gaze, and her father’s worried sighs—all woven into an airtight net.

At that moment, the white fox appeared in her dream again, vivid enough to touch.

This time, the fox stood at a gloomy crossroad, shrouded in mist. To the left was a wide, flat road, blooming with flowers, bathed in bright sunlight, warm and reassuring. To the right was a narrow, cramped path—dark, damp, howling with cold wind, stretching endlessly, piercing with bone-chilling cold.

The fox turned to look at her, its golden eyes filled with sorrow and desperate dissuasion, as if begging her not to step onto that dark road.

Su Liwan tried to speak, to ask which path she should take, to grab the fox and warn it of the danger ahead. But she felt as if her throat were clamped shut, unable to make a sound. Her body froze, unable to move. She could only watch helplessly.

The fox turned around, its tail sweeping gently across the ground. It stepped slowly toward the dark path, its figure lonely and resolute. Step by step, it never looked back, gradually vanishing into the depths of darkness.

Su Liwan jolted awake, her heart pounding violently. Cold sweat soaked her back, her breathing rapid. The despair and sorrow from the dream still gripped her heart tightly.

Outside the window, the moon was hidden by thick dark clouds. Not a single ray of light seeped in. The bedroom was pitch-black, as dark as the endless path in her dream.

She tremblingly reached for her phone. The screen’s glow stung her eyes, illuminating her pale, flustered face. Her fingers shook as she opened her chat with Zhou Hu. After long hesitation, she typed a line: “Zhou Hu… are we together?”

The second she pressed send, her heart nearly stopped—half-expectant, half-terrified.

Seconds later, the phone vibrated. Zhou Hu’s reply popped up, short and domineering:

“Nonsense. You’ve been mine from the start.”

Su Liwan stared at the words again and again. The corners of her mouth lifted slowly. The unease in her chest seemed to be temporarily suppressed by this single sentence. Vanity and satisfaction drowned her last bit of rationality.

She then opened her chat with Qin Ruhai, staring at the gentle line: “Drink more water. Don’t get heatstroke.” She did not reply, only gazed for a long time, her eyes stinging with warmth. His concern was like a faint ray of light, yet she chose to run toward the seemingly brilliant darkness.

She locked her phone and buried her face deeply into the soft pillow. Her suppressed emotions finally broke free, and tears soaked the pillowcase silently.

In her heart, she made an incredibly firm decision.

Tomorrow, she would tell Zhou Hu directly—she wanted to be with him, seriously, properly, openly. She wanted to hold onto this glitz and never return to her plain, ordinary life.

She did not know that this seemingly sweet decision was the first scoop of dirt she dug for her own grave, her first step into the abyss.

Once you step onto that dark path, there is no turning back.

The wheel of fate had already turned the moment she made her choice, rolling heavily toward an abyss she could never foresee.

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