Chapter 15: “The House”
Lu Zhiyin endured a period of torment since Long Qinxin bought a pile of strange furniture.
Every morning, she woke up in a bed with new bedding, confined to the bed and unable to go anywhere. After breakfast, she could only stay in bed, listening to the noise from the basement below as it was renovated and modified.
In the afternoon, Long Qinxin would return from school, help Lu Zhiyin with her hygiene, and then hug her to sleep.
The next day was a repeat of the previous day. Although Long Qinxin only hugged and kissed her, and did not do anything more extreme, Lu Zhiyin knew that day would eventually come.
She didn’t know how long the basement renovation would take, counting the days anxiously with her fingers.
She lived in the house on the outskirts of the city like this for two months.
During this time, Long Qinxin only fed her one breakfast a day. Hunger had become commonplace, and her body grew weaker.
Long Qinxin occasionally gave Lu Zhiyin vitamin pills, but these did not significantly improve Lu Zhiyin’s condition, and she became thinner each day.
Long Qinxin did find doctors to re-examine Lu Zhiyin’s condition. In these two months, her cast was removed, and she could move her right arm, although she had to avoid carrying heavy objects.
As her limbs recovered, Lu Zhiyin’s anxiety grew.
One afternoon, the renovation noise from the basement stopped, and Long Qinxin did not come upstairs to accompany Lu Zhiyin that day.
The next morning, Long Qinxin came to the bedroom where Lu Zhiyin had been imprisoned for two months.
“Ah, good morning, classmate Qinxin.”
Just like every morning for the past two months, Lu Zhiyin softly greeted Long Qinxin.
Being imprisoned here, the dual torture of body and mind drove Lu Zhiyin to the brink of madness, but she did not reveal too much of her emotions.
She needed to please Long Qinxin, gain her trust, and then escape her imprisoned life.
She firmly remembered her purpose.
“…Mhm, good morning, Zhiyin.”
Walking slowly to the bed, Long Qinxin climbed onto it.
She caressed Lu Zhiyin’s hair. Due to malnutrition, the girl’s hair was no longer as smooth as before, and Long Qinxin knew exactly who was to blame.
Her gaze fell on Lu Zhiyin’s face. The girl’s face was also a bit too thin, her eyes slightly sunken into their sockets, looking too haggard.
Long Qinxin found this haggard Lu Zhiyin even more beautiful, possessing a fragile beauty.
Despite this, she still felt some guilt.
Long Qinxin reached out and gently touched Lu Zhiyin’s face.
“…”
Lu Zhiyin let Long Qinxin stroke her cheek, burying her unease and fear deep within her heart.
Seeing the still obedient Lu Zhiyin, Long Qinxin was somewhat moved. For the past two months, she had always been this gentle. Did she really still have any thoughts of escaping?
Long Qinxin was not sure, but she dared not take the risk.
Untying the collar around Lu Zhiyin’s neck, Long Qinxin held her in her arms.
The girl weighed significantly less than two months ago, as if she would fall apart at any moment. Long Qinxin did not hold Lu Zhiyin tightly.
“…”
Her eyes dimmed slightly, Long Qinxin changed Lu Zhiyin into silk pajamas and carried her downstairs.
The door on the first floor was closed as usual, and the living room floor was the same as always, with no changes.
Long Qinxin placed Lu Zhiyin on the sofa, then returned to the kitchen alone to open the basement hatch.
She finished this task quickly and returned.
Without rushing to take Lu Zhiyin to the basement, Long Qinxin found a small stool and sat in front of the sofa.
She picked up one of Lu Zhiyin’s feet and stroked the back of it.
The girl’s feet were fair and delicate, with beautiful arches, distinct toes, clear toenails, and faint blue veins showing through the skin on the back of her feet.
Long Qinxin had wanted to play with Lu Zhiyin’s feet for a long time but had never indulged in such a strange act.
She was doing it now because she was about to do something even stranger.
She gently tickled the sole of Lu Zhiyin’s foot and looked up, noticing Lu Zhiyin’s shoulders tremble and her expression change slightly.
It seemed the soles of her feet were a sensitive spot?
As Long Qinxin played with the girl’s small feet, she looked into Lu Zhiyin’s eyes.
“…”
Unsure how to describe what she was about to do, Long Qinxin felt a bit hesitant.
Finally, it was Lu Zhiyin who broke the damned silence.
“You’re going to put me in the basement, aren’t you… It’s okay, as long as Qinxin is happy.”
Enduring the strange sensation on her soles, Lu Zhiyin forced a smile at Long Qinxin.
Her smile only made Long Qinxin more annoyed.
“…Mhm.”
She let out a muffled “mhm.” Actually, Long Qinxin wanted to do more than that.
“You must have been starving during this time…”
As she spoke, Long Qinxin picked up Lu Zhiyin. The girl was so light, like a piece of white paper that might blow away at any moment.
She carried Lu Zhiyin back to the kitchen.
“…It’s okay… Being a little hungry is nothing, as long as classmate Qinxin is happy.”
Lu Zhiyin spoke words against her will, patting her abdomen.
If for nothing else, her abdomen was still aching, but she endured it and did not say anything.
Prolonged malnutrition had left her with pale skin, so Long Qinxin did not notice anything amiss.
“After this, as long as you are obedient and follow my instructions well, I will give you enough food. I’m sorry…”
Apologizing softly, Long Qinxin placed Lu Zhiyin into the basement using a basket tied with a rope, then she lifted the basket and climbed down the ladder herself.
“…”
Silently, Lu Zhiyin observed the renovated basement.
The walls and floor were now concrete, hard and rough. A bright incandescent lamp hung from the ceiling, its light somewhat dazzling.
Along the walls were the so-called “furniture” she had seen before.
There were two vents at the top of the basement walls, and the fans whirred loudly, a bit annoying.
Lu Zhiyin was slumped on the ground. When she heard Long Qinxin climbing the ladder, she turned her head and saw a square “house” next to the stairs.
Yes… it was probably a house for a large dog. The space inside was about one square meter. The house was not tall, only up to a person’s waist. The entrance was arched, and the floor of the house was covered with a red blanket.
Lu Zhiyin’s eyes darkened. Was she really being treated like a dog?
Her eyes welled up again, but Lu Zhiyin had nothing to say.
After all, she had said it herself, as long as her chastity was not taken, anything else was fine.
