Chapter 15: The Endless Staircase

I found myself in a completely unfamiliar place, facing such abominable behavior from my former boss, and I was utterly at a loss as to how to react.

I reached for my phone, intending to call Xie Yan. But as soon as I took it out, Mr. Wang snatched it away. He looked at me as if I had done something that thrilled him. He jumped up, holding my phone, and burst into wild laughter. The next second, he hurled my phone forcefully onto the carpet.

Although the soft wool could cushion some of the impact, Mr. Wang had thrown it with such force that my phone shattered into pieces instantly.

"What are you doing?"

I let out a startled cry and rushed to pick up my phone. But before my hand could touch it, a foot stomped down hard on the broken screen.

Mr. Wang grabbed me by the collar and hauled me up. I tried to resist, but he dragged me out of the room. He walked so fast that I had to keep my head down and couldn't make out the path in front of me at all.

I stumbled along the way. Just as I managed to steady myself, I was suddenly yanked down the stairs. Caught off - guard, I lost my footing and started to fall.

The long, dark staircase spun dizzily before my eyes. In fear, I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impact. But instead, I landed steadily in a slightly cool embrace.

In the darkness, I heard Xie Yan's voice above me. "Mianmian?"

I opened my eyes and saw Xie Yan's face. Suddenly, my throat and eyes stung with a rush of emotion. I hadn't done anything, yet I was treated like this. The thought filled me withgrievance, and my voice lost its usual calm as I said, "Xie Yan, I really didn't do anything."

Xie Yan was taken aback by my words. His handsome eyebrows instantly knitted into a sharp frown, and his bright eyes were filled with a cold, menacing look. He looked up, his gaze sweeping coldly over Mr. Wang before finally settling on the attendant behind him.

"Louis, I don't know since when the rules here allow guests to be treated like this."

The man named Louis lowered his head even further in silence. Then he slowly approached Xie Yan, took a step back, and bowed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Xie. We've caused you an unpleasant experience."

After Louis spoke, I tried to catch a glimpse of his face. But then, to my shock, Louis pulled out a knife from his pocket and stabbed it fiercely into Mr. Wang, who was standing beside me.

A shrill scream followed. Mr. Wang clutched his arm, wailing pitifully.

The coppery, sweet smell of blood wafted through the air. I wrinkled my nose, not liking the smell, and was about to suggest to Xie Yan that we leave. But then, I noticed a faint blush at the corner of Xie Yan's eye.

I was startled and stared intently. At this moment, Xie Yan also looked down at me, and that blush seemed to be nothing but an illusion, as if it had never existed.

Maybe I was really seeing things. I pulled myself together and said to Xie Yan, "Let's go home. This place is so strange."

Not only the people but also this staircase was peculiar. The staircases I'd seen usually had ten or twenty steps per flight. But this one seemed to be an endless stretch of steps, which was incredibly eerie.

I shrank my head, and then Mr. Wang's wails turned into a vent of anger.

He crouched on the ground, blood gushing from his arm. His face, drenched in cold sweat, was contorted in pain. He glared at me with hatred in his eyes and shouted, "She's just an ordinary human. Why can she sit here like a noble, while I've had to wait for decades and still have nothing to show for it?"

He was shouting so hysterically, his blood - stained hands trembling as he pointed at me. But I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Xie..." I was about to ask Xie Yan what Mr. Wang meant, but the next second, Louis stepped forward and grabbed Mr. Wang by the neck with one hand.

I stared at Louis' back, my eyes wide with astonishment. He could lift Mr. Wang, who must have weighed at least seventy or eighty kilograms, by the neck with one hand. This was simply unbelievable!

He looked strong, but he didn't seem that heavy. How could this be possible?

I shook my head in disbelief, looking at everything around me. "Xie Yan, why on earth did you bring me here? What was the thing you wanted to tell me? Was it just to make me witness such a cruel scene?"

As soon as I finished speaking, Xie Yan suddenly blocked my view.

He lowered his head, took my hand, and we walked up the steps back to the room where I had been resting. He seated me on the sofa, and behind us, Louis, with great courtesy, closed the door.

Now, only Xie Yan and I were left in the room. Then he said to me, "This is a high - end club. The world's rarest gems are traded here. My grandfather was one of its founders. He left me some gems here, intended for my future wife."

As he spoke, Xie Yan raised his hand and knocked on the table.

The door was quickly opened. I saw Louis and Mr. Wang enter one after the other. Louis' long, golden hair fell in strands on both sides of his face, covering most of his features.

Mr. Wang was now holding a box in his hand. He had changed his clothes, and there was no sign of his injury.

"Now, perhaps you can do what you're supposed to do," I heard Louis say. Although he was facing Xie Yan and me, it seemed as if he was addressing Mr. Wang.

The moment he finished speaking, Mr. Wang suddenly straightened up. His shiny leather shoes moved quickly as he walked up to me and knelt down with a thud, his forehead almost touching the tip of my shoe as he bowed.

I had never been treated like this before. I was so startled that I almost jumped up. It was only because Xie Yan promptly placed his hand on my shoulder that I managed to stay seated.

Feeling uncomfortable, I shifted backward, casting an uneasy glance at Xie Yan. He didn't say anything, just gave me a reassuring smile.

I'd heard that high - end clubs had all sorts of unexpected ways to entertain guests, but I'd only heard about them, never seen them.

Helpless, I huddled closer to Xie Yan while keeping a close eye on Mr. Wang's next move. But no matter how much I thought, I never expected Mr. Wang to lower his head and kiss the tip of my shoe.

I was so shocked that I quickly retracted my leg. While I was still in a daze, he suddenly raised the box in his hand above his head.

The box slowly opened, revealing a pigeon - egg - sized red diamond. Mr. Wang held the box with both hands and placed it on the back of his head, making himself look like a kneeling coffee table.

I was still reeling from the shock of the huge red diamond, and then he did this. I felt as if my whole world view was shattering. Trying to hold back my fear, I said, trembling, "Mr. Wang, perhaps you should get up first?"

As soon as I finished speaking, Mr. Wang suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with an almost fanatical satisfaction. His greasy face was more excited than I'd ever seen.

His dark - red lips opened and closed as he said, "Miss Gu Mian, you don't need to be so polite to me. I was being rude just now. If you're still angry, you can hit me, scold me, or even kill me."

As he spoke, he withdrew one hand and took out a knife from his pocket, offering it to me.