The Canary in the Gilded Cage

Zhou Haoxuan tore through the city streets at night on his motorcycle, his fiancée clinging tightly to his back. For him, this was the happiest day of his life; his dream was finally within reach. "Haoxuan, I never imagined you actually owned a villa," she murmured against his back. "Heh, if I hadn't prepared properly, how could I have had the nerve to propose?" Haoxuan smiled to himself. A villa? Zhao Wanqing’s imagination was far too modest. As the heir to the most prominent conglomerate in East China, villas were merely a drop in the bucket. But he couldn't blame her; he had deliberately concealed his identity to find a woman who loved him for who he was, rather than his wealth or status. Haoxuan was no mere playboy; he was a highly capable successor, respected by the board of directors for performance that rivaled executives twice his age. Even without his family name, he was a man who could easily command the attention of any woman. Zhao Wanqing, twenty-five and a polished white-collar professional, had graduated from a prestigious university. She had accepted his courtship long before she knew the true depth of his family’s influence. They had been together for over two years, having met in a coffee shop. To a man as worldly as Haoxuan, Wanqing was a rare gem—ambitious, gentle, and deeply affectionate—a woman who stirred his heart more than any he had known before. Today, she had finally agreed to marry him on their three-year anniversary, six months from now. She had officially transitioned from girlfriend to fiancée, and Haoxuan had decided it was time for her to move out of her cramped apartment and into his sprawling estate. As the city lights faded behind them, the motorcycle reached the outskirts, where a private enclave of luxury villas awaited. Even the smallest unit spanned 300 square meters, but Haoxuan’s property was a massive, 680-square-meter ultra-luxury residence. When Wanqing first laid eyes on the estate, she was stunned. As a girl from an ordinary family who had worked her way up through sheer academic excellence, this level of opulence was beyond anything she had ever dared to dream. "Wow... I had no idea you were this wealthy." "Come inside," Haoxuan said, pulling her close. "From now on, this is your home." "Wait... is this really okay? We aren't married yet..." "It’s fine. A few months early won't hurt. We have a lifetime to spend together." As they stepped into the villa, Wanqing let out a long, shaky breath. "What’s wrong, Wanqing? Are you unhappy with the new place?" Haoxuan asked, his voice dripping with feigned concern. "No, it’s not that... I was just thinking. I was so worried that after we married, I’d be starting a life sentence in a tiny, suffocating box. But this place... it’s so spacious. You’ve prepared a very comfortable prison for me." Haoxuan reached out, caressing her cheek with a possessive, prideful smile. "Only a gilded cage is worthy of a beautiful canary." Over their two years together, Wanqing had come to understand his nature. He was a man who viewed the woman he loved as his personal songbird. His desire for control was absolute; he sought to build a cage—a sanctuary so secure it would shield her from every storm and shadow of the outside world—and lock her inside, ensuring she lived out her life in beautiful, sheltered isolation. He had made his terms clear: once they were wed, she would quit her job, remain within the villa walls, and never step foot outside again. She would be forbidden from any activity he deemed unsuitable. From the moment she became his wife, she would be serving a life sentence, a bird in a gilded cage, stripped of her freedom. For an ambitious woman like Wanqing, giving up the career she had worked so hard for to become a housebound prisoner was a staggering sacrifice. She had hesitated, but her deep, consuming love for this warm, brilliant man had ultimately won out. She had no idea that her monthly salary, which she valued so highly, didn't even cover a single day of Haoxuan’s living expenses. To him, her income was irrelevant; it wasn't worth the stress and toil it cost her. However, in this gilded cage, Wanqing was not the only canary. "This is my sister, Mengyao." A playful young girl pushed open the door and stepped out. She was dressed in a short, revealing nightgown—a piece of lingerie designed to accentuate every curve of a girl's body. Zhou Mengyao, 22, was the beloved younger sister of Zhou Haoxuan and the heiress to a massive conglomerate. Zhao Wanqing recognized her instantly; they had attended the same prestigious university, though Mengyao was a few years her junior. Back when Mengyao was a freshman, Wanqing—as the school’s top student representative—had interacted with her. While she knew of Mengyao, she had no idea until this moment that the girl was her fiancé’s sister. However, Wanqing also noticed something peculiar about Mengyao: a metal collar locked around her neck. It wasn't just any collar; it was a high-tech device. In truth, Mengyao was a prisoner here just like her, only she had been confined for six months longer. "Senior Wanqing? It’s you... Brother, is she the fiancée you said you were bringing home?" "That’s right, Mengyao. From now on, she’s part of our family. You must get along well, treat her like your own older sister, understand?" The two girls embraced happily, lost in the joy of their reunion. Zhou Haoxuan watched them with a satisfied smile. Though they were unaware of the future they would share under this roof, Haoxuan had known all along. As a boyfriend and brother with an insatiable need for control, he had long been aware of their relationship and was relieved that his sister and fiancée already had a foundation of friendship. But once the joy of the reunion faded, the long, grueling days of life in their cage would begin. "Alright, now that you've moved into your new home, it’s time for the intake procedures..." "N-now? Shouldn't we wait until after the wedding to..." "No need. Even though the wedding is six months away, you need to acclimate to prison life first." Haoxuan cut his fiancée’s question short with a cold, firm tone. Here, he was the master; his commands required no consultation, and as a female prisoner, Zhao Wanqing had no right to question him. "Then... what do I do?" "Hand over your personal belongings." Wanqing began to feel the weight of her fiancé’s authority. Reluctantly, she opened her handbag and took out her ID, wallet, and phone. These were her lifelines—without a phone, she couldn't contact friends or family; without a wallet, she couldn't pay for anything; and without her ID, she would be unable to function in modern society. Haoxuan gathered all these items into a bag, effectively stripping his fiancée of any ability to leave and return to the city. "Th-those are my things..." "From now on, I will keep them safe. You won't need them here. All daily necessities will be delivered to the villa regularly." Wanqing felt the suffocating pressure of her stolen freedom, though it was something she had anticipated. After confiscating her personal items, the next step was to strip her of her clothes. "Take off your clothes, including your underwear." Despite their relationship, Wanqing hesitated. But under the weight of her fiancé’s stern gaze, she peeled off her blouse and jeans, slid down her panties, and unclasped her bra, standing completely naked before him. Haoxuan tossed her clothes into another bag and then issued a command to his sister: "Mengyao, bring me the item I prepared." Obeying her brother, the girl pulled a box from under the bed and retrieved a collar identical to the one locked around her own neck. Haoxuan handed it to his fiancée. "Come now, be a good girl. Put it on yourself." Wanqing took the collar, examining it. While the mechanism looked complex, it was no puzzle for a top student from a prestigious university. Yet, the reality of having to willingly put on a collar—a symbol of a pet—was difficult to swallow. After a moment of hesitation, she clicked the collar open, swept her hair aside, and fastened it around her neck. "Very good, Wanqing. Welcome to the family. Tonight is your first night in your new home—enjoy it." After having all her personal belongings and clothes confiscated, Zhao Wanqing was led into the villa’s bathroom, stark naked, by her fiancé. "There we go. Before we start this new life, you need to get yourself squeaky clean. A fresh start for a fresh chapter—that’s just the kind of person you are, isn't it, Wanqing?" Staring at the sprawling, luxurious bathroom—complete with a massive soaking tub, mahogany cabinets, and over a dozen square meters of space—Wanqing felt as though she were caught between a fever dream and reality. But the haze lifted quickly. Despite the opulence of the villa, she was now a prisoner, and this breathtaking bathroom was merely a gilded cage. "But... could you take this off first?" Wanqing gestured to the collar locked tightly around her neck. "Don't worry about that. You’re meant to wear it in the shower. It’s high-tech, designed to be completely waterproof. It’s meant to stay on you 24/7, keeping you under its control even when you’re bathing." The mention of being controlled around the clock sent a shiver of anxiety through her. She didn't fully grasp the collar's mechanics yet, but she knew enough to recognize it as a tool for total subjugation. "Alright, Haoxuan. I’ll wash up. Could you wait outside for me?" Wanqing tried to maintain the dynamic they’d had before, expecting him to wait while she bathed. But as she turned on the shower, Zhou Haoxuan showed no intention of leaving. "What’s wrong, babe? Frozen? Get to it." Haoxuan smiled, his expression perfectly natural, as if his presence in the bathroom were the most ordinary thing in the world. "What are you doing? Please... just step out for a moment." "Why? This bathroom is plenty spacious. Just wash yourself; I’ll stay over here, well out of the splash zone." Flushing a deep, humiliated red, Wanqing stammered, "That’s not what I mean! Shouldn't you leave when a girl is bathing? Stop looking!" Haoxuan stared with keen interest at his fragile, defenseless fiancée—stripped of all her possessions and standing naked before him. He dismissed her protest with a shrug. "Why wouldn't I look? This is your induction ceremony into your new home. I have to supervise, make sure you’re scrubbed clean, and ensure you aren't smuggling anything in. I need to be certain you won't try any little tricks during your incarceration." The words chilled her to the bone. She realized now that he truly viewed her as a convict. Still, he was her lover, not a stranger, and she forced herself to accept it. She turned on the water and began to bathe right in front of him. As a campus beauty, her figure was flawless, and her long, silky hair was the envy of every man who had ever seen her. As the water cascaded over her beautiful, exposed body, it was, for Haoxuan, a visual feast. After half an hour, the ritual ended. Haoxuan didn't offer her a towel. Instead, he opened the bathroom door and pulled her by the hand into the main room. The sudden transition from the humid air to the cool room made Wanqing shiver violently. Despite having lived in cramped apartments before, she had never felt this kind of exposure. "Haoxuan," she asked tentatively, "could I have something to wear? I can't just stay like this..." Haoxuan waved a hand dismissively. "No. Just let yourself air-dry, then head to the bedroom. You don't need clothes here. It’s just you and Mengyao in this villa." "But... what about pajamas? Or even just... underwear?" Haoxuan’s refusal was cold and absolute. "Did you not hear me? You don't need clothes. Any clothes. I won't provide a single stitch. It’s the only way to ensure you don't hide anything on your person during your sentence. This is for your own safety." His words shattered her last shred of hope. She finally understood what it felt like to be a canary in a cage. Just then, Haoxuan’s sister, the lively Zhou Mengyao, walked over, having shed her own thin slip. Aside from a collar identical to Wanqing’s, she wore heavy, three-kilogram iron shackles with a fifty-centimeter chain. Mengyao usually lived in the villa completely naked, but she had worn a slip to welcome her brother’s fiancée. Now that Wanqing had officially assumed the role of a prisoner, the pretense was dropped. This had been a calculated move to lower Wanqing’s resistance during her arrival, making her believe she might be treated with a modicum of comfort. "Mengyao, follow protocol. Put the shackles on your future sister-in-law." Mengyao retrieved a pair of shackles from a box. Having lived in them for so long, she performed the task with practiced ease. Seeing the heavy iron meant to strip her of her mobility, Wanqing tried to scramble backward in terror, but Haoxuan pinned her shoulders, forcing her to sit on the floor. Her naked, damp body was easily subdued. She watched helplessly as the shackles clicked shut around her ankles—the final step of her induction. "There, Wanqing. You’re officially part of the family now. The first month is a strict adjustment period. Mengyao has been here a while and has behaved well; per my house rules, she doesn't have to wear shackles during the day, only at night. But for your first month, you’ll wear them 24/7. Once you’ve adapted and lost the urge to run, we’ll see about taking them off. Don't worry—Mengyao is a sweet girl. She’ll take care of you until you get used to them." Despair washed over Wanqing. She knew her fiancé was controlling, but she never imagined it would reach this level. She could have accepted being confined to his home, but the shackles were a bridge too far. The very thought of them made her want to run—an urge she hadn't even felt until they were locked on. "What about tomorrow?" she asked, testing the waters. "It’s the weekend. Monday is coming; I have to go to work." "No. You’re done with that company. From tomorrow on, you stay here." "How can I? We agreed I’d quit after we got married, but I’m still an employee. I can't just disappear!" "Don't worry about that. I already submitted your resignation to HR yesterday. Your paperwork is settled. They’ll send your final paycheck in a few days, but you won't need the money. I’ll have your card sent to your parents in your name. Everything you need here is provided by me." Her last hope was ruthlessly extinguished. She knew what kind of man he was; pleading would be useless. She had to accept her reality. "Now, let me show you the wonderful features of the collars you and Mengyao are wearing." At her brother’s command, Mengyao walked into the living room, her naked form looking graceful under the lights. Wanqing watched, confused, as the girl stepped cautiously toward the villa’s front door. Mengyao approached the threshold—the gateway to the outside world—and, with her eyes squeezed shut in fear, reached for the handle. The moment she touched it, the collar surged with violent electricity. The girl let out a piercing scream and collapsed to the floor. Wanqing gasped, covering her mouth, her instinct to rush to Mengyao’s aid stifled by the terrifying realization that she would only suffer the same fate. "The collar has a built-in sensor that syncs with the villa’s security system. It tracks your location. If you try to leave, the electric shock system triggers automatically. Don't worry, it’s a controlled voltage—not lethal." Watching the poor girl twitch on the floor, Wanqing felt the walls closing in. Haoxuan pulled a remote from his pocket. "And that’s not all. Even if you don't try to leave, if you ever decide to resist while inside... well, like this..." As Wanqing trembled in fear, Haoxuan pressed a button. The collar discharged, and the fragile fiancée was instantly wracked by the agony of the electric shock. Her strength vanished, and she collapsed to the floor, her body convulsing from the lingering current. She couldn't even stand. She looked up at Haoxuan—the man who now held total dominion over her fate—and he seemed impossibly tall, an insurmountable force. "And don't even think about taking it off. This is a precision device. It only opens with a specific digital code. Without it, not even a professional weightlifter could force it open. Do you understand?" Sitting naked on the floor, Wanqing shivered and nodded. She had begun to understand just how secure a prison this luxurious villa truly was. Her long, dark days had only just begun. After witnessing the terrifying power of the electric shock collar, Zhao Wanqing’s first night of confinement in the villa began. Both she and Mengyao were completely naked, their movements restricted by three-kilogram shackles that forced them into a hobbled, measured gait. The collars around their necks, capable of delivering jolts of electricity at any moment, made Wanqing feel deeply unsettled. Zhou Haoxuan, the master of this gilded cage, loomed behind them, his gaze fixed on the two girls as they climbed the stairs to the second-floor bedroom. It was ten o'clock at night; back in her own apartment, she would usually be winding down from work, scrolling through videos on her phone. But now, under the strict regimen imposed by her boyfriend, she was expected to be a "good girl" with a disciplined schedule, forbidden from staying up late. Her phone had already been confiscated. In twenty minutes, she and Mengyao were required to be asleep, or they would face punishment. The bedroom door would be locked for the entire night—this was the cell where the girls were kept. Upon reaching the second floor, Haoxuan opened the bedroom door. As Wanqing stepped inside, the atmosphere of a prison was immediate. Despite the villa’s grand scale, the bedroom itself was only twenty square meters. Even this space was not truly free; a set of metal bars had been installed, complete with a locking gate. The girls were to sleep on a low, soft bed made of two mattresses pushed together. It was large, but it occupied the entire space behind the metal bars. In essence, a six-square-meter cell had been carved out within the bedroom, filled entirely by the bed. This was Wanqing’s living space for the night. Although there was a small en-suite bathroom, she was not permitted to use it freely during the night. The smart lock on the metal gate was programmed to open automatically at 6:30 AM, even if Haoxuan didn't come to unlock it himself; waking up late would result in punishment. "Is this... my room?" Wanqing asked her boyfriend, staring at the small enclosure behind the bars. Mengyao, Haoxuan’s younger sister, who was shackled just like Wanqing, stepped forward to explain. "Actually, this room has always been mine. Before you arrived, I spent every night locked in here alone. But my brother told me that once he brought his girlfriend home, we’d share it. You and I are going to be in here together, Wanqing-jie." As the reality of the arrangement set in, Wanqing realized that despite living in a spacious villa, she had no private bedroom. Her nightly cell was a cramped six-square-meter cage shared with her boyfriend’s sister. Outsiders looking at the luxurious villa would likely imagine the mistress of the house living in comfort and splendor, never suspecting the cold, claustrophobic confinement hidden behind the opulent facade. Haoxuan unlocked the smart gate and took his girlfriend’s hand, leading her to the cold metal bars. Wanqing, acting with practiced compliance, stepped into the cage without forcing him to use physical coercion. Mengyao, long accustomed to this life, followed with a hint of excitement. Having spent the last six months locked in the silent cage alone, the girl was finally gaining a companion; she would no longer have to endure the nights in solitude. As Haoxuan locked the gate, Wanqing and Mengyao settled into their nightly routine. "Listen well, Wanqing. Keep quiet and get some rest. If I hear any noise coming from this room, you will both be punished, regardless of who breaks the rules." Wanqing nodded distractedly, her mind already beginning to numb under the weight of his harsh demands. "Mengyao, make sure you look after Wanqing. If she does anything disobedient, I won't let you off the hook." "I know, Brother," Mengyao replied obediently, well-versed in her brother’s strict discipline. As Haoxuan closed the bedroom door and killed the lights, the two women—soon to be sister-in-law and sister—lay together in the dark on the soft mattresses. Wanqing looked at the metal bars enclosing their bed. There were no blankets on the soft mattress, not even a sheet to cover themselves. The two girls were forced to lie there, completely exposed and naked. She touched the shackle around her ankle, feeling the cold, heavy weight that bound her; the sensation was strangely surreal. The collar around her neck also carried a distinct weight, a constant reminder of her burden. Beside her, Mengyao—a few years younger but equally stunning in face and figure—lay still. For Wanqing, the novelty of her imprisonment hadn't worn off, but what made her most uncomfortable wasn't the metal bars; it was the prospect of sleeping naked in such close proximity to Mengyao. She knew that Mengyao was tasked with monitoring her on her brother’s orders, and she realized she would have to be very careful from now on. "Mengyao... I have a question..." "What is it, Wanqing-jie?" Mengyao asked with genuine interest. "Your brother keeps you locked in this place... don't you feel miserable?" "Well, a little, I suppose. When I first came here, I felt scared and helpless. Being locked in such an empty villa alone, unable to leave—life was so boring every day. But my brother told me he’d bring a girlfriend home, so I had something to look forward to. I’m so happy today. I won't be alone in this villa anymore. We’re both in this cage together now, so we can look after each other." Watching Mengyao’s cheerful expression, Wanqing couldn't bring herself to feel the same. She couldn't comprehend Mengyao’s mindset. "If that’s the case, why don't you beg your brother to let you out? If you could have your freedom, you could have so many friends on the outside." Following her boyfriend’s strict regimen, Zhao Wanqing was confined to the soft bed inside the metal-barred cell, tasked with "meditative reflection"—a mandatory practice during her initial month of intensive discipline. Yet, at this moment, "reflection" was the furthest thing from her mind. Having been denied access to the restroom since morning, hours had passed, and her bladder was reaching its breaking point. The beautiful, naked woman paced the cell, her hands gripping the cold metal bars, shaking them in a futile attempt to rattle the cage. But a fragile, mortal girl stood no chance against the reinforced steel. Outside in the living room, Mengyao was performing chores while completely nude, the rhythmic clanking of her own leg shackles masking the sounds from the bedroom. Wanqing dared not scream for help; the high-decibel alert would trigger the collar’s automatic electric shock. She feared that if she were jolted by electricity while already struggling to hold her bladder, she would inevitably lose control. The thought of her boyfriend returning to find the bedsheets soiled—a transgression so severe that even a crumb of food on the linens was forbidden—sent a shiver down her spine. The prospect of the lashings that would follow such a humiliating accident was enough to make her blood run cold. In her desperation, Wanqing remembered the button on the cell door. It was her only lifeline—a signal to her boyfriend at the office, requesting permission to use the restroom. Clinging to the bars like a drowning woman, she pressed the button twice in rapid succession. Dozens of kilometers away, at the Kangsheng Group’s Fifth Branch in the city center, Zhou Haoxuan was in high spirits, reviewing the impressive performance reports submitted by his staff. Since taking over the branch at his father’s behest, he had turned it into the top-performing division in the entire conglomerate. His good mood was interrupted by a notification on his phone. He knew instantly that his girlfriend was requesting the restroom. It was a familiar routine; his sister, Mengyao, had gone through the same "intensive period" when she first arrived at the villa. With a wicked smirk, he set his phone aside, deliberately ignoring the prompt to unlock the door. Back at the villa, Wanqing waited in agony. She pressed the button again and again. Ten minutes passed, then more—the lock remained stubbornly shut. Had he not received the message? As time ticked away, her desperation mounted. The bedroom door creaked open, and Mengyao entered, looking for a respite from her grueling chores. Seeing her, Wanqing pleaded, "Mengyao, little sister... please, help me... I need the bathroom, but this door... it won't open..." "Sister Wanqing, didn't you press the button?" Wanqing replied, her face flushed with shame, "I did, but it’s been ages. Is your brother too busy at work to see the notification?" Mengyao leaned against the bars, whispering, "That’s not it. He definitely got it. But... my brother has a cruel streak. When you press that button, he won't unlock it right away. He’ll make you wait thirty minutes, maybe an hour. I went through the same thing during my own intensive period and whenever I was put in solitary for misbehaving. He wants you to sit there, holding it, waiting in the agonizing uncertainty of when—or if—the door will ever open... He’s just so wicked." Wanqing’s heart sank. "Then... Mengyao, can’t you open it? I can’t hold it anymore." Mengyao sighed helplessly. "Sister, I can’t. Have you forgotten that I’m a prisoner here just like you? How could he possibly give me a way to bypass the locks? There’s nothing to be done. You just have to pray he tires of his game soon. In the future, press the button earlier—don't wait until you're about to burst." Tears welling in her eyes, Wanqing could only alternate between silent curses and desperate prayers, waiting for the click of the lock. Mengyao rested for a moment before returning to the living room. The entire villa had to be scrubbed clean for the new arrival, and since Wanqing was barred from labor during her intensive period, the burden fell entirely on Mengyao. After another half-hour of cleaning, Mengyao returned to the bedroom, only to find the lock still engaged. Wanqing was on the verge of total collapse, mentally preparing herself for the punishment that would follow the inevitable accident. Finally, the lock clicked open. Overwhelmed with relief, she lunged for the door and sprinted toward the bathroom, only to be jerked back by her own leg shackles. The fifty-centimeter chain forced her to stumble, and Mengyao rushed forward to catch her. Supporting Wanqing’s arm, Mengyao—who had long since mastered the art of walking in chains—guided her toward the bathroom. It was only a few meters, but for Wanqing, it was the most humiliating, agonizing walk of her life. As the heir to the region’s largest conglomerate, Zhou Haoxuan’s wedding should have been a city-shaking headline. Instead, it was a clandestine affair. Not a single invitation was sent out to friends, family, or local dignitaries—a condition Haoxuan insisted upon and his parents readily accepted, citing the need for discretion to prevent the conglomerate from becoming a target for corporate espionage. Zhao Wanqing was already familiar with the proceedings. Both she and Mengyao were now permanent prisoners, their world confined to the walls of this villa. The ceremony was drastically simplified. In a traditional setting, a groom would collect his bride from her family home, leading a motorcade to his own. Here, the "procession" merely required Wanqing to wait in her second-floor bedroom until Haoxuan arrived to escort her to his master suite on the third floor. This one-minute transition replaced the grand, sweeping motorcade, effectively completing the "collection" of the bride. Wanqing waited in her room, dressed in a short, white, bridal-style dress, her makeup applied with meticulous precision—a rare day she was permitted to wear anything at all. Though the bedroom was nominally hers, she rarely spent the night there, usually bunking with Mengyao in a dedicated cell-like room. Mengyao had an identical room, reserved for these ritualistic moments. Dressed in a bridesmaid’s gown, Mengyao stood by, acting as both companion and, per her brother’s orders, the warden tasked with ensuring Wanqing remained compliant until the ceremony. After inspecting Wanqing’s makeup, Mengyao produced a length of rope. This was her most vital duty as a bridesmaid: the ritualistic binding of the bride. After half a year of captivity, Wanqing no longer resisted these commands, submissively placing her hands behind her back. Mengyao worked with practiced caution, looping the rope around Wanqing’s arms, crossing her wrists tightly, then bringing the cord across her chest and around her neck before cinching a final, immovable knot behind her back. The bride’s upper body was now thoroughly trussed. Next came the legs. Per Haoxuan’s instructions, Wanqing was fitted with "rope shackles"—a length of cord tied around each ankle, leaving only thirty centimeters of slack between them. It was more convenient than metal, silent, and effectively restricted her stride. "Are you afraid, Sister Wanqing?" "It would be a lie to say I’m not... but I trust that Haoxuan will treat me well." The time for the procession arrived. Haoxuan, dressed in a sharp tuxedo, pushed open the door. He held a bouquet, intending to present it to his beloved, but Wanqing, bound and trussed, could not take it. He simply laid the flowers across her lap. "Wanqing, let’s go." A mere puppet in this wedding, Wanqing said nothing. She stood obediently and followed Haoxuan. With her hands bound behind her, she couldn't hold his hand, and her legs, restricted by the rope shackles, could only manage tiny, shuffling steps. In her youth, she had dreamed of this moment, of the happiness of wearing a wedding gown, but she had never imagined it would be like this—bound and helpless. As they reached the stairs, she struggled to navigate the steps with her hobbled feet, her balance compromised by the tight bindings. Haoxuan, ever the attentive groom, scooped her up in a bridal carry, shielding her in his arms as he carried her up the path she could not walk herself. When he opened the door to his third-floor suite, Wanqing saw the room decorated like a romantic fairy-tale castle. The procession was complete. Wanqing was left sitting on the edge of the bed, still bound, while Haoxuan sat beside her, whispering gentle reassurances. The ceremony was scheduled for an hour later, leaving them to wait. Before the wedding began, Haoxuan stepped out into the third-floor lounge—a fifty-square-meter space serving as the venue. Mengyao, in her bridesmaid dress, laid out a three-meter-long, one-meter-wide red carpet at the doorway. All the windows on the third floor were sealed and covered with opaque film, ensuring no prying eyes from the outside could witness the ceremony within. Mengyao picked up a microphone. It wasn't plugged in—with only three people in the room, it was unnecessary—but it added a sense of gravity to the proceedings. Today, Mengyao was the busiest person in the house: bridesmaid, officiant, witness, accountant, photographer, and chef. She was the sole guest. She shouldered every role required for her brother’s wedding with singular devotion. "Now, the bride will enter!" Knowing Wanqing could not open the door herself, Mengyao stepped forward to do it for her. Wanqing emerged in her magnificent gown, shuffling down the red carpet with her rope-shackled feet. She felt a deep, aching sadness; this was the most important moment of her life, yet her parents could not be there, despite being alive. At her repeated request, Haoxuan had returned a brooch he had previously confiscated—a gift from her mother. Wearing it was her only way to feel the presence and blessing of her family. Once they reached the end of the three-meter carpet, they stood in the center of the room. Small as it was, the venue was meticulously prepared for their vows. Mengyao, acting as both officiant and witness, began the questioning. "Brother, do you take Wanqing to be your wife, to spend the rest of your life with her?" "I do," Haoxuan replied, caught in the thrill of his wedding day. "Sister Wanqing, do you take my brother to be your husband, to grow old with him?" "I do," Wanqing answered, her voice overflowing with a strange, bound happiness. "Very well. Groom, please present the ring, and let the couple share their vow of union." Haoxuan pulled a ten-million-dollar diamond ring from a velvet box—a custom piece from the city’s finest jeweler. Wanqing, unable to use her hands, turned slightly so her husband could slide the ring onto her bound fingers. Then, Haoxuan turned her to face him for the kiss. He looked at his bride—white-clad and thoroughly trussed—and pulled her into his arms, pressing his lips to hers in a solemn, binding kiss. Mengyao watched the moment, not lingering too long in the sentimentality before grabbing the camera to record the scene, a precious memory for her brother to revisit. Later, once the ropes were removed, they would take a proper wedding portrait—the final piece of evidence to prove that the two were now officially wed.