Volume 1, Chapter 41: I Bet I Can Leave You!

"Si Yan, will you place a bet with me?" Su Yu lay on the bed, her gaze fixed on the crystal chandelier on the ceiling. Her voice was soft but carried a hint of seriousness.

Si Yan held her hand and lowered his head to kiss her knuckles lightly. He could not touch her yet, so he had to settle for these small gestures to take advantage of her.

"What's the bet?"

"Bet that I can leave you." Su Yu turned her head to look at him, her eyes bright as if they held stars. "If I can make it back to the Northern Kingdom on my own, you can never come looking for me again."

Si Yan’s fingertips paused. He raised an eyebrow and countered, "And what if you can't?"

"Then... then I will obediently marry you," Su Yu bit her lip and promised softly. She actually wanted to find out for herself whether she was truly unable to live without him.

"Not enough." Si Yan shook his head. He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, his tone possessive and refusing any room for negotiation. "If you can't get away, I’ll bring your grandfather over, and the three of us will live together as a family. You won't be able to escape me for the rest of your life."

"Deal!" Su Yu agreed immediately, a flicker of anticipation in her eyes. "But you can't use your surveillance to track me, you can't set dogs on me, you have to release Brother Han Yan and the others, and—give me back my phone!" She listed her conditions immediately, fearing he might go back on his word.

Si Yan stared at her earnest expression, gritted his teeth, and finally compromised. "Deal!"

"If you haven't been caught by me or left Wangcheng by tomorrow night, I won't come looking for you until we get married."

"You're cheating! I said you could never look for me again for the rest of our lives!" Su Yu frowned instantly and glared at him with dissatisfaction.

"Baby, a lifetime is too long." Si Yan reached out and pinched her cheek, his tone full of unquestionable certainty. He felt miserable if he didn't see her for a single day, and besides, he was certain she couldn't get away!

"It's settled then. If you haven't caught me by tomorrow, or if I leave Wangcheng on my own, you aren't allowed to come find me."

"You have to catch me yourself, no cheating!" Su Yu held out her finger, demanding a seal of their agreement.

The man raised an eyebrow. His darling was taking the initiative to hold his hand. Interesting, playing a little game with his treasure! Ha! It was just a way to seduce him.

"Fine." The man replied softly, accepting the terms by default.

Su Yu immediately reached out her hand, her eyes urging him. "Then give me back my phone!"

"No rush. Eat first."

Si Yan said this, then bent down and scooped her up into his arms. He walked steadily toward the dining room, not forgetting to tease her, "Baby, I suddenly think it would be a miracle if you could actually walk out of this castle."

Being openly looked down upon, Su Yu snuggled into his chest and rolled her eyes with a helpless expression. She would walk out fair and square in a little while.

After the meal, Su Yu watered her herbs in the garden while keeping an eye on her surroundings. If Miss Fess-Luo Wei didn't show up, she would have to stick Si Yan with a few needles in the middle of the night and escape through the back garden.

On the other side, Si Yan sat in his leather office chair, using his fingertips to expertly install a tiny micro-tracker into Su Yu’s phone. The moment the metal chip was embedded into the casing, the screen flickered with a faint light.

Huang Yu walked in softly and bowed. "Sir, Miss Fess-Luo Wei and Mr. Fess-Luo Te have arrived. Miss Fess-Luo Wei says she would like to take the Madam out shopping, and Mr. Fess-Luo Te is here specifically to see you."

Si Yan paused. When he looked up, a cold, mocking smile flashed in his eyes. He closed the phone. "Heh, she’s clever. She knows to find outsiders to help her escape."

He toyed with the phone for a moment before handing it to Huang Yu, his tone filled with absolute control. "Fine, deliver the phone to her. Have people follow from a distance, and don't let the Madam notice anything unusual."

Huang Yu took the phone and said, "Yes." As he turned to leave, he heard Si Yan add, the man’s lips curling into a look of absolute certainty: "Keep a close watch. Don't let her actually run off—my treasure cannot be lost." Once her grandfather was brought over, his darling would truly never be able to escape!

Huang Yu was well aware of the little games between the future Madam and his master. Without the master's permission, the Madam couldn't even board a plane; every ferry terminal was guarded by his men. The Madam was destined to lose this high-stakes bet.

"He agreed?" Su Yu took the phone from Huang Yu. Her fingertips brushed the cold casing, and a flash of surprise crossed her eyes, followed by a frown. Why was it so easy? She felt like something was wrong; it felt like a trap.

She gripped the phone tightly and looked up at Huang Yu, pressing him. "Did he... say anything else? Like about me going out?"

Huang Yu maintained his respectful posture and bowed slightly. "No, sir only instructed me to hand the phone to you."

Su Yu got into the car, still suspicious, but she gritted her teeth. Whether Si Yan was playing games or not, getting out was her only chance.

The driver stopped the car at the entrance of the mall. As soon as Su Yu stepped out, she keenly sensed the faint, lingering gazes behind her. She sneered to herself; she had expected the scoundrel Si Yan to assign people to follow her. This jerk never kept his word!

She deliberately slowed her pace, walked into a women's clothing store, picked out a new dress, paid for it, and then turned toward the bathhouse in the corner of the mall.

The men following her froze in their tracks. They couldn't enter the women's bathhouse and could only frantically pull out their phones to call Si Yan.

Meanwhile, Fess-Luo Te was visiting to discuss the Si family estate.

"You're saying the pretty boy around Si Zhou is your lifesaver?" Si Yan held a cigar between his fingers, his eyes cold and mocking as he looked at him. His tone was playful, hiding a deeper meaning. "According to the rules, a debt of gratitude should be repaid with one's body, shouldn't it?" His own darling was also his lifesaver, which was why he had locked her by his side!

"What, have you seen him?" Fess-Luo Te couldn't control his urgency, leaning forward slightly to ask, his eyes full of anticipation.

"I have." Si Yan leaned back on the sofa, twirling the cigar with a nonchalant tone. "He's being kept very well by Si Zhou. He's covered in red marks from the neck down—a treasure being 'carefully' protected!"

Fess-Luo Te didn't seem surprised, nodding slightly. "He's always been one who doesn't refuse anyone, so it's not a surprise." He paused, then couldn't help but speak, "Next time, could you take me to see him? I want to..."

"Want to steal someone else's man?" Si Yan interrupted him, raising an eyebrow with a knowing look. "I haven't forgotten that three years ago, when you returned from the Southern Kingdom, you were distraught and languished for quite a while—what, you still haven't let go?"

Fess-Luo Te shook his head immediately, about to explain, when Si Yan's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID; it was the bodyguard following Su Yu.

"Sir, the Madam has entered the women's bathhouse. We cannot follow her inside." The voice on the other end was frantic.

Si Yan raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, which then turned into a smile. He had given her a chance to escape, and she still had the heart to go take a bath? So relaxed!

"Find a woman to go in and keep an eye on her. See what she's doing in there." He ordered calmly, then added, "Don't let her find out."

"Yes." The bodyguard replied and hung up.

Si Yan checked the tracker; it hadn't moved from the bathhouse.

Fess-Luo Te stood up. "If the little sister-in-law finds out that without your order, no car or plane can leave this place, she might regret betting against you." She had wagered her entire life!

"Can't help it. Who told me I'm just so fond of her?" Si Yan simply considered this a bit of playful banter between a husband and wife.