Chapter 18: Entanglement, Imprisonment, Monopolization

"I’m not... aggrieved, and it’s not..."

Clara’s words felt strange as they left her mouth. To say she was aggrieved felt odd, but to say she wasn’t felt equally strange. Her finger, coated in bathtub bubbles, traced endless circles on the surface; this sense of contradiction and struggle filled her entire heart.

Soon, she heard Quentin continue, "You’ll have to get used to it eventually."

Clara’s lips thinned into a straight line. "Get used to what?"

"Me serving you."

Perhaps the bathwater was a bit too hot, as Clara felt a flush spreading across her entire body. "I’m very used to you serving me before, but..."

This was entirely different from the things Quentin used to do for her. Clara opened her mouth and closed it again, not knowing what to say. She was completely unaware that her whimpering breaths and speechless sighs were being captured by the receiver and transmitted to the other end of the line.

Still, Clara couldn't help but protest, "But before we got married, you didn't tell me there would be... this."

"Didn't tell you what?"

Clara said awkwardly, "You only said you would help me get even."

She had thought things would just continue as they always had.

"Mhm." Quentin remained calm. "But aren't these the most basic things a husband does after marriage?"

He was so composed that it made her feel as if all her awkwardness was misplaced and his actions were perfectly natural. It even made Clara wonder if she was overreacting. After all, he had simply helped wash a piece of dirty clothing that had fallen on the floor.

But!

That was—!

Clara decided to end this aimless conversation. "I’m going to sleep. Goodnight, Brother."

She spoke and abruptly shut off the monitor, regardless of anything else.

On the other side, Cookie pawed at the device for a long time. Hearing Clara’s voice no longer, the kitten jumped off the nightstand in disappointment and left.

Quentin let out a silent, light laugh, but there was no trace of mirth in his eyes; they were terrifyingly dark.

Goodnight, Brother.

She did it on purpose.

To what extent did he have to go before she understood that he was not her brother now?

And he had no desire to be her brother.

Clearly, just washing one piece of clothing was far from enough.

Clara was skilled at tossing difficult problems to Quentin. He would always find the perfect balance and solution for everything. Therefore, after hanging up, she cast aside the tangled mess of their relationship, stepped out of the bathroom feeling refreshed, and turned on the movie screen.

She projected the movie Chloe had sent her earlier. While listening to the intro music, Clara applied hair oil and body lotion, meticulously tending to every strand of hair. Once finished, she lazily crawled into bed, enveloped in her own fragrance.

Voices from a lecture hall drifted from the screen, drawing her attention.

The movie began with a scene of a campus lecture. People said this professor only taught at night—once a week, one class. During his lectures, the auditorium was packed. The eccentric old man would talk about various cultural relics in a humorous and witty style, as if telling stories about old friends.

The students loved his stories. Then, he suddenly took a month-long leave of absence, much to everyone’s regret. Some discovered that his class schedule aligned perfectly with the museum's closing days. Others noticed that the images of relics he showed in class didn't even exist in official records.

And the duration of his one-month leave...

Aligned exactly with the time the mythical beast Xiezhi was sent on loan to the Louvre for an exhibition.

Clara found it familiar. She suddenly understood why Chloe had told her to watch this movie. It was a film with fantasy elements. About cultural relics.

And all of this was what Clara had once told Silas Gu. Including many of the stories about the relics in the film—she could hear her own voice in every line of dialogue.

Clara couldn't help but open her phone: 【Have you seen that movie?】

Chloe was busy socializing and didn't see the message immediately.

The movie continued. It unfolded from the perspective of the female lead. After the old professor returned, he said he had been on a business trip to the Louvre and brought back new stories for everyone. Stories about hundreds of stolen domestic relics stored in the Louvre.

She listened to the professor in the lecture hall talk about when his "old friends" were snatched from the country, which foreign museums they were in, and how they should be rescued. She heard the professor tell everyone that there are three ways to recover illegally exported relics: repurchase, donation, and restitution. He told them that restitution requires historical evidence, archival records, and the support of image restoration.

And the mythical beast Xiezhi is the embodiment of justice, law, and moral conscience.

Clara’s phone vibrated.

Chloe replied: 【I had to watch an old classmate's award-winning debut film.】

【But I didn't tell you before because I saw you didn't seem to care about him anymore.】

【What do you think of it?】

【Clara: It’s quite good.】

【Chloe: Just "quite good"?】

【Chloe: I was so disappointed back then that nothing happened between you two. I thought Silas didn't care either.】

【Chloe: Who would have thought... he remembers every single word you said.】

【Chloe: Aren't you curious what was in his heart when he was making this film?】

Clara replied slowly: 【It must be the grand sense of righteousness in his heart.】

【Chloe: You are that "righteousness."】

Just as Chloe’s message appeared, another dialog box popped up at the top of Clara’s screen. It was a message from Silas: 【Are you free tomorrow?】

Clara’s fingers paused. She hesitated before opening his message.

Silas continued: 【There were too many people today; I couldn't say much.】

【Would it be convenient to have a private dinner tomorrow?】

Clara hugged her pillow and rolled over, lying on her stomach. Her fingers arched as she tapped the screen: 【I need to rest tomorrow. Today was so tiring.】

Silas replied: 【The day after?】

The day after... Clara calculated the time.

【Or whenever is convenient for you. You don't need to do anything; I will come to see you.】

It was impossible to meet someone without preparing beforehand. No matter what, Clara had to maintain her best state when going out to meet people. She gave a time: 【The day after that. Tuesday, then.】

【Okay.】

Clara rested in the hotel for the entire following day. Elliot came to the hotel to spend some time with her. "I’ll finish my business meetings tomorrow. Where do you want to go after that? I’ll take you."

"No need." Clara flipped through the fashion magazines she had collected over the last two days while eating ice cream. "I have a date."

Elliot turned to look at her. "Silas Gu?"

Clara’s eyes brightened. "How did you guess?"

Elliot wasn't guessing; he was testing—testing every potential danger. He hadn't expected it to actually be him.

"After all, you haven't seen each other in a long time." Elliot’s words were laced with jealousy and irritation. "One night certainly isn't enough to catch up on old times. Why not meet today?"

"He said he wanted to meet today." Clara knew her second brother was the best "girlfriend" type. "I thought having dinner parties two days in a row would be too tiring."

"So you're meeting tomorrow?"

Clara smiled sweetly. "Tuesday."

Looking at her like this, Elliot teased with a laugh, "Last night when he walked you to the car, you even told him time went by too fast and you hadn't talked enough."

"We hadn't." Clara didn't hear any problem with that. "So I found a suitable time."

Elliot finally saw it. She didn't realize at all that she had already hooked Silas, yet she was leaving him in a state of restless longing, not letting him be satisfied immediately.

Elliot understood this feeling all too well; he had experienced it countless times with Clara. Just when his interest was piqued by her, she would get tired. When he wanted to be with her every second of every day, she could never fully satisfy him.

Her appetite seemed small and easily satisfied. But he was different; he had a massive appetite. Short periods of dinner and conversation only ever reached the point of piquing his interest.

"So you don't care about him that much either?"

Clara didn't know how Elliot reached that conclusion. "Why? We were good friends before; I still care about him. But that doesn't mean I have to catch up with him until I’m sick of it immediately."

"Precisely because we are good friends, I should meet him in my best state."

"That way, we’re both comfortable."

Elliot couldn't argue; he even thought she was right. Taking care of one’s own state and feelings before interacting with others was a form of responsibility to both parties.

Who taught her that...?

Elliot thought of someone. Quentin.

Elliot found it interesting. Men and women thought differently; men had a streak of baseness in them. From their perspective, it was hard not to interpret it as:

She makes my heart itch, yet she makes herself unattainable. When I question her, she sincerely says it's because she cares about me more.

Instead, it made one fall deeper.

But once trapped, a man would start to doubt because she wasn't as constantly close as he imagined. It was a cycle that became harder and harder to escape.

When Quentin was guiding Clara to develop these thoughts years ago, he probably hadn't realized that one day, he too would be held on a long leash by her, turning into a madman who sought every way to entangle her without her even having to pull.

Elliot thought it was too fascinating.

When Clara and Silas met, Elliot was the one who drove them. As Clara’s "best girlfriend," Elliot agreed to her request. He sat in the car waiting.

He conveniently sent a photo of the two meeting to Quentin. The eldest brother, who had always taught them what to do, was finally having his day. Elliot didn't even need to lift a finger; he just needed Quentin to see it. Silas Gu wouldn't be getting anywhere near Clara again anytime soon.

From where he sat, Elliot could see the two of them through the restaurant's glass window at an elegant table. They were chatting happily.

Soon, a message from Quentin arrived on his phone.

【Using one photo to try and use me? I will collect some interest.】

Elliot countered: 【Just showing you how popular our sister is.】

Quentin didn't reply again.

When Clara came out of the restaurant, she was still beaming. Elliot asked her, "So happy? What did you talk about?"

"Nothing much." Clara settled in. "He invited me to an exhibition in a few days."

"Oh right, he said he’s moving back to Hong Kong next month."

"That’s good." Elliot agreed first, then added, "But he didn't need to tell you that. Silas Gu still has some level of fame."

"When he returns, the media will be waiting at the airport. Once the reports are out, we would have known anyway."

Being stalked by the media was the thing Clara minded most. She fell silent for a while.

Elliot asked, "Are you going out with him in a few days?"

Clara snapped out of it. "I haven't agreed yet; I’ll see what the schedule is that day."

Clara had dinner with Elliot. She told him bits and pieces of what they had talked about today. To Elliot, their conversation sounded very ordinary. It felt more like old friends catching up. He knew a bit about Silas; he was careful and cautious. Perhaps because they had just met, they were still in the stage of reconnecting; Silas wouldn't brashly overstep their current relationship. He stopped at being a friend.

But Elliot could also hear that Silas was dropping hints everywhere about wanting to take things further. Inviting her out, moving back to Hong Kong...

Clara was transparent, as if there was nothing she couldn't tell Elliot. This actually proved that in her heart, Silas currently only held the position of a friend.

In contrast, what Elliot was truly worried about was the things Clara

wasn't

saying. Like that necklace. Who gave it to her?

The next day.

Clara was debating whether to go to the Louvre with Silas, fearing she would be photographed by the media. After all, she was still in her observation period at the Hong Kong Museum; stirring up news wouldn't be good for her future career development.

Fortunately, Silas called that evening. He apologetically told her that he had received a partnership offer and had to go to the Americas to discuss it. Clara didn't have to struggle with the decision anymore and naturally felt relieved.

Elliot took the opportunity to take Clara to a private jewelry exhibition. He said the host was a friend of the second son of Onyxaura and it was a niche brand they were supporting. Clara naturally agreed.

She entered the exhibition hall with Elliot. The man who came to greet them looked to be in his twenties. He had flaxen hair, blue eyes, and sharp, defined features. She heard he was one half of the hosting couple. He seemed very close to Elliot; after a few words, he led Elliot away to talk business.

A private assistant of François led Clara through the exhibition alone, introducing the design concept of the jewelry. It was called "Forbidden Paradise."

Clara was quickly drawn to a ring in the main display case. It was a ruby ring, and the setting was designed as two winged serpents with their necks entwined, both biting into the ruby in the center. Their bodies, even their tails, were tightly coiled together. It was a somewhat eerie and dark style.

Clara moved closer to read the description and realized it was the wedding ring of the host, Mr. François. "I didn't expect your boss to be married already; he looks so young."

The assistant nodded politely. "Yes, the master and mistress have always had a very good relationship."

It was Clara’s first time seeing a dark-style wedding ring. "I’m curious, though. Is there a reason for choosing this design concept for a wedding ring?"

"The mistress was once a sister raised in the master’s home, growing up alongside him. The winged serpent represents the taboo; the ruby is the forbidden fruit."

The smile on Clara’s face stiffened for a moment. Her head buzzed slightly. "Sister?"

"A foster sister," the assistant explained with a proper smile, but it made Clara’s skin crawl.

The assistant gestured toward her. "The exhibition starts here."

Clara nodded and walked over. The assistant introduced the design concept of each piece of jewelry one by one. It was a very complete story. The French were indeed bold.

Although the assistant didn't say much, Clara could see the entire narrative through the jewelry designs. A foster sister with no blood relation. On her coming-of-age day, she asked for her brother as her gift. From then on, they were in the house. Under the noses of their parents and brothers, in places seen and unseen, they tasted the forbidden fruit. Inseparable entanglement.

On the surface, they were still harmonious siblings. All the inner madness was displayed through the designs. The necklaces featured elements of locks and handcuffs. The bracelets had patterns of whips, inextricable ropes, or winged serpents and voyeuristic animal eyes—beasts that were both restrained and agitated.

People engulfed by the taboo rarely have peace in their hearts. They all carry more or less a sense of morbidity. And yet, they were together. They were married.

The end of the hall led back to the ring in the main display case. Clara looked at that wedding ring with a complex mood. When people do similar things, they always project themselves onto any traces of similarity. Especially when she thought of that piece of intimate clothing that Quentin shouldn't have washed.

Clara heard the sound of Elliot’s footsteps approaching. She heard him ask, "Well? Do you like it?"

Clara turned to look at him. "Do you know about the hosting couple?"

Elliot paused before answering, "What about them? I don't know." After speaking, he asked her another question instead, "That Rosette Nebula of yours... who gave it to you?"

Clara’s heart skipped a beat. She pressed her lips together and remained silent.

Elliot smiled and pulled out a box. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Do you have secrets from your brother now too?"

Calling himself "brother" in this "Forbidden Paradise" made Clara think of another person, and her heart rate faltered. She seriously suspected Elliot was hinting at her.

Elliot continued naturally, "I just saw a very beautiful bracelet; it suits you well. So I bought it from François."

He took out the bracelet; it wasn't one from the display cases. Elliot took her wrist. "The size seems right. Want to try it on?"

Clara pressed further, "Do you really not know about them?" She didn't quite believe him.

Elliot looked at her and joked half-seriously, "If you try it on, I’ll tell you."

Clara didn't move again, letting Elliot put the bracelet on her. The craftsmanship was intricate, like a vine climbing and spreading, with countless diamond flowers blooming and stacking in many layers around her wrist. Every movement made a tinkling sound. There were even bells.

It was indeed beautiful. Clara admired it for a while and shook it twice. "Then you can tell me now. Do you know about these things?"

Seeing her wear it, Elliot smiled with satisfaction. "I know."

Clara’s heart tightened.

Immediately after, Elliot asked again, "So, can you also tell me... who gave you that Rosette Nebula?"

The air around them seemed to freeze for a second. Clara found it harder to stay; she turned to leave. "Just a friend. Why do you always ask about this?"

"Clara." Elliot’s voice came unhurriedly from behind her. "The keywords for Mr. François’s design concept are: entanglement, imprisonment, and monopolization."

"Most of his designs share a common trait."

"Once put on, they can never be taken off for a lifetime."

Clara’s footsteps came to a sudden halt.

Elliot’s voice grew closer and closer behind her. "Clara used to tell me everything. Now that you’ve grown up, you have secrets from your brother. Then, how about I leave this bracelet on you for a lifetime?"

"Let it stay with you, along with that Rosette Nebula."

"He is a friend, I am a brother... you should like them both very much, shouldn't you?"

Clara’s body grew increasingly stiff.

Aside from Elliot’s words, she saw at the exit of the hall—

Quentin was staring at them intently as he walked inside.