"Yes, President Su." The executive acknowledged, leaving the office. Before closing the door, he cast a concerned glance at Su Hua.
As he walked to the secretary's office, the executive said, "Secretary Jiang, has something happened to President Su? I just noticed her eyes were red, and she seemed unusually upset."
Jiang Qing clenched her fists tightly, but she didn’t show much panic.
"President Su might just be feeling unwell. I’ll go check on her. Manager Liu, you can head back for now," Jiang Qing said calmly, watching the executive leave.
As soon as the elevator doors closed, Jiang Qing hurried toward Su Hua’s office.
Su Hua had already put on her suit jacket and was stumbling toward the door.
"President Su!" Jiang Qing rushed to support her.
"Take me home," Su Hua said through gritted teeth.
"Understood."
Jiang Qing helped her into the private elevator reserved for the CEO and drove her back to Night Garden at high speed.
In the cake shop, Butler Wang watched Lin Xuan making a cake with a look of satisfaction, tears welling up in his eyes.
It hadn’t been easy, but Miss Su’s sincerity had finally been rewarded.
He had once thought she would spend her life alone, but now, Master Lin had come to recognize her kindness.
Butler Wang’s phone rang, and he stepped outside to answer it. "Secretary Jiang."
"Butler Wang, President Su has had an episode!" Jiang Qing’s anxious voice came through the phone.
"I’ll return right away!" Butler Wang’s expression turned grim. Every episode was excruciating torture for Miss Su.
"Jiang Qing," Su Hua leaned back in the car seat, her voice filled with pain. "Don’t let him know."
She didn’t want him to see her in such a terrifying state.
Jiang Qing nodded. "Understood."
She relayed Su Hua’s words to Butler Wang.
"Alright, I’ll help keep this from Master Lin," Butler Wang sighed.
After hanging up, he returned to the cake shop. "Master Lin, something has come up, and I need to head back."
"Go ahead," Lin Xuan nodded. The cake was already baked, and he was carefully applying cream under the guidance of the pastry chef.
Butler Wang returned to Night Garden.
"Secretary Jiang, where is Miss Su?"
"President Su has locked herself in the secret room," Jiang Qing said with deep concern.
The secret room was completely sealed, with no light or sound, and an eerie atmosphere.
Every time Miss Su had an episode, she would lock herself in there, only to emerge covered in injuries.
They could only watch helplessly, as nothing seemed to help.
Neurologists, psychiatrists, and all kinds of specialists had been consulted, but to no avail.
"Butler Wang, do you think President Su will ever recover?" Jiang Qing asked, biting her lip.
"I don’t know," Butler Wang sighed. "Miss Su’s illness is rooted in her heart. Only a cure for her heart can truly heal her."
Jiang Qing’s eyes lit up as she thought of something. "Butler Wang, what if we let Master Lin try? He’s the only one who can truly reach her heart."
Butler Wang shook his head. "I’m afraid that if Master Lin sees Miss Su in this state, he might be frightened. I worry he’ll revert to wanting to escape from her, which would only worsen her condition."
Jiang Qing’s expression darkened.
She looked back at the tightly closed door of the secret room.
At the cake shop, Lin Xuan finished decorating the cake with a red heart and even sculpted a small figure of Su Hua on top.
"Sir, it’s impressive how well you’ve done this on your first try," the pastry chef praised generously.
"Thank you," Lin Xuan smiled. He hoped Su Hua would like the cake.
His gift might be simple for now, but once he received his novel royalties, he planned to give her something more meaningful.
Lin Xuan brought the cake back to Night Garden. As he walked toward the villa, he overheard a few maids talking.
"Miss Su’s episodes are terrifying—her eyes turn red, she becomes unrecognizable, and her strength skyrockets."
"It’s said that she’s been like this since she was brought back to the Su family. No doctor has been able to cure her."
"Who knows what she went through during the time she was kidnapped?"
"Shh, we shouldn’t talk about this. Butler Wang said not to let Master Lin find out. If he learns of this, we’ll be in big trouble."
Lin Xuan frowned.
Su Hua having episodes? Becoming unrecognizable?
"What’s wrong with Su Hua?"
Lin Xuan’s voice suddenly interrupted, startling the maids. "M-Master Lin," they stammered, not daring to look up.
"Tell me, what’s going on?" Lin Xuan pressed.
The maids trembled. "We’re sorry, Master Lin, we can’t tell you."
Realizing they were under orders from Su Hua or Butler Wang, Lin Xuan didn’t push further.
He recalled Butler Wang’s anxious demeanor when he left the cake shop earlier.
"Where’s Butler Wang?" Lin Xuan asked instead.
"He’s on the third floor," one maid replied.
Lin Xuan left the cake in the living room and headed straight to the third floor. There, he saw Butler Wang and Jiang Qing standing at the end of the hallway, outside a room that had always been locked.
In the three years Lin Xuan had lived at Night Garden, he had never been inside that room.
When Jiang Qing saw Lin Xuan, a flicker of panic crossed her eyes.
"Master Lin," she said, feigning calm.
"Where’s Su Hua?" Lin Xuan asked.
"President Su is out for a business meeting," Jiang Qing lied without batting an eye.
"Is she in this room? And what illness does she have?" Lin Xuan demanded, his voice firm.
Butler Wang and Jiang Qing exchanged a glance, neither speaking.
"Butler Wang, Secretary Jiang, I’m her boyfriend. I have the right to know," Lin Xuan said firmly.
After a moment of hesitation, Butler Wang finally relented. Lin Xuan would find out sooner or later; there was no point in hiding it for long.
"Miss Su has a condition—a mental illness. She has episodes at least once a month, sometimes up to four times. During these episodes, she’s overwhelmed by violent urges, so she locks herself in the secret room to harm herself," Butler Wang explained, his voice choked with emotion.
Her episodes had become more frequent and severe after Master Lin moved into Night Garden.
"Why didn’t I know…" Lin Xuan’s voice was hoarse. From his past life to this one, he had been completely unaware.
No wonder Su Hua would often disappear, except when she was away on business trips.
Butler Wang replied, "Because Miss Su is afraid of you seeing her like this. She’s always insisted we keep it from you. So, Master Lin, we ask that you pretend you don’t know."
Lin Xuan laughed bitterly. It was a good thing he hadn’t known earlier—otherwise, he might have used this against her.
"What’s the secret room like?" Lin Xuan’s heart ached. He didn’t want her to suffer. Could this illness be connected to the terminal diagnosis she received five years later?
Butler Wang answered, "It’s cold, dark, and oppressive, with no light at all. Miss Su spends hours alone in there every time."