Curious Cat's Unbreakable Shackles

Hu Xianweng parked the car at the entrance of the security bureau and was startled when he turned his head. Was the woman in front of him the same one he had just handcuffed? Her head was full of rotten vegetable leaves, her face a sickly yellow-green. The pink bodycon skirt she had been wearing was now reeking from the liquid that had run down her neck, forcing Hu Xianweng to pinch his nose as he climbed into the prisoner transport to unlock the large padlock on the roof of the cage and release the wooden yoke that had secured her neck. Ai Fu had never felt such relief. She slumped directly onto the floor of the vehicle, now contaminated with the liquid, soiling her relatively clean black suspender jumpsuit and stockings with the foul odor. Ai Fu could no longer care about anything else. The exhaustion of her body had long since overwhelmed the assault of the stench. Moreover, her nose had been so thoroughly assaulted that her olfactory cells had temporarily shut down in protest. This had rendered her desensitized to the smell; she wouldn't even feel dirty unless it reached a certain level of foulness. "What happened to her?" the security officer frowned upon seeing Ai Fu. "Take her in," the security officer had intended to escort her himself, but he couldn't stand the smell and waved his hand, assigning the glorious task to Hu Xianweng and Machalacuo. Hu Xianweng had no choice. He was driving the vehicle and hadn't intervened in time to stop those women from throwing things. But could he be blamed? Their small town was located deep in the mountains, and the local customs were always fierce. When the island nation invaded this land, most of the territory had fallen, and the officials had bowed to the Japanese and pledged allegiance. Only these mountain people had raised the banner of resistance and engaged in heroic and tenacious struggles against the Japanese. Later, when the Japanese were defeated at sea and retreated, it was they who once again rose up to drive out the colonizers, finally achieving the independence of the Federation of Malaysia. Therefore, from top to bottom, the attitude of the town towards the mountain people was one of great respect. So, as long as they didn't do anything too outrageous, like throwing rotten vegetable leaves, how could he dare to interfere? Machalacuo was different. He kept his nose covered the entire way, not daring to touch Ai Fu's body. He merely stood symbolically close to her, as if escorting her. Ai Fu drooped her head, her spirit completely gone since she was first captured. The stench emanating from her body made the security officers passing by wish they were wearing gas masks, all of them covering their noses and scurrying away in pain. The captain of the security guards saw the three of them enter, and a wave of stench followed. He immediately threw down his poker cards and, pinching his nose, shouted, "Take her to the detention room first, quickly!" "Captain, aren't you going to interrogate her first?" asked a security officer. "Interrogate her for what? Her case isn't our jurisdiction," the captain replied. Regardless of anything else, Ai Fu was Chinese. They could detain her, but that didn't mean they could convict her. Moreover, the arrest order had not been issued by their chief, but by the Federal Security Headquarters in the capital of Malaysia. This small town was too small to have a dedicated detention center for suspects like the capital. It only had a few cells partitioned in the police station's basement for holding short-term offenders. "Wait!" a female security officer walked over. "What is it? Deputy Chief?" The captain's face immediately turned obsequious. "Regardless, we should at least interrogate her. Otherwise, just throwing her in is procedurally incorrect." She had always looked down on this ignorant captain. If it weren't for his father being the city council speaker, he would have been removed from the security force long ago. "Deputy Chief, I can't. Why don't you do it?" The captain knew this was not a task he could handle, especially since she was Chinese. He barely knew a few words of Chinese, unlike her, who was of Chinese descent and had studied at a Chinese university of political science and law. "Alright, I can do it. No problem." She didn't refuse, as this was the outcome she desired. She had seen Ai Fu's photo and recognized her as a student. She was sure she wouldn't fare well in his hands. Ai Fu was just being pushed towards the staircase when she was called back. "Sit there," Hu Xianweng pointed to a chair in the middle of the floor, made of stainless steel with four legs bolted to the ground. As a reserve journalist, Ai Fu had seen such chairs. Although the appearance differed from the ones in Chinese police stations, their basic function should be the same. She stood awkwardly in front of the chair. Hu Xianweng brought her handcuffs and pressed her onto it, first securing her neck.

"What do you want?" Gao Mei questioned. "Someone, take off her hood. We're here now, and she's still afraid to show her face." The village elder commanded. The young men rushed forward, grabbed Gao Mei's arms, and ripped off the hood, revealing her face, streaked with sweat-ruined makeup. "Come, put this on her first." The village elder looked disgusted and turned, pointing with his stick. Another young man came forward and placed the split wooden cangue around Gao Mei's neck, then shoved her handcuffed hands into the front holes. The two wooden pegs were then inserted to secure it. Gao Mei's shoulders immediately felt heavy. The cangue weighed at least twenty pounds, making her sway even while standing. Then, a sharp pain struck. Unable to bear it, Gao Mei quickly sat down, bending over so one end of the cangue rested on the ground, barely supporting its weight. "Why are you putting a cangue on me?" Gao Mei demanded. "Why? Because you're a prostitute, corrupting our village's atmosphere." The village elder pointed and cursed. "I'm not prostituting in your village, so what right do you have to punish me?" Gao Mei retorted defiantly. "You whore, everyone should spit on you. It doesn't matter where. I, the village elder, represent heaven in punishing you. What do you have to complain about?" the elder shot back. "Heaven? You, an old degenerate, dare to mention heaven? I think you're just abusing your age and being indecent!" Gao Mei cursed back. "You! Stuff her mouth!" The village elder's sore spot had been hit. He hated it most when people accused him of abusing his age, let alone the latter part. "You dare!" Gao Mei tried to curse further, but saw a wooden gag, with straps on both ends, being shoved towards her mouth. Gao Mei clamped her mouth shut so tightly the young man couldn't pry it open. Someone nearby offered advice: pinch Gao Mei's nose. Gao Mei struggled to breathe but stubbornly refused to open her mouth, only managing to reveal a sliver of her teeth. Seeing Gao Mei's petty trick, the man simply covered her entire face with his large hands, completely cutting off her air. Gao Mei couldn't hold on any longer and opened her mouth, trying to suck in air through the gaps in his fingers. The man seized the opportunity, shoving the gag into her mouth. He tied the straps, and then, not satisfied, wrapped her waist sash around her mouth twice, tying it tightly behind her head. "Mmmph, mmmph," Gao Mei protested. "Tie her legs too." Seeing Gao Mei still unyielding, the village elder ordered the young men to take ropes and bind both her legs. They then arranged her in a kneeling posture, leaning forward as if constantly kowtowing to the elder. Leng Yuyan shivered, curled into a ball, not daring to utter a word. "Your turn!" The village elder, having subdued Gao Mei, turned his attention to her. "No, please." Leng Yuyan, seeing the cangue that two young men could barely lift, was so terrified her legs went weak, and she immediately dropped to her knees. "Begging is useless. You people selling opium have ruined so many families. Now that you've fallen into my hands, I must make you understand the consequences of polluting our paradise, Jueling Village." The elder accused. Leng Yuyan watched as her neck was trapped in the largest hole of the cangue, followed by her hands being forced into the smaller front holes. The cangue was designed quite well; her hands, cuffed tightly together, fit perfectly into the openings. And at the very front of this meter-long cangue, there were two holes prepared for her pair of jade feet. Leng Yuyan had no room to resist, her head, hands, and feet all trapped in the cangue. Fortunately, seeing Leng Yuyan sweating from the pain, the young men took pity and leaned the cangue diagonally against a corner of the wall, thus averting the tragedy of Leng Yuyan being crushed to death by its weight. "Stuff her mouth too." The village elder's anger flared again as he looked at Leng Yuyan's pretty face.

Gao Mei tied her wrists and looked up, only to hear Leng Yu'an whisper to her. "You're still tying my pant legs." She moved her denim-clad legs. After May, Yuezhou had entered the height of summer, and even the constables were wearing short skirts, yet she was the only one still in long pants. There was no other way; all prisoners facing execution were required to wear long pants, with their leg openings tightly bound. The purpose was to prevent them from losing control of their bowels and bladder at the moment of execution, which would soil the ground and trouble others with the cleanup. Hearing this, Gao Mei, who had just stopped crying, began to shed tears again. She had no choice but to take a short rope from her assistant, squat down, carefully fold up the pant legs, loop the rope around them, and tighten it, leaving about twenty centimeters. Then she tied the other pant leg. "Director Yang, please put the gag on me." Her voice was not loud, but Yang Shuanming had been watching her, and the gag was already prepared. He walked over. "Brother Ming, please don't listen to their nonsense. I don't want to, but I'm achieving my desire for benevolence. To die amidst blooming flowers is better than lying in bed, withered and old." Leng Yu'an spoke rapidly and softly, but every word pierced Yang Shuanming's heart. As the last word left her lips, the fake [REDACTED] gag filled her small mouth, pressing down on her tongue. Yang Shuanming's tears almost fell. To understand Leng Yu'an's true feelings at this moment, the heavy stone in his heart instantly lightened. Farewell, dear sister Yan'er. Yang Shuanming fastened the leather strap behind her head and added a large white mask for her. A convertible Jiefang truck drove into the courtyard, and soldiers armed with rifles jumped out. "Are you going too?" Yang Shuanming asked as he and Gao Mei lifted Leng Yu'an onto the truck. "I am. What about you?" Gao Mei answered decisively, seeing it through to the end. "I'll go too," Yang Shuanming said sheepishly. "Then let's both get on," Gao Mei produced a large white mask identical to those worn by the soldiers and Leng Yu'an, covering her mouth. She then put on a pair of sunglasses and leaped into the truck bed in one stride, leaving Yang Shuanming stunned. "Help me," Yang Shuanming said, extending his hand awkwardly. Two soldiers looked at him with disgust but still pulled him up. He adjusted his collar and, like Gao Mei, dressed himself similarly. Although there was only one prisoner, Leng Yu'an received the same treatment as she would have in Yuezhou. The truck, disregarding the overcast sky, drove around the small county town. Perhaps it was due to the weather, or perhaps because Leng Yu'an was the only prisoner on the truck. This parade was unsuccessful, with not even people from several schools in the county town coming out to watch. The county leaders in the lead car were very displeased and severely reprimanded the county public security bureau chief in the same car. Then they dropped him off alone and drove away. The crestfallen bureau chief climbed into his own department's vehicle and, in turn, harshly scolded the accompanying case-handling constables.

"Speaking of which, I also bear some responsibility for this, for letting you wear these shackles for so long without being able to remove them. Li Xiaofeng and I have discussed it; wearing shackles all day isn't a solution. Since the manufacturer's personnel are delayed, we'll just find someone to saw them off." Qin Yanjie didn't truly accept the shackles; she was forced to wear them by the court, and even if people pointed and stared on the street, she had to endure it. But Fu Yao and the others had no such obligation. This repeated cycle of entering police stations, security brigades, and detention centers, they were just a step away from being thrown into women's prison. "Qin Yanjie, I'm fine. You know Wu Dexing likes to see me in shackles. If there were a way to wear them permanently like you, I'd actually consider trying it," Lu Qiaoqiu said shyly. Qin Yanjie then looked at Chen Siya. Chen Siya looked at her swollen wrists and then at the black standard-issue shackle at her feet. Qin Yanjie made a lot of sense. Even if Zhuge Mei was always picking on them, it was because they were too willful. Handcuffs and shackles were, after all, security equipment. If they wore them on the street, ordinary pedestrians would easily mistake them for criminals, let alone security personnel. Now that Lu Qiaoqiu was accompanying Qin Yanjie, adding one more or one less wouldn't make much difference. If Zhao Haitang liked it, she could consider wearing them at home for him, but not for work. "Third Sister, I'll listen to you. Let's saw them off." "Little Sister, what about you?" Qin Yanjie finally asked Fu Yao for her opinion. To be honest, she had paid the most for these shackles. Whether it was being paraded in an iron cage or confined to a solitary cell, such humiliation would have broken her, and she would have refused to wear them again. "Me!" Fu Yao was truly hesitant. These past few days wearing the shackles, she had grown accustomed to the various sounds the chains made: the crisp clatter on marble, the grating on cement, the dull thud on wood, the sharp ring on tiles. Not to mention the pleasant sound they made when they bumped against the bathtub while she showered. And the black shackles, tightly bound to her ankles, gave her a sense of happiness, as if she were embraced by a lover. She had to admit, she was a bit of a masochist. This humiliating restraint, which only criminals were forced to endure, she found herself cherishing. Especially when she walked into a supermarket dragging her shackles, under the contemptuous and confused gazes of people, she felt as if she were stripped naked and put on display. That kind of humiliation made her body tremble uncontrollably, leading to the shameful incident with Dou Bao in the restroom. And that incident, in turn, had further strained the already fractured relationship between her and Wang Le, making her reluctant to return to the cozy home they had bought together. "Third Sister, do you really have a way to remove these shackles?" Fu Yao didn't answer directly but instead posed a question. "Actually, I thought of this method long ago, but considering the potential danger, I didn't bring it up," Qin Yanjie said, sensing Fu Yao's hesitation. Could it be that this little girl, like Lu Qiaoqiu, had grown fond of the feeling of wearing shackles? "Third Sister, tell me about it," Fu Yao said, lifting one foot and shaking the black shackle. "Don't let the thick, tightly fitting iron band of the shackle fool you. For a skilled lathe operator, it's actually quite easy. The shackles we're wearing are cast iron, formed in one piece. As long as you find metal several times harder than cast iron and fashion it into a saw blade, it would take at most an hour to saw through the shackle without harming the skin," Qin Yanjie explained. "Is there really such a sharp saw blade?" Fu Yao could hardly believe her ears. So, these shackles were just a toy for prisoners, something they could open whenever they pleased? "There is, but it's incredibly expensive. Each blade costs hundreds of thousands, and it's ruined after a single use," Qin Yanjie said, stating the price that startled Fu Yao. "Then forget it. You might as well give me those hundreds of thousands. It's just a pair of shackles; they don't interfere with eating, drinking, or making love," Fu Yao said, adopting a resigned tone. Li Xiaofeng, driving the car, almost dropped his eyeballs when Fu Yao mentioned making love. This little girl, she blurted out anything, truly not treating him as an outsider. "If it's that expensive, I don't want them removed either. I'll wear them for now. The manufacturer's staff can't possibly postpone it for a whole year," Jiang Siqi said, influenced by Fu Yao's words and unwilling to let Qin Yanjie spend such a sum.

She could only watch as car after car caught up from behind, drove alongside her for five or six minutes, then sped off, leaving her in a cloud of exhaust. By lunchtime, her vehicle had only just reached a service area. The big man with the beard immediately claimed the car was broken, leaving her there to be put on display. The ropes binding her had been soaked with sweat multiple times, then dried by the wind multiple times. They dug into her skin, the rough fibers piercing her flesh, causing unbearable pain. The ropes weren't the only torture. The heavy shackles on her feet were also a source of great suffering. It was unclear if the car's suspension was broken or nonexistent. Every time the big man braked or accelerated, the vehicle jolted violently. The shackles repeatedly slammed against the steel bars, sending every jolt directly to her ankles. The skin, already swollen and inflamed, was rubbed and battered by the constant impact. It was almost bloody, the once blue cloth strips now stained red. Despite her agony, she couldn't utter a sound. As the car left the detention center, Cai Lanhua had stopped the big man and shoved the three-ball gag she had worn before back into her mouth. Her saliva dripped constantly down her chin, drawing whistles from the lecherous men in the passing cars. The journey was bad enough, but at the service area, her situation was even more dire. The big man gorged himself in the restaurant, leaving her to fend for herself in the wind. To make matters worse, a woman with a child walked past her. The little girl, no older than eight or nine, pointed at her and asked her mother, "Mommy, why does this auntie have a bit in her mouth like a dog, tied up with ropes, and locked in a cage?" Her mother shot her a stern look and then lectured her child, "This is what happens when you don't listen to Mommy. You'll be locked in a cage and put on display just like her." The little girl, terrified, burst into tears and clutched her mother's hand, promising to be good and begging her mother not to lock her in a cage. Hearing this, Banxia felt a pang of despair. She thought the mother couldn't possibly be her biological mother, and the child was doomed in her hands. Fortunately, after his meal, the big man lingered in the restaurant for a while before finally remembering the person locked in the cage. He then packed a boxed meal and brought it to Banxia. However, he hadn't considered that Banxia's entire upper body was tightly bound by ropes. Even if she could see the food, she couldn't possibly eat it. The big man removed the gag, and the drool that flooded the car floor disgusted him for a long time, nearly making him vomit his full stomach. "Cap-Captain Huang," Banxia's jaw was numb from wearing the gag for so long, not to mention her tongue, which had been constantly pressed by the ball. "Can, can you untie the ropes?" Banxia finally managed to get the words out. "What are you thinking? Eat like this," the big man replied, waving his hand dismissively, his attitude completely changed from when they were at the detention center. "But, but how can I eat?" Banxia stammered. "Don't you have a neck? Just lower your head and eat," the big man retorted. Tears streamed down Banxia's face. Being caged like a dog was one thing, but having to lick her food like a dog was another. Even if she were a convicted murderer, this was too much. "Cap-Captain, please. I, I definitely won't run," Banxia pleaded again. "Run? Even if I untied you, you couldn't run. You like being tied up, don't you? This is perfect," the big man chuckled. "Ah, ah!" Banxia froze. Did he know she was a submissive? Impossible, they had only just met. "Stop pretending. Yang Shuanming told me everything about you. I'm fulfilling your desires. Hurry up and eat," the big man said, as if all of this was for Banxia's own good. Banxia's tears fell. Her preference for bondage was a form of spiritual solace, a mood enhancer, a sexual technique, as long as it didn't interfere with her life. But the big man was openly humiliating her, treating her as less than human. What did it matter that she was a submissive? Submissives only knelt before their own Masters, calling themselves "slave," and no one else could even dream of it. This meal was not worth eating. With that thought, Banxia stopped crying and sat there defiantly. "Good, such backbone. You'll get your chance to eat," the big man said, showing no mercy. He shoved the gag back into her mouth. Watching her cheeks bulge again, her cherry lips transformed into a gaping maw, the big man hummed a tune and picked up the boxed meal, dumping it directly into a black bin. He returned to the restaurant to wait for Yang Shuanming's men. Wang Cheng and Wang Guilin pulled Li Muran out of the Major Crimes Unit and rushed to the service area without delay. Their car was quite flashy, and they drove so fast that Li Muran, sitting inside, shivered uncontrollably from the cold.

There was a step less than twenty centimeters between the private room and the floor. As Xin Lan'er lifted her foot, her skirt was immediately pulled up, exposing her other foot completely. This time, Yang Xin saw it clearly: it was indeed a shackle, and the kind made of cast iron used for important prisoners. His guess confirmed, he became even more unsettled. He had been pursuing Xin Lan'er with some success lately; they had dined together privately a few times and even gone clam digging at Star Sea Park. He never expected she would have this kind of fetish. What was he supposed to do now? Yang Xin noticed that Xin Lan'er had also sensed his change. As soon as she stepped onto the platform, she quickly adjusted her skirt, her face flushing. Because Leng Yan'er's iron ring could be pulled higher, and she was wearing a black dress, Yang Xin could see quite clearly, but if one wasn't paying close attention, they might mistake it for the hem of her skirt. Xin Lan'er, who had been reluctant to wear it at first, now realized its advantage. She wished she had changed into one herself earlier, to avoid this embarrassing situation. "Are you alright?" Leng Yan'er finally noticed Xin Lan'er's unusual behavior. While Yang Xin went to order food, she quickly asked. "He saw it!" Xin Lan'er felt like dying. She had been careful, but it still wasn't hidden. "Oh, no wonder his expression was so strange. Are you afraid he'll break up with you?" Leng Yan'er said, recalling how his expression had frozen in a rather frightening way when he left. "What are you talking about? How long have we been dating? I'm afraid he'll spread this around, and I won't be able to stay at the company," Xin Lan'er said dejectedly. "No, I don't think so. Yang Xin seems like a decent guy. Besides, we're only wearing them for a day. We can pry them open with tools once we buy them," Leng Yan'er comforted her. "You say it so easily. These shackles are made of cast iron," Xin Lan'er said, lacking confidence. "I'm not talking about smashing the chain. We can just open the lock. It's a spring latch, just like a bicycle chain lock, actually quite easy," Leng Yan'er clearly believed in her own abilities. "Fine, I'm counting on you. I want to go to work normally tomorrow. If I have to sell stockings wearing these shackles, I might as well forget about working in this industry," Xin Lan'er wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Trust me, just stay calm for a while. If he saw it, he saw it. If he dares to ask, I'll handle it," Leng Yan'er encouraged her. Yang Xin was indeed efficient. In less than five minutes, three steaming bowls of clam noodles were served. "Thank you," Leng Yan'er didn't stand on ceremony. She took a bowl and placed it in front of her, picked up her chopsticks, carefully scooped out two clams, dug out the meat, and ate it. "Thank you," Xin Lan'er also blushed and moved the bowl closer. "Why are you being so polite with me?" Yang Xin had already made up his mind when ordering. Everyone has their quirks. Since she liked wearing them, let her wear them. However, he hoped such things would be enjoyed at home, and not in public. "Are you wearing shackles on your feet?" After finishing the meal and wiping his mouth, Yang Xin asked in a low voice. Xin Lan'er's face, whether from the heat of the meal or his question, was burning, and sweat was visible on her forehead. "Yes, why?" Leng Yan'er admitted generously, but her voice was kept low enough for only the three of them to hear. "Doesn't it feel uncomfortable wearing them on your feet?" Yang Xin regretted asking the question even as he spoke. Who would feel comfortable with an iron chain around their ankle? "Not at all. My skin is already red and raw, and it feels like needles pricking me when I walk," Leng Yan'er complained.

"Who says only criminals can wear shackles? Can't we wear them if we want to?" Xin Lan'er retorted. "Oh, this is the first time I've heard of someone liking to wear shackles. Look at how thick the chain is between you two, it must be heavy. Your skin must have been rubbed raw when you walked, and calluses will form over time. It must be so uncomfortable, right?" Jiang Shuna's mouth was truly venomous, each sentence stabbing into Leng Yan'er's heart like a knife. "If you can speak human words, speak them. If not, we won't think you're mute. Yes, it's uncomfortable for us to wear them, so what? Do you think we want to wear them? The security forces made us wear them. Once the lawsuit is over, they'll naturally unlock them for us. You don't need to gossip here." Xin Lan'er also regretted impulsively putting on the shackles. But she couldn't say that in front of these two, or they would surely continue to mock her. Bringing up the security forces would shut them up. "See, you let it slip. You still say you're not criminals. I don't believe it. Uncle Security wouldn't make you wear shackles if you weren't criminals. Uncle Security never wrongly accuses a good person, but he never lets a bad person go. So, stop arguing and just admit it." Zheng Cuiyu seized the loophole, and this stab directly brought tears to Leng Yan'er's eyes. "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop." The director didn't expect these four to start fighting as soon as they met. "Is this going to end? Let me introduce. This is Leng Yan'er, a flight attendant for the entire Yuezhou Airlines. Beside her is Xin Lan'er, her good friend. As for the shackles on their feet, it's not something that can be explained in a word or two. But one thing is for sure, they are definitely not criminals, nor have they broken the law. Currently, the shackles cannot be removed, but it doesn't affect the filming of our drama. You've seen it, they're wearing shackles, but they walk as they normally would. You two will also wear them later and need to learn from them properly. You can't just not know how to walk because you're wearing shackles." The director couldn't stand it anymore and quickly stopped the conversation. "Director, are you kidding me? We have to wear shackles too?" Jiang Shuna protested directly. "Yeah, the manager didn't say anything about this when he approached us." Zheng Cuiyu chimed in. "Didn't say? Impossible. What are we filming? A legal publicity film, for goodness sake. Didn't you two read the script when you signed the contract?" The director had felt uncomfortable earlier when these two were mocking the others. Hearing them bring up this and that, he got even angrier. "Script? Didn't they just ask us to take some photos? We're fashion models, not actresses." Jiang Shuna was truly a bit confused now. "Yes, the manager didn't mention anything about a script either. He just told us to report to the crew and start taking photos." Zheng Cuiyu also asked. Hearing this, the director finally understood. This must have been something the producer did. For legal publicity films like this, they couldn't run ads, so the budget would definitely be tight. The producer must have found some unknown actors to play the roles, but he didn't expect him to directly pull in fashion models to save money. "I'll explain it to you later. Since you're here, let's take the costume photos first for publicity." The director knew he had fallen into a trap, but the filming had to continue. Fortunately, the crew was still in the preparation stage and hadn't officially started shooting. The director felt he had been deceived by the producer, and Jiang Shuna and Zheng Cuiyu also felt they had been fooled by their manager. In comparison, Leng Yan'er felt that although what Minister Li said that night was hurtful, at least he told her the truth, allowing her to make her own choice. Jiang Shuna looked at Leng Yan'er posing beside her with black, standard-issue security shackles on her ankles, feeling particularly indignant. But she was a professional model bound by contract, and her work had been perfectly arranged by the company, leaving her no room for objection. Even if her company arranged for her to play a nun who had to shave her head, she would have to put on the袈裟 and appear in front of the camera with a happy expression. The group photo of the four had different expressions. The director stood in front of the camera, unsure what to say. Fortunately, it was just a costume photo, and they didn't need to be fully invested. As long as their faces and their qipao-clad figures were captured, it would be okay. The black shackles on Leng Yan'er and Xin Lan'er's feet could be Photoshopped out later. "Good, very good." The director praised them, suppressing his displeasure. "Good, good my ass. Filming with criminals, I'm really impressed." Jiang Shuna whispered to Zheng Cuiyu during their break. "Exactly. I find these two disgusting. You say they're wearing shackles, yet they're not staying home, but coming out to embarrass themselves. I really don't know what they're thinking. Their families must not be good people either." Zheng Cuiyu even brought their parents into it. Xin Lan'er, dragging her shackles, went to get coffee. These words only reached Leng Yan'er's ears. Leng Yan'er's heart had turned ice-cold from what they had said earlier. She hadn't expected that even after the director's explanation, these two were still gossiping behind their backs. Thinking about how she was now wearing shackles, couldn't even board a plane, and her future was bleak. Coming here, she was still being constantly slandered and looked down upon, their gazes filled with malice. The grievance was like a surging tide, and she could no longer hold back, tears falling down. "What's wrong with you again?" Xin Lan'er didn't expect Leng Yan'er to be like this after only two minutes. She quickly asked. "I really shouldn't have dragged you here to film." Leng Yan'er took a tissue, wiped her tears, and said something without context. "What's wrong with filming? I think it's quite good. It's just that after walking for a long time, the shackles are making my ankles a bit sore." Xin Lan'er was also uncomfortable, but this discomfort was nothing compared to her work, especially compared to that night when she showed Wu Zhiyuan her stockings and shackles. When she got home that night, her ankles were swollen, and it felt like steel needles were constantly pricking her, causing her to break out in a cold sweat from the pain. But she could sleep in Wu Zhiyuan's arms, and it brought her a surge of excitement. These two emotions intertwined, making her unable to sleep all night, and she worked a full day with dark circles under her eyes. "Did they say something again?" Xin Lan'er saw Leng Yan'er staring at the restrictive black shackles and suddenly understood. "If they're gossiping, it's because we deserve it. It's all my fault, curiosity killed the cat." Leng Yan'er thought about how the two of them had to be careful every day when changing clothes, their lives were a mess, and she started blaming herself again. Seeing Leng Yan'er crying, Jiang Shuna and Zheng Cuiyu felt quite pleased and were about to say a few more words. They didn't expect Xin Lan'er to return, her gaze shooting towards them like a lit arrow. Coupled with the fact that she hadn't gained the upper hand in their previous arguments, they knew she was thick-skinned and sharp-tongued. So, they stood up and moved to sit on chairs further away. "I'm not talking about you, but you can't be so self-pitying every day, okay? I know it's indeed a shameful thing to go out in public wearing shackles. Every day when I commute to and from work, and even when I stand at the counter, how many of those people look at me normally? Curiosity is the best. Most of them are scornful, hateful, and hostile. So what? We still have to live, don't we? Words can be terrifying, but the shackles are already on, and this fact cannot be changed. We have to learn to face it, right? Wipe your tears dry, force a smile. Grit your teeth and swallow it down, we are still ourselves." Xin Lan'er said this to Leng Yan'er, but her own heart was bleeding. She knew it was inconvenient for her to wear shackles, but those picky customers insisted on trying on expensive socks and showing them to her, just to embarrass her. Fortunately, Wu Zhiyuan had set an example for her that day, allowing her to face all of this calmly. Otherwise, with Leng Yan'er's personality, her face would be red with shame every day, and she would want to find a hole to crawl into.