To Love You At 18

Chapter 1: Meeting Him Again

She wanted to ask Zeng Liu if he had truly loved her or was it all part of his scheme, but confronting him yet again would hinder her plan, she wants to escape, it has been months, she was locked up in this mansion, like a porcelain vase, her life was that of a decoration, his puppet. She had it endured up until now for the sake of finding evidence against him that will lead to his immediate demise.

Lu Shuli reached for her phone that was thrown, under the bed. She tried opening it but failed, she then decisively pulled the memory card which contains picture of the printed documents she found, she also took the flash drive that that she burry deep in her cabinet.

Lu Shuli hold them tightly within her hands like a treasure. She was able to get her hands on this evidence after so much work, holding this was like a shred of light urging her to keep going. Now that she has the evidence, she will leave him with no chance of retaliation.

Five days have passed and the whole time, Lu Shuli has been planning her action to escape. She's been lying low to lower the guards of the people in the Lu Mansion. After the confrontation she had with Zeng Liu, he didn't come home for days and it will take up more than a week before he goes back home. She had to eavesdrop every time he's having conversation on the phone to know his plans and finally, she got a lead.

Lu Shuli pocketed all the money she kept away from the eyes of Zeng Liu. She made sure everyone was all fast asleep and no movements can be heard any longer. She didn't go out directly on the front door knowing there's a CCTV installed all over the place, instead she went to the dirty kitchen's back door. She was greeted with a wall double her height, a little 2 meters from the door she's standing. It is the farthest part of the mansion and what lies on the other side was an abandoned land full of tall dense wild grass.

Shuli immediately dug the rope she buried under the soil; she then tied a big flat stone serving it as a hook. She carefully throws it over the wall making sure to not make too much sound, she tried multiple times before finally succeeding.

Lu Shuli thought everything was going according to her plan. She was about to climb on the rope when suddenly, a light was shone towards the wall she was facing, specifically it was pointed to her. She felt her whole body became stiff. Her hope seems to have started to slowly disperse with the night breeze. She cursed under her breath, but before her hope was completely washed away, she heard a small voice of a woman, seemingly timid, almost like a whisper.

"Sister Shuli?"

Hearing this, she felt her heart ease a little, she let go of her breath she didn't know she was holding. Lu Shuli faced her, it was Li Rong, a girl just two years younger than her. She was an orphan whom her father brought to work in the mansion and to have someone her age at home. Her relationship with her is no special, Li Rong worked diligently all this years and Shuli on the other hand, is busy with her own life with Zeng Liu. Lu Shuli just recently realized Li Rong has been particularly good to her all the while until her marriage and this made Lu Shuli have an unprecedented trust towards her. Everyone in the mansion avoided her like plague but Li Rong although timid had acted all the same towards her.

"Rong 'er" Lu Shuli called with an expectant voice. She had hoped, Li Rong will not hinder her plans, she hoped she can trust her until the end.

Li Rong turned off the flashlight she was holding and walk carefully towards her "Sister Shuli, I have seen you buried the rope that's why I know you're planning to leave." She softly spoke. She had a short pause before continuing, now with a more determined voice.

"I'm here to help you."

Shuli eyed her face that is boldly looking up to her. Her face full of resolution seems to overwhelm the dark night. This made Shuli feel her sincerity. She knows Zheng Liu had threatened her just she doesn't know to what extent. "Zeng Liu, what did he warned you?"