Wei Yumeng endured it without making a sound, absorbing the slap. She knew Feng Shiming held a grudge against her, and any resistance now would only lead to more severe scolding and humiliation.
"Wei Yumeng, how dare you make Brother Mohan treat me like that? Now I see, you're nothing special. I know you're waiting for someone to rescue you, right? Someone will definitely come to save you, but before that happens, I'll make your days in the Ji residence incredibly eventful."
Feng Shiming pinched her cheeks and fiercely declared, "Lock her up in the dungeon first, to keep that person company."
Soon, people came and grabbed Wei Yumeng by the arms, unceremoniously dragging her away.
Darkness had already fallen, and the dungeon was pitch black. Only the faint light from the entrance illuminated a small area.
Wei Yumeng's hands and feet were not bound, but she was locked here, facing an iron gate. She couldn't call out to heaven or earth, and she had just heard Feng Shiming say she was to be kept company by someone, meaning she wasn't alone in this dungeon.
Anyone held here long-term would likely have psychological issues. Forcing her into such close proximity with such a person would be a true mental torment.
So, she remained silent, leaning in a corner, trying to minimize her presence. The other person hadn't made any noise, nor had they attacked her. Hiding was her best option; if they both kept to themselves, she could ease her tension.
She estimated she had been captured for over ten hours. The journey was bumpy and filled with fear. She hadn't noticed it before, but now her stomach was empty, her chest pressed against her back. She hadn't eaten or drunk for over ten hours and couldn't bear it. Her stomach growled, its sounds echoing sharply in the dark space.
She clutched her stomach tightly, hoping her noise wouldn't disturb the person she'd never met. After all, Feng Shiming had put them together specifically to make her suffer.
Under her conscious control, even her breathing became lighter. However, she still alerted the other person, as she heard footsteps approaching from somewhere, accompanied by the sound of chains dragging on the ground.
In such a confined space, she had nowhere to hide. After a moment's thought, she gritted her teeth and, gathering her courage, asked, "Excuse me, have you been locked up here for a long time?"
The person didn't answer, but slowly approached her. She asked again, "Can you understand me?"
"It's me."
A low female voice came from the darkness. The voice was very close now, and there was a strange sense of familiarity to it.
Although she couldn't tell who it was, the other person clearly knew who she was, and they likely knew each other.
"Who are you? Do we know each other?"
As she asked again, the person sat down not far from her and handed her something. She reached out and took it. In the dim light, she saw it was a steamed bun, but it was dry and stale.
She held the bun without eating it and said, "Thank you."
The person seemed to chuckle lightly. "You've been accustomed to a life of luxury, so you find this food difficult to swallow. That's why you don't plan to eat it, is it?"
This time, her words were a bit longer, and Wei Yumeng increasingly felt this person was someone she knew, but for the moment, she couldn't recall who.
"Wei Yumeng, it seems you really don't hate me anymore, to the point you can't even recognize my voice."
At this, Wei Yumeng finally remembered who it was.
She groped in the dark and ran over, "Jiang Siyu, is that you?"
She grabbed a corner of the woman's clothing. She couldn't see anything, so she had to rely on sound.
"That's right. I bet you never expected it would be me."
Wei Yumeng was stunned. She truly hadn't expected to meet Jiang Siyu here. The last time they met was at her wedding.
Although Jiang Siyu had intended to harm her then, she had been manipulated. Rather than hating her for trying to ruin her wedding, Wei Yumeng felt pity for her situation.
Even though Wei Yumeng didn't possess a saintly heart that forgave everything, Jiang Siyu's circumstances were vastly different from before. Even if she had done wicked things before being imprisoned, she seemed to have changed greatly after escaping. Wei Yumeng wasn't one to pursue vengeance relentlessly.
Her original intention was for Jiang Siyu to stay away from all the troubles and start a new life somewhere no one knew her. But due to some grudges, she, who had no intention of harming others, repeatedly fell victim to schemes.
Being sold to Jin Bihuihuang was already her retribution. Why was she now imprisoned in this dark, sunless place by Feng Shiming?
Lingering in such a place was a slow form of self-destruction. However, Jiang Siyu gave her the impression that she had become accustomed to it, indicating she had been imprisoned for a long time.
At this moment, Wei Yumeng felt no schadenfreude towards her. Even without a sense of kindred spirits, she felt pity.
She sighed, turned around, and sat against the wall with Jiang Siyu. "How did you end up here?"
Jiang Siyu recounted what had happened before, her tone flat.
Ever since she learned that Feng Shiming was behind that incident, she had been looking for an opportunity to retaliate against Feng Shiming, hoping to return the favor and quell the hatred in her heart. However, she didn't know that Feng Shiming had Ji Tong behind her, the man who helped her escape from prison.
Naturally, she was no match for them. Her attempt at revenge failed, and instead, Feng Shiming brought her here and imprisoned her.
"I don't know how long I've been here, but it's been over a month for sure. It's dark and lightless here, I can't tell day from night, so I really can't calculate how long it's been."
Wei Yumeng looked at the endless darkness of the dungeon and couldn't help but sigh. She didn't know how long she would be here, and without food and water, she couldn't hold on for too long.
She squeezed the hardened bun in her hand and pushed it back to Jiang Siyu. "I can't eat it."
Jiang Siyu pushed it back, her tone slightly mocking. "Once you're here, you're all prisoners. Don't think of yourself as the pampered Mrs. Zhan anymore. If you don't eat this, I'm afraid you won't last."
Wei Yumeng squeezed the bun and asked, "Won't they provide water and food? It's impossible, right? You've been here so long, how could you survive without water and food?"
"Of course, they provide it, but it's unpredictable when they will. Do you think Feng Shiming treats someone locked in a dungeon like a human? They only give you food when they feel like it. If they forget about you, going hungry for a day or two is common."