My Candy Girl

The bedroom was as cold as an underground bunker.

With her arms wrapped around her knees, Cherry Li curled up on the ground. Her face was painted with fear and hopelessness.

Suddenly, something occurred to her.

Her bottom lip couldn't help but tremble as she felt someone approaching the room.

"No..." she whispered. Her voice was raspy from the lack of water. "Please don't punish me. I was wrong...I was wrong..." Her head pounded as she murmured those words. Cherry Li closed her eyes. All she wished was for the ground to swallow her up once and for all.

She continued to whisper those words until the door slammed open. The sound echoed throughout the room but she didn't raise her head. Instead, she acted as if she didn't hear a thing.

The man walked towards her.

Feeling that someone was approaching her, Cherry Li froze and raised her head.

As she saw the man's angular face, she froze. He was as tall as a king and his face was as regal as it could get. He squatted humbly, staring at her.

The man's cold eyes felt as if they were staring into the bottom of her soul.

A shiver sent to her spine as fear overwhelmed her.

Seeing her fearful state, Herring Han's eyes narrowed. Did he really frighten her that much?

Thinking back to the misunderstanding they had the other day, the man's gaze left Cherry Li's face as he turned to the things scattered across the floor.

There were black suit near the bed, a pair of bright leather shoes, and a black-and-white striped tie. However, he noticed that there were several tears across his high-end suit. He pursed his lips.

Not far away, he spotted a notebook with a lock.

Herring Han walked towards the fallen notebook and picked it up.

"Give that back to me,"

Cherry Li screamed once she saw him pick it up.

He couldn't see the notebook, or else he would only hate her more.

It wasn't her fault that she loved the man. It wasn't her fault that she had fallen for him...

Whatever... Herring Han still shouldn't see the contents of that notebook.

She stood up and tried to take it from him. However, Cherry Li's strength couldn't even match up to him. The man slowly picked up the notebook. Because of her trembling body, she lost her balance and fell onto the carpet with a bang.

The man gazed at her coldly.

"Who were these clothes brought for?"

Although his housekeeper Gregorio Lin told him that the clothes were his size, he still wanted to hear it from her lips.

Cherry Li couldn't answer him. Her eyes widened. "Give me the notebook back,"

she said urgently.

Seeing the urgency in her eyes, his eyes darkened.

Herring Han bent over and gripped her jaw. "Tell me, who were these clothes brought for?"

With tears on her eyes, Cherry Li gritted her teeth. Her mind was still filled with the thought of stopping him from reading her notebook. "It doesn't matter who I bought them for. They wouldn't be for you anyway," she snapped.

It was the first time she had dared snap at him like that.

Her words made the tension even thicker. Soon, it felt as if they were spending the night in the Swiss Alps and the wind was slapping their faces relentlessly.

She shivered.

"For whom?" he repeated. His eyes darkened and his voice was as cold as ice.

Cherry Li laughed at the look on his face.

There was something different about her. It seemed as if something finally broke into her mind.

Cherry Li got up from the ground as she glared at him. "They were for Noah," she spat out.

Her heart throbbed heavily.

She resisted him without missing a beat.

However, Herring Han wasn't one to be played with.

He was like the tiger in a cage. One shouldn't mess with him if they didn't want to be devoured alive.

Cherry Li avoided his sharp stare.

Although he was scary, she didn't want to admit defeat.

He had her locked up here already. It wasn't as if he was going to do anything worse.

Now, he was even grabbing her notebook. He was always possessive about her everything. He was heartless like that.

Herring Han trampled on her heart right before her eyes, and she couldn't find herself living this life anymore.

"Tomorrow is Noah's birthday. He's turning 22, and I bought them for him. Are you satisfied?"

she said clearly as if she was a teacher explaining it to a child.

Herring Han clenched his fists.

Anger gushed from his stare. He strode forward and wrapped his hands around her throat. Cherry Li sputtered out, glowing red under the dim light. The light in her eyes started to fade.

Her head pounded much harder as she struggled under his grip.

It was as if her very soul had been shoved into a blender. Soon enough, she would come out broken.

Cherry stared at the ceiling in horror. Would she die like this? Die this desperately?

She was always submissive to the man in front of her, but now she dared to defy him.

It seemed that she was about to pay the price. She remembered the time when she had visited the doctor.

"Miss Li, you're under increasing mental pressure lately. It would be disadvantageous to your health. If it's not alleviated, I'm afraid that you will suffer from Dissociative Disorder," the doctor once told her.

From then on, things had started to go downhill. "You feel extremely dissatisfied with your life and want to do everything to bury your past. The worst result would be memory loss."

Cherry had laughed then once she heard it.

She had no way to save herself.

With this devil by her side, her symptoms would never be relieved and her spirit would always be crushed continuously inside the household.

Dissociative Disorder... This is another name for Multiple Personality Disorder. She might be replaced by another personality and forget everything that came from this torturous past.

With his tight grip, Cherry started to cough violently. She could already feel her personality start to slip away from her fingertips.

It was good anyway. It was good that she would finally be replaced. She didn't want this anymore. She was just so tired.

"Herr... Herr..." She struggled some more before passing out.

Looking at her unconscious state, Herring's pupils shrank almost immediately and the strength in his grip disappeared in an instant. Cherry's body fell onto the ground.

Herring held her body nervously. His heart ached at the sight of the young girl.

His stiff fingers trailed across her nose. He didn't carried her to her bed until he felt that the woman's breathing had returned back to normal.

The bruises on her neck were evident under his gaze. Herring winced.

He quickly hid the notebook inside her pillow.

"Mr. Herring?"

Gregorio, his butler, saw that Herring walked out of the room holding a black suit and a pair of leather shoes. The corners of his eyes twitched.

The sight was definitely a weird one.

The arrogant man shouldn't be holding such a shabby suit in the first place.

"Throw them away." Expressionlessly, Herring shoved the clothes into Gregorio's arms. His eyes were as dark as midnight. "Tell everyone to not mention any of the events that had transpired today."

Gregorio was silent for a while. Although he didn't know what happened, he nodded. "Yes, sir."

Holding the clothes in his arms, Gregorio bowed his head, not really knowing how to deliver the next set of news to his master.

Noticing that he still hadn't walked away, Herring scowled. "What else?"

"Mr. Noah came here just now,"

he said hurriedly. Herring clenched his fists.

It seemed that Noah still hadn't given up yet. 'How dare you come here?' Herring thought fiercely.

"He said that he came to bring Cherry to school," Gregorio said cautiously.

The tension in the space was building up on his words.

Feeling his master's cold gaze, Gregorio swallowed hard as he pointed at the label on the clothes. "Mr. Herring, Mr. Noah usually wears a size 185... This is size 190 so... He is shorter than you, sir."

When Herring's gaze fell upon him again, Gregorio bowed his head.

He couldn't help but feel confused at his master's emotions. Wasn't what he said a good thing? Maybe he should just throw them away.

"Mr. Herring, I'll throw them away first."

Herring gazed at the man trying to escape him. He couldn't help but let his mind flash back to the fear the woman's eyes had held when she tried to look at him. He shook his head.

"Ask someone to sew them properly before putting them away."

Without another word, Herring strode out of the second floor.

There was silence as Gregorio tried to process his words.

'Didn't you say that I should throw them away?

All I said was that the clothes' size wasn't for Mr. Noah and...'

What did Herring feel for Cherry? Maybe even Herring himself didn't know the answer.

The next day.

Cherry woke up from her slumber.

She had a very long dream.

In her dream, she loved a man very much. For him, she would wear pink princess dresses and thin, flesh-colored stockings. She would wait for him at the gate until her nose would be wet from the cold. She wouldn't be successful as she would always be sent away by his assistant.

He loved to swim, and although she hated pools, she would usually go to see him. She would close her eyes and try her best to swim, but in the end, he would only lecture her.

No matter what she did, he would always pulse in anger. She remembered trembling at the sight of him.

As soon as he could feel her fear from a mile away, he would try and lock her up.

The sadness she felt from her dream woke her up. With a frown, she opened her eyes

and looked around.

It was already morning, and the bright sunlight greeted her day, dispelling the sadness in her heart. She raised her hand to block the stream of light attacking her face.

However, as she raised her hand, she could feel her fingers brushing against something solid.

She immediately shrank back from the hold,

but the man quickly wrapped his hand around her wrist.

Cherry turned around to see a handsome man lying beside her.

"Sleep a little longer." His commanding tone made her frown. She didn't like him ordering her around.

Cherry pulled her hand away.

"I don't know you. Who are you? I think you don't know me very well, but I like to get up the moment I wake up."

She furrowed her eyebrows and lifted the quilt from her body. Without another word, she sauntered towards the bathroom,

ignoring the man's puzzled gaze.

Herring was speechless.

The sound of running water snapped her out of consciousness.

Half an hour later, Cherry finally walked out of the bathroom. She had already changed her clothes. The white vintage dress made her look like an angel. She tied a towel around her wet hair as she patted the toner on her face. Then she walked to the dresser.

Throughout the whole time, she didn't even look at Herring.

Narrowing his eyes, Herring lit up a cigar.

Was she pretending not to know him? Huh.

He frowned. 'What new trick are you trying to play?'

Once Cherry cleaned herself up, Herring quickly dressed up himself. He was dressed in an expensive gray suit and a pair of grey leather shoes.

He had almost forgotten his tie. Thinking of the tie that she had given him yesterday, he turned towards her. "Bring me the tie from yesterday."

This was the first time he had allowed her to pick up the things he had thrown away.

She should understood what he meant.

Perhaps it was due to his lack of expression that she was so afraid of him.

Cherry quickly dried her hair and combed it with her crystal clear green hairpin. Upon hearing his voice, she froze for a moment.

The man who had slept with her was undoubtedly close to her, but it seemed that she couldn't remember who he was.

If she really loved him, how could she have forgotten about him?

Cherry pursed her lips, pausing.

Suddenly, she remembered him as the man from her dream – the man who had made her cry and scream. He had made her want to forget him.

Was it him then?

She didn't even bother to look at Herring as she continued.

She tucked her thick black hair under her hairpin. Strands of hair fell from her hairpin and brushed upon her neck, emphasizing her detailed collarbone. The girl who was once pure and beautiful like an angel, now looked like a temptress ready to meet her next victim.

After waiting for a long time, he could still hear no reply. Thinking that she was too frightened from what had happened yesterday, Herring quietly waited for her to finish her work.

Seeing that she had changed from a little girl to a charming woman in an instant, his eyes darkened.

He could already feel his blood flowing downwards.

Considering that she still hadn't graduated yet, he still hadn't slept with her to keep her innocence. Last night was the first time he had slept with her on the same bed. Of course, he just slept, but her sweet fragrance made it painful for him the entire night.

She finally finished putting on her make up. Cherry took a step back and admired her handiwork. A smile bloomed on her lips.

'Now is the time to serve me...'

Although Cherry was afraid of him, she would serve him every day.

However, after looking in the mirror, the woman shrugged and walked away

as if he didn't even exist.

Herring gritted his teeth.

He had waited for more than half an hour,

but she didn't even give a look at him.

"Cherry Li!" he bellowed angrily.

Cherry paused upon hearing his words. Cherry Li? Was that her name?

She didn't have any complaints about it. It sounded good – it fitted her.

"What's the matter?" she asked without even turning towards him.

"Don't overdo it," he warned. His voice was cold.

Hearing his words, Cherry turned around and smiled enchantingly at him. "I had a dream last night. I dreamed that I met a bad-tempered man who didn't know how to show mercy to women at all. He looked like a three-year-old who knew nothing about love. That asshole... Is it you?"

There was silence as Herring stared at her in disbelief.

'Did she call me an asshole?'

She was his fiancee but had been intimate with his nephew, Noah Han. How could she have the guts to even question him?

Ignoring his cold gaze, Cherry strutted out of the bedroom with her head held high.

"Miss Cherry?" Gregorio, who was guarding outside the door, blinked in shock when he saw Cherry coming out of the room.

It seemed that the new look suited her.

The dress that she had chosen matched her temperament much more. Normally, she liked to dress herself with a more childish sense of style. She would wear anything pink, which wouldn't match her at all. Her choice today, however, really brought out her beauty.

Moreover, she looked noble with the outfit. Plus, the confidence waving off from her was completely staggering.

Even her gaze wasn't as weak and hushed as before, but cold and arrogant.

What happened?

Did she change herself overnight?

Looking at the suited man, she could already guess that he was the butler.

Cherry shrugged indifferently. "Prepare my food, butler."

"Miss Cherry, you don't have to go to school this weekend. You can sleep in if you want to."

It turned out that she was still a student...

She pursed her lips and nodded to indicate her understanding.

Suddenly, another charming voice came from the stairs.

"Cherry! Cherry!" someone called out her name like a warbler.

Cherry narrowed her eyes.

The girl downstairs wore a blue and white trousers skirt. She was also sporting a wind coat that had the same color. She looked incredibly fresh and ready for the day.

Her hair hang off her shoulders, curling at the end. It highlighted her delicate face and framed her bright eyes even better.

"Miss Sherry."

"Miss Sherry, you're here."

Cherry heard the maids downstairs greeting Sherry Su as she passed.

Sherry... That was her name.

"I'm here for Cherry. Is she here?" Sherry Su brightly smiled.

"Miss Cherry is still..." Before the servant could finish her words,

Cherry smoothly walked down the steps. "Sherry, what can I do for you?"

"Didn't you say that we'll go to the orphanage together? The children were ecstatic when they heard that you were coming!" Sherry Su walked up towards her. As she approached, she glanced at the rooms behind Cherry intentionally as if she was waiting for someone to come out.

She blinked and held Cherry's hand. "Where are the paintings that you'll give out to the orphanage? Is it upstairs? Let me get it with you."

Cherry wasn't stupid enough to not know that the woman in front of her had ulterior motives.

She allowed the woman to hold her hand and drag her upstairs. However, even then,

she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable by the way the woman was gripping her.

Cherry frowned. She didn't know why. A part of her wished that someone could tell her everything of her past life.

In the master bedroom upstairs.

After Cherry left the room, Herring was at the edge of his seat.

However, he still didn't lose his temper.

A part of it was because of the fear that he had seen in Cherry's eyes the other night.

Suddenly, he thought of something and dialed a familiar number. Herring brought the phone to his ear as a smile slipped into his lips. "Grandma, it's me – Herring. How have you been? I'm actually planning to take Cherry over."

Her grandmother scoffed upon hearing her grandson's words. It seemed that the only reason he called her was for Cherry.

She shrugged. Either way, she didn't really mind as long as she got to see her grandson.

It seemed that he needed her help anyway.

Despite being capable, her grandson still needed to learn a thing or two on how to flirt with women. Herring and Cherry had already been together for three years, but their relationship hadn't developed!

It was time for her to intervene.

A smile slid into her composed face as she looked sideways.

"Prepare some soup and tea. Herring will come over today," she ordered the servant.

"Yes, ma'am." The servant walked out almost immediately.

As soon as Cherry and Sherry reached the second floor, the door of the main bedroom was pushed open. Herring stepped out.

His arrogant aura filled the corridor entirely. The man was sporting a black windbreaker on his arm. He wasn't wearing a suit like he usually did.

Instead, he wore a white high-necked sweater and a pair of black straight pants. In an instant, his appearances ranged from an indifferent CEO to a gentle Prince Charming.

Either way, he was still incredibly handsome.

Sherry was stunned at the sight.

It was the first time she had seen Herring without a suit, and he looked even more dashing than he usually did.

How could he be so charming all the time?