Chapter 219: Thirsty

A flash of complex emotion flickered in the woman’s eyes — a mix of pity, calculation, and a certain calculating light.

“By your own parents?”

Mu Xi nodded, her tears mingling with the seawater as they slid down her cheeks.

“How cruel,” the woman whispered, her fingers gently brushing away the tears on Mu Xi’s face. 

“I am Luoyuan, the captain of this ship and the leader of the Bounty Armed Team.”

She stood up, looking down at Mu Xi. 

The sunlight streamed in from behind her, casting a nearly divine halo around her silhouette.

“From today on, you are mine. I saved your life, so you must listen to me and obey every one of my commands and The Order. Do you understand, little girl?”

Mu Xi looked up at this powerful and beautiful woman, grasping at this lifesaving straw in her desperation.

“I understand. I will listen to you.”

Luoyuan’s smile widened, filled with satisfaction and a dangerous, predatory aura. 

She reached out her hand. 

Mu Xi hesitated for a fleeting moment before placing her small hand into the woman’s palm.

“Very well. I will teach you how to survive in this cruel world.” Luoyuan’s voice was like honey, yet it held a hidden edge. 

“But remember, the price of betraying me is far more terrifying than death.”

Mu Xi felt a chill crawl up her spine, yet she could not pull her hand away.

The Dream ended abruptly there. 

Mu Xi snapped her eyes open, her heart racing and her forehead covered in a thin layer of sweat.

She found herself sitting on a hard chair. 

Her hands could move freely, yet she felt completely powerless. 

In front of her was a small attached table, upon which sat a cup of water and a plate containing some unidentified food.

The bedroom was suffocatingly small. 

The four walls were pitch black and smooth, with no windows, no door handle, and no visible sign of where the door might be. 

The only source of light was a single swaying bulb overhead, casting unstable shadows.

‘Where is this?’ Mu Xi tried to stand up, but her legs were weak and limp. 

She could only slump back into the chair.

Her memories were a chaotic mess. 

Fragments of the Laboratory, the voices of researchers, needles piercing her skin, and the horrific sensation of someone forcibly intruding upon her thoughts flashed through her mind. 

But these memories were like a shattered mirror; she could not piece them together into a complete picture.

Mu Xi looked down at the water cup on the table. 

Her throat throbbed with thirst, yet she did not dare to drink. 

The water might contain drugs, or something even worse. 

Her gaze shifted to the food plate, which held a featureless piece of bread and a few slices of fruit.

The void in her memory made her feel a wave of dizziness.

‘Who is Luoyuan? Was she truly my savior?’

‘Why did that Dream feel so real, yet also like a carefully designed script?’

Mu Xi looked around, searching for any possible “Exit” or surveillance devices. 

The black walls reflected the dim light, and she saw her own blurry reflection. 

Her face was pale, her silver hair was a mess, and dark circles hung heavy under her eyes. 

This did not look like the person she remembered herself to be.

“Who am I?” she asked herself softly, her voice echoing in the empty room.

The light overhead suddenly flickered several times. 

Then, one wall of the room slid open silently, revealing a tunnel that looked like a black hole. 

Mu Xi held her breath, her muscles tensing as she prepared to face whatever threat was about to emerge.

A figure stepped slowly out of the darkness. 

Mu Xi’s pupils constricted sharply.

As the figure in the darkness became clear, Mu Xi’s vision focused on the familiar silhouette.

Long golden hair shimmered even in the dim light, and those azure eyes were like gemstones from the deep sea, staring straight into the depths of her soul.

The corners of Mu Xi’s mouth curled upward uncontrollably, and a surge of warmth rose in her chest. 

In this strange and cold environment, Luoyuan’s appearance was like a beacon in the dark night.

“Hello, Sister.” Mu Xi’s voice was soft, filled with dependence and awe. 

Her fingers unconsciously gripped the edge of the chair.

A satisfied curve tugged at the corner of Luoyuan’s lips. 

Her tall figure squatted down gracefully, bringing her to eye level with Mu Xi. 

Her movements were as fluid and predatory as a feline’s, and her leather boots made a faint scuffing sound against the floor.

“Do you want some water?” Luoyuan’s voice was low and magnetic. 

Her gaze drifted between Mu Xi’s pale face and the water cup on the table.

Mu Xi instinctively looked at the untouched cup of water. 

A parched sensation burned in the depths of her throat. 

Her gaze wavered between the cup and Luoyuan, a sliver of vigilance flashing through her mind.

“No, I am not thirsty.” She pressed her dry lips together, her voice sounding raspier than she had expected.

Luoyuan’s expression changed subtly, and those azure eyes suddenly began to transform. 

Her pupils dilated, the color shifting from deep blue to pink, and their shape twisted into hearts. 

These eerie eyes began to spin like a vortex, emitting an irresistible attraction.

Mu Xi felt her consciousness begin to blur, her thoughts shrouded by a layer of pink mist. 

She wanted to look away, but her eyes felt fixed by an invisible force, unable to escape that rotating pink whirlpool.

“You are very thirsty now. You want to drink water very badly.” Luoyuan’s voice seemed to ring directly inside her head, each syllable creating ripples in her consciousness.

Mu Xi’s vision began to clear, but her perception had changed. 

A violent burning sensation suddenly erupted in her throat, and thirst spread through her entire body like wildfire. 

Her tongue moved in her mouth, but she only felt the pain of dry cracks.

“Water … I need water … ” Mu Xi’s voice was so hoarse it was nearly unrecognizable.

Her hand reached uncontrollably for the water cup on the table, her movements urgent and frantic.

The cool touch of the glass made her fingertips tremble slightly. 

She lifted the cup to her lips almost violently. 

Water spilled from the corners of her mouth, dripping down her chin and onto her collar.

The sensation of the water flowing down her throat was like rain nourishing a parched land, but the burning thirst did not diminish in the slightest.

“Still thirsty … “

Mu Xi set the empty cup down, a desperate longing flickering in her eyes. 

Her gaze locked onto Luoyuan, like a drowning person clutching at a final piece of driftwood.

“Please … give me water … “

A victorious smile touched Luoyuan’s lips, and the pink whirlpools in her eyes gradually faded back to their normal azure. 

She took an exquisite silver canteen from her waist and unscrewed the cap with an elegant motion. 

She took a sip first, tilting her head back.

The liquid stayed in her mouth for just the right amount of time — neither too long nor too short. 

Her Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, but she did not swallow.

Luoyuan beckoned with her finger, signaling Mu Xi to come closer.

“Look up, and open your mouth.” Her command was brief and brooked no refusal.

Mu Xi obeyed without hesitation, her movements so eager she nearly slid off the chair. 

She tilted her head back and opened her mouth, her eyes shimmering with longing and anticipation.

Luoyuan leaned in close, the distance between them so small they could feel each other’s breath. 

Her golden hair fell forward, brushing against Mu Xi’s cheek like silk. 

Mu Xi could smell the faint scent of sea salt and a certain exotic spice lingering on her.

Luoyuan’s lips parted slightly as she began to transfer the water from her mouth into Mu Xi’s, bit by bit. 

The process was slow and intimate, carrying a sense of ritual. 

The liquid flowed from Luoyuan’s mouth into Mu Xi’s, warm and sweet, entirely different from the water in the cup before.

Mu Xi greedily accepted every drop of the liquid, her throat emitting a satisfied hum.