Unable to endure the suffocating torment any longer, she looked at Qin Haiyue with pleading eyes, her voice choked with tears.
“Please… you… loosen it a little… I’m so uncomfortable… I’m so uncomfortable…”
She didn’t dare touch the collar. The leather object was tightly cinched around her slender, pale neck, leaving pitiful red marks.
Perhaps to soften the other’s heart, she instinctively crawled on the carpet, moving a little closer to Qin Haiyue. She lifted her head, her tear-filled pink eyes shimmering with pain, suffocation, and a pitiful, delicate light.
Then, she grabbed the hem of Qin Haiyue’s clothes.
Looking down at Ye Xingmian crawling on the floor, wouldn’t anyone’s heart soften seeing such a scene? Then they would undo the collar for her, gently comfort her until she recovered, or made her smile.
Perhaps?
A similar thought seemed to flash through Qin Haiyue’s mind for a moment, but only for a moment. Watching Ye Xingmian wagging her tail and begging for mercy, a mischievous idea suddenly sprouted in her.
“You’re my little dog, right?”
She took a step back, crouched down, and met the tearful gaze of Ye Xingmian.
Ye Xingmian didn’t know what she wanted, but to escape the persistent feeling of suffocation around her neck, to escape that pain, such things no longer mattered. With hardly any further thought, she nodded.
Qin Haiyue revealed a pleased smile.
“Bark like a dog twice, and I’ll loosen it a little for you.”
Bark like a dog?
Ye Xingmian had never owned a dog, but she knew how a dog should bark. She fell silent for a moment.
Although she hesitated briefly, she quickly reasoned it out. What was it, just a few barks? She was already kneeling here, why care about such things?
So she strained her throat and let out a few “woofs.”
It didn’t sound right.
Because of the collar around her neck, her voice sounded somewhat weak. Combined with her originally high-pitched, childish voice, it sounded less like a dog’s bark and more like a kitten’s meow.
Qin Haiyue thought for a moment and changed her mind.
“Forget it, I don’t think you can learn it. Don’t even think about moving this collar.”
“Huh? No… please… I can’t take it anymore, it’s so uncomfortable… so uncomfortable…”
“Then take your clothes off and come here.”
Qin Haiyue sat on the bed and patted the edge.
“Huh? But…”
Qin Haiyue turned on the heater. Soon, the room’s temperature gradually rose.
That pitiful shred of shame ultimately transformed into a flush of pink on the young girl’s cheeks. She didn’t even dare to tug at the collar around her neck while undressing, as it would cause a strong wave of suffocation.
She finally finished undressing, leaving only two thin pieces of underwear on her body. The collar was fastened around her neck, her hair swaying gently. Her pitiful, dim pink eyes looked at Qin Haiyue with unease.
“Come here.”
She obediently walked over.
As soon as she sat on the bed, Qin Haiyue directly pulled her into her embrace.
Qin Haiyue seemed somewhat infatuated as she sniffed the girl’s hair fragrance, her fingers intentionally or unintentionally brushing over Ye Xingmian’s lower abdomen.
Ye Xingmian’s lower abdomen still bore the bruise left by that earlier kick, a shocking sight.
“Does it hurt?” she asked, as if stating the obvious.
Ye Xingmian pursed her lips. Beneath her black bangs, her pink eyes were filled with unease, and her body began to tremble slightly.
“It hurts…”
She didn’t know how she should answer. If she said it didn’t hurt, would she be hit again? She might as well answer honestly. She really didn’t want to be hit again, not at all.
No one can ever get used to being treated with constant violence. Pain is pain. It doesn’t disappear because you get used to it, nor does it lessen because you become numb.
“Do you know what to do from now on then?”
Completely clueless about what she meant, Ye Xingmian could only remain silent. Fortunately, Qin Haiyue also seemed unsure of what she wanted to express.
After saying this, she inexplicably chuckled lightly and hugged Ye Xingmian’s body even tighter.
Because of her height advantage, her arms were long, easily able to wrap around Ye Xingmian.
“You know? You actually don’t resemble a little dog at all. Hmm… you’re more like a stray kitten, cute and a bit pitiful. Bullying you is quite enjoyable.”
Her tone became inexplicably gentle. Ye Xingmian, held by her, just remained silent.
“Have you ever had a cat?”
“No…”
“Ah, my younger sister had one, but it scratched my bag later, so I strangled it to death.”
“So, can you meow like a cat a few times? After that, I’ll loosen the collar for you.”
“…Meow~”
“Not enough. Make it more childish, crisper. With a bit of dependence on your master, understand?”
Ye Xingmian fell silent for a moment. She didn’t know why Qin Haiyue wanted her to do that. She found it very strange. But Qin Haiyue had no intention of explaining, so she could only obediently comply.
It was somewhat difficult. Because of the collar, her breathing was a bit labored. The final result sounded somewhat hoarse, tinged with a sob.
“Meow~”
“Mhm, good girl.”
Qin Haiyue seemed very satisfied. She patted Ye Xingmian’s head as if giving a reward, but Ye Xingmian didn’t feel it was a reward, only embarrassment. She remained silent, waiting for Qin Haiyue’s next move.
Qin Haiyue indeed kept her promise. She gently placed her hand in front of Ye Xingmian’s neck, right where the cat-paw clasp was. She pulled out the strap, and in a moment, the collar was undone.
Ye Xingmian could breathe fresh air smoothly for a few seconds. After the collar was removed, the tight, oppressive feeling around her neck also vanished.
However, this brief period of “freedom” ended quickly.
Qin Haiyue once again fastened the collar around the middle section of her slender neck. Although it wasn’t as tight as before, almost suffocating her, it still transmitted a pressing sense of oppression.
But she no longer had the strength to ask for more. At least now she could breathe without difficulty. A little tight discomfort was nothing.
“Alright, go take a bath.” Qin Haiyue patted her shoulder.
After hesitating for a moment, Ye Xingmian got off the bed and looked up uneasily.
“For bathing… can I take the collar off first?”
“No. If I find out you took the collar off, I’ll make you regret it!”
Frightened by her words, Ye Xingmian had no choice but to enter the bathroom wearing the collar.
But this was, after all, a relatively private space. She placed her hand on the collar, almost instinctively wanting to remove it. Even though it wasn’t very wide, wearing it was truly uncomfortable.
However, she quickly took note of the bathroom’s environment and reluctantly dismissed the idea.
If Qin Haiyue suddenly came in, she would have no time to react and would be hit…
And so, without even a shred of security, she took a bath in the bathroom. Then, dripping wet, she lowered her head and walked out.
“Hmm? There’s a dryer inside. Why didn’t you use it? Go dry yourself quickly, then warm my bed. I need to take a bath too.”
And so, truly like a pet, she stood in front of the dryer…