Chapter 9: Mental Torture

“Is this Lin Xue’er’s punishment for me running away? Achoo~ This isn’t so bad after all.”

Xia Mengxi shrugged nonchalantly. 

She wasn’t afraid of the dark at all, so the mere absence of light was completely acceptable to her.

It was just that when first plunged into this situation, she inevitably felt somewhat unaccustomed. 

In the pitch-black darkness, unable to discern direction, she tentatively took a step forward-only to stumble backward a few steps as the chain’s length restriction abruptly halted her movement.

“Hmm… Still a bit troublesome, but I’ll get used to it.”

As she spoke, Xia Mengxi bent down and groped around blindly until her fingers brushed against a cold iron chain.

At the same moment, she put her quick wits to work, using the shackle’s chain as a guide to feel her way forward. 

Like following a vine to find the melon, it didn’t take long before she located the bed.

“That’s it? Just this??”

Xia Mengxi lay on the bed with a smug expression, crossing her legs. 

Even without sight, she could still control her body with precision. 

But with only these minor inconveniences, could this really be Lin Xue’er’s method of punishing her?

For some reason, she vaguely sensed that things couldn’t possibly be this simple. 

Her mind raced as she tried to deduce Lin Xue’er’s true intentions.

Yet no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t figure it out. 

After all, she didn’t know Lin Xue’er at all, making it impossible to guess the other’s motives.

“Whatever, I’ll take it one step at a time…”

With her thoughts unproductive, Xia Mengxi’s mind gradually relaxed. 

And when one’s spirit is at ease, drowsiness tends to follow- especially when lying down.

Just as her eyelids grew heavy, a sudden sound shattered the silence of the metal cell-something falling onto the metal floor.

Like a stone disturbing a tranquil lake, the noise jolted Xia Mengxi from her half-asleep state, causing her to bolt upright in bed.

“Huh? What was that…”

Being startled awake just as one is about to sleep leads to poor sleep quality, heart discomfort, and negative emotions like anxiety, fear, and frustration-all of which increase mental stress.

Thus, Xia Mengxi now breathed rapidly, her adrenaline surging. 

Fearfully pressing her back against the metal wall beside the bed, she frantically looked around.

But in the absence of light, no matter how hard she strained her eyes, she saw nothing.

“Tch…!”

Faced with this situation, Xia Mengxi reluctantly lay back down. However, the shock had chased away all traces of sleepiness.

After lying there for a while, she began to feel countless unseen gazes piercing her from all directions in the darkness. 

Seeking even a shred of security, she pressed her back firmly against the wall and curled her legs up to her chest, ensuring no part of her lower body was left exposed.

“Damn… damn, damn! Something’s wrong… something’s wrong… something’s wrong!”

Once that eerie sensation took hold, Xia Mengxi’s nerves grew increasingly taut. 

Now she not only felt unseen eyes watching her from every corner of the darkness but also detected chilling drafts brushing against her skin—and worse, something drawing nearer.

She couldn’t tell how long this torment lasted before, at last, the heavy groan of an iron door opening echoed through the cell. 

A faint glimmer of light appeared on the staircase.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Xiao Xi. I brought you some food.”

Following the familiar voice, a girl appeared under the faint light. 

Recognizing Lin Xue’er, Xia Mengxi immediately relaxed.

But as soon as she let her guard down, a sudden urge to pee hit her.

“Xue’er… I, I need to use the bathroom.”

“The bathroom? Oh, I almost forgot.”

Lin Xue’er wore an expression of sudden realization. 

After handing the meal tray to Xia Mengxi, she ran up the stairs. 

Moments later, she returned-holding a… basin.

“A basin?”

“Yep! This will be your tool for taking care of business from now on.”

Xia Mengxi stared at the basin in Lin Xue’er’s hands in shock, then incredulously at Lin Xue’er’s serious expression.

She hesitated, the words on the tip of her tongue left unspoken. 

She feared that if Lin Xue’er got angry, she might be forced to relieve herself anywhere, turning the metal cell into a stinking nightmare. 

So, she chose to endure in silence.

After eating and taking care of her needs, the faint light on the stairs faded as Lin Xue’er left, plunging her vision back into darkness.

For a moment, a sense of disparity welled up in Xia Mengxi’s heart-though fleeting, just a faint flicker before vanishing.

Left alone again, she lay on the bed with nothing to do but stare blankly into space.

Perhaps because Lin Xue’er had just visited, or maybe because she was full, drowsiness soon overtook her. She decided to close her eyes and nap.

But just as she was about to drift off, the clang of metal shattered the silence once more.

Startled awake for the second time, Xia Mengxi’s barely relaxed nerves tensed again. 

Sitting up, with nothing to hold onto, she curled her legs and hugged herself against the wall, seeking some semblance of security.

“Who’s there? Is someone here? Lin Xue’er, is this your doing?”

Though the darkness hid her panicked expression, her trembling voice betrayed her fear.

In her memory, this place held nothing but a bed and the newly acquired basin. 

So, she suspected Lin Xue’er was behind these strange noises.

Yet, the pitch-black space offered no reply, making her think of another possibility-ghosts.

“Ghosts… that’s impossible… right? This world… couldn’t… maybe…”

Xia Mengxi had been an atheist-until now. 

As she muttered to herself, even she began to believe ghosts might exist here.

As if on cue, a chilling breeze brushed past her, making her shiver violently.

“Damn it! D-don’t come after me! I’m trapped here too, I’m a victim as well!”

If a ghost was here, it could only be a former prisoner who had died in this metal cell-or so she instinctively assumed.

But was there really a ghost here? 

The answer was no.

In dark environments, human hearing and touch become heightened. 

Without visual input and in a weakened mental state, the unknown amplifies negative emotions. 

To seek comfort, the mind instinctively replaces the unknown with familiar knowledge. 

Therefore, ghosts do not exist-most of Xia Mengxi’s sensations were merely illusions.

Then what about those strange noises?

Outside the metal cell, the sickly-looking girl revealed a satisfied smile.