Chapter 3: Am I Getting Used to This?

Mu Xi lay sprawled across the bed, her gaze fixed on the ceiling, boredom seeping into every fiber of her being.

The monotony was suffocating, a dull ache in her chest that matched the absurdity of her situation.

Being transformed into a delicate little girl was bad enough—fragile, helpless, and utterly powerless.

But oh, how she wished she could morph into a diamond-hard Barbie, all strength and swagger, capable of wrestling Ye Lan to the ground in a test of wills.

At least then she’d have a fighting chance.

A sigh escaped her lips, heavy with resignation.

As her thoughts wandered into fanciful escapes, the door creaked open.

Ye Lan swept in, a vision of effortless grace, one hand balancing a slice of cake, the other clutching her phone.

A cryptic smile played on her lips, unreadable and unsettling, sending a shiver down Mu Xi’s spine.

“Time to eat, little one,” Ye Lan said, setting the cake on the bedside table.

Her eyes roamed over Mu Xi, lingering in a way that made her skin prickle with unease.

“Why… why are you looking at me like that?” Mu Xi asked, her voice tinged with suspicion, her body tensing instinctively.

Ye Lan’s chuckle was soft, almost teasing.

“I want to take a few pictures. Do it, and I’ll take off that collar.”

“Pictures?” Mu Xi exhaled, relief washing over her.

“Fine, I’ll strike a pose—”

“Wait,” Ye Lan cut in, her tone sharp.

“I want you to take off your clothes and sit on the bed, eating the cake.”

Mu Xi’s eyes widened, her breath catching.

“What did you just say? I must’ve heard wrong.”

Was this even Chinese anymore?

Ye Lan arched a brow, her smile turning predatory.

“Not willing? Fine. Refuse, and I’ll make sure you remember what a good spanking feels like.”

Mu Xi bit her lip, her face flushing red, then paling.

She knew Ye Lan wasn’t bluffing.

The threat hung heavy in the air, real and unyielding.

“Hurry up. Don’t dawdle,” Ye Lan pressed, impatience lacing her voice.

Mu Xi took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut as she began to peel off her clothes.

Every fiber of her being screamed in protest, but she knew her place in this twisted game.

Resistance wasn’t an option—not yet.

Her clothes fell to the floor, one by one, the cool air brushing against her skin, sending a shiver through her.

She stole a glance at her body—small, childish, with only the faintest hints of growth. 

‘Poor thing,’ she thought, unsure if she pitied the body or herself.

Ye Lan raised her phone, the shutter clicking relentlessly.

“Change your pose. Yes, like that… Now, pick up the cake.”

Mu Xi moved mechanically, following orders while her mind raced, plotting escape routes that felt more like fantasies.

Ye Lan, as if reading her thoughts, spoke coldly.

“Don’t get any clever ideas. Try to run, and these photos go online. Your reputation will be in tatters.”

Mu Xi nodded, feigning fear, but inside she scoffed.

‘Reputation?’

Compared to being caged like a pet for life, that was the least of her worries.

The photoshoot ended, and relief flooded Mu Xi as she scrambled to dress.

Ye Lan climbed onto the bed, wrapping her arms around Mu Xi from behind, her fingers deftly unlocking the collar.

“Good girl. Sleep now,” she murmured, her breath warm against Mu Xi’s ear.

Sleep?

As if Mu Xi could.

Her mind churned with half-formed escape plans, each one snuffed out by the weight of Ye Lan’s embrace.

In the end, exhaustion won, and she sighed, closing her eyes.

“Don’t worry,” Ye Lan said suddenly, her voice soft.

“I won’t hurt you.”

Mu Xi froze, unsure how to respond.

What was this woman playing at?

Caught between confusion and unease, she drifted into a fitful sleep.

A nightmare seized her.

She was smaller, a tiny lolita hiding beneath a table, watching in horror as her parents fell to a masked woman’s blade.

The killer’s shoulder-length hair swayed like a phantom’s, and the air reeked of blood, so vivid Mu Xi could almost taste it.

She woke up from fear, her body trembling, only to find Ye Lan’s hands on her, stroking her like she was a pet.

The intimacy was dizzying, a mix of shame and confusion that left Mu Xi reeling.

“Stop… don’t,” she mumbled weakly, her voice barely a whisper.

“Don’t squirm, little one,” Ye Lan teased, her touch growing bolder, fingers tracing paths that sent shivers through Mu Xi’s body.

She wanted to resist, to scream that her soul was still a man’s, but her body betrayed her, tingling with strange, unwanted sensations.

Breakfast was a cloying spread of sweets, so sugary they made her teeth ache.

Mu Xi collapsed onto the bed afterward, listless as a salted fish, when a sudden idea sparked.

“My head hurts… I feel sick…” she groaned, clutching her stomach, hoping to play on Ye Lan’s sympathy.

Ye Lan’s lips curled into a knowing smirk.

“Nice try. Want to do it again?”

“I’m serious…” Mu Xi protested, but a sharp slap to her backside cut her off.

The sound echoed in the room, crisp and humiliating.

“Keep pretending, and I’ll make it real,” Ye Lan warned, her tone laced with menace.

Mu Xi dove under the covers, cradling her stinging rear.

Strangely, the pain carried an odd thrill, one that left her questioning her own sanity.

Was she starting to enjoy this?

The day dragged on, empty and aimless, until Ye Lan returned at dusk.

Without a word, she stripped and pulled Mu Xi toward the bathroom.

“No need to be shy—we’re both girls,” Ye Lan teased, her hands roaming freely, igniting tremors across Mu Xi’s skin.

Mu Xi’s face burned as she let herself be maneuvered, thinking, “If only I were still a man, maybe I could do something.”

But she was powerless, caught in a tide of helplessness.

After the bath, as they settled into bed, Mu Xi noticed the door was unlocked.

Feigning obedience, she let Ye Lan hold her close, waiting for the perfect moment.

Hours later, in the dead of night, she slipped from Ye Lan’s arms, heart pounding as she crept toward the door.

Freedom was so close she could taste it.

Then, a sharp pain stopped her.

A thin thread was wound around her toe, its other end tethered to the bed.

Her blood ran cold—she’d been caught again.

Heart hammering, Mu Xi inched toward the door, only to feel a faint tug halt her steps.

She turned, and her breath caught.

Ye Lan sat on the bed, a slender thread pinched between her fingers, her smile dripping with amusement.

“Going somewhere, little one?”

Mu Xi blinked, scrambling for an excuse.

“I… I just needed the bathroom. Didn’t want to wake you.”

Ye Lan’s brow arched, unconvinced.

“Come here. Bend over. Time for your punishment.”

Mu Xi’s face flushed, her hands instinctively shielding her backside.

“No!”

But Ye Lan’s gaze hardened, and Mu Xi knew she was trapped.

Reluctantly, she shuffled over and bent down, bracing for the sting.

The slaps came—sharp, resounding—and with them, a confusing mix of pain, shame, and something else she couldn’t name.

“Am I broken?” she wondered, mortified by the thought.

“Done,” Ye Lan declared, pulling Mu Xi onto the bed.

“Now, you’re my pillow.”

Mu Xi lay flat, Ye Lan’s head resting on her soft stomach, one hand wandering across her thighs, sending shivers through her.

“Stop… stop touching me,” Mu Xi protested weakly.

Ye Lan only laughed and replied, “This is your punishment. Take it.”

Tears pricked Mu Xi’s eyes as she stared at the ceiling, wondering how long she could endure this strange, suffocating captivity.