Chapter 17: The Clever Intellect Seizes the High Ground

In the quiet chambers of her heart, Mu Xi grumbled silently: ‘With you around, I’m even more afraid.’

Yet she kept her face a mask of compliance, nodding meekly to hide her dread.  

Ye Lan leaned in, her lips brushing against Mu Xi’s, and Mu Xi had no choice but to yield.  

The softness of Ye Lan’s kiss stirred a storm within her—tendrils of warmth laced with anguish. 

This woman was both her captor and her sole lifeline, a paradox that tore at her soul.  

After a tangle of reluctant intimacy, they rose, bathed, and dressed in the soft light of morning.  

Mu Xi stood before the mirror, her pale skin betraying faint marks from the night before. 

A flush of shame burned her cheeks as she traced them with her eyes.  

“Master,” she ventured, summoning her resolve, “I don’t want cake today. I want meat. Even a cat needs to eat meat, don’t you think?”  

Ye Lan paused, her lips curling into a cryptic smile that seemed to hold secrets.  

“Very well,” she said at last. 

“I’ll have the chef prepare two fish for you.”  

Soon, the kitchen delivered two pan-fried sea bass, their golden, crisp skins giving way to tender, snow-white flesh that wafted an irresistible aroma.  

For the first time since her rebirth into this strange existence, Mu Xi tasted meat. 

Tears of gratitude nearly spilled as she took her first bite, the rich, savory flavor bursting across her tongue.  

“So fragrant… too perfect!” she murmured, savoring each morsel as if devouring the grievances she’d buried deep.  

Ye Lan watched with an indulgent smile, then produced a small pill. 

“Take this, darling.”  

Mu Xi eyed the so-called “mind-dulling pill” with revulsion, her heart rebelling. 

But defiance was a luxury she couldn’t afford, so she swallowed it obediently.  

As Ye Lan prepared to leave, Mu Xi clutched at her sleeve in a sudden panic. 

“Master, let me come with you. It’s so dull here alone.”  

Ye Lan shook her head. 

“Not today. But I’ll permit you to visit the garden.”  

Mu Xi considered this, deciding fresh air was better than confinement. 

She nodded, and they stepped out together into the sprawling estate.  

Ye Lan climbed into her car, and a servant swung open the garden’s heavy gates. 

Mu Xi stood rooted, watching the vehicle vanish into the distance.  

The garden was sparsely guarded—its proximity to the manor ensured safety, or so they thought. 

Mu Xi wandered to a flowerbed and sank onto its edge, her gaze sweeping the surroundings.  

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. 

A fountain sprayed skyward, its droplets glinting like scattered jewels.  

At the garden’s heart stood a white pavilion, elegant and serene. 

Cobblestone paths twisted through the greenery, leading to hidden corners. 

Jagged rock formations and sculpted shrubs dotted the landscape, a curated wilderness.  

Yet for all its beauty, Mu Xi’s heart ached with melancholy. 

She touched the golden bell at her throat, its faint chime a reminder of her gilded cage.  

Freedom was so close, yet impossibly distant. 

How long would she remain a prisoner? 

What did the future hold? 

All she could do was survive, day by day, in this opulent trap.  

Rising, Mu Xi began to pace the garden, her steps light and deliberate. 

To any onlooker, she was merely admiring the scenery, but her mind churned with plans.  

‘This body is too frail,’ she thought. 

‘I need to strengthen it. If I ever escape, I can’t be gasping after two steps—that’d be a ticket straight back here.’

She strolled along the cobblestone path, pausing now and then to admire vibrant blossoms. 

Sunlight caressed her silver-white hair, cloaking her in a soft halo.  

Unwittingly, she wandered into a dim corner of the garden, where dense trees cast long shadows, lending an air of mystery tinged with unease.  

A faint sound—a whisper of breath—reached her ears. 

Mu Xi froze, her senses sharpening as she strained to listen. 

The breathing was soft but unmistakable, and close.  

She halted, scanning her surroundings with caution. 

Her eyes settled on a nearby flower bed, bursting with vivid blooms. 

Beneath their splendor, something dark and indistinct lurked.  

Heart pounding, Mu Xi crept closer, crouching to part the flowers with trembling hands.  

At that moment, the figure hidden within raised its head. 

Their eyes locked, and Mu Xi gasped in shock.  

“Tuesday?!” she whispered, disbelief seizing her.  

Before her was the man Ye Lan had claimed was “dealt with”—Tuesday, alive and grinning with startling white teeth.  

He glanced around warily, ensuring they were unseen, before speaking softly. 

“Little miss, fancy meeting you again.”  

Mu Xi reeled, her mind struggling to process this revelation. 

She’d believed Tuesday dead, yet here he was, hiding in plain sight.  

Even more astonishing, he was nothing like the dim-witted giant she remembered. 

His tone, his expressions—they were those of a lucid, calculating man.  

Noticing her confusion, Tuesday explained, “Got a good knock on the head. Don’t know how, but it cleared my mind. Faked my death to slip away, been plotting my escape ever since.”  

Mu Xi’s heart stirred with suspicion. 

‘Is this true? Would Ye Lan be so careless as to let him live, hiding here of all places?’

Yet if Tuesday spoke the truth, he could be her best chance at freedom. 

She weighed her options, her thoughts racing.  

Before she could decide, Tuesday broke the silence. 

“Little miss, want me to take you with me?”  

His words struck like lightning, igniting a tempest in her chest. 

A thousand possibilities flashed through her mind.  

Biting her lip, Mu Xi’s eyes flickered with hesitation. 

“Can we really escape?” she whispered, her voice quivering.  

Tuesday’s grin was warm and earnest. 

“If you say yes, I’ll do everything in my power to get you out.”  

Mu Xi drew a deep breath, stepping closer. 

Her gaze searched his face, probing for deceit.  

Suddenly, she rose on tiptoe, her face inches from his. 

Tuesday blinked, surprise and delight flickering across his features.  

“Have you ever told Ye Lan we knew each other?” she asked softly, her eyes piercing.  

He shook his head, his expression turning grave. 

“After they caught me, they beat me senseless. I didn’t say a word.”  

Relief washed over Mu Xi. 

Ye Lan had been bluffing, testing her. 

Had she confessed, the consequences would’ve been dire.  

“What’s your plan, then? How do we get out?” she pressed, urgency creeping into her voice.  

Tuesday scratched his head, looking sheepish. 

“I… haven’t figured that out yet.”  

Disappointment flared in Mu Xi’s chest, but hope quickly rekindled. 

Leaning close, she whispered, “I have an idea. Sneak into the garage, steal a key for an off-road vehicle, and ram through the gate.”  

Tuesday’s eyes lit up, though worry soon clouded them. 

“But what about you?”