Chapter 26: Never Surrender!

Lin Ke’er took the blanket, her heart pounding with suppressed excitement.

Carefully, she climbed into the backseat and draped the blanket over Mu Xi’s sleeping form.  

By the dim moonlight, she traced the tear-streaked contours of Mu Xi’s face, her fingers brushing gently to wipe them away.  

“Don’t get handsy,” came Ye Lan’s icy voice from the driver’s seat.  

Lin Ke’er withdrew her hand, mumbling an awkward acknowledgment.  

She knew all too well the fierce possessiveness Ye Lan held for this delicate songbird.  

The convoy rumbled to life, gliding into the velvet embrace of the night.  

Stealing glances at Mu Xi, Lin Ke’er marveled at the potency of the drug—her breathing seemed to carry a cloying sweetness.  

Her mind flickered back to the heart-racing scene from earlier, and she swallowed hard, heat rising in her chest.  

“Keep staring, and I’ll toss you out of the car,” Ye Lan’s voice cut through, laced with menace.  

Lin Ke’er snapped her gaze away, but Ye Lan’s low chuckle followed. 

“So fond of her? Care to sample the drug yourself?”  

“No, no thanks!” Lin Ke’er shivered, the thought of becoming another Mu Xi chilling her to the bone.  

Ye Lan steered the car through the darkness, the rearview mirror catching Lin Ke’er’s anxious expression.  

“Back at the estate, tighten security—inside and out. Not a single slip-up.”  

Her voice carried a frosty edge. 

“Mu Xi must not escape.”  

Lin Ke’er glanced at the sleeping figure beside her, hesitating. 

“But, boss, wasn’t this whole thing your plan? Mu Xi didn’t get that far on her own.”  

“You think I don’t see through her little schemes?”  

Ye Lan’s cold laugh sliced the air. 

“She’s far cleverer than you give her credit for. Today, she used Tuesday’s help to run. Next time, who knows what ally she’ll find?”  

Lin Ke’er faltered, words escaping her.  

“The drug’s effect is waning,” Ye Lan said, irritation creeping into her tone. 

“She’s been playing dumb lately, thinking I wouldn’t notice.”  

Lin Ke’er stole a look at Mu Xi’s refined profile, realizing the girl was no ordinary captive. 

No wonder the kitchen staff had mentioned her slowing down on those sugary desserts—she was quietly resisting.  

“I can’t watch her every second. That’s why I hired you,” Ye Lan said, turning the wheel onto a forest path. 

“Keep my little pet in line.”  

“Understood,” Lin Ke’er replied, though a sigh echoed in her heart.  

She secretly wished Mu Xi could break free, but defying Ye Lan was a risk she couldn’t take.  

The headlights pierced the night, the estate’s silhouette looming closer.  

Mu Xi stirred in her sleep, letting out a soft hum. 

Lin Ke’er tucked the blanket tighter, only to meet Ye Lan’s warning glare in the mirror and retract her hand sheepishly.  

How long would this gilded cage hold its captive songbird?  

Ye Lan carried Mu Xi back to the estate, the sweet scent of cream wafting from her.  

She pushed open the pink door and laid her gently on the bed.  

“Arrange for someone to fix the garden gate,” she ordered Lin Ke’er.  

“Yes, boss.” Lin Ke’er cast a reluctant glance at Mu Xi before leaving.  

Ye Lan sat by the bed, her fingers grazing Mu Xi’s cheek. 

As the drug’s haze lifted, her eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes opened slowly.  

When she saw her, her pupils shrank in fear.  

“Awake?” Ye Lan’s lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile. 

“Pleasant dreams?”  

Mu Xi shrank back, but Ye Lan’s grip on her wrist was unyielding.  

The familiar pink room, the cloying cream scent—it all screamed her failure to escape.  

“What should I do with you, hmm?” Ye Lan leaned closer, her breath warm against her ear.  

“M-Master…” Mu Xi’s voice trembled, but her kiss silenced her.  

In the clash of lips, she tasted bitterness.  

She tried to push her away, but she pinned her wrists.  

“Be good. Take the pill.” Ye Lan released her, producing a small tablet from her pocket.  

Mu Xi bit her lip, refusing to open her mouth. 

Ye Lan only smiled. 

“Still dreaming of escape?”  

“I’m not…”  

“You think I haven’t noticed you playing dumb?” she gripped her chin. 

“Swallow this, and I’ll forgive today’s little stunt.”  

Mu Xi closed her eyes, feeling the pill slide down her throat.  

Ye Lan watched with satisfaction, then claimed her trembling lips again.  

This time, she didn’t resist, letting her plunder her senses.  

The drug took hold, her limbs growing heavy, her vision blurring.  

She wanted to fight, but even lifting a finger felt impossible.  

“Forget everything else,” Ye Lan murmured, her fingers tracing her cheek. 

“You know what I like best about you.”  

“No…” Mu Xi shook her head weakly, but she pressed her into the bed.  

“Shh, don’t fight it.” she kissed her earlobe. 

“You can’t escape.”  

Her clothes fell away, the cool air sending shivers through her.  

Ye Lan’s touch ignited tremors wherever it roamed.  

“Master… please…” Her voice broke, tears threatening to spill.  

She tried to curl up, but her strength held her fast.  

“Quiet now,” she whispered, her lips sealing hers, her hand gliding over her collarbone.  

Mu Xi flinched, but she pinned her chin.  

“Look at you—your body’s more honest than you are,” she teased, her grip tightening. 

“Plotting escape earlier, and now so compliant?”  

Tears slipped from her closed eyes.  

She hated her body’s betrayal, her powerlessness.  

It had been conditioned to respond, each touch a torment cloaked in sweetness.  

Ye Lan’s lips set fires across her skin, savoring every inch.  

Mu Xi’s mind drifted to her past—once a proud young man, bold and free, now trapped in this fragile form, a plaything at her mercy.  

“My little pet, you’re mine forever,” Ye Lan whispered. 

“Forever.”  

Her fingers traced her waist, relishing her shudders.  

After what felt like an eternity, she finally relented.  

Mu Xi lay limp, her body marked with traces of her desire.  

“Time for a bath.” 

She lifted her and carried her to the bathroom.  

Warm water cascaded over her, steam thick with the scent of cream.  

“Hm?” Ye Lan chuckled. 

“Weren’t you plotting an escape earlier? So docile now.”  

Mu Xi shook her head, silent.  

She pressed on. 

“Tell me, will you try to run again?”  

“I… I won’t…”  

“Really?” Her fingers grazed her collarbone. 

“I’m not convinced.”  

She trembled, tears brimming again.  

Ye Lan released her abruptly and left the room.  

Moments later, two maids entered, carrying a large tub filled with warm milk.  

“Get in,” she commanded.  

Mu Xi obeyed, the milk enveloping her in warmth.  

Ye Lan sat by the tub, stirring the liquid with her fingers. 

“The finest milk. It’ll make your scent even richer.”  

“Thank you, Master,” she said softly, her mind already scheming her next escape.  

“Thinking of something?” She lifted her chin.  

“N-Nothing.”  

“Is that so?” She smiled. 

“Then enjoy it.”  

The sweet aroma seeped into her skin, another of Ye Lan’s ploys to mold her into a perfect doll.  

“Master, I’ll be good from now on,” she said, feigning submission.  

“You’d better be,” she replied, standing. 

“Next time, it won’t be so gentle.”  

Mu Xi shrank back, but as she turned away, a spark of defiance flickered in her eyes.  

She would never surrender. 

Tomorrow, she’d find a new way out.