The more Mu Xi thought about it, the angrier she became.
Her delicate features twisted into a scowl, and her small, pink fists clenched tightly, trembling with suppressed fury.
One day, she vowed silently, she would make Ye Lan pay dearly for everything she’d done to her today.
A gentleman’s revenge could wait ten years, but Mu Xi swore that she would make Ye Lan rue the day she crossed her.
***
By noon, Mu Xi was listlessly picking at the food on her plate, her appetite nonexistent.
No matter how delectable the cream cake might be, eating it day after day dulled its charm.
Besides, her mind was consumed with plans of escape—how could she possibly care about savoring desserts?
“Miss Mu Xi, today’s cake is strawberry-flavored. Please, give it a try.” The maid’s syrupy voice broke through her thoughts as she eagerly presented a beautifully crafted slice of strawberry cream cake.
Mu Xi forced a stiff smile and accepted the cake, all the while inwardly cursing Ye Lan’s perverse obsession.
Was she trying to fatten her up like a pig?
Nothing but sweets, day in and day out!
“Thank you,” she muttered half-heartedly, scooping a tiny bite of cake into her mouth.
The sweet tang of strawberries burst across her tongue, but it only made her feel queasy.
“I’m full,” she announced abruptly, setting down her spoon.
“I think I’ll take a walk in the garden to settle my stomach.”
The maid’s professional smile didn’t waver.
She nodded without objection but added, “Very well, Miss Mu Xi. Just don’t forget to take a throat lozenge before you go. It’s Boss Ye’s orders.”
‘Throat lozenge? Hah!’
Mu Xi scoffed inwardly.
That was no lozenge—it was an aphrodisiac!
Ye Lan, that despicable wretch, was always scheming to toy with her, wasn’t she?
Though her heart seethed with resentment, Mu Xi kept her expression neutral.
Obediently, she picked up one of the so-called lozenges and popped it into her mouth in front of the maid.
The cool minty sensation flooded her senses, but it was swiftly overtaken by a creeping heat.
The drug was taking effect.
Her body began to weaken, a tingling warmth rising from her core and spreading like wildfire through her limbs.
An unbearable itch blossomed in her chest and lower body, maddening and relentless.
She bit her lip hard, fighting to suppress the shameful urges threatening to overwhelm her.
“Thank you, sister,” she said sweetly, flashing the maid a practiced smile before turning and hurrying toward the garden.
She had to get out of here—now—and find out where that hidden path led.
***
In the garden, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground.
The fountain’s water danced merrily, and the air was thick with the heady scent of flowers.
It was all so serene, so beautiful—a stark contrast to the restless turmoil churning within Mu Xi’s heart.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down as she strolled deeper into the garden, feigning interest in the scenery.
Her true destination was the secret path.
She had to act quickly, while Lin Ke’er and Qing Yun were absent, and no one was watching her every move.
At last, she found it—a narrow trail concealed behind a cluster of flowering shrubs.
The path was overgrown with weeds, its desolate appearance jarring against the garden’s manicured elegance.
At its end stood a rusted iron gate, its weathered lock equally corroded, as if it hadn’t been touched in years.
Mu Xi stepped forward and examined the lock closely.
As she suspected, it was impossible to pry open without tools.
Her brow furrowed in disappointment.
It seemed she’d need another plan to get through this gate.
Just then, a soft breeze swept through, carrying a faint chill that made her shiver involuntarily.
The drug’s effects were intensifying.
To her horror, she felt her body betray her, a slick warmth pooling between her thighs, sticky and unbearable.
The sensation of losing control over her own body filled her with searing humiliation.
As the minutes ticked by, the drug’s influence surged like relentless waves.
Mu Xi crouched by the iron gate, her back pressed against its cold bars for support, barely holding herself upright.
The heat in her core flared, as if countless tiny ants were gnawing at her nerves.
A tingling numbness climbed her spine, rushing toward her brain.
She bit her lip harder, her teeth nearly drawing blood, fighting desperately against the shameful desire threatening to consume her.
The garden’s floral perfume should have been refreshing, but the air felt stifling, her breaths growing rapid and scalding.
Just as she teetered on the edge of collapse, the sound of approaching footsteps shattered the torturous silence.
Mu Xi’s head snapped up, her eyes sharp with caution as she peered toward the sound.
At the path’s entrance, a figure emerged slowly into view.
When the figure came fully into sight, Mu Xi froze.
It was Tuesday!
A blaze of anger erupted within her, old grudges and new betrayals colliding in her chest.
That deceitful snake, hiding behind his honest facade!
She wanted nothing more than to charge at him and deliver a few well-placed kicks—preferably ones that would end his lineage for good.
But as her eyes took in Tuesday’s appearance, she faltered, stunned.
Gone was the bumbling, earnest man she’d known.
Tuesday looked utterly wretched—his clothes torn and filthy, streaked with mud and blood.
His face was a patchwork of bruises, his lips crusted with dried blood.
His hair hung in disarray, half-covering his eyes.
He looked like he’d crawled out of a dumpster, broken and defeated.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice tinged with surprise and a faint tremor of panic as he hurried toward her, his gaze complicated and unreadable.
Mu Xi sneered, her tone icy.
“That’s my line. Aren’t you Ye Lan’s loyal lapdog?”
Tuesday seemed caught off guard by her biting words.
A flicker of embarrassment crossed his weathered face.
He gave a self-deprecating chuckle, gesturing to his wounds.
“Don’t remind me. I’ve been sacked by Ye Lan.”
“Sacked?” Mu Xi arched a brow, her eyes brimming with skepticism.
“And why’s that? Don’t tell me you’ve developed feelings for your oh-so-loyal master?”
She emphasized “feelings” with a mocking edge.
Tuesday’s face darkened, as if she’d struck a nerve.
He avoided her gaze, mumbling, “Something like that… Doesn’t matter. The point is, I’m done for. I’m in deep trouble.”
He gestured again to his battered body, his voice heavy with defeat.
“I was planning to escape. Didn’t expect to run into you here.”
Mu Xi’s suspicions lingered, but seeing Tuesday in such a pitiful state gave her pause.
Could it be true?
Had Ye Lan really cast him aside?
Still, she wasn’t about to trust this liar so easily.
She pointed at the rusted gate, her tone probing.
“You’re planning to escape through here?”
Tuesday nodded, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.
His voice was resolute.
“It’s the only way out. Want to come with me?”
Mu Xi’s heart skipped a beat.
‘Escape?’
The word seized her, igniting a spark of hope.
She longed to break free, to slip from Ye Lan’s suffocating grasp.
Even the slimmest chance was worth chasing.
Her mind raced, weighing the risks, questioning Tuesday’s trustworthiness, and calculating the odds of escaping with him.
His offer, as dangerous as it was, stirred something deep within her.