Inside the washroom, the air was thick with steam.
Dim light filtered through the frosted glass window, casting a gentle glow on the spotless tiles.
Su Nian’s body trembled slightly—not from the chill of a late autumn night, but from the ever-surging fear and despair deep within her heart.
Those sky-blue eyes, once clear and bright, were still breathtakingly beautiful.
But now, it was as if a thin veil of mist had clouded them, filling them with exhaustion and confusion.
Around her neck, that black collar resembled an ugly scar, tightly constraining her, a constant reminder of her humiliating predicament.
Su Nian slowly raised her hand, her fingertips gently brushing the icy cold collar, her fingers trembling.
As if she were touching some terrifying monster.
She knew she had come back.
Back to this moment in time, filled with unbearable humiliation and despair, back to this cage shrouded in darkness.
‘This was the twelfth time, wasn’t it?’
Su Nian’s lips quivered as she silently murmured, as if asking herself, or perhaps voicing a silent accusation to the heavens above.
That’s right.
It had been eleven full Time Reversals since she’d used a massage as an excuse to carefully plan and launch her first sneak attack on the Horned Demon Bastard.
Eleven cycles, eleven struggles, eleven… failures.
Each time, she gave her all, trying every possible way to change her own fate.
She wanted to break free from the Horned Demon Bastard’s control, to shatter these invisible shackles, to… regain her freedom.
But every time, she failed—completely, utterly, with nothing left intact.
The first Time Reversal, she changed her strategy.
She no longer fixated on removing the Lover’s Prison Collar’s restrictions, but instead chose to unleash her strongest attack at the very first moment, aiming to deliver a fatal blow to Chu Tian.
As long as she could knock out the Horned Demon Bastard—or better yet, kill him instantly!
That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about the collar around her neck.
However, the Horned Demon Bastard seemed to have seen through her plan long ago, activating a defensive item in advance.
That sturdy defensive barrier blocked the blow she had been so sure would succeed.
Still not enough!
After that, the battle played out just like before the Time Reversal.
The Horned Demon Bastard used the Lover’s Prison Collar to crazily absorb her magic power, then used that disgusting Thunder Magic to completely strip her of resistance, turning her into a toy in his hands.
The second time, she changed tactics again.
She decided to temporarily suppress the Lover’s Prison Collar, then quickly create distance from the Horned Demon Bastard, trying to wear him down with long-range attacks and drag him into a protracted fight.
But the Horned Demon Bastard’s speed far exceeded her imagination.
He was like a ghost, closing in on her in an instant, his wild Thunder Magic sticking to her like a shadow.
She had nowhere to hide.
Again, he used the Lover’s Prison Collar along with paralyzing Thunder Magic and Dark Magic to control her, leaving her completely helpless, at his mercy.
Whenever things reached this point, her only option was to go back again…
If she kept going, there would be nothing but humiliation and ridicule from the Horned Demon Bastard—there was no point.
The third time, she focused on defense.
She tried to form a miniature Lingyuan Flame Barrier around her collar, hoping to block the Horned Demon Bastard from electrocuting her through the collar, buying herself more time.
However, while this tactic could stop the Horned Demon Bastard from shocking her through the collar, it still couldn’t bring a swift victory.
In a drawn-out fight, the Lover’s Prison Collar was like a bottomless pit, constantly devouring her magic.
In the end.
The Lingyuan Flame Barrier shattered, scattering into starlight that faded into the air.
She lost again—completely and utterly.
The fourth Time Reversal!
Su Nian decided to try a new approach.
If a head-on fight wouldn’t work, she’d use the terrain to her advantage and play a game of cat and mouse with the Horned Demon Bastard.
She wasn’t unfamiliar with Shadowmoon Manor.
After all, she’d lived here for a long time and had secretly explored many places.
She remembered that the manor had a maze-like garden, winding corridors, and hidden dungeons.
All of these places could become battlegrounds where she could evade pursuit and wait for a chance to strike back.
Su Nian took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
She couldn’t panic now!
She had to use everything around her to escape this predicament.
She quietly observed her surroundings, searching for a way out.
But Su Nian underestimated Chu Tian’s familiarity with Shadowmoon Manor.
After all, this was his domain.
He knew every corner, every secret passage, like the back of his hand.
What Su Nian thought were stealthy moves were, in his eyes, nothing more than a child’s game.
“Little wildcat, did you really think… you could escape from the palm of my hand?”
The Horned Demon Bastard’s voice suddenly rang out behind Su Nian, low and hoarse, tinged with amusement and mockery.
Su Nian whirled around, only to see Chu Tian standing not far away, a mocking smile on his face and a look of total control in his eyes.
He was like a cat toying with a mouse that had already fallen into his trap.
Su Nian’s heart sank—she knew she had once again fallen into a desperate situation.
She refused to give up—no matter how slim the hope, she would fight with all her might.
The girl spun around and ran deeper into the corridor, trying to use the complex environment to shake off Chu Tian’s pursuit.
But Chu Tian didn’t give her the chance.
His figure blurred, and in an instant, he appeared before Su Nian, blocking her way.
“Little wildcat, the game is over.”
Chu Tian sneered, his eyes filled with a mocking light.
He slowly raised his hand, powerful magic gathering in his palm, as if he were about to devour Su Nian completely.
Su Nian closed her eyes, awaiting the judgment of fate.
She knew she had failed again.
The fifth time, Su Nian decided to risk everything.
If she couldn’t escape, she’d fight to the death.
She would seize an opportunity during the battle to destroy the Lover’s Prison Collar directly.
She didn’t believe it!
This damned collar couldn’t really be indestructible.
Su Nian gathered all her magic into her fingertips, ready to strike.
However, when her magic touched the Lover’s Prison Collar, it was like a stone sinking into the sea—no ripple at all.
The Lover’s Prison Collar seemed to be made of some unique material that could absorb any magical attack.
And of course, launching such an attack drew the Horned Demon Bastard’s attention.
She had never succeeded in a sneak attack before, and now, caught in the act, she stood even less of a chance…
Despair filled Su Nian’s heart—she knew she had lost again.
“Useless, little wildcat.”
Chu Tian’s voice sounded in her ear again, laced with mockery and smugness.
“This thing isn’t so easily destroyed.”
Su Nian ignored him and kept trying everything she could think of to break the Lover’s Prison Collar.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake the collar in the slightest.
In the end, she exhausted all her magic and collapsed to the ground, unable to resist any longer.
Again.
Destiny Reversal!
The sixth time, after much hesitation, Su Nian decided to use the “Beauty Trap”…