Mu Xi, who had once endured torment worse than hell, had survived.
But ironically, in the end, she died under this seemingly gentle yet far more insidious “medical treatment.”
Her soul flickered like a candle in the wind, gradually extinguishing amid the daily numbness.
Consciousness eventually vanished completely, leaving behind only an empty shell, like a delicate porcelain doll stripped of all vitality.
Perhaps, to Ye Lan, such a Mu Xi was the perfect pet.
And this empty shell finally welcomed a new soul.
A man’s soul from another world, carrying a desperate thirst for life and a bewilderment toward the unknown, descended onto this lifeless body.
Mu Xi suddenly awoke, as if pulled from drowning, gasping for breath.
The suffocating grip left by the nightmare still clung tightly to her chest; her heart pounded like a drum, cold sweat instantly soaking through her thin purple uniform.
Every inch of her skin screamed in pain, as if the tortures from those nightmares had truly happened and branded her flesh.
Li Xin, seated behind the wheel, sensed the disturbance and immediately slammed on the brakes.
The old pickup screeched sharply as it halted on the bumpy mountain road.
She quickly turned her body, her black short hair slicing through the air in a sharp arc.
Her resolute brow was etched with worry and she asked, “What’s wrong?”
In the dim dawn light, Mu Xi saw her own pale, terrified face reflected in Li Xin’s sharp eyes.
Instinctively, she curled inward, her silver-white hair tangled and spilling over her shoulders like fragile moonlight.
The air was thick with the sweet cloying scent of perfume, tangled with the faint but stubborn trace of bloodstains on her uniform—an oddly complex mixture.
 “It’s nothing…” Mu Xi’s voice was hoarse, trembling like a whispering dream.
“Just a nightmare.”
She clutched the front of her clothes tightly, trying to quell the nausea rising in waves.
In her dream, Ye Lan’s cold gaze and the sickly sweet scent of the drugs still lingered, refusing to fade.
Li Xin didn’t press for details; she knew Miss Ye Lan must have been haunted again by those days in the Manor.
Instead, she silently unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned closer, and reached out as if to comfort her with a hug—only to hesitate at the last moment.
Her hand froze midair, fingers tightening slightly, restrained and enduring.
“Miss Mu Xi, it’s over now.”
Li Xin’s voice was low and firm, both comforting Mu Xi and telling herself, “We’ve left the Manor behind, we won’t go back.”
She withdrew her hand, her fingertips brushing lightly over Mu Xi’s chilled cheek.
“We’ll be at a safe place soon. Just hold on a little longer.”
Mu Xi lifted her head, meeting Li Xin’s steady eyes.
There was none of Ye Lan’s madness or distortion there—only a calm strength that put one at ease.
She nodded softly, “Mm.”
Her voice was faint but carried a barely perceptible note of dependence.
Outside the window, the gray sky gradually brightened with the first hints of dawn.
Li Xin was about to restart the engine when Mu Xi suddenly spoke, her voice low but resolute and unwavering, “No, I’m not leaving.”
Li Xin’s hand on the steering wheel paused; she turned her sharp gaze toward Mu Xi, “Why?”
In the dim morning light, she saw that the pale face had shed its earlier fear and confusion, replaced by a chilling coldness like thin ice forming in early winter—piercing and unyielding.
“I’m going back.” Mu Xi repeated calmly, each word striking like a nail driven into Li Xin’s suddenly tightened heart.
“To kill Ye Lan.”
Li Xin’s eyes widened in shock, as if hearing the most unbelievable words.
She blurted out, “Why? Do you know what you’re saying? Kill… the Master?”
The word “Master” slipped from her lips with a trace of bitterness and resistance.
Mu Xi caught the subtle shift in expression.
Her silver-white lashes fluttered slightly, but her gaze remained clear.
“If Ye Lan doesn’t die, I’ll never be free of her.”
She spoke as if to herself, or perhaps to Li Xin, “Running away—does it help? We may have left the Manor, but Ye Lan’s eyes are everywhere. If I can escape today, what about tomorrow? The day after? Am I supposed to live forever like a stray dog, constantly on edge?”
She raised her head, staring directly into Li Xin’s eyes, her lively pupils blazing with a fire that belied her fragile frame.
“And… I don’t want to run away so cowardly.”
Fingertips unconsciously rubbed the cold fabric of her purple uniform as Mu Xi’s gaze deepened as she said, “Why should I be treated like cargo, toyed with at her whim? Why should she control my life?”
The air seemed to freeze.
Only their slightly ragged breaths echoed inside the cramped vehicle.
Li Xin watched Mu Xi silently.
The initial shock in her eyes was gradually replaced by a complex swirl of emotions—worry, struggle, and an unspoken madness.
She knew all too well the extent of Ye Lan’s power, and what “kill Ye Lan” truly meant—it was a mad act, like a mayfly challenging a mighty tree or a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Yet when she saw the resolute determination and restrained fury burning in Mu Xi’s eyes, the fragile thread called reason in her heart began to snap bit by bit.
For Mu Xi, she could betray Ye Lan, abandon everything, and even… die alongside her.
Taking a deep breath, Li Xin slowly exhaled.
Her gaze hardened like a cold star flickering in the night.
“Alright.”
A single word carrying immense weight: “No matter what you do, I’ll stand by you.”
She reached out, tightly grasping Mu Xi’s cold hand.
The warmth of her palm conveyed an almost reckless resolve.
“Even if it’s hell, I’ll face it with you.”
Mu Xi whispered “Thank you,” grateful for Li Xin’s willingness to fight alongside her.
 Li Xin just shook her head, voice low, “It’s my choice.”
The silence that followed was for the sake of careful planning.
The air was thick with a faint electric current—the spark ignited when two women resolved to defy an overwhelming power and collided silently.
“Contact Ye Lan by radio,” Mu Xi broke the silence, her fingertips tapping lightly on the purple uniform as if striking the chords of fate.
“Tell her I’m here. Let her come.”
Li Xin’s eyes narrowed, “Location?”
“Deep in the forest.” Mu Xi glanced out the window.
The dawn was faint, and the distant trees cast shadows like slumbering beasts—quiet and dangerous.
“The trees are dense and the terrain complex. The Nightfall Guards won’t be able to gather quickly.”
Li Xin nodded in understanding.
It was indeed an ideal ambush spot.
Although Ye Lan’s Nightfall Guards were elite, the advantage of numbers would be diminished in such terrain.
“I’ll be the bait.” Mu Xi’s voice was chillingly calm, as if speaking of something unrelated to herself.
“I’ll wait there for her.”
Li Xin’s knuckles whitened as she gripped the steering wheel tighter.
“It’s too dangerous. The Master—”
“She wants me.” Mu Xi cut her off firmly.
“That’s my only value, the last thing I can use.”
 She turned to face Li Xin, locking eyes with her as she said, “Trust me, this is the fastest way.”