After the door closed, Mu Xi stood in the center of the bedroom, her legs clamped tightly around the banana, feeling a humiliation she had never known before.
She tried to take a few steps, the banana rubbing between her legs, bringing with it a strange sensation—neither comfortable nor entirely unpleasant, but tinged with a bizarre excitement.
“So this is your idea of revenge?” Mu Xi muttered to herself, a cold smile curling on her lips.
“How childish.”
She paced the Bedroom slowly, careful with every single step.
The banana’s surface gradually became warm and sticky, the feeling of it trapped between her legs growing increasingly strange.
With every movement, the whip marks on her back served as a constant reminder of the price she paid for her provocation last night.
Sunlight poured in through the window, and in the Garden of the manor, the Fountain shot cheerful columns of water into the air.
Mu Xi stood by the window, gazing at the people moving freely in the distance, a wave of bitterness welling up inside her.
“What exactly am I holding on for?” she asked herself in a whisper.
The banana shifted, almost slipping out from between her thighs.
Mu Xi hurriedly tightened her legs, but the sudden movement tugged at the wound on her back, making her suck in a cold breath from the pain.
“All day…” Mu Xi glanced at the clock on the wall—it was only nine in the morning.
There were still ten long hours until nightfall.
She took a deep breath, adjusted her posture, and continued her slow march around the Bedroom.
Mu Xi pressed her lips together in thought, the foreign object between her legs making it nearly impossible to concentrate.
As the banana’s surface grew warmer, she realized a potential crisis: the temperature and humidity of her thighs would directly affect the outcome of this game.
“Sweating will make it worse,” she judged silently.
If the banana got wet, it would quickly soften.
If her thighs began to sweat from nerves, the banana would soon become sticky and mushy, compressed and deformed as she walked—even breaking apart.
And when that happened, Ye Lan would surely use “failure to complete the task” as an excuse to impose an even harsher punishment.
Mu Xi moved to the window, letting the cool breeze slip through the crack and caress her legs.
She had to stay calm, keep her skin as dry as possible.
“Relax. Breathe.” She whispered to herself, adjusting her stance to maintain just enough space between her legs—not so much that the banana would fall.
The banana slid slightly, and Mu Xi instinctively squeezed her legs together, only to feel a stab of pain from her wounded back.
She clenched her teeth, a glimmer of tears flickering in her eyes.
“This stupid test…” she muttered, but suddenly realized Ye Lan’s true intention.
This wasn’t just humiliation—it was a test of her adaptability and control over her own body.
Leaning against the window frame, Mu Xi recalled the breathing techniques Ling Yue had taught her while they practiced singing yesterday.
She slowly adjusted her breathing, trying to relax every muscle in her body.
Nervousness would only make her sweat, and sweating would land her in an even worse predicament.
“Control the body, control the situation.” She repeated to herself—these were words she’d once lived by to survive pressure in her past life.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
Mu Xi shuddered all over, and the banana nearly slipped from between her thighs.
“Miss, may I come in?” came the Maid’s gentle yet commanding voice from outside.
Before Mu Xi could respond, the door swung open.
A Maid in a black-and-white uniform stood at the doorway, her gaze sweeping over Mu Xi’s awkward posture, the corners of her mouth lifting in a subtle smile.
“Boss Ye has instructed that you are not to stay in your Bedroom all day. You must go for a walk in the Garden for at least half an hour.”
The Maid’s tone was flat, but her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“She emphasized that you must take the stairs—no elevators allowed.”
Mu Xi’s brow furrowed, and sweat beaded in her palms.
The Garden meant at least six flights of stairs—a torment of hundreds of steps.
She wanted to refuse, but the pain of last night’s whip marks still ached dully on her back, reminding her of the consequences of disobedience.
“I understand. Please give me a moment to change clothes,” Mu Xi tried to buy herself some time.
“Sorry, Boss Ye said you must go right now—immediately.” The Maid stepped back with a smile, making a polite gesture.
Mu Xi took a deep breath and carefully took her first step.
Her dark green silk nightdress clung to her body, the whip marks on her back faintly visible through the thin fabric.
From the bedside to the Bedroom door, it was only five meters, but to Mu Xi it felt like five kilometers.
She moved inch by inch, legs awkwardly pressed together, every step cautious and deliberate.
The banana rubbed between her legs, bringing a shameful yet exhilaratingly strange sensation.
By the time she reached the door, sweat had already gathered on Mu Xi’s forehead.
The Maid covered her mouth, giggling, “Miss, your way of walking is quite unique. Did you get punished too hard last night?”
Mu Xi bit her lip and said nothing.
The corridor was longer than she had imagined, the walls lined with oil paintings, each one seeming to mock her current predicament.
She reached the stairwell.
Standing before the steps, Mu Xi felt as if she faced an insurmountable mountain.
The first step—she raised her leg with utmost care, the banana nearly slipping out, and she quickly pressed her thighs together.
“Miss, are you all right?” Another passing Maid asked with apparent concern, her eyes fixed on Mu Xi’s awkward posture.
“I’m fine,” Mu Xi replied through gritted teeth.
The corridor grew lively as more Maids passed by, their whispers rising and falling.
Mu Xi’s ears burned—she knew exactly how ridiculous she looked now.
A girl in a nightdress, waddling like a penguin, every step as precarious as walking on thin ice.
“Isn’t that Boss Ye’s pet? I heard she performed in the banquet hall last night. Too bad I didn’t have clearance to watch.”
“I heard she made Boss Ye angry again.”
“No wonder she’s walking so funny today. She must have been punished.”
The gossip stung Mu Xi like needles.
The pride she once had as a Man was worn down bit by bit, leaving only humiliation engraved deep in her bones.
The stairwell echoed with her uneven footsteps.
By the time she reached the fifth floor, the banana had already grown soft from her body heat, becoming even harder to control.
Mu Xi bit her lower lip, forcing herself onward despite the shame.
An older Maid approached, looking at Mu Xi with concern she asked, “Miss, do you need any help? You don’t look well.”
Mu Xi shook her head, sweat trickling down her neck and soaking the collar of her nightdress.
She could feel the fabric clinging to her back, the outline of the whip marks even more distinct.
At the corner, two Guards caught sight of Mu Xi’s state and covered their faces, snickering.
Mu Xi held back her tears and continued her “pilgrimage.”
When she finally finished descending the stairs, the bright sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows flooded the hall.
Mu Xi was utterly exhausted.
The entrance to the Garden was in sight, but for her it felt as unattainable as the gates of heaven to a sinner.
“Why does Miss Mu Xi walk like an old lady?” a young Maid called out, drawing laughter from the others.
Mu Xi had no strength to retort; her sweat-soaked thighs made the banana even harder to control.
Her only thought was to reach some secluded corner of the Garden as soon as possible, away from everyone’s eyes.
At the Garden’s entrance, Mu Xi paused, the breeze brushing her sweaty face.
The humiliation was far from over, but at least the sunlight and wind gave her strength to keep going.
Gradually, Mu Xi mastered the knack of walking with the banana clamped between her legs.
Every step was carefully calculated, turning this absurd punishment into a skill.
She adjusted her stride, minimizing friction, making sure the now-soft banana stayed in place.
The gentle breeze in the Garden caressed her sweaty forehead, carrying away some of the heat and easing the tension in her whole body.
Her dark green nightdress, soaked with sweat, clung tightly to her back.
“At least after half an hour, I can go back.” Mu Xi consoled herself, scanning the depths of the Garden.
The Garden was even more expansive than she’d imagined, winding paths leading off into different areas, some almost deserted.
She remembered a secluded spot in the northeast corner, surrounded by fake mountains and thick foliage, where she might find a moment of peace.
Mu Xi shuffled forward, moving past carefully trimmed shrubs, and avoided a few gardeners tending to the roses.
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