Chapter 173: Night Assault

“You pervert!” Mu Xi finally found her voice, only to realize it was trembling.

Ye Lan raised an eyebrow, “That’s all it takes for you to call me a pervert? I still have plenty more tricks for you to try.”

Mu Xi’s heart tightened, but she forced herself to appear calm on the surface. 

“Do whatever you want. I’ve gotten used to it.”

“So stubborn.” Ye Lan pinched Mu Xi’s chin. 

“Your eyes betray you. I can see your anxiety.”

Mu Xi turned her face away, unwilling to let Ye Lan see the turmoil in her heart.

She was indeed afraid—afraid Ye Lan would come up with even more humiliating ways to torment her.

“Do you concede?” Ye Lan suddenly asked, releasing Mu Xi’s chin.

Mu Xi was stunned for a moment, then sneered, “Concede? What’s the point?”

She met Ye Lan’s gaze and said, “You set the rules here. You’re the king of this place. If you say you’ve won, then you’ve won. I’m always the loser, so what difference does it make whether I admit defeat or not?”

Ye Lan was slightly taken aback, then burst out laughing, “Interesting! I like that stubborn little look of yours.”

She reached out to brush aside the loose hair on Mu Xi’s forehead and said, “But you’re right. Here, I am the rules.”

Mu Xi did not respond, simply standing there quietly.

Resisting would only bring more punishment, but at least in spirit, she would not submit.

“Let’s go.” Ye Lan suddenly took Mu Xi’s hand. 

“Back to your bedroom.”

Mu Xi followed Ye Lan through the garden, the sticky feeling under her arm becoming more noticeable with every step.

Her dark green silk dress clung to her with sweat, outlining every curve.

She could feel Ye Lan’s gaze landing on her from time to time, like she was appreciating a precious collectible.

“You know,” Ye Lan suddenly stopped in the corridor, “what I like most is how you look calm on the surface, but your heart is a raging sea.”

“You won’t get your way.” Mu Xi said in a low voice.

“I already have.” Ye Lan chuckled softly.

“Every time you resist is the best reward for me.”

The two of them walked on in silence, passing through the manor’s corridors until they stopped before Mu Xi’s bedroom door.

Ye Lan pushed the door open and gestured for Mu Xi to enter. 

“Go take a shower and clean the banana off your body.”

Her voice suddenly became gentle, “Tomorrow, we’ll continue.”

Mu Xi walked into the bedroom, hearing the sound of the door locking behind her.

Finally, she let out a breath, leaning against the door and sliding slowly to the ground.

The stickiness under her arms, the sweat on her skin, and the shame and anger in her heart all reminded her of what she had endured today.

But at least, the day was over.

She stood up and walked to the bathroom.

Closing the bathroom door, she pressed her forehead against the cool wooden surface and took a deep breath.

The humiliation of today was like a nightmare—so real it was suffocating.

She looked down at her dark green silk dress, dirty with sweat and banana residue, and a bitter smile tugged at her lips.

Her fingers trembled as she undid the buttons of her dress, letting it slip to the floor.

Her reflection in the mirror made her freeze. 

On her pale skin, traces of sticky banana remained under her arms, and the bright red heart on her lower abdomen stood out glaringly.

“This isn’t me.” Mu Xi whispered to herself, yet she couldn’t deny the woman in the mirror was her now.

She turned on the shower, letting the hot water cascade down.

The water washed over her body, but couldn’t wash away the resentment in her heart.

Mu Xi grabbed some shower gel and scrubbed the stickiness from her underarms, rubbing until her skin turned red.

The scent of banana seemed to have seeped into her skin, impossible to remove.

She changed the shower gel three times before finally feeling that the smell had faded.

After showering, Mu Xi wrapped herself in a bathrobe and walked out of the bathroom.

She didn’t bother drying her hair right away, letting the droplets run down her silver hair and leave dark marks on the emerald green carpet.

She collapsed onto the bed, exhaling deeply and closing her eyes.

But in her mind, Ye Lan’s smiling eyes kept flashing, that superior, scrutinizing gaze—as if she was nothing but an object for amusement.

“Why me?” Mu Xi murmured.

The sense of dislocation from becoming a girl left her confused and pained.

Just as her thoughts began to whirl, a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.” Mu Xi sat up and tidied her bathrobe.

The maid pushed the door open, carrying a tray with nothing on it but a bunch of bananas—no other food.

“Miss, this is your lunch.” The maid said expressionlessly, placing the tray on the bedside table.

Mu Xi stared at the bananas, the corner of her mouth twitching.

She didn’t need to ask to know this was Ye Lan’s twisted humor.

“Did Ye Lan send you?” Mu Xi asked.

The maid nodded, “Master said you must really like bananas.”

Mu Xi let out a cold laugh, but didn’t refuse.

She picked up a banana, peeled it, and took a bite.

“Tell Ye Lan I do like them,” Mu Xi said calmly. 

“Especially the feeling of eating them.”

The maid paused, then bowed and left.

Mu Xi slowly finished the banana, neatly placing the peel back on the tray.

Might as well eat it—besides, bananas were actually not bad.

She wouldn’t let Ye Lan’s humiliation succeed.

That afternoon, Mu Xi sang for a while in her bedroom, trying to calm her mood. 

Music was one of her few comforts.

By dusk, the maid brought dinner again.

Bananas, once more.

“Looks like she really enjoys this kind of game,” Mu Xi muttered softly, picking up a banana.

“Master said there will be new arrangements tomorrow,” the maid added before leaving.

Mu Xi’s hand paused for a moment, then continued as usual.

She savored the banana slowly, wondering how she would be toyed with tomorrow.

Night fell, and Mu Xi turned off the lights and lay down on the bed.

Moonlight filtered through the stained-glass windows.

She needed to rest well to deal with whatever new tricks Ye Lan had for her tomorrow.

No matter what humiliation awaited, she would not submit.

At the very least, she would keep her last shred of dignity in spirit.

Mu Xi closed her eyes, but sleep would not come.

The whip marks on her body still throbbed with pain.

She didn’t know how much time passed before she finally drifted off in a haze.

In her sleep, she felt a warm touch on her chest, dazedly assuming it was just a dream of spring.

Someone caressed her, kissed her—the sensations so vivid that she couldn’t help but moan softly.

Then a cool breath brushed past her ear, and Mu Xi jolted awake.

Moonlight spilled onto the bed through the stained-glass windows, illuminating a familiar figure.

Ye Lan was straddling her, hands roaming boldly across her chest.

“You’re awake?” Ye Lan’s voice was tinged with delight. 

“I thought you’d sleep a bit longer.”

Mu Xi snapped to full alertness, instinctively trying to push Ye Lan’s hands away. 

“When did you get in here?”

“This is my manor,” Ye Lan laughed lightly. 

“Do I need to notify you before entering a bedroom?”

Mu Xi tried to struggle, but Ye Lan pinned her wrists above her head.

Ye Lan’s strength was unexpectedly great—Mu Xi simply couldn’t break free.

“Don’t waste your energy,” Ye Lan leaned down, her lips nearly brushing Mu Xi’s earlobe. 

“The more you resist, the more excited I get.”

A wave of fear rushed through Mu Xi, mixed with an inexplicable thrill.

She gritted her teeth and said, “Let me go!”

Ye Lan ignored her, becoming even more brazen in her caresses.

Her nimble fingers untied Mu Xi’s bathrobe, exposing her pale skin.

“Your body is far more honest than your mouth,” Ye Lan bit Mu Xi’s collarbone lightly. 

“Look, you’re trembling—but not from fear.”

Mu Xi wanted to retort, but her voice was already broken.

The throat lozenges she used every day seemed to have taken effect all at once.

Her body had become hypersensitive; every touch sent a shudder through her.

“No…” Mu Xi’s voice of resistance grew weaker and weaker.