“To hell with this!”
Xia Mengxi threw a punch into the air, but the words she struck passed through her hand like a hologram.
“I don’t believe it… I refuse to believe it! The situation is only slightly unfavorable right now-how could it really be a dead end? Impossible! I think there’s still a way to turn this around!”
The circumstances had been dire before, but back then, the convincing “words of God” hadn’t appeared.
Compared to that time, her current emotional turmoil was understandable.
“Anyway, this time there’s no mandatory requirement forcing me to act. If I struggle a little more-no, if I push harder-there’s bound to be a chance for a comeback!”
As long as she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, there was still hope.
She refused to believe that a mere blackened Lin Xue’er could trap her here forever.
Though Xia Mengxi was full of fighting spirit, under the current constraints, she truly had no good way to deal with Lin Xue’er.
“If this kind of life continues, my willpower will definitely be worn down by her. So I have to take a different approach.”
Escape the underground prison?
No, that would just provoke Lin Xue’er-it’d be no different from blindly obeying the words of God.
Then what else could she do?
Right now, there was only one path…
Trying to break through Lin Xue’er’s defenses was unrealistic.
After all, every sign indicated that Lin Xue’er wanted to live with her forever in this underground cage, with not the slightest intention of letting her step outside.
“Escape is inevitable—it’s just a matter of how.”
At this point, avoiding risk was impossible.
No matter how much she hated to admit it, the situation was indeed unfavorable.
To break free, she had to take a gamble.
“That’s it! I can do this!”
She couldn’t leave this cage, but the person who imprisoned her could!
So, using her current “freedom,” she could follow Lin Xue’er every time she left the underground prison, observe her routine, and draft a “daily outing” schedule.
“Good, very good! I knew it couldn’t be a dead end. See? A solution just appeared.”
As she walked back to her room, a smug grin curled at the corner of Xia Mengxi’s lips.
Her heightened emotions sped up her thinking several times over, and by the time she reached her door, she had already formulated a perfect plan.
First, she needed to map out the general layout of the underground prison-this step was crucial for familiarizing herself with the route from her room to the exit.
Second, she had to find a way to get the key to her room or figure out how to unlock the door.
Because whenever Lin Xue’er left, she would inevitably lock Xia Mengxi inside.
Even though she had been granted a bit of “freedom” within the prison, Lin Xue’er still habitually locked the door when stepping out.
Finally, she needed to train more to build up her stamina.
A little thought made it clear-she would soon be racing against time, so her physical endurance had to improve.
Finally, there was the question of what she would do once she got out.
If she left without a purpose, like a headless fly, it would be a waste of her efforts.
For now, she tentatively decided to infiltrate Lin Xue’er’s home to learn more about her.
After all, Lin Xue’er’s dark transformation was the key to the current deadlock.
“Alright… time to take action!”
With a new plan in place, Lin Xue’er’s strategy of using daily routines to alter Xia Mengxi’s habits would no longer work.
However, Xia Mengxi didn’t choose to confront her outright because of this new plan.
Her scheme still required her to play the role of the obedient child as a disguise otherwise, she would undoubtedly face many unforeseen complications.
Of course, any plan inevitably carried risks.
For instance, Xia Mengxi’s sudden decision to exercise to improve her stamina seemed particularly out of place, drawing Lin Xue’er’s attention.
“Xiao Xi? You’ve been so full of energy these past few days-suddenly taking up exercise?”
“Ah! Well… I’ve been feeling like I might get sick lately, so I thought I should start working out to stay healthy.”
“I see…”
Under Lin Xue’er’s narrowed gaze, Xia Mengxi felt immense pressure.
Fortunately, the other girl looked away after just a few seconds.
Xia Mengxi secretly sighed in relief, but then Lin Xue’er’s next words made her heart leap into her throat.
“I’m sorry, Xiao Xi. I didn’t consider things carefully enough. Staying in this environment for too long might be bad for your health. In that case, I’ll look for a better place, and we can move.”
“Huh? No-no need to go through all that trouble, Xue’er!
Actually, this place is fine. It’s just that I haven’t been moving around much lately, so my stamina has dropped a bit.”
Move somewhere else?
Absolutely not!
She had already calculated it—the distance between here and Lin Xue’er’s home wasn’t too far.
Based on the average time Lin Xue’er spent outside, deducting the round-trip travel time, she still had at least twenty minutes to act.
If they moved somewhere else—especially if it was farther away-she might truly be facing an inescapable dead end!
Panic surged through Xia Mengxi at Lin Xue’er’s suggestion.
Seeing that Lin Xue’er was seriously considering relocating her, she steeled herself and, for the first time, made a “rebellious” move.
“Xue’er, you should understand—someone like me, with just average health, will naturally develop minor issues if kept in the same place for too long, even if it’s not underground. If you don’t want me to get sick, you—”
Before she could finish, Xia Mengxi was silenced by the dull, shadowed look in Lin Xue’er’s darkened eyes.
The dangerous aura radiating from her made it impossible for Xia Mengxi to utter another word.
“Xiao Xi, are you trying to make me angry?”
Xia Mengxi had taken this risky step to convince Lin Xue’er to stay put.
To placate her, she forced herself to meet Lin Xue’er’s gaze, suppressing her fear.
“I… I didn’t, I, I said I’d be a good girl, and I will be a good girl. It’s just that I haven’t been feeling well lately, so, so I thought I should exercise to get stronger. That way I can keep staying by your side!”
“…..”
Xia Mengxi’s words made Lin Xue’er pause momentarily.
Then, the gloom on Lin Xue’er’s face completely disappeared, replaced by a gentle smile as she pulled the slightly trembling Xia Mengxi into her embrace.
“Xiaoxi, I’m sorry. I failed to notice your feelings. And thank you for thinking of me like this.”
“It’s okay. If you really feel bad about it, Xue’er, how about bringing me a hair clip next time you go out?”
“Alright.”