At that moment, Ye Lan’s gaze fell upon Mu Xi’s tear-stained face.
Those eyes—once filled with fear, anger, and despair, yet never giving up hope for survival—were now gradually losing their light.
Something inside Ye Lan collapsed.
The tangled emotions within her seemed sliced open by a sharp blade, exposing the truth hidden deep within.
She suddenly let go, as if Mu Xi’s neck had turned scorching hot in an instant.
Mu Xi immediately started coughing violently, gulping down fresh air, every breath sharp with tearing pain.
Her throat burned, clear fingerprints marked her neck, and her lips were tinged an unnatural shade of purple from lack of oxygen.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Ye Lan dropped to her knees in panic, voice trembling, the madness in her eyes replaced by fear and regret.
“I didn’t mean to, Mu Xi, I didn’t mean to.”
She reached out carefully, as if afraid of startling a wounded creature, gently pulling Mu Xi into her arms.
Mu Xi did not resist—not out of forgiveness, but from sheer weakness.
Her mind was still ringing, her body limp and powerless, allowing Ye Lan to draw her into that familiar embrace.
“I’m scared,” Ye Lan buried her face in Mu Xi’s silver hair, whispering, her voice fragile and unlike her usual commanding self.
“I’m afraid you’ll leave me, just like my mother and father did.”
Mu Xi’s breathing gradually steadied, but her heart was still pounding madly.
She felt the warmth of Ye Lan’s embrace.
It was both a cage and a haven, both the source of her nightmares and her only comfort.
This contradiction nearly tore her apart.
“I won’t hurt you. Never again.”
Ye Lan gently stroked Mu Xi’s hair, repeating a promise she herself might not believe, “I’ll learn to love you, the right way.”
Mu Xi gave no reply, simply closing her eyes.
She knew Ye Lan’s regret was real, just as she knew the next outburst and pain would also be real.
It was a cycle that could never be broken.
Hurt, regret, promise, and hurt again.
“Look at me,” Ye Lan cupped Mu Xi’s face, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks with her thumb.
Her movements were careful, as if handling a fragile treasure, “I love you, Mu Xi. I can change for you.”
At last, Mu Xi looked up and met Ye Lan’s gaze.
What she saw was a contradiction—a soul torn apart by hatred from the past and love from the present.
Those eyes held pleading, remorse, fear, and even a hint of frightening stubbornness.
She still wouldn’t let go.
“You’ll kill me,” Mu Xi’s voice was hoarse, as if scraped by sandpaper, every word trembling.
“Not today. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next month. Your love and hate are tangled together. One day, they’ll swallow me whole.”
Ye Lan’s body went rigid, those words shooting into her heart like bullets but she could not argue back, because she knew Mu Xi spoke the truth.
Her fingers slid through Mu Xi’s hair, savoring the silky feel, as if by doing so, she could keep her forever.
“I can change for you,” Ye Lan repeated, her voice low and resolute, though the uncertainty in her eyes betrayed her.
“Give me a chance. Just one.”
Mu Xi gently pulled away from Ye Lan’s embrace, but did not leave entirely.
She reached out, touching Ye Lan’s cheek—the face that once filled her with fear and now made her heart twist with conflicting emotions.
“If I stay,” Mu Xi’s voice calmed, carrying a maturity and wisdom beyond her years, “you must promise me one thing.”
Ye Lan nodded eagerly, like she was grasping her last lifeline.
“Anything, as long as you don’t leave.”
“Let me be free.”
Mu Xi’s voice was soft but as unyielding as iron, “Not just physical freedom, but freedom of the soul. No more Medicine Baths, no more Chun Medicine, no more… control or possession.”
Ye Lan’s expression froze, a flicker of struggle flashing through her eyes.
Freedom meant losing control.
It meant Mu Xi might leave her at any moment.
It went against every instinct she had to survive.
But without this promise, Mu Xi would eventually disappear.
Not her body, but that lively, stubborn spirit would be destroyed.
“Alright,” Ye Lan finally agreed softly, but her fingers tightened unconsciously.
“I promise you.”
A heavy silence hung in the air.
Ye Lan and Mu Xi faced each other in wordless quiet, both lost in the aftermath of that emotional storm.
Faint red marks still lingered on Mu Xi’s neck.
Her fingers touched them absentmindedly.
Minutes passed before Ye Lan finally broke the suffocating silence.
“Come, eat something first.” Ye Lan’s voice was no longer violent; instead, it held a rare, cautious gentleness.
Mu Xi hesitated for a moment, then, legs still weak, moved to sit beside Ye Lan at the simple wooden table.
The food before them was still steaming, its aroma especially enticing in the damp, chilly gold mine.
She picked up a bowl, slowly savoring the hard-won warmth of the meal.
“It’s much better than those coarse grains and muddy water outside.” Mu Xi spoke lightly, her long silver hair cascading over her shoulders, shining softly under the dim lamp.
Her slender fingers held the chopsticks with a natural grace in every movement.
Ye Lan watched Mu Xi’s every move greedily, as if wanting to etch this moment into her memory forever.
Her phoenix-shaped eyes glimmered with complex emotions—possessiveness and a rare tenderness.
“What do you plan to do next?” Mu Xi looked up, her clear eyes meeting Ye Lan’s.
“We can’t hide in the gold mine forever, can we?”
Ye Lan’s lips curled into a cold smile, a flash of ruthlessness in her eyes, “Of course not. Food is limited here. I never planned on feeding all those useless mouths.”
“And the butlers?” Mu Xi set down her bowl, a hint of worry in her eyes.
Ye Lan snorted, her slender fingers tapping the table unconsciously, “They’re all burdens. No combat ability, only draining our resources. In times like this, keeping them is just asking for death.”
Mu Xi’s heart sank.
She knew Ye Lan too well—she knew what cruel intent hid behind those words.
“Are you going to kill them all?” Her voice was quiet, but carried unmistakable shock.
Ye Lan nodded calmly, “From the moment they entered the Manor, they swore to serve me. I gave their families generous benefits. Now, it’s time for them to repay that debt.”
Looking at Ye Lan’s beautiful yet cold face, a chill rose in Mu Xi’s heart.
Once, she too had been treated with such coldness.
Mu Xi took a deep breath, her mind racing to find a reason that might persuade Ye Lan.
“They’re more valuable alive.” Mu Xi set down her chopsticks, her gaze calm and calculating, a stark contrast to her usual delicate demeanor.
“Aside from Wu City, there must be other forces hunting you. At a crucial moment, these people could be used as shields, giving us a chance to escape.” Spoken from such delicate lips, the words carried a chilling ruthlessness.
A flash of surprise crossed Ye Lan’s eyes, followed by deeper fascination and obsession.