How could this be…how could she be here!
Xia Mengxi looked in horror at the figure emerging from the shade of the trees-none other than the person she least wanted to see right now: Lin Xue’er.
“What’s wrong, Xiaoxi? You seem quite surprised by my appearance. But that can’t be right—someone as clever as you must have anticipated this kind of unexpected situation.”
Lin Xue’er’s words cut straight to the heart, and she was right.
Xia Mengxi hadn’t foreseen this scenario at all.
The reason was simple: from her perspective, she was absolutely certain her new plan to turn the tables had gone unnoticed by Lin Xue’er.
She hadn’t even considered the worst-case scenario.
As a result, this sudden development left her mind blank, consumed by sheer terror.
“Heh, it seems I overestimated you, Xiaoxi. Turns out, you’re not clever enough to realize everything you’ve done was only possible because I allowed it.”
As Lin Xue’er spoke, her smile gradually faded, replaced by an empty, lifeless gaze that seemed to pierce through Xia Mengxi’s body and stare directly into her soul.
At the same time, as Lin Xue’er approached, her hands, which had been hidden behind her back, slowly came into view.
Under the sunlight, the glint of metal in her grasp snapped Xia Mengxi back to reality.
What was Lin Xue’er planning?
Why was she holding knives in both hands?
Countless questions flooded Xia Mengxi’s mind, but they all led to the same chilling conclusion: Lin Xue’er intended to plunge those blades into her body.
“Now, Xiaoxi, I did warn you, didn’t I? If you dared to run away again, I would absolutely… absolutely, absolutely never forgive you. So, I’ve been thinking just giving you a punishment you’ll never forget isn’t enough. Because you, Xiaoxi, are so strong-willed and resilient…”
Lin Xue’er paused, her smile devoid of warmth, exuding an eerie, unsettling aura.
“I think as long as you can’t walk ‘on your own,’ no matter how strong or rebellious you are, you won’t be able to do anything. Don’t you agree?”
Xia Mengxi immediately understood the implication of those words.
Instinctively, she touched her legs, then frantically glanced toward the sides of the gate.
If she had bolted to either side the moment she saw Lin Xue’er upon opening the cabin door, she might have had a slim chance of escape.
But now, as Lin Xue’er closed the distance while speaking, her only remaining path was to flee toward the underground prison.
Even though it was clearly a dead end, Xia Mengxi had no choice.
The sight of Lin Xue’er wielding those knives left no doubt-she wasn’t joking.
If caught, Xia Mengxi knew her legs would be severed without hesitation.
“Oh? Xiaoxi, are you resisting? But running down there is practically giving up.”
“None of your business!”
With things having escalated this far, Xia Mengxi had no intention of being polite.
She shouted back at Lin Xue’er before dashing toward the staircase leading underground.
She ran while recalling the safe places she had explored in the underground prison over the past few days.
In the end, she chose a storage room because its door was sturdy and could be locked from the inside.
After expending much of her energy, she finally reached the place where she intended to hide.
“Huff……. huff… huff…..”
After locking the door, Xia Mengxi weakly leaned against it and slowly slid down to sit on the floor.
The moment she thought about her current predicament, she immediately punched herself twice.
“Damn it! I still underestimated Lin Xue’er, and my own confidence has doomed me!”
It was too late for regrets now.
The only thing she could rely on was the ability granted to her by God-Rewind.
But even at this critical moment, the necklace hanging around her neck remained unresponsive, just as before.
This filled her with both anxiety and fear.
“No, just waiting idly for the necklace to activate is useless. I don’t even know what the trigger condition is.”
After calming down slightly, Xia Mengxi looked around and eventually picked up a wooden stick from a corner.
Though her strength and stamina were no match for Lin Xue’er, having a weapon gave her the means to fight back.
Moreover, she didn’t actually need to engage in a direct confrontation with Lin Xue’er.
She could use the defensive moments during a fight to escape to a safer place.
After all, she didn’t dare risk her life against someone who had turned dark.
“Right now, Lin Xue’er has two possible courses of action. The first is to guard the iron gate to prevent me from escaping. The second is to use some method to close the gate and then come looking for me.”
Clearly, the second possibility was more likely.
This time, she had realized that Lin Xue’er was actually a very scheming person, so the other party would probably make the better choice.
Wait, no.
Ever since the second time Lin Xue’er imprisoned her, she had been completely manipulated.
So, Lin Xue’er must have also considered that she would try to find a way to deal with the current situation.
Therefore, it was also highly probable that Lin Xue’er would choose to stay guarding the iron gate until she surrendered.
Hold on, maybe not.
If Lin Xue’er just stayed there, how would she handle food, water, and shelter?
With such a vast terrain advantage, even if the food ran out, there was still water.
She could definitely outlast Lin Xue’er.
But… if Lin Xue’er had anticipated her escape, then she must have prepared a backup plan… Argh!!!
This is so frustrating!!
Xia Mengxi irritably ruffled her hair.
Not only had she lost her confidence, but because Lin Xue’er had seen through her long ago, she was now trapped in overly cautious and paranoid thoughts.
“Damn it, damn it, damn it!”
Furious, Xia Mengxi struck a nearby cabinet with the wooden stick.
But as she hit it, she grew afraid that the noise would attract Lin Xue’er, who might then block the door and torment her.
Defeated, she stopped her actions, her entire being filled with helplessness, frustration, anger, and… despair.
What… what should she do now…?
No, she couldn’t give up!
If she truly gave in, she would spend the rest of her life with her legs broken, forever bound to Lin Xue’er’s side, relying on her to survive.
Such a life-for someone who had always lived under the blue sky and white clouds-was a future of lost self that she absolutely could not accept.
“Xia Mengxi, pull yourself together! It’s not like I’m really done for now. Besides counting on the reversal, I can also do my utmost to escape first, and then figure out how to deal with Lin Xue’er’s matter. So this isn’t the time for despair yet!”
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