After some time had passed…
Aier’s entire body was rigid, her eyes vacant, gasping for breath like a stranded, dying fish.
Two precise “stops just short” had thoroughly pushed her spirit and willpower to the brink of collapse.
As punishment, Lady Xie Yier would always stop at just the right moment, making Aier unbearably uncomfortable.
It hurts so much… Why…
“Little Ai~” Lady Xie Yier’s cold fingers gently lifted Aier’s tear-streaked, flushed cheek, her voice so gentle it was almost cruel, “Even though I really want to help you feel good, what you did today made me very unhappy, you know?”
This sentence was like a heavy hammer, instantly smashing Aier’s desire-melted, burning consciousness back into icy reality.
In the steamy bathroom, the air felt oppressively heavy, as if time itself had slowed, leaving only the occasional sound of water droplets landing on the tiles.
The warm water wrapped around her body, but it couldn’t dispel the bone-deep chill of fear.
“Tell me, Little Ai,” Lady Xie Yier’s cold voice cut through the air, “you made me so sad—how should I repay you?”
“Master, I promise I’ll never dare again…” Aier pleaded urgently through her sobs.
“Promise?” Lady Xie Yier smiled playfully, “I think, to prevent you from making such mistakes and upsetting me again, it would be safest to have you withdraw from the Royal Central Academy altogether.”
Aier’s delicate body trembled violently from a mix of fear and arousal.
Withdraw from school?!
Aier panicked the moment she heard this.
If she couldn’t go to school, then once the Contract ended, she wouldn’t be able to find a high-paying job, nor would she be able to take care of Xiqi. Life wouldn’t just go back to the way it was before, it might get even worse!
“Please, Master, don’t…” Aier’s voice changed pitch from nerves and trembling.
Her eyes widened, filled with terror and pleading, like a small animal driven to the edge of a cliff, her gaze fixed desperately on Lady Xie Yier’s face.
Amid the swirling steam, Aier bit her lower lip hard, her long lashes dampened and stuck to her pale, almost translucent cheeks.
The tip of her delicate nose was tinged red, and her tightly pressed lips carried a pitiful pallor.
Her slender shoulder blades rose and fell faintly with each anxious breath, like a baby bird soaked by rain, shivering and helpless.
A fragile, indescribable vulnerability was laid bare before Lady Xie Yier, utterly defenseless.
There was no resistance or calculation in her eyes—only the helplessness of someone cornered, fully exposed. This defenseless, ready-to-shatter posture held a strange kind of power.
In Lady Xie Yier’s golden eyes, those emerald, tear-filled pupils reflected only a desperate plea. Deep within those golden depths, as if eternal ice was beginning to crack, there was the faintest sign of a thaw.
For a brief moment, time seemed to stop, leaving only the sound of their interwoven breaths in the bathroom.
“Hmph,” Lady Xie Yier finally spoke again, “just saying sweet words can’t move your Master, you know…”
Lady Xie Yier supported Aier’s limp body, helping her lean against the edge of the bathtub beside her.
The distance between them was pressed to the limit, with Aier firmly trapped in the narrow space at her side.
Lady Xie Yier’s hand slid over Aier’s smooth shoulder, finally cradling the back of her head, her fingers threading through her damp golden hair.
The warm tub pressed against Aier’s back, while in front was Lady Xie Yier’s heated, soft embrace.
The scorching breath, mingled with the scent of roses from the bath, completely engulfed Aier.
Suddenly, Lady Xie Yier seemed to think of something, her lips curving slightly: “Come to think of it, I’ve never seen my Little Ai take the initiative before. Why don’t you show me your sincerity right now?”
Eh? What is she…
Before Aier could react, Lady Xie Yier had already kissed her.
With Lady Xie Yier’s domineering kiss, it was as if a new surge of scalding current had been injected into the bathwater, the temperature climbing irresistibly.
Does this mean she’s willing to forgive me? Or is it still just part of the punishment?
Aier could no longer think clearly—she could only follow the instincts that hadn’t yet faded from her body, clumsily responding to Lady Xie Yier.