The cold touch of metal helped her calm down slightly.
She clutched the fruit knife tightly in her hand, returned to bed, pulled the covers over her head, leaving only her eyes exposed, warily staring at the direction of the door, while hiding the fruit knife under the pillow, the handle pressed against her palm.
She had also checked the window, confirming it was locked from the inside, and that outside the window was the second floor, with hard ground below.
Even if Ye Lan wanted to climb in, she wouldn’t be able to do so quietly.
She had even thought it through—if Ye Lan truly forced her way in, she would immediately put the knife to her own throat.
She didn’t believe that, even at that point, Ye Lan could remain indifferent.
Threatening Ye Lan with her own life—this was the most effective way she could think of to protect herself.
Perfect.
Mu Xi said this to herself.
With all her defensive measures in place, a strange mixture of exhaustion and security washed over her.
Her tense nerves slowly relaxed, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
Maybe the hot spring had been too soothing, maybe today’s mental drain had been too great, or maybe this meticulous “fortification” gave her enough psychological comfort—Mu Xi curled up under the covers, listening to her own steady breathing, and actually slowly, deeply fell asleep.
This was the most peaceful sleep she’d had since arriving at Stone City, as if all her fear and unease were sealed out by that door blocked with heavy objects and the cold little knife under her pillow.
The night deepened, and the Silent Language Building fell into complete silence.
Only in the second bedroom at the end of the hallway was the light still on.
Ye Lan leaned against the cold wall, an unlit cigarette pinched between her fingertips, her deep eyes gazing at the ceiling, dark and unreadable.
She could clearly hear the even, lingering sound of Mu Xi’s breathing from the room next door.
She was asleep.
After carefully preparing all her defenses, with a knife hidden under her pillow, she had fallen asleep.
She was sleeping so soundly.
A bitter curve tugged at the corner of Ye Lan’s mouth.
‘How far had she pushed her?’
That little one who used to tremble in her arms, who didn’t even dare cry out loud—now she needed to guard against her in this way just to sleep peacefully.
And she, the one who once held control, now could only stand outside like a pitiful creature shut out, listening to her breathing, afraid that even one step closer would disturb her fragile peace.
Ye Lan closed her eyes, her fingertips pressing slightly, the cigarette silently crushed flat.
“Courting” her?
Fine.
Then she would court her.
She would use every means possible to make Mu Xi trust her again, depend on her, fall in love with her.
Even if that process required far more patience and cost than she had imagined.
But… the matter with Nan Qiao had to be settled as soon as possible.
She needed the power of Stone City, absolute control, to pave the road for Mu Xi’s future, and to ensure Mu Xi stayed by her side forever.
Ye Lan opened her eyes, a cold, sharp glint flashing through them.
She took out her communicator and dialed a number.
“Sovereign.”
The Captain of the Personal Guard’s respectful, steady voice came through the receiver.
“Have the ‘Shadows’ prepare to move. Before tomorrow night, I want Nan Qiao to completely lose control of Stone City. The plan can be moved up.” Ye Lan’s voice was icy and decisive.
“Yes, Sovereign!”
The communication cut off, and silence returned to the room.
Ye Lan walked to the window, gazing at a waning crescent moon rising over the desert outside, her eyes profound.
‘Mu Xi, my little Xi, wait a little longer, just a little longer, and I’ll show you who is truly the one who can give you everything and protect everything you have.’
At this moment, Mu Xi, sleeping soundly in the master bedroom, knew nothing of this.
She only seemed to sense something in her dream, unconsciously reaching under her pillow, gripping the cold handle of the fruit knife, then sinking back into deep sleep.
“Thump, thump, thump—”
The dull knocking, like a blow to the heart, yanked Mu Xi violently out of her deep sleep.
She jolted, instinctively tensing her body, her hand shooting toward the pillow.
The cold, hard touch came—the handle of the fruit knife.
Last night’s fear and wariness flooded back instantly, making her forget where she was, thinking Ye Lan had finally forced her way in.
A faint, barely perceptible tremor ran through her.
“Who?!” Her voice trembled, hoarse with just-woken sleepiness.
A moment of silence outside the door, then a cautious female voice: “Miss… Mu Xi? It’s me. By the Sovereign’s orders, I’ve brought you breakfast.”
Not Ye Lan.
Mu Xi’s tense nerves relaxed a little, but she still didn’t fully lower her guard.
“And me, miss.” Another, slightly crisper female voice added.
Two servants?
Bringing breakfast?
Mu Xi frowned, her brain still in a foggy haze.
After all the fuss last night—the hot spring, the “defensive setup”—she was truly exhausted, and she’d slept so deeply.
Being woken up now left her feeling a lazy irritation all over.
“So noisy…” she muttered, not loud, her voice thick with nasal tones and the displeasure of being disturbed.
She turned over, pulling the covers higher, trying to block out the sound from the door.
The two servants outside exchanged bewildered glances, barely hiding their shock.
One of them, slightly older and more composed, hesitantly knocked again, lowering her voice even further: “Miss Mu Xi? Are you awake? The breakfast… should we bring it in now?”
“In a bit!” Mu Xi called out impatiently, her voice louder and clearer than before—that soft, sweet voice laced with grogginess was unmistakable to anyone.
After shouting, she curled back into the covers, closing her eyes to try to sleep again.
The door went completely quiet.
The two servants stood before the cold metal door, looking at each other, both equally baffled.
‘Miss Mu Xi…’
‘She’s got quite a temper?’
They had been personally selected by Sovereign Ye Lan and specially assigned to care for this “distinguished guest.”
Before coming, they had been repeatedly instructed to serve her with the utmost care and never show the slightest negligence or disrespect.
They also vaguely knew that this Miss Mu Xi held a special status—someone the Sovereign treasured deeply.
But they never expected that this young lady, who looked like a delicate, fragile porcelain doll, could have such an earthly, human case of morning grumpiness.
That coquettish yet slightly willful tone left them momentarily unsure how to respond.
Should they keep knocking, or just wait outside?
The Sovereign had never mentioned this quirk of the young lady!
The two exchanged a helpless yet somewhat curious glance, and ultimately decided to wait obediently at the door.
The Sovereign’s beloved treasure—they didn’t dare provoke her displeasure again.
Inside the room, Mu Xi, disturbed by the interruption, had mostly lost her sleepiness.
She groggily opened her eyes, staring at the cold metal ceiling for a few seconds before last night’s memories slowly trickled back.
Ye Lan… the threat…
She sat up abruptly, confirming the fruit knife was still under her pillow, the handle’s temperature seemingly still holding the warmth of her palm.
Then she looked at the door.
The door, blocked by the chair and nightstand, was still firmly in place.
The window was still locked from the inside.
Safe.
She let out a long sigh, her tense body slowly relaxing.
So, Ye Lan really hadn’t forced her way in last night.
She had actually kept the agreement to court her?
This realization left Mu Xi’s feelings complicated.
There was a subtle smugness at having her scheme succeed, and also a faint, indefinable sense of loss.