Mu Xi bit her lip, her voice trembling.
“Sister Ke’er, I… I don’t dare use a knife.”
“Take it,” Lin Ke’er said softly, pressing the small blade into her hand.
“This is all the help I can give you.”
With a sigh, Lin Ke’er rose and tucked Mu Xi’s blanket around her.
“Rest well. Call me if you need anything.”
When Lin Ke’er left, Mu Xi’s gaze fixed on the knife in her hand, her eyes sharpening like the edge of the blade itself.
This knife… it might actually come in useful.
Carefully, she slipped it beneath her pillow, a faint, fleeting smile curling her lips.
In her heart, she schemed quietly: if Qing Yun dared to stir trouble again, she’d brandish this knife to scare her off.
Mu Xi knew she lacked the courage to truly harm anyone, but the cold steel lent her a fragile sense of security.
The room was cloaked in silence, broken only by the distant hum of insects beyond the window.
Mu Xi tossed and turned, a nagging emptiness gnawing at her.
Then it hit her—Ye Lan wasn’t here.
“Damn it, why am I even thinking of her?” Mu Xi cursed herself, yet memories of past nights crept in unbidden, warm and disarming.
That woman, so fierce and domineering, had a way of making Mu Xi’s body tremble with every kiss, every caress.
Mu Xi shook her head fiercely, desperate to banish the vivid, tantalizing images.
But her body betrayed her, a restless heat pooling in her core, an unfamiliar sensation rising from her abdomen.
Her hands trembled, her thoughts drifted, and the world seemed to spin, as if she were adrift in a boundless sea.
“I’m not that kind of woman!” Mu Xi bit her lip harder, forcing herself to calm down.
Yet desire surged like relentless waves, crashing over her defenses.
A sudden breeze slipped through the half-open window, carrying the delicate scent of gardenias from the courtyard.
Mu Xi inhaled deeply, letting the faint fragrance fill her senses, easing the fever within her.
She rose and tiptoed to the window.
Moonlight poured like liquid silver, bathing the courtyard in a radiant glow.
The distant forest loomed like an inky ocean, still and enigmatic.
Gazing at the scene, Mu Xi’s thoughts drifted to her past life.
Back then, she’d been a man—how could she have imagined being trapped in this form, in this place?
A tangle of emotions surged within her, heavy and unyielding.
“I have to find a way to escape,” she vowed, clenching her fists.
But the thought followed swiftly: even if she escaped, where would she go?
What would she do with this body?
Her mind swirled with chaotic questions, a knotted mess she couldn’t unravel.
Each doubt pressed down like a stone, suffocating her.
Mu Xi took a deep breath, trying to quell the rising panic.
But the harder she tried, the stronger the sense of helplessness grew.
“Forget it,” she muttered, surrendering to despair.
She closed her eyes.
“A good sleep might bring answers tomorrow.”
Clinging to that faint hope, she forced her mind to still, slipping slowly into dreams.
The next morning, Mu Xi woke to the cheerful trill of birdsong.
Her eyes fluttered open, sunlight spilling through the curtains, casting golden streaks across the floor.
“Another new day,” she sighed, dragging herself out of bed with effort.
After washing up, she settled at the vanity.
A soft knock came at the door.
“Come in,” Mu Xi called.
A young maid in a black-and-white uniform entered, carrying an elegant tray.
“Miss, your breakfast is ready,” she said respectfully, placing it on the bedside table.
Mu Xi glanced at the spread—cream cake and assorted sweets, as always.
She pursed her lips, already tired of the cloying flavors.
“Thank you,” she said politely.
“Oh, and my medicine?”
The maid produced a small bottle, tipping a single white pill into Mu Xi’s hand.
“Here you are, Miss.”
Mu Xi swallowed it with a sip of water.
The maid gathered the tray and left with a bow.
Nibbling absently on the cake, Mu Xi sat on the bed, her mind wandering.
She was about to stretch her legs when another knock sounded.
“Come in.”
Another maid entered, this time bearing a delicate candy box.
“Miss, the mistress sent these throat lozenges from the gold mines. She says to have one daily.”
Mu Xi raised an eyebrow and accepted the box.
Inside, translucent candies gleamed like jewels.
“Thank you. Please thank the mistress for me,” she said.
Once the maid departed, Mu Xi popped a candy into her mouth.
It melted instantly, not overly sweet but refreshingly cool.
“These are… different,” she mused.
But before she could savor it, a strange heat flared in her abdomen, spreading like wildfire through her veins.
Her legs buckled, and she collapsed onto the bed.
“What… what’s happening?” Mu Xi gasped, her mouth dry, every pore screaming with need.
A tidal wave of desire crashed over her, threatening to drown her.
She bit her lip until it stung, fighting to rein in the overwhelming urge.
“Damn you, Ye Lan!” she cursed inwardly.
“This isn’t a lozenge—it’s a drug!”
Curling up on the bed, Mu Xi clutched the sheets, her knuckles whitening.
She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the torrent of desire to subside.
But the more she fought, the fiercer it grew.
She felt as if she were burning in a sea of flames, every inch of her skin ablaze.
Her breaths came in ragged gasps, her chest heaving.
“I have to stay calm,” she gritted out.
Struggling to her feet, she stumbled to the bathroom and twisted on the shower.
Cold water cascaded over her, but it did nothing to douse the fire within.
Worse, her soaked clothes clung to her skin, amplifying her torment.
“What do I do? What should I do?” she muttered, pacing in panic.
“Am I really going to…?”
A knock at the door interrupted her spiral.
“Little Xi, it’s time for your singing lesson,” Lin Ke’er called.
Mu Xi froze, remembering her schedule.
“Coming! Just… give me a moment!” she shouted, voice strained.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to steady.
Drying off and changing into fresh clothes, she caught her reflection in the mirror—flushed cheeks, hazy eyes, lips parted, radiating an unintended allure.
“This is a disaster. I can’t go out like this,” she groaned.
But time wouldn’t wait.
Bracing herself, she stepped out of the room.
“Little Xi, are you alright?” Lin Ke’er asked, concern creasing her brow.
“You look unwell.”
“I’m fine,” Mu Xi forced a smile.
“Just didn’t sleep well. Let’s go.”
Every step was a battle, the heat within her intensifying, threatening to unravel her composure.
‘This cursed drug—how long will it torment me?’ she seethed, blaming Ye Lan while st’eeling her resolve. I won’t lose control. I can’t.’
With that, Mu Xi clenched her jaw and trudged toward the music room, bracing for an agonizing lesson.
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