Mu Xi trailed Lin Ke’er into the music room, a wave of unbearable heat washing over her the moment she crossed the threshold.
She forced herself to sit at the piano, but the notes on the sheet music blurred into an indecipherable haze.
“Little Xi, let’s start with some vocal exercises,” Lin Ke’er said, settling beside her, her fingers brushing the keys with a soft, deliberate touch.
Mu Xi parted her lips to sing, but a faint moan escaped instead.
She clapped a hand over her mouth, her cheeks flaring crimson.
“Something’s off with you today,” Lin Ke’er observed, leaning closer, her voice laced with concern.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
Mu Xi shrank back instinctively, her thighs pressing together as if to hold herself in place.
“Don’t… don’t come so close…”
A faint, intoxicating fragrance wafted from Mu Xi, a blend of creamy sweetness and warm milk.
Lin Ke’er inhaled deeply, her gaze darkening with an unspoken intensity.
“Little Xi, you smell… divine today.”
“No…” Mu Xi pushed her away, but her strength faltered, and she collapsed onto the plush carpet.
Her skirt fanned out, revealing a glimpse of her pale, delicate calf.
Lin Ke’er’s eyes lingered on Mu Xi’s flushed cheeks and dazed expression, her heartbeat quickening.
“Do you need my help?”
“No!” Mu Xi’s voice broke into a desperate cry.
“Come any closer, and I’ll scream for help!”
Lin Ke’er froze, watching as Mu Xi trembled like a frightened rabbit.
But in the next heartbeat, Mu Xi leaned toward her, her voice softening into a sugary plea.
“Sister Ke’er…” she murmured, a coy lilt in her tone, “I’m so hot… Will you touch me?”
Before Lin Ke’er could respond, Mu Xi snapped back to herself, scrambling away in a panic.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean it…”
“What’s wrong with you?” Lin Ke’er asked, utterly bewildered.
Mu Xi bit her lip, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
The heat coursing through her body surged, eroding her rationality bit by bit.
Her trembling fingers fumbled with the buttons of her blouse.
“It’s so hot… please, help me…”
Lin Ke’er stared, torn between shock, delight, and confusion.
This wasn’t the sweet, demure Little Xi she knew—this was someone else entirely.
Suddenly, Mu Xi’s eyes widened as if struck by a realization.
She stumbled to her feet.
“No! I have to leave!”
She staggered toward the door, but Lin Ke’er caught her arm.
“It’s too dangerous for you to go out like this,” Lin Ke’er said, her brow furrowing.
“Calm down first.”
“Let me go!” Mu Xi thrashed, tears spilling over.
“Please, sister Ke’er, let me go…”
Lin Ke’er’s heart softened at the sight of Mu Xi’s pitiful state, but she knew letting her run off in this condition was out of the question.
“Did Boss Ye give you something again?” Lin Ke’er asked, a sudden suspicion dawning.
Mu Xi froze, then nodded, her face burning with shame.
“That woman!” Lin Ke’er gritted her teeth.
“Come on, I’m taking you to the lounge.”
Supporting Mu Xi, Lin Ke’er pushed open the door to the lounge adjacent to the music room.
“Hold on, Little Xi, we’re here,” she soothed, silently grateful for the room’s proximity.
The lounge was a study in opulence.
A grand European-style bed dominated the space, draped in Egyptian cotton sheets that felt like liquid silk.
Twin crystal lamps flanked the headboard, their soft glow casting a warm, intimate light.
By the window, a leather sofa sat beside a coffee table adorned with a vase of fresh white roses, their delicate scent perfuming the air.
A rosewood bookshelf lined one wall, brimming with books ranging from timeless classics to modern novels.
The bathroom boasted a jacuzzi and a spacious shower, its black-and-white marble tiles gleaming coldly under the light.
The vanity was a treasure trove of high-end skincare products and perfumes, an extravagant display.
“This is… a bit much,” Mu Xi mumbled, clinging to the last threads of her awareness.
Lin Ke’er chuckled softly.
“Boss Ye’s style. You get used to it.”
She guided Mu Xi to the bed, hesitating before speaking.
“Little Xi, in your state… do you need my help?”
Mu Xi’s face burned with mortification, wishing the floor would swallow her whole.
She shook her head frantically.
“No… I can handle it…”
But another wave of heat crashed over her.
A soft whimper escaped, and she bit her finger in frustration, humiliated by her own body’s betrayal.
Lin Ke’er’s heart ached at the sight.
She gently took Mu Xi’s hand, her voice tender.
“Don’t hurt yourself. Let me help, okay?”
Mu Xi’s tear-filled eyes met hers, torn between reason and instinct.
Her mind screamed to refuse, but her body nodded in surrender.
Lin Ke’er took a steadying breath and began to touch Mu Xi, her movements gentle yet precise, as if handling a fragile masterpiece.
Mu Xi squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her jaw to stifle any sound.
But as Lin Ke’er’s touch grew more assured, Mu Xi’s breaths came faster, more ragged.
“Sister Ke… Ke’er…” she whispered, her voice trembling with a hint of a sob.
Lin Ke’er’s heart skipped, but she restrained the urge to go further.
She knew Mu Xi’s actions were driven by whatever drug coursed through her, not true desire.
“It’s okay, Little Xi,” she murmured.
“It’ll be over soon.”
As minutes passed, Mu Xi’s reactions intensified.
Her hands gripped the sheets, her delicate knuckles trembling.
Lin Ke’er watched, torn between pity and powerlessness.
Finally, with a muffled cry, Mu Xi reached her peak.
Her body shook, the flush on her face fading to a ghostly pallor.
Lin Ke’er grabbed a towel, gently wiping Mu Xi’s skin.
Mu Xi lay still, silent tears streaming from her closed eyes.
“I’m sorry…” Lin Ke’er whispered, guilt heavy in her chest.
Mu Xi shook her head weakly.
“It’s not your fault… thank you…”
Lin Ke’er tucked the blanket around her, starting to rise, but a soft hand caught hers.
“Don’t go…” Mu Xi’s voice was barely audible.
Lin Ke’er paused, then smiled warmly.
“Alright, I’ll stay.”
She sat by the bed, stroking Mu Xi’s hair as she drifted into sleep, tear stains glistening on her cheeks.
Lin Ke’er gazed at her, a tangle of emotions swirling within.
How she longed to shield this fragile girl from all pain and harm.
But the truth was, they were both trapped in a gilded cage.
Outside, the sun sank below the horizon, its final rays slipping through the curtains to brush Mu Xi’s face.
Lin Ke’er sighed, pressing a featherlight kiss to Mu Xi’s forehead.
“Goodnight, my Little Xi,” she whispered.
“May your dreams be free of pain, filled only with sweetness.”
As Lin Ke’er’s footsteps faded, Mu Xi’s eyes fluttered open.
She stared at the ceiling, a faint, enigmatic smile curving her lips.
The whimpers, the trembling, the shy vulnerability—how much was real, how much was feigned, even she couldn’t say.
But that delicate, helpless facade?
That was deliberate.
She knew women like Lin Ke’er too well.
The stronger they were, the more they were drawn to fragile creatures in need of protection.
And Mu Xi was simply playing the part of a wounded rabbit.
She rolled over, her fingertips grazing the lingering warmth Lin Ke’er had left behind.
This woman would become her most valuable ally.
In this lavish prison, she needed a key as sharp as Lin Ke’er.
The sunset had vanished, and the room sank into shadow.
Mu Xi closed her eyes, her smile deepening.