Coming back to her senses, Xia Mengxi couldn’t help but feel a trace of panic, after all, she had never lost control of her emotions like this before.
Fortunately, Lin Xue’er didn’t notice her abnormality, because her reaction right now was exactly what the other party wanted to see.
“Of course you can, Xiao Xi. As long as you sincerely admit your mistake and promise to be a good child in the future, then I won’t punish you anymore.”
At this point, there was no turning back. Since it was already done, Xia Mengxi simply went along with Lin Xue’er’s words, nodding her head in quick agreement.
“Mm mm! I know I was wrong, Xue’er! I’ll definitely be a good child from now on!”
Lin Xue’er gave a slight smile, then looked at Xia Mengxi with a blank expression.
“Xiao Xi, do you really mean it when you admit your mistake? Because… I couldn’t hear any sincerity at all.”
“Eh…? But I…”
Before Xia Mengxi could finish, Lin Xue’er moved the feather in her hand to Xia Mengxi’s waist, and while speaking, proceeded to the next stage of punishment.
“Since you weren’t sincere in admitting your mistake, Xiao Xi, I’ll have to keep punishing you.”
“Wait… ah!!!”
The moment the tip of the feather touched her waist, a familiar sensation spread through Xia Mengxi’s entire body.
She didn’t understand why Lin Xue’er didn’t accept her previous apology.
Was it not convincing enough?
With such thoughts in mind, Xia Mengxi endured the torment on both sides of her waist in agony.
Before the final stage of the first round of punishment, Lin Xue’er, who was straddling her, repeated words similar to before.
“So? Xiao Xi, do you know what you did wrong now?”
“I know! I really know now! Xue’er, I really know I was wrong! I’ll definitely be the good child you want me to be from now on!”
“Mm…”
Lin Xue’er nodded, looking quite satisfied with Xia Mengxi’s answer.
Seeing this, Xia Mengxi let out a sigh of relief, but in the next moment, Lin Xue’er signaled to continue.
“Break time is over, time for the third stage, Xiao Xi.”
“Ah? Wha—mm!!”
The third stage of each punishment round targeted the side of her thigh.
The sensation here brought Xia Mengxi yet another unfamiliar feeling.
“No, stop!! Xue—Xue’er, please stop!!”
As Lin Xue’er tickled the sides of Xia Mengxi’s thighs, her legs shook uncontrollably, almost as if she had some kind of illness.
She couldn’t control it at all, and what frightened her most was that the familiar absence of boyish traits was now as if it was being set ablaze.
That utterly strange feeling made her instinctively beg Lin Xue’er for mercy.
But once Lin Xue’er started, she never stopped midway, so Xia Mengxi could only grit her teeth and force herself to endure until the third stage ended.
However, unlike other places, after the tickling at the sides of her thighs, the lingering heat in her body didn’t fade during the break.
Instead, it only increased with her breathing, spreading heat throughout her body.
“Huff… huff… huff…”
Seeing Xia Mengxi breathing rapidly, sweat beading on her forehead, Lin Xue’er gently wiped her sweat with a small towel, her expression tender.
“Xiao Xi, what was it that you hid from me this morning?”
“I… I… huff…”
Forcing herself to endure the itching that felt like ants crawling all over her, Xia Mengxi took a few deep breaths to clear her mind before replying to Lin Xue’er.
“I… I was planning to run away…”
“Run away? How were you going to do that?”
Xia Mengxi swallowed her dry throat and looked at the girl before her with some fear.
After this afternoon’s round of punishment, her opinion of Lin Xue’er had changed drastically, because this time, the other’s methods were truly frightening.
Even though she was mentally prepared and had strong willpower, she still couldn’t resist.
She had to admit, compared to Lin Xue’er before her ‘blackening’, that one was so much gentler!
But fear aside, Xia Mengxi wasn’t about to give in just yet.
In order to better deceive Lin Xue’er, she decided to answer her question with a mixture of truth and lies.
“I, I actually didn’t have any concrete plan… to run away.
But when I saw you… take away my wristwatch, I had an idea…
That is, to find a mobile phone or some other communication tool… and then—beg for mercy…”
“Hmm…?”
Lin Xue’er narrowed her eyes, the gaze she fixed upon Xia Mengxi was full of suspicion, as if she was trying to judge whether her words were true or false from her expression.
After a while, Lin Xue’er finally withdrew that suspicious look, but she still didn’t seem to fully believe her: “Let’s just say that’s how it is for now.
But I can see it, Xiao Xi, you really do want to escape.
After all, being imprisoned and treated like this by someone as abnormal as me, any normal person would want to escape.”
“Xue’er…”
“I’m sorry, Xiao Xi, but the one you like is someone with a twisted mind.
Still, I won’t let you go.
Even if you resent me, hate me, despise me, or loathe me, I’ll accept it all.
So…”
Lin Xue’er paused, reached out her hand before Xia Mengxi’s eyes, and then, as if she was touching something precious, carefully stroked Xia Mengxi’s adorable face.
“No matter whether you accept me or not, Xiao Xi, I’ll break you.
As long as you become abnormal too, we can be rejected by everyone in this world together.
When there’s nowhere left for either of us but each other, then we can truly be together forever.”
“……”
Lin Xue’er’s shocking words were simply incomprehensible to any normal person.
As Xia Mengxi stared into those colorless eyes, for a brief moment, she felt as if she was falling into a bottomless abyss, her mind going completely blank.
Dear heavens… this blackened version of Lin Xue’er, whether in method or in personality, is just too damn terrifying!
What’s even scarier is that Lin Xue’er’s twisted mindset strikes hard at the spirit—so much so that even someone with a strong will like her can’t help but be affected.
“Break time is over, Xiao Xi, time for the second round of punishment.”
At Lin Xue’er’s words, Xia Mengxi looked dumbfounded.
She had already confessed so much, why did it have to continue?
Had Lin Xue’er seen through her real intentions?
Perhaps seeing her confusion, Lin Xue’er smiled and said, “Didn’t I just say it, Xiao Xi? No matter what you do, I’ll break you.
So when I said I’d let you go just now, that actually doesn’t count.
After all, you’re in my hands now, so everything is up to me.”
Damn it…! Lin Xue’er, you damn—don’t keep your word!
Damn! What an idiot she was!
Last time she was imprisoned, Lin Xue’er was the same way, going back on her word, and yet she’d forgotten all about it!
“Of course, I will spare you the punishment tonight.
But only if you swear, as you promised, never to make another mistake.
Alright, break time’s over, time for the second round of punishment, Xiao Xi.”