“Pa!” A crisp sound echoed clearly through the dark, damp Dungeon.
“Ah!” The originally “unconscious” Wuhen let out a shrill, blood-curdling scream, suddenly bouncing up from the ground, clutching her body in pain, her eyes filled with terror and disbelief.
She never imagined that Mu Xi, this seemingly frail and harmless little girl, would actually stab her in the back so directly.
Ye Lan watched Wuhen struggle in pain, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.
The whip in her hand struck down again and again without mercy, as she mocked coldly, “Still pretending? Go on, keep pretending!”
“Ah! Stop! Stop! I was wrong! I was wrong!” Wuhen’s screams grew more and more piteous, her wails echoing through the narrow Dungeon corridor, making one’s scalp tingle.
Mu Xi stood to the side, watching Wuhen suffer under Ye Lan’s whipping, without the slightest hint of sympathy in her heart.
After all, this Wuhen was an Assassin, who knew how many lives her hands were stained with.
Stabbing her in the back was, for Mu Xi, just another step in maintaining her own image of weakness.
She couldn’t show too much growth in front of Ye Lan, or else she’d definitely be put on guard.
By the time they left the Dungeon, it was already noon.
The darkness, dampness, and bloody stench inside contrasted sharply with the bright sunlight and fresh air outside the Manor, as if they belonged to two completely different worlds.
Ye Lan seemed to be in a good mood, leading Mu Xi toward the Manor’s Dining Hall.
As they walked, she gently comforted her, “Little Xi did very well today. Don’t be afraid. As long as Master is here, no one will dare to hurt you.”
Mu Xi nodded obediently, but silently complained in her heart: ‘Isn’t the scariest person in this entire Manor actually you?’
The two of them soon arrived at the Dining Hall on the east side of the Manor’s first floor.
The Dining Hall’s decor continued the Manor’s overall luxurious style, with a lofty dome painted with intricate murals, and a massive Crystal Chandelier hanging down, its light dazzling.
A long dining table was covered with a snow-white tablecloth, already set with exquisite cutlery and steaming dishes, their aroma was mouthwatering.
After the Butlers silently withdrew, only Ye Lan and Mu Xi remained in the Dining Hall.
Ye Lan was the first to sit at the table, elegantly picking up her knife and fork, gesturing for Mu Xi to sit as well.
Mu Xi followed instructions and sat across from Ye Lan.
She looked at the delicious and beautifully presented dishes on the table, but had no appetite at all.
The experience in the Dungeon had left her with lingering fear.
Ye Lan noticed Mu Xi’s silence, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
She put down her knife and fork, watching Mu Xi with interest as she spoke: “Just eating is boring. Why don’t we play a Game?”
Mu Xi’s internal alarm bells rang loudly, but she still forced herself to maintain a compliant smile and softly asked, “What Game does Master want to play?”
Ye Lan pointed at the dishes on the table, then at Mu Xi’s feet, her tone leaving no room for refusal: “Take off your shoes, use your toes to pick up the food and feed me. Don’t drop it. If you do… you know what happens.”
Mu Xi’s heart instantly sank to the bottom.
‘Feed her with my toes?’
What kind of twisted Game is this!
She gritted her teeth, enduring the humiliation and disgust in her heart.
This Ye Lan was truly perverse to the extreme!
But she also knew that resisting would only invite even more terrifying punishment.
To avoid angering Ye Lan, and for the sake of her future escape plan, she could only endure.
Mu Xi took a deep breath and slowly removed her little white leather shoes, exposing her delicate, fair toes to the air, like finely carved jade.
She did her best to control her expression, not letting her disgust or resistance show, bending down to use her toes to grasp a dish from the table.
The first dish was crystal shrimp.
The shrimp were translucent and tender, looking extremely slippery.
Mu Xi carefully pinched a shrimp with her toes, trying hard to keep her balance, slowly bringing it to Ye Lan’s lips.
The shrimp wobbled in the air and was about to fall.
Mu Xi was so nervous she held her breath, her toes trembling slightly.
Ye Lan watched her clumsy actions with great interest and a playful smile appeared on her lips, as if she were enjoying a very amusing show.
At last, the shrimp, trembling, reached Ye Lan’s lips.
Ye Lan opened her mouth slightly, took the shrimp in, chewed slowly, and showed a satisfied expression.
“Not bad,” Ye Lan commented, her gaze never leaving Mu Xi’s toes, carrying a chilling scrutiny.
Mu Xi forced a stiff smile, but inside, she felt a wave of nausea.
Feed someone with my toes, and then get told it tastes good?
This kind of humiliation made her want to vomit.
But she still forced herself to continue, picking up the second dish, then the third…
Every dish was a torment, the numbness in her toes and the psychological disgust constantly pushing the limits of her endurance.
At that moment, a maid silently appeared at the entrance of the Dining Hall.
She kept her gaze straight ahead, as if she hadn’t noticed Mu Xi awkwardly feeding Ye Lan with her toes.
The maid walked to the table, expressionless, and placed a heavy Gold Bar on the tablecloth with a dull “thud.”
Then, like a ghost she silently retreated to the side, remaining quiet.
Ye Lan, still eating from Mu Xi’s trembling toes, tapped the Gold Bar with her fingertip, her tone both teasing and coaxing, as if talking to a pet: “This is your reward, little money-grubber. Well done. Keep it safe.”
The gleam of the Gold Bar caught her eye, its weight pressing down on Mu Xi’s heart as well.
She forced out a smile and sweetly thanked her, “Thank you, Master! Master is so good to me!”
But deep down, she couldn’t stop a wave of revulsion.
‘A single Gold Bar, and you think you can buy my dignity?’
How ridiculous and pathetic.
But on her face, she still maintained that innocent and naïve expression, carefully moving the Gold Bar to her side, as if it were some priceless treasure.
This farcical lunch finally ended.
The two left the Dining Hall one after another, returning to Mu Xi’s room on the second floor.
The corridor remained quiet, only their footsteps echoing.
Mu Xi lowered her head, following closely behind Ye Lan, feeling the sunlight streaming through the window at the end of the hall.
Her heart longed for freedom, yet she was tightly bound by the heavy reality.
When she pushed open the door, a wave of sweet fragrance rushed at her, instantly dispersing the oppressive feeling left from the Dining Hall.
Pink Lace Canopy, pink fluffy carpet, pink vanity— even the air seemed filled with pink bubbles, so sweet it felt unreal.
Before long, several maids entered carrying a huge wooden tub, filled with steaming Herbal Bath, the rich scent of herbs instantly permeating the whole room.
It was time for her daily Herbal Bath.
This was her daily “routine.”
To maintain the so-called “perfect state,” she had to soak in this strangely scented Herbal Bath, enduring the tingling numbness as the medicinal power invaded her skin.
The maids skillfully set the tub in the center of the room, carefully adjusting the water temperature.
Their movements were mechanical and numb, their eyes empty, as if they were already used to such scenes and were oblivious to Mu Xi’s presence.