THIP Chapter 8

Since the last time Lin Xi visited the dungeon, every time she came after that, Mu Liuyin would be tortured to the point of losing half her life, only to be kept alive with medicine.

Mu Liuyin curled up on the stone bed in the dungeon, her whole body feeling sluggish. Her face was pale as she asked Xiao Jiu, “Is the mission not completed yet?”

Xiao Jiu looked at her with a heart full of pity. “I’m sorry, Host… QAQ… Wuwuwu, no, not yet.”

Mu Liuyin closed her eyes and sighed faintly. She did the math in her head and realized that it had already been almost half a month since she was bound here by Lin Xi. After being tortured for so long, if not for Xiao Jiu, she probably would have been tortured to death by now.

Could it be that she had to be tortured to death by Lin Xi to complete the mission?

A sound came from her side, and Mu Liuyin struggled to open her eyes. It was Lin Xi.

What was rare was that Lin Xi didn’t continue torturing her, but instead sat beside her bed. Mu Liuyin then closed her eyes again.

Lin Xi’s cold, indifferent voice rang in her ears, “Cousin, do you love me?”

Mu Liuyin, still drowsy, muttered a faint “Mm.”

At this time, the original owner still had feelings for Lin Xi.

However, Lin Xi smiled. “Cousin, you’re lying.” She leaned closer to Mu Liuyin’s ear and said, “That day, you went with Su Biyan to find me. After leaving the mansion, you became intimate with her, as if you were… kissing her.”

Thinking back to that day, Lin Xi’s heart filled with more bitterness.

Hearing her say this, Mu Liuyin’s heart tightened, and she explained in a grievance, “I didn’t! I was just… warning her.”

Lin Xi froze for a moment.

Mu Liuyin continued, more and more aggrieved, “She’s the one who caused Xi’er to fall into the water and then kept pestering me, so I had to warn her.”

Mu Liuyin, feeling increasingly wronged, finally confessed, “It was also my plan that made Su Biyan plagiarize.”

How could this be possible?

Lin Xi stared at Mu Liuyin, her pupils narrowing slightly.

But Mu Liuyin, pale-faced, had tears streaming from her closed eyes. Seeing her numerous yet unhealed, horrific wounds made her seem fragile and pitiful.

Lin Xi’s heart suddenly became chaotic. She stood up and walked out of the dungeon, her back inexplicably appearing a little disheveled.

“Miss, Miss!” As she returned to the courtyard, she heard Zi Han’s voice. “Miss, do you know? I heard that the legitimate daughter of the Duke of the State, Su Biyan, was caught having an affair with someone in her mansion. Now, the whole capital knows about it.”

Lin Xi lowered her eyes. Of course, she knew. After all, it was she who had orchestrated it. How could she not know?

She had gone to the dungeon today to speak about this matter, but was distracted by that person’s aggrieved defense, causing her to forget.

Lin Xi didn’t say anything, and Zi Han secretly glanced at her, thinking her silence was because hearing about Su Biyan reminded her of the bad-tempered Crown Prince, which made her sad. She immediately lowered her head and said nothing further.

The two of them returned to Lin Xi’s private room, and Lin Xi said, “Zi Han, you may leave.”

Zi Han responded and left.

“Eleven.” Lin Xi called the name of her hidden guard and instructed, “Go to the Duke’s mansion and bring Su Biyan to me.”

At the emperor’s birthday banquet, Su Biyan’s reputation had been ruined. She was strictly confined by the Duke’s mansion and wasn’t allowed to leave the house. Yet, just a few days ago, she had had an affair with her stepsister’s fiancé. This series of blows nearly drove Su Biyan insane.

She was a transmigrator! She knew all the plot points, so why had she ended up in such a situation?

How could this be? How could this happen?

Locked in her room, Su Biyan was uneasy.

Her eyes filled with hatred as she realized someone must have plotted against her. Since the emperor’s birthday banquet, that person must have been a transmigrator, as they knew all the poems.

But who could that person be? Su Biyan pulled at her hair and suddenly remembered how Yin Xiu had turned cold and even warned her.

How could it be him? How could it be?

Su Biyan muttered to herself, “No, it can’t be him.”

The next moment, Su Biyan felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck.

Eleven, who had quietly entered her room, swiftly knocked her unconscious and brought her to Lin Xi.

When Su Biyan woke up, she heard a cold, ethereal voice like broken jade ask, “That day when you left the Duke of the State’s mansion, did Yin Xiu warn you?”

Su Biyan felt that the voice sounded familiar but didn’t have time to think. Feeling the cold blade across her neck, her voice trembled, “Yes.”

Lin Xi sighed softly. “So it’s true.”

She lowered the dagger from Su Biyan’s neck and said, “Miss Su, it’s been a while.”

When Su Biyan finally saw her face clearly, she widened her eyes in disbelief and asked, “Lin Xi?”

“You designed me?” Su Biyan hissed.

Lin Xi’s expression was calm. “Yes, it was me.”

Su Biyan’s breath became heavier as she looked at Lin Xi with hatred. “You’d better kill me now, or I’ll kill you!”

Lin Xi shook her head and smiled lightly. “Sometimes, isn’t living worse than dying?”

She smiled, but her eyes were full of deep, heavy hatred. Su Biyan shivered uncontrollably.

Lin Xi didn’t want to waste any more words. After getting the answer she wanted, she ordered Eleven to return Su Biyan to the Duke’s mansion.

After all, in a few days, this woman, who had replaced her as Empress, would be marrying her stepsister’s fiancé as a concubine.

Seven days later, the second prince Yin Yu, and the legitimate daughter of the Duke of the State, Lin Xi, became engaged.

The Duke’s mansion was lively, with lights burning well into the night.

That evening, however, Lin Xi stumbled into the dungeon where Mu Liuyin was kept.

[Host, the target has arrived.] Xiao Jiu quickly reminded.

Mu Liuyin lazily responded with an “Mm,” unwilling to open her eyes.

Until, a girl with the scent of alcohol stepped in front of her. The girl wore a fiery red gown, and her usually cold face seemed to have a faint blush, likely from the alcohol.

A beautiful woman in a beautiful dress.

Suddenly, Lin Xi’s entire body pressed down on Mu Liuyin, her usually cold eyes somewhat blurry from the drunkenness. As her lips parted, she softly called, “Cousin.”

Mu Liuyin felt pain from the pressure on her wounds and opened her eyes to see the girl’s complicated eyes, shrouded in a misty haze, and her disheveled red gown.

Mu Liuyin blinked, dazed.

Lin Xi called her name and then suddenly fell silent. She stared at Mu Liuyin’s body covered in wounds, her eyes clearing with some focus.

After a brief pause, she reached out and began tearing at Mu Liuyin’s torn clothes. Mu Liuyin’s pale face showed surprise and doubt. Instinctively, she struggled, but due to being tortured for so long, her weakened body was easily subdued.

Lin Xi easily restrained her and then pulled the iron chains to bind her completely. She continued with what she had started earlier.

Mu Liuyin: ???!!!

What the hell! What is Lin Xi trying to do???!!! Mu Liuyin’s heart broke, and she didn’t want to do this with a girl at all! Ahhh!!!

Upon seeing that Lìn Xī was undoing her fiery red gown again, Mù Liúyīn finally panicked. “Xī’er, don’t do this.”

Lìn Xī, her eyes blurry with intoxication, gazed at Mù Liúyīn. Her long, delicate fingers pressed against Mù Liúyīn’s lips. The faint smell of alcohol lingered as she spoke, “Cousin, listen to me.”

Mù Liúyīn was startled by the coldness in her voice. She quickly asked Little Nine, “Little Nine! Little Nine! Can you make Lìn Xī pass out?!”

Little Nine replied, “I can’t… QAQ.”

Mù Liúyīn, in despair: “…What good are you?!”

Lìn Xī’s red gown was nearly undone, but her actions continued.

Shit! Mù Liúyīn was both panicked and terrified. She yelled, “Lìn Xī! Aren’t you already engaged to Yīn Yù?! Stop! Don’t you care about your purity at all?!”

She blurted out all this in one breath, and then realized she might have spoken out of panic. After all, the original body still loved Lìn Xī. For Lìn Xī to act this way, the original body wouldn’t have reacted like this.

But to Mù Liúyīn’s surprise, Lìn Xī stopped. Her beautiful eyes stared at Mù Liúyīn before, as if suddenly recalling something, and she got off the bed.

Mù Liúyīn sighed in relief, no longer overthinking things.

Holy crap! That was terrifying!

But then, Lìn Xī came back to the bed, carrying a small box.

Mù Liúyīn recognized this small box, which had been in the dungeon. She had always assumed it contained torture tools, so she never asked Little Nine about it. But seeing Lìn Xī open the box now, her face turned pale.

Inside the small box were not many items, but they sent chills down Mù Liúyīn’s spine. She wasn’t naïve enough to think that Lìn Xī would use these things on herself. That could only mean they were for her.

When Lìn Xī took out a jade object from the box, Mù Liúyīn instantly broke into a cold sweat, her voice trembling, “Xī’er, you’re drunk.”

Lìn Xī smiled lightly, her eyes soft but dangerous, and said, “Cousin, be good.”

Mù Liúyīn’s pale face tensed as she struggled, but Lìn Xī, with her hazy eyes, easily restrained her weak body covered in wounds.

It seemed to pass in an instant, though it could have been much longer. Mù Liúyīn closed her eyes, drifting into unconsciousness.

Lìn Xī looked at the new marks on Mù Liúyīn’s scarred body and the tear stains on her face. She covered her eyes and laughed softly, “I don’t want to kill you anymore, cousin.”

She easily lifted the nearly fleshless Mù Liúyīn, who, upon being touched, whispered weakly, “Xī’er, please… don’t… don’t do this…”

Her voice was hoarse and fragile.

Lìn Xī silently looked at her. Though Mù Liúyīn had not yet woken up, she was still pleading unconsciously, showing just how scared she had been the previous night.

Lìn Xī carried her to clean up.

When Mù Liúyīn woke up, she found herself no longer in the dungeon, but in a clean, unfamiliar room. Her wounds had been treated and bandaged.

But even the slightest movement caused sharp pain. Thinking of what had happened the night before, Mù Liúyīn’s gaze went blank.

Shit!!!!!

She had just been taken advantage of by a girl!!! X!!!

Mù Liúyīn just wanted to cry. What the hell! This was her first time, damn it!!!

“Little Nine, are you alright?” Little Nine cautiously asked.

“What the hell do you mean ‘alright’! I’m far from ‘alright’!”

That was her first time, ahhhh!!!

Mù Liúyīn coldly responded, “You saw everything yesterday, didn’t you?”

Upon hearing the murderous tone in Mù Liúyīn’s voice, Little Nine quickly replied, “No, no! It’s a matter of privacy. I would be blocked from the system if I disclosed anything.”

Mù Liúyīn clenched her fists, furious. Just thinking about what had happened last night made her feel both ashamed and humiliated. For Mù Liúyīn, it wasn’t just a physical blow, but a psychological one as well.

A servant had been staying nearby to look after Mù Liúyīn, but Lìn Xī hadn’t come again.

Lìn Xī wasn’t worried about Mù Liúyīn escaping, since there were still shadow guards monitoring her from the shadows.

Mù Liúyīn recovered for half a month, until Little Nine suddenly said, “Su Bìyān is getting married tomorrow.”

Mù Liúyīn couldn’t help but feel a bit frustrated. Ever since she and Lìn Xī had that experience, she had been trying to finish the mission quickly, but the system still hadn’t displayed “Mission Complete.”

When she heard Little Nine’s words, her eyes lit up.

This could be the opportunity.

Just as Mù Liúyīn was wondering how to escape, Lìn Xī arrived.

Mù Liúyīn’s face turned pale. Lìn Xī simply said, “Cousin, Su Bìyān is getting married tomorrow.”

She asked, “Cousin, would you like to go see?”

Mù Liúyīn didn’t answer.

The next day, Lìn Xī placed a human-skin mask on her, covering her real appearance, and said, “Cousin, I’ll take you to see.”

Mù Liúyīn remained silent, letting her have her way.

After presenting the invitation, Lìn Xī took Mù Liúyīn to find a seat. With Lìn Xī’s status, she didn’t need to attend, but how could she miss this show, one she had personally orchestrated?

The incident occurred during the bride and groom’s bowing ceremony. Su Bìyān, dressed in bridal attire, suddenly drew a dagger from her sleeve and violently stabbed at Lìn Xī.

Lìn Xī’s gaze hardened, but for a moment, she couldn’t dodge in time. Mù Liúyīn yanked Lìn Xī over, and the gleaming dagger pierced Mù Liúyīn’s heart.

In the next moment, Su Bìyān, acting like a madwoman, was captured by others, shouting that Lìn Xī should die.

Her life had been ruined by Lìn Xī. How could she not hate her? She knew Lìn Xī would come today, but she hadn’t expected someone to block the knife for Lìn Xī.

Lìn Xī held the collapsed Mù Liúyīn in her arms. Her beautiful eyes were emotionless as Mù Liúyīn coughed up blood, saying, “Xī’er, you must protect yourself.”

“I will. Don’t let hatred disturb you anymore.”

Mù Liúyīn clung to Lìn Xī’s sleeve, her voice weak, “Xī’er, I love you.”

Her hand that had gripped Lìn Xī’s sleeve slowly loosened and fell limp.

But I hate you!

Lìn Xī slightly tilted her head back, her beautiful eyes seeming to shimmer with water as she said, “I have no regrets about what I’ve done.”