THIP Chapter 43 V2

Now it was her turn to look confused.

If Mu Liuyin didn’t like her, why was he always so nice to her? He had taken care of her when she fell unconscious after awakening her powers, taught her how to use them afterward, and cooked for her every day—he was even better to her than Xu Chi, her ex-boyfriend, had ever been.
Wasn’t that what people did when they liked someone?

Seeing Jieyin fall silent, Mu Liuyin, not understanding why she seemed upset, added, “Besides, I’ve never even let you see what I look like. How could I possibly like you?”

Jieyin: “…”

She was left completely speechless.

After finishing dinner, Jieyin shot a cold look at Mu Liuyin and said, “You can wash the dishes yourself!”

Mu Liuyin felt a little exasperated.
It’s not like he ever didn’t wash them himself before!

After washing up and getting ready for bed, Mu Liuyin lay down, taking off his mask. He couldn’t figure out why Jieyin would think he liked her. Sure, he was pretty good to her—but that was only because she was his mission target!
And from the way Jieyin had spoken, it almost seemed like she might have feelings for him too…
Still, he’d explained things enough. She shouldn’t misunderstand anymore, right?

Thinking this, Mu Liuyin slowly drifted off to sleep.

But in his dreams, Mu Liuyin felt as if he had gone back to the day Jieyin first woke up after awakening her powers.
Only this time, instead of asking who he was, Jieyin gently said, “Feng Yan… can I see your face?”

Mu Liuyin instinctively wanted to refuse, but when he met Jieyin’s pitiful, pleading gaze, his heart softened instantly.
Almost as if bewitched, he reached up and removed the silver half-mask from his face, revealing a young, handsome, and strangely familiar face.

The moment Jieyin saw his true appearance, her pupils shrank slightly, disbelief flooding her beautiful eyes.

“Xu Chi…” Jieyin murmured.
“Ice powers, hiding your face, testing my feelings toward you…”
She laughed at herself.
“I guess I should have figured out long ago that you were Xu Chi.”

Startled awake by the confrontation, Mu Liuyin’s dark eyes filled with panic and fear.
He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but no words came out.
He could only stare at Jieyin helplessly, like a pitiful, trembling kitten.

“You had no problem letting those people hurt me,” Jieyin said coldly, stepping closer, her voice icy. “So why are you pretending to be Feng Yan, getting close to me, being so good to me, just to make me let my guard down? Xu Chi… was it fun, playing me like that?”

Mu Liuyin frantically shook his head, trying to say no.

QAQ sobs—Jieyin was terrifying like this!

Jieyin reached out and grabbed the young man’s chin, her voice hoarse as she laughed darkly.
“You win, Xu Chi.”

Leaning close to his ear, she whispered, “I’ve fallen for Feng Yan. You must be so proud of yourself, aren’t you?”

Mu Liuyin stared at her blankly, utterly stunned.
He had never expected that she would fall for him.

Maybe the only silver lining to Jieyin falling for him… was that she might not kill him?

But while Mu Liuyin was lost in these thoughts, he failed to notice the green vines creeping across the ground.
By the time he realized it, the vines had already coiled tightly around his wrists and ankles, lifting him into the air.

Mu Liuyin panicked.
Wasn’t this the wood ability that Jieyin had first stripped from someone?

He looked pleadingly at Jieyin, but she just smiled—cold, bone-chilling smile.

The green vines, moving almost as if they had minds of their own, began slithering across Mu Liuyin’s body, tearing away his clothes, and brushing against his bare skin like teasing lovers.

The vines were wet and slick, feeling like cold, slimy snakes, and Mu Liuyin—who was terrified of soft, slimy creatures, was scared out of his mind.

Jieyin watched calmly as the vines toyed with him.
Suspended helplessly in the air, the once-cold youth now had fear clouding his dark eyes, tears pooling as he looked like he might start crying any second.

It made her want to bully him even more.

To completely ravage him.

Before long, the vines found their way to a very private part of the young man’s body and cautiously slipped inside.

“Mm…”
Mu Liuyin let out a pained whimper, instinctively struggling against the vines as he realized what was happening.
But no matter how he struggled, he couldn’t break free.

In the end, Mu Liuyin cried until his voice went hoarse, tears streaming down his face—but none of it softened Jieyin’s heart.

The torment went on for what felt like an eternity, until Mu Liuyin finally passed out.
Only then did Jieyin release him.

She gently kissed the corner of his eye.
As she did, a tear slipped from Mu Liuyin’s eyelashes, falling onto Jieyin’s heart like a burning brand.

That seemingly useless “dream-walking” ability had, in the end, so easily revealed Feng Yan’s true identity.