Chǐ Mèng paused, murmuring, “Why didn’t you… leave?”
Seeing her inaction, Huā Xián took out a piece of rope from her waist and handed it to her.
“Tie me up,” she said.
Chǐ Mèng was speechless. Where did the rope come from? Something is strange when things are abnormal.
“What trick are you trying to play now? Don’t think that if you do this, I will let you go…”
Before Chǐ Mèng could finish speaking, Huā Xián hugged her again, refusing to let go no matter how much she struggled and hit her.
“I know it’s hard for you to trust me now, but I will prove that what I’m saying is true through my actions. Can you give me another chance?” Huā Xián felt that this wasn’t sincere enough, so she added, “Actually, even if I did escape, I wouldn’t get far. As long as I’m in this world, no matter where I hide, you can sense me.”
The statement sounded absurd, but Huā Xián knew Chǐ Mèng understood her meaning.
This world was sustained by Chǐ Mèng’s will, and since Huā Xián herself was the culprit who caused her to become blackened, they had been bound together from the moment Huā Xián was pulled into this world.
In other words, Chǐ Mèng had absolute control over her. No matter how powerful her talent recovered, Chǐ Mèng’s Blackening Value could always affect her. As soon as Huā Xián broke free from her control, Chǐ Mèng would quickly notice and follow the trail.
Huā Xián had only recently learned this fact. Her disappointing System had told her.
The System had suddenly thrown out a message, as if coming back from the dead. Huā Xián had reason to believe that the old fogeys who enjoyed watching the show had temporarily added this setting. After all, they loved to manipulate their employees.
Huā Xián silently cursed them.
Chǐ Mèng said nothing, but she was very resistant to Huā Xián’s touch, continuously pushing her away. However, due to the difference in strength, it was a futile effort.
“Let go of me!”
Chǐ Mèng’s voice was filled with anger. Huā Xián quickly released her, pulled her hands back, and held them out in front of Chǐ Mèng, looking at her innocently.
“Tie them up. I absolutely won’t resist.”
Chǐ Mèng, with a dark expression, took the rope and tightly bound Huā Xián, then slowly got up from the ground.
The rope was actually very long. Even after wrapping it around her several times, a large section remained in Chǐ Mèng’s hand. She glanced at the rope she was holding, wondering what to do with it, when she suddenly heard a strange sound.
Chǐ Mèng looked sharply at her. Thinking Chǐ Mèng hadn’t heard, Huā Xián raised her voice and called out again.
“Woof~”
Chǐ Mèng’s expression slightly froze. She neither wanted to keep the rope in her hand nor throw it away. After a few minutes, she turned and walked upstairs, her back looking somewhat stiff.
Huā Xián followed behind her and suddenly made an interesting discovery.
The black mist surrounding Chǐ Mèng seemed to have faded a little.
The black mist on her represented her Blackening Value. The fading of the black mist meant that her Blackening Value had decreased. Why was there no System notification? Did the System forget?
Huā Xián lagged two steps behind Chǐ Mèng, looking at her thin and frail figure. She felt very upset.
“Mèng Mèng, have you not been eating well lately? If you’re not used to outside food, I can cook for you.”
“Shut up! I didn’t tell you to talk, and you are not allowed to say another word!”
Huā Xián pursed her lips. If she wouldn’t let her talk, fine! She just wouldn’t speak.
“Woof, woof, woof!”
Chǐ Mèng stumbled, nearly falling. Huā Xián quickly reached out to catch her, but because their hands were tied together, she couldn’t properly control her strength. Chǐ Mèng collided with her, and they both tumbled down the stairs together.
Huā Xián protected Chǐ Mèng in her arms, ensuring that her back was the one that struck the steps each time. Chǐ Mèng did not sustain any injuries.
After rolling down seven or eight steps, they finally reached the floor. Huā Xián was in such pain that her features contorted, and she couldn’t speak for a long time. Chǐ Mèng was lying on her chest. Once the tumbling stopped, she raised her head and met Huā Xián’s gaze. Huā Xián forced a smile, but since her brow remained furrowed, the smile looked very strained.
Chǐ Mèng immediately tried to support herself and get up. Huā Xián wrapped her arm around her waist and whispered, “My back is about to break; let me hold you for a moment.”
Why do you need to hold me if your back is broken?
Chǐ Mèng struggled once, found she couldn’t break free, and let Huā Xián have her way. After a moment, she seemed to remember something and looked at Huā Xián with cold eyes.
“Where is the rope on your hands?”
Huā Xián discreetly tucked the hand with the broken rope remnant to the side and said, without changing her expression, “It ‘snapped’ and broke. This rope isn’t very strong.”
Chǐ Mèng’s eyes grew colder. She sneered, “Not strong?”
Huā Xián quickly shifted her gaze and declared loudly, “Woof, woof, woof!”
The puppy doesn’t know anything.
Chǐ Mèng felt a lump in her throat, opening her mouth but not knowing what to say. She simply looked away and quietly rested on Huā Xián’s chest, feeling the rise and fall of her chest and her regular heartbeat.
It had been a long time since she had felt this sense of security. Although she didn’t want to admit it, only Huā Xián could calm her anxious heart.
Suddenly, Chǐ Mèng realized what she was thinking. A shadow crossed her eyes, and she fell into an internal struggle.
However, this struggle only lasted for a moment. She quickly accepted everything with composure.
We are already bound together, never to rest until death. What’s wrong with drawing warmth from Huā Xián?
After relaxing, a wave of exhaustion washed over her body. Chǐ Mèng forced herself to fight the sleepiness, trying to make her voice sound as indifferent as possible: “Don’t harbor any delusions. I won’t give you a chance!”
I gave you countless chances a long time ago. You just didn’t cherish them.
Chǐ Mèng was extremely tired and fell asleep not long after speaking. She slept soundly.
Huā Xián listened to the person in her arms breathing evenly, and the corner of her lips curved into a faint, undetectable smile. There’s still a chance. She and Chǐ Mèng still have a chance.
【Congratulations, Master. The target’s Blackening Value has dropped by ten points. The current total Blackening Value is 1,180.】
Huā Xián was startled. The notification was indeed delayed before.
Although Chǐ Mèng’s current Blackening Value was still ridiculously high, as long as she worked hard enough, it would eventually return to zero.
Keep up the good work, Little Huā Xián!
The two of them lay in that position for a long time, mainly because Chǐ Mèng was asleep, and Huā Xián didn’t want to wake her. The light changed from bright to dim, and the sun went from overhead to setting in the west. Chǐ Mèng finally woke up as the last ray of sunset disappeared.
She was especially adorable when she first woke up, her eyes looking innocent and bewildered, like a lost fawn. Huā Xián looked down at her, the corners of her lips turning up: “Did you sleep well?”
Chǐ Mèng slowly regained her clarity, her eyes returning to their usual coldness. She propped herself up and sat, saying coldly, “I was just tired. Don’t think too much into it.”
Huā Xián: I dare not think too much into it.
Chǐ Mèng glanced at the broken rope on Huā Xián’s hand. Before she could speak, Huā Xián offered both hands herself.
“Tie them up again. Find a better-quality rope.”
Chǐ Mèng ignored her and stood up, walking upstairs. Her steps appeared firm and confident, but in fact, there was a visible hint of worry in her eyes. She just wanted to test Huā Xián.
Huā Xián struggled to get up from the floor. Halfway up, she lay back down. Her entire back felt intensely hot and sore, and her shoulders were very stiff. She was injured quite evenly, to put it mildly.
“Mèng Mèng, don’t leave! Tie me up before you go upstairs. If you don’t tie me up, I feel insecure!”
Chǐ Mèng quickened her pace, went up the stairs in a few steps, and disappeared around the corner.
Crazy!
Huā Xián lay there for a while longer. Only when her stiff limbs had somewhat eased did she use the railing for support and head up. Standing outside the bedroom door, she took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock.
“Mèng Mèng, may I come in?”
“No,” Chǐ Mèng refused very directly.
Huā Xián: “…What about the puppy then?”
Chǐ Mèng: “Where is there a puppy?”
Huā Xián: “Woof woof~”
Chǐ Mèng was silent for a long time before finally opening the door. Seeing the dishevelled Huā Xián, she couldn’t help but frown.
Her clothes were messy, her hair was tousled, and her hands were covered in bruises and red marks. She genuinely resembled a stray dog.
Huā Xián looked down at herself, then smiled guilelessly: “Can the little puppy come in to change clothes?”
“Wait here!” Chǐ Mèng coldly tossed two words and slammed the door shut with a “bang.” A moment later, she came out holding a set of pajamas, which she threw at Huā Xián’s head: “Go change in the side bedroom!”
Huā Xián: Woe is me! I just wanted to go into your bedroom!
The bedroom door closed again. Huā Xián hugged the clothes and went into the side bedroom. While taking a shower, she looked at the injuries on her back. Her entire back was covered in bruises and blue marks, reminiscent of abstract art.
Enduring the pain, she put on the pajamas. After drying her hair, Huā Xián immediately went to the kitchen to get busy.
Chǐ Mèng was a picky eater; she would soon tire of outside food, complaining that it was too oily and heavily seasoned. To ensure she ate well, Huā Xián had hired a master chef to learn several cuisines, cooking a variety of delicious meals every day and nurturing her into the blooming beauty she was.
Huā Xián was chopping vegetables, thinking that she had genuinely put a lot of effort into this before—but unfortunately, her intentions were impure.
Slut!
Huā Xián cursed without any psychological burden, as if she wasn’t cursing herself.
Chǐ Mèng didn’t like oily food, but Huā Xián remembered her skeletal thinness and still added a little extra oil. Like a professional chef, she expertly tossed and stir-fried the ingredients. Soon, four dishes and one soup were ready. They were a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, appealing in color, aroma, and taste.
After the cooking odors had dissipated from her body, Huā Xián dashed up to the second floor, enthusiastically going to call Chǐ Mèng for dinner.
“Mèng Mèng, dinner is ready!”
She called out a few times, but there was no response. Huā Xián knocked on the door, but there was still no movement. She pressed the doorknob, and the door opened.
“Mèng Mèng, time to…” eat.
Huā Xián’s voice caught in her throat. She swallowed and shifted her gaze elsewhere.
Chǐ Mèng had just come out of the bathroom. She was covered in un-wiped water droplets, and water was still dripping from her hair. Her bath towel was tossed on the sofa, and she hadn’t yet put on the pajamas in her hand.
“The door wasn’t locked, so I came in. I… I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Huā Xián’s cheeks felt hot, and her speech became clumsy. Chǐ Mèng looked at her silly, innocent expression, which was completely different from before, and curved her lips into a mocking arc.
She tossed the pajamas onto the bed, folded her arms, and said to Huā Xián, “Come here.”