“Crying? Tears are the most useless thing, Su Yu. They cannot buy pity, nor can they buy freedom.” Her thumb gently pressed against Su Yu’s trembling lips, where faint bite marks and traces of blood remained from her own teeth. “If you want to leave, you’ll need to use something… else.”
Su Yu’s body stiffened like a block of ice. Humiliation soaked through every inch of her bones, every nerve. You Li’s implication was all too clear—it wasn’t just about combing hair or serving tea, but a more thorough, more intimate, more dignity-crushing form of “service.” A kiss, or something even more.
Her reason screamed, roared at her to push away this demon before her, to choose to be trapped forever in this dungeon rather than accept such humiliation. But her body, under the cold gaze of You Li and the temptation of those words “take you out,” betrayed her reason.
Freedom… even if just for a moment, even if just to glimpse the sky outside… this longing whispered like a devil, corroding her last line of defense.
She trembled, tiny teardrops still clinging to her lashes, her eyes empty as she stared at You Li so close before her. You Li waited calmly, her crimson eyes showing no trace of impatience, only the patience of a cat toying with a mouse. She knew Su Yu would compromise, as surely as she knew the sun would rise over the blood-red horizon of the Demon Realm.
Time passed in dead silence…
Finally, Su Yu closed her eyes, extremely slowly. She gave up looking, gave up resisting.
Then, she leaned forward.
Her lips lightly touched not You Li’s lips.
But the corner of You Li’s mouth.
It could hardly even be called a kiss.
You Li’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment. She seemed not to have expected Su Yu to “begin” in this way.
She did not move, allowing Su Yu’s cold, trembling lips to press against the corner of her mouth, feeling that raw despair and suppressed sobs. She could smell the faint scent of Medicinal Cuisine and the new dress on Su Yu, mixed with the saltiness of tears and her own unique, clear fragrance.
Su Yu maintained this position, her breathing rapid and broken, brushing against You Li’s cheek. Her body shook violently; if not for You Li’s fingers still gripping her jaw, she might have collapsed. This touch exhausted all her courage and strength. She didn’t know what to do next—continue or retreat—her mind was blank.
You Li finally moved. She did not deepen the kiss, nor did she push Su Yu away. Instead, in this position, she tilted her head slightly, allowing her own lips to precisely cover Su Yu’s.
Unlike Su Yu’s trembling, You Li’s lips were cold, yet carried an air of aggression. She did not deepen the kiss, merely pressed, crushed, feeling Su Yu’s instant stiffness and more violent trembling. Her other hand moved to the back of Su Yu’s neck, not applying force, but completely cutting off any possibility of retreat.
This was a kiss that declared sovereignty—cold, prolonged, and full of control.
Su Yu’s thoughts came to a complete halt. She could only passively endure, feeling the cold pressure on her lips, feeling You Li’s breath so close, feeling the aura of the Sheng Nu of the demonic path invade her senses. Shame washed over her like a tidal wave; she felt waves of nausea, yet could not break free due to suffocating tension and You Li’s restraint.
Just as she was nearly suffocating, You Li released her.
Su Yu stumbled backward, gasping for air, her cheeks flushed an unnatural crimson from lack of oxygen and intense shame. Her eyes, still glistening from recent tears, were filled with shattered humiliation and confusion. Her lips were slightly swollen from the pressure, still carrying the cold imprint of You Li’s touch.
Watching her like this, dark undercurrents surged deep within You Li’s crimson eyes. It was not desire, but something deeper—a dark emotion mixed with twisted satisfaction and possession.
“Not enough. This alone is far from enough.”
She took a step forward, closing in on Su Yu once more. Su Yu instinctively tried to retreat, but the silver chain around her ankle restricted her movement, leaving her frozen in place.
You Li reached out, this time not touching her face but grasping Su Yu’s cold, trembling hand hanging at her side. She guided Su Yu’s hand to her own waist—where an intricate knot tied the silk ribbon of her dark, flowing gown.
“Untie it,” You Li commanded, her gaze locked onto Su Yu’s suddenly constricted pupils.
“No…”
“Or,” You Li leaned close to her ear, her breath icy, “would you prefer I use the Blood Mark Pact to ‘remind’ you how to obey?”
The Blood Mark Pact… that binding force hidden beneath the skin yet ever-present, the soul-deep pain that could erupt at any moment… Su Yu’s body trembled violently, and the last shred of her resistance vanished.
She closed her eyes, scalding tears flooding out once more. Yet her fingers seemed to move of their own accord, trembling and clumsy as they fumbled with the silk ribbon’s knot. The ribbon was smooth, the knot intricately tied, and in her distraught state, her fingers were stiff and uncooperative. It took her a long time to finally loosen it.
As the ribbon slipped away, the collar of You Li’s outer robe loosened, revealing the outline of an inner garment beneath—also dark in color, but thinner and softer.
“Continue.”
Su Yu’s fingers trembled even more violently. She didn’t dare open her eyes, relying only on touch to find the ties of the inner garment. Her fingertips inevitably brushed against the skin at You Li’s waist—cold, smooth, firm… The unfamiliar sensation sent shocks through her, each touch bringing a shudder.
The ties of the inner garment were undone as well. The dark outer robe and inner garment hung loosely on You Li’s frame, on the verge of slipping off, exposing a stretch of pale neck and delicate collarbones. In the dim light, it held a breathtaking allure, yet radiated a chilling coldness.
You Li remained still, allowing the garments to hang half-off as if displaying an offering entirely at her mercy. She simply watched Su Yu—the face streaked with tears, etched with humiliation yet forced to continue; the tiny teardrops clinging to her tightly closed lashes; the pale, slender fingers trembling helplessly among the folds of her clothing.
This sight pleased her. More than any obedient words or actions from Su Yu ever could.
“Look at me,” she commanded.
Su Yu’s eyelashes fluttered violently. After a long struggle, she slowly opened her eyes.
Tears blurred her vision, but she could still see the scene before her—You Li’s half-undone garments, her own trembling fingers lingering at the other’s collar, and You Li’s bottomless crimson eyes reflecting her own wretched image.
“Remember what you are doing now,” You Li’s voice struck coldly against her eardrums, and against her teetering nerves, “remember who made you do this, and who… can give you what you desire.”
She raised her hand, grasping Su Yu’s hand that still lingered on her collar. Then, guiding that hand, she slowly pulled open the neckline of her inner garment.
Deeper shadows, and a breathtaking glimpse of pale skin, were exposed before Su Yu’s blurred, tear-filled eyes.
“Please me,” You Li repeated, her voice now carrying a bewitching huskiness, “with your hands, your eyes, everything you have… satisfy me, Su Yu. Please me, and I will give you sunlight, give you wind, let you glimpse… the sky outside.”
As the last word fell, she released her grip, completely relinquishing her hold on Su Yu, only to fix her with those crimson eyes—firmly, expectantly.
As if saying: See, the path has been shown to you. Whether to continue sinking into this abyss of humiliation or to grasp that faint, illusory light of freedom—the choice… seems to lie in your hands.
Su Yu’s hand froze mid-air, her fingertips mere millimeters away from You Li’s exposed skin. She gazed at that pale expanse, at You Li’s calm, waiting posture, at the undisguised dark anticipation in those eyes, awaiting her complete descent…
The dungeon was cold, yet she felt her entire being burning—scorched by the flames of shame, frozen by the frost of despair, repeatedly tormented and chilled by that pitiful, desperate longing for freedom.
In the end, under You Li’s silent gaze and amidst her own surging tears, those trembling fingers reached forward…