Su Yu awoke still curled upon the black Warm Jade Bed, covered by that thick velvet blanket, yet something felt different. The blanket seemed thicker and softer than the night before, carrying a sun-dried, fluffy, and dry scent—though she knew the Demon Realm likely had no real sunlight. Her sleeping robe had been tidied at some point, the loose collar carefully gathered, and even the silk cord tied into an intricate, secure knot that wouldn’t come undone in her sleep.
She tentatively shifted. A clear ache throbbed in her knees and calves, a reminder of yesterday’s long kneeling, yet beneath the soreness, there was also a cooling, soothing sensation. Gently lifting a corner of the blanket, she looked at her knees—where there should have been dark bruises and swelling, the skin now appeared only slightly pale, the swelling mostly subsided, with faint traces of a cooling medicinal ointment lingering on the skin.
Someone had applied medicine to her while she slept.
This realization made Su Yu’s heart skip a beat. You Li… would do such a thing? That demoness who imprisoned, tormented, and forced her to kneel?
She sat up, scanning the room. Dark Red light spilled from the beads on the dome ceiling, constant and unchanging, making it impossible to tell the time.
On the metal table, the White Jade Bowl from last night that had held cold soup was gone, replaced by a more exquisite black jade tray. On it sat a tightly covered stew, alongside a small dish of translucent pale pink petals and a crystal cup filled with clear water. Wisps of steam seeped from the edges of the stew pot, clearly delivered not long ago.
A faint, soothing herbal incense now lingered in the air, rising from an ancient bronze incense burner in the corner of the room.
Everything seemed… excessively proper. So proper it didn’t feel like the treatment of a prisoner, but rather like some kind of meticulous tending.
Just then, the stone door slid open. It wasn’t You Li who entered, but the two silent Dark Red maids from yesterday. They remained demure and moved swiftly. One approached the bed, gave a slight bow to the seated Su Yu, then reached out—actually to help her down from the bed.
Su Yu instinctively flinched, but the maid’s hand was steady, her grip moderate, firm yet not painful, almost half-supporting, half-carrying her off the bed and helping her stand steady. Her legs still felt weak, but with the maid’s support, she didn’t fall.
The other maid walked to the table, lifted the lid of the stew pot, and the warm, fragrant aroma of Medicinal Cuisine immediately filled the air. She ladled the stew into a matching small black jade bowl, gently stirring it with a silver spoon to cool it, then stepped back, standing with hands clasped.
The maid who had helped Su Yu also released her grip and quietly withdrew.
Once again, Su Yu was alone in the room, facing a table of food clearly prepared for her and the traces of cooling ointment on her knees.
She stood there, feeling at a loss. Yesterday’s cold commands, humiliating long kneeling, and icy stares were still vivid in her mind, forming a sharp contrast with the silent care now. This unsettled her more than direct torment, for she couldn’t fathom the intent behind it.
Was this a new method of taming? The sweet date that must follow a slap? Or… a momentary whim of You Li’s, or some more incomprehensible, twisted form of “care”?
Su Yu did not know. She slowly moved to the table and sat down. The stew was warm, its broth clear, containing some kind of poultry meat stewed until tender and a few medicinal ingredients she could not recognize, its aroma rich and inviting. The plate of honey-preserved petals emitted a delicate floral sweetness, and the water in the glass cup was crystal clear.
She hesitated for a long time, but ultimately could not resist her body’s instinctive needs. Picking up the silver spoon, she took small sips of the soup. The temperature was just right, its flavor mellow and delicious, far more refined than any soup she had ever tasted in the dungeon. The honey-preserved petals melted in her mouth, sweet but not cloying, carrying the unique fragrance of flowers as they slid down her parched throat, bringing a soothing sense of moisture.
She ate slowly, all the while remaining alert to any movement around her. But aside from the faint wisps of smoke rising from the incense burner and the constant red glow of the beads on the dome, nothing happened.
After finishing the meal, she felt some strength return to her weakened body, and the soreness in her knees had eased considerably. She stood up and tried walking around the room. The chain remained around her ankle, long enough to allow her to move freely within the room but not enough to reach the stone door.
She walked over to the large bronze mirror. In the reflection, she saw herself wearing the moon-white sleeping robe embroidered with silver vines, her long hair loose. Though her face was still pale, the terrifying dark circles under her eyes had faded slightly, and her lips had regained a hint of color. Apart from the lingering emptiness and fear in her gaze, she looked… like a noble lady recuperating in a luxurious palace, albeit somewhat weary.
She paced around the room, observing carefully. The room was spacious. Aside from a large black Warm Jade Bed, a metal table with two chairs, a bronze mirror, and an incense burner, there was also a row of ebony cabinets against the wall. After a moment of hesitation, she walked over and tried opening one of the cabinet doors.
Inside, several sets of clothing were neatly folded. The colors were all simple and light—moon-white, pale blue, misty purple. The fabrics were soft and luxurious, the styles simple yet elegant, similar in design to the sleeping robe, with no excessive adornments but exuding meticulous care in every detail. The sizes were clearly tailored for her.
Another cabinet contained blankets and quilts of varying thicknesses, along with several soft cushions. In the bottom drawer, there were even a few combs made of different materials and shapes, several unopened boxes of ointments, and… that wooden hairpin carved with peach blossoms, which she had once used to tie her hair, now placed alone in a small velvet box.
All of this carried a sense of long-term planning, as if she were meant to be “settled” here. Not a temporary imprisonment, but… a long-term, perhaps even permanent, confinement.
Su Yu’s fingers brushed over the soft clothing, the cool, silky texture making her fingertips tremble. She picked up the peach wood hairpin, its cool wooden surface resting in her palm, the small carved peach blossom pressing against her skin.
Why? What exactly did You Li intend to do? Destroy her completely, then dress her up again, like restoring a broken antique, only to keep her locked in this splendid cage, admiring her alone?
Confusion and unease coiled around her heart like vines.
In the afternoon, the stone door opened once more. This time, it was You Li who entered.
She wore that dark red silk robe, her long hair loosely tied up, holding the leather-bound scroll in her hand. Her expression was calm, showing none of the cruelty from last night when she had ordered her to kneel, nor any trace of concern. She moved as naturally as if entering her own study, sitting down in the chair behind the metal desk and opening the scroll.
Su Yu stood in the center of the room, somewhat at a loss. She didn’t know what to do—should she kneel as she had yesterday, or could she stand, or even sit? You Li gave no instructions.
After hesitating for a moment, she finally chose to remain standing where she was, head bowed, like a quiet plant.
Time flowed by in silence. Only the rustling of turning pages and the faint crackling of incense burning in the censer filled the air.
After a long while, You Li finally looked up from the scroll, her gaze settling on Su Yu. Her blood-red eyes were calm and unreadable, as if appraising an object that had already been properly placed.
“Does your knee still hurt?”
Su Yu was taken aback, not expecting her to ask this. Hesitating, she nodded, then quickly shook her head.
You Li didn’t seem to care about her response, merely stating flatly, “Apply the medicine on time, and it will heal in a couple of days.” She glanced at the sleeping robes Su Yu was wearing. “There are clothes in the wardrobe. Change into them yourself. From now on, you don’t need to wear sleeping robes all the time here.”
With that, she lowered her head again and continued reading.
Su Yu stood there blankly for a moment before slowly moving to the wardrobe and taking out a set of pale green robes. The fabric was slightly thicker than the sleeping robes, and the style remained simple—a cross-collar dress with faint cloud patterns embroidered only on the sleeves and hem.
Holding the clothes, she looked toward You Li. You Li had her back to her, engrossed in the scroll.
Su Yu walked to the corner behind the bronze mirror, where there was a relatively secluded space. She quickly changed out of her sleeping robes and into the pale green dress. The robes fit well and made movement much easier, no longer carrying the awkward feeling of possibly coming undone at any moment.
Once changed, she walked back to the center of the room, still standing, unsure of what to do.
You Li looked up again, her gaze lingering on her for a moment, as if confirming she had changed, then lowered her head once more, as if her existence was only meant to fulfill the instruction of changing clothes.
This disregard felt more deeply disheartening and… lonely to Su Yu than direct orders or torment. She was like a shadow forgotten in a lavish room, her very worth of being observed seeming questionable.
“Do you know how to play chess?” You Li suddenly asked.
Su Yu shook her head blankly. As a Sheng Nu of Xuan Yu Zong, she was required to master cultivation techniques and swordsmanship, while arts like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting were only dabbled in—her chess skills were particularly average.
You Li walked to another wardrobe—one Su Yu hadn’t opened before—and took out a folded sheepskin chessboard and a box of white jade pieces. She spread the board on the metal desk; the pieces felt warm and smooth.
“I’ll teach you.” You Li sat on one side of the board and motioned for Su Yu to sit opposite her.
Su Yu hesitantly took her seat. You Li began explaining the most basic rules—placing pieces, capturing, liberties, eyes… Her voice was steady and clear, neither impatient nor carrying any extra emotion, truly like a patient teacher instructing a beginner.
Su Yu forced herself to focus, to listen and understand the rules of the black and white pieces. This peculiar lesson temporarily diverted her attention, pulling her away from the hollow confusion and unease.
She learned slowly and played even more clumsily. You Li did not rush her, only gently tapping the chessboard with a piece when she made a mistake, pointing out the issue before continuing.
The game lasted a long time. It was only when Su Yu, exhausted and unfocused, made repeated errors that You Li finally set down her piece.
“That’s enough for today,” she said, tidying the board and pieces. “We’ll continue tomorrow.”
She stood up, glanced at the eternal crimson rift outside the window, then turned to Su Yu.
“Rest well tonight.” Her tone remained flat. “This place is safer than the dungeon. As long as you don’t do anything you shouldn’t, no one will disturb you.”
With that, she picked up her book scroll and left the room. The stone door closed behind her, leaving Su Yu alone in the silence, facing the unfinished game on the board.
Su Yu sat in the chair, unmoving for a long time.
The ointment on her knees still felt cool, the pale green dress she wore was soft and comfortable, the warmth of the food in her stomach lingered, and she had even received a “chess lesson”…
What exactly was You Li thinking?
Su Yu didn’t know. All she knew was that she felt like a plant transplanted into an unfamiliar pot—the soil was carefully prepared, the temperature constant, the water sufficient, and someone even trimmed her branches and leaves… Yet the walls of the pot were towering and smooth, the sunlight was false light filtered through blood-red glass, and the gardener sometimes ruthlessly cut her roots, only to meticulously wipe her leaves at other times.
This kind of “kindness” was more unsettling than outright “cruelty,” more chilling… to the core.
Because she couldn’t see through it—what awaited her at the end of this “kindness.”