Chapter 36: The Aloof Heiress (End)

Voices called out ceaselessly, wave after wave chasing one another, as if the very walls had been moistened by the sound.

Her tender wrists had already chafed red, raw layers of skin rubbed thin. Even though Luo Yihuan had adjusted the chain beforehand, it was still impossible to avoid.

The chain clinked rhythmically, one link after another, the metallic jingle ringing right by her ears. In this moment, to Luo Yihuan, it felt more like an exotic form of urging.

Huff… huff…

Her breaths grew heavier with each one, the hand clamped over her mouth loosening just a fraction. Sweat beaded at her temples, flying off with a shake to splatter against the prominent ridge of her collarbone, tiny droplets splashing onto her neck.

It burned.

That drop of sweat should have been cool, but in this instant, it scorched hotter than molten lava, forcing a haze of humid mist into Jiang Li’s eyes.

Her eyelids drooped lazily, squeezing shut now and then in unbearable strain. Her delicate brows furrowed tightly along with them.

Soft whimpers escaped her lips from time to time, but most were muffled into Luo Yihuan’s palm, coming out as dull hums.

At first, when Luo Yihuan had covered her mouth, she had used a handkerchief, draping it gently over Jiang Li’s lips.

Jiang Li’s expression turned puzzled. Luo Yihuan stared into her eyes, her meaning clear. “This mouth of yours has a habit of spinning irresistible lies.”

“I can’t resist its honeyed words.”

Luo Yihuan’s vindictive streak was rearing its head again, referencing how Jiang Li had deceived her before.

Jiang Li fell silent, letting the woman cover her lips.

Later, when Jiang Li bit down on the handkerchief, muffling even the slightest sound, Luo Yihuan inexplicably grew dissatisfied. Her brows knit together, a flicker of irritation rising in her heart toward Jiang Li in that moment.

She yanked the cloth away and tossed it under the bed. Her gaze darkened as she stared straight into a pair of watery, soul-stirring eyes. Jiang Li’s lips remained slightly parted out of habit from the handkerchief.

The corners of her mouth curved up, her fingertip guiding the dance together.

“You…”

The all-too-familiar taste bloomed on her tongue. Even though she had just done exactly this moments ago, Jiang Li couldn’t help blushing with embarrassment.

Unfortunately, the woman atop her had a wicked streak and loved seeing Jiang Li like this.

“Feeling shy, are we?”

Her nose dipped low, nuzzling gently like a little dog seeking affection. The teasing force grew even bolder, deliberately churning her world upside down, leaving her restless and undone.

Once she had her fill of play, with the handkerchief discarded to the side, Luo Yihuan pressed her own hand over Jiang Li’s mouth, showing no intention of letting go.

She buried herself back into her task.

This was the little secret Jiang Li had hidden away three years ago.

Luo Yihuan was usually aloof and reserved; she didn’t often indulge in such toys. In other words, in certain situations, she simply enjoyed playing with Jiang Li.

She took out a small, sleek, rounded object, handling it deftly in her palm like a well-worn pebble.

With just a brief glance at its surface, Luo Yihuan understood its purpose.

“Li Li, let’s try it out.”

Her voice echoed in the bedroom as Luo Yihuan gazed obsessively at Jiang Li’s flushed cheeks.

So beautiful… so pretty… I love her so much…

Her throat bobbed. Unable to wait any longer, Luo Yihuan moved her hand from Jiang Li’s lips and kissed her.

It was a wondrous thing: no matter what the two of them did in the moment, what Luo Yihuan loved most with Jiang Li was still kissing her.

She adored the shape of those lips—thin and seeming rather heartless at first glance, yet belonging to someone so gentle.

What Luo Yihuan cherished was how those lips murmured sweet nothings that stirred the soul.

She knew full well this woman was a deceiver, yet her heart raced all the same.

Or perhaps, in Luo Yihuan’s eyes, even the Jiang Li gasping for breath right now was breathtakingly beautiful.

The most beautiful version of Jiang Li appeared only for her.

Cherishing that thought, the restlessness in Luo Yihuan’s heart surged wildly. The darkness in her eyes sparkled with an inner light.

Stars glittered across the night sky, shining long into the dawn.

The woman’s cries lingered on, accompanied by the tinkling of the iron chain’s sway, until the first pale light of morning crept in.

“You’re not going to let me go yet…?”

Exhausted, Jiang Li collapsed onto the bed. She felt as if Luo Yihuan had boiled every drop of moisture from her body overnight, leaving her a shriveled husk.

She didn’t need to turn on the light and inspect herself; the aches radiating from every spot told her just how many marks adorned her skin.

Limp and boneless, Jiang Li had no desire to move a muscle.

The chain on her wrists had never been removed from start to finish. It had jingled in their ears all night and still dangled from her hands.

She swung it weakly twice, lacking even the strength to lift her arm. Instead, Jiang Li prodded gently at the person lying before her with her fingertip, poking right at an unmissable spot.

Once she had their attention, with her eyelids drooping and eyes already closing, Jiang Li mustered her remaining strength to rattle the chain and murmur.

“Remember… remove my makeup… bath… chain…”

Her voice trailed off softer and softer, the last words so faint that, had Luo Yihuan not listened intently, only the pitch-black night would have heard them.

As if three years later, I’d still willingly play servant and clean up after you.

Luo Yihuan’s fingertip trailed lightly over the soft flesh of Jiang Li’s cheek. Her brows drew down coldly, her touch drifting lower to the spot where dimples usually bloomed with her smiles.

With a certain mindset, Luo Yihuan spitefully circled her fingertip there. Jiang Li was so worn out that her cheek barely twitched despite the prodding.

After toying for a bit, Luo Yihuan lowered her gaze to the sweetly sleeping woman. Her eyes drifted down to the patchwork of deep red marks scattered here and there, along with the dried, mottled traces of fluids.

It had been a bout of artistry that satisfied Luo Yihuan to no end.

Like ink splashed across paper, every stroke landed perfectly, heavy pigments on pristine white— this fine canvas now bore the unmistakable imprints of its master.

Her lips quirked up. Luo Yihuan propped Jiang Li up, inevitably brushing against the chain on her wrist.

Should she remove it?

She stared at the wrist below, abraded to a uniform red with threads of blood seeping through. What had once been fair and delicate now looked battered and abused after just this one night.

Her gaze lingered, eyes darkening. Clasping that lotus-root segment of wrist in her palm, Luo Yihuan said nothing.

The air hung silent for a long moment until a cool breeze brushed the exposed naked body before her. A soft shiver drew Luo Yihuan’s eyes upward.

Fine… there were other ways.

Decision made, Luo Yihuan carefully unfastened the chain from her wrist, avoiding the raw patches so as not to wake the sleeping woman.

She tossed it casually onto the bed and scooped Jiang Li into her arms, carrying her out.

The room’s curtains remained drawn tight on all sides, blocking every sliver of sunlight.

In the enveloping darkness, Luo Yihuan navigated steadily with her burden, every furnishing etched into her memory.

As hot water cascaded over her body, Jiang Li let out a soft murmur. Luo Yihuan swiftly adjusted the temperature lower, watching closely for any reaction.

Only when she quieted did Luo Yihuan exhale in relief and begin cleaning her up, bit by bit.

She wiped away the stains, rinsed off the lingering nectar, lathered her entire body with suds, then popped each bubble one by one.

Jiang Li slumbered in the tub, leaving Luo Yihuan to amuse herself alone—but with Jiang Li there, she found endless delight in the mischief: smearing on bubbles, bursting them, massaging every inch…

Each task proved endlessly entertaining.

When she finished playing, the water had cooled just right. Luo Yihuan wrapped her in a bath towel and carried her back to the bed, tucking her in without a stitch of clothing.

Her sleeping face was sweetly serene. Luo Yihuan sat at the bedside, gazing quietly as her mind drifted empty.

One slept, the other watched. No words passed between them, only prolonged breaths filling the room—a warmth that had been absent from this house for three cold years.

Spotting the wrist that had slipped out from under the covers in her sleep, Luo Yihuan frowned faintly and tucked it back in.

As she moved to sit, the memory of that wrist’s feel in her grip sparked a thought.

She glanced at the soundly sleeping woman, then donned a bathrobe and slipped out, locking the door behind her from the outside.

Her mind fixed on Jiang Li, Luo Yihuan worked at her task with hurried precision, eager to return and watch over her.

Only when she came back and opened the door to find Jiang Li still on the bed did her anxious heartbeat steady.

She closed the door softly and slipped the item from her hand onto Jiang Li’s wrist. The porcelain-pale skin paired perfectly with it, looking strikingly beautiful.

With the jade bracelet secured on Jiang Li’s wrist, Luo Yihuan finally relaxed. She lay down on the other side, pulling her into a tight embrace and closing her eyes.

Outside, all was still. Inside, their steady breaths intertwined, soft cheeks pressed intimately close.

They slept straight through until the horizon glowed with fading orange.

The hard band on her wrist chafed, and her throat rasped from overuse. Jiang Li’s brows knit as she slowly opened her eyes, immediately spotting the person still sleeping before her. She quickly stifled the cough rising in her throat.

She didn’t want to wake Luo Yihuan.

Her throat itched with dryness. Jiang Li scanned the room, hoping for a glass of water on the nightstand, but found none.

After a moment’s thought, she carefully tried to shift the arm draped over her waist.

In an instant, Luo Yihuan’s eyes snapped open, her dark, inky pupils fixing straight on Jiang Li’s face.

“You’re trying to run again.” Her voice carried the husky timbre of someone just roused from sleep.

As she watched the gloom gather in Luo Yihuan’s eyes and felt the painful grip tighten on her aching waist, Jiang Li’s lingering drowsiness vanished.

The sky outside had just begun to darken. Heaven forbid she spend another full day in bed.

She lunged forward into Luo Yihuan’s arms. Her arms, crisscrossed with red marks, wrapped tightly around Luo Yihuan’s waist. Disheveled strands of hair buried into her chest as she nuzzled and cooed like a spoiled child.

“No running, no running. Don’t be mad, don’t be mad. We just woke up.”

The strands tickled across her chest. Luo Yihuan’s gaze dropped, catching sight of the adorable dimples on Jiang Li’s face—like a jar of sweet wine, her lashes fluttering prettily.

The placating motions continued as Jiang Li pressed against the soft flesh, explaining obediently. “I really just wanted a glass of water.”

Hm? Why the sudden smile?

Jiang Li watched Luo Yihuan closely. The once-expressionless face now slowly curved into a smile, like ice melting into spring. The hand on her waist withdrew.

Heart pounding in trepidation, Jiang Li blinked in surprise.

The hand she had looped around Luo Yihuan’s waist was caught and lifted between them.

It was only after the night that Jiang Li noticed the new addition on her wrist. “A bracelet?”

The question sounded by her ear. Luo Yihuan’s lashes trembled as her fingertip caressed the flawless green jade bracelet she had personally designed and crafted. Thinking of its features, she let out a low chuckle.

“A gift for you.”

“Really?!”

Her smile paused, then deepened into fuller dimples. Jiang Li’s eyes sparkled with delight, bright and vivid, reflecting surprise.

The woman stroking the bracelet on her wrist unconsciously stilled her movements.

So happy…

A rare flush crept to Luo Yihuan’s ear tips. She gripped the wrist tighter, pressing it into her palm to prevent escape, gripped by fear of her vanishing.

Her eyes on Jiang Li were dark as midnight ink, laced with obsessive malice. Her lips curved as she revealed the bracelet’s secret.

“I’ve put a recorder and tracker inside.”

Jiang Li froze in her arms. Luo Yihuan didn’t want to see whatever reaction this provoked, so she yanked her close, burying her face beside Jiang Li’s cheek.

She breathed words of obsession against her ear, her madness laid bare, pale neck veins bulging with surging emotion.

She was already a madwoman.

“You’re not allowed to leave. You’re not allowed to disappear!”

“I want you—forever by my side!”

Unclear emotions swirled in her heart, but those lost, fervent promises of eternity rang like a spell in Jiang Li’s ears, ensnaring her. She hugged Luo Yihuan tighter, voicing her vow.

“I won’t leave you. I’ll always be with you.”

“Through meals and seasons, across lakes and seas—we’ll be together forever.”

Luo Yihuan wanted to doubt the lifetime offered by the woman at her ear.

Yet her heart responded honestly to Jiang Li’s promise, ripples of joy blooming layer by layer. The unease in her soul quieted.

Heartbeats didn’t lie. Luo Yihuan listened to the dual rhythms thumping by her ear, her bristling thorns retracting as she followed her heart’s desire.

“Then prove it to me. I’m waiting.”

The embrace tightened relentlessly. The warmth of the body in her arms seeped through her skin, hot breaths grazing the surface. Heat built everywhere, growing uncomfortable.

But neither loosened their hold, lost in the embrace of a love rediscovered.

Later, Jiang Li wore the jade bracelet everywhere.

True to her word, the two set aside everything to wander lakes and seas, admiring the world’s stunning vistas and majestic landscapes.

Through daily meals and changing seasons, until life’s end— even in their final moments, they clasped tightly to a lifetime of joy.

Within the Tasker Space.

The first task complete, Jiang Li had sat there in a daze for half the day.

Watching another tasker enter a world, 123 eyed Jiang Li’s lonely back and cleared its throat. A cat’s paw gently pawed at her.

“Don’t be sad. Once you finish the task and return to the academy to wait out some time, you’ll see her again.”

Time flowed slower in the star system where Jiang Li and 123 lived compared to the small worlds.

Perhaps the next Luo Yihuan would have grown to adulthood while Jiang Li merely finished an assignment.

She glanced at 123 and let out another long sigh. Jiang Li knew the logic well enough.

But she had grown used to sharing every random thought with Luo Yihuan—and now that person was gone from her side.

The realization pricked sourly at her heart.

“Come on, enough sighing. Focus on paying off your debt first.”

Her body stiffened. At 123’s words, Jiang Li suddenly remembered: to stay in the small world, she had gone into debt.

Steel yourself, Jiang Li thought, resolute. “Spit it out.”

“In the next world, you’ll have a new identity. You’ll complete three tasks against the tasker using that identity. Once the three tasks are done, the identity vanishes.”

“You can’t refuse or fail those tasks.”

Talk about mandatory.

A wry smile tugged at Jiang Li’s lips. She still remembered vividly the tasks 123 had assigned in the first world.

Frankly speaking, looking back, they had all danced right on Luo Yihuan’s pleasure points. She was lucky not to have been pinned down and ravaged early on.

“Oh, right. After each world ends, your memories of that world will be temporarily wiped. They’ll return only after all worlds are complete.”

Jiang Li nodded. She knew this—it prevented taskers from losing themselves across multiple missions.

“Got it. Then the second task starts now.”

“Tasker identity—Eldest Princess, Top Dance Girl.”