Under the dim yellow candlelight, En Nai slowly woke from her coma.
"Mm." She rubbed her eyes painfully and sat up from the filthy wooden bed.
"Where am I?" Her face was blank, her mind a muddle. She could not remember what had happened before, nor why she had collapsed in this place.
The only thing she remembered was that she was an ordinary poor girl. Her parents worked outside day and night to earn money, while her only older brother had died from an unexpected illness some time ago.
Now the household depended entirely on her to manage it. Cooking, washing clothes, cleaning—every last chore fell to her alone.
"Oh, right, I need to wash the vegetables. Father will be back soon. If he finds out I slept instead of cooking, I'll probably get beaten again!"
En Nai suddenly came fully awake. She quickly climbed out of bed, dressed, and walked out of the bedroom.
Somewhere beyond her notice, a pair of eyes watched her calmly—watched her awkwardly rinse vegetables, wash rice and cook, and scrub articles of clothing one by one in a sorry state.
"Before long, she will form deep bonds with her parents, and then lose them completely in an accident.
"After that, another accident will see her violated and stripped of her chastity. While resisting, she will be blinded and lose an arm and a leg as well. She will struggle on until she dies of old age."
Within a dark hall, Lu Sheng and Li Shunxi silently watched the enormous rippling curtain of water floating before them.
Seeing Lu Sheng's calm expression, Li Shunxi could not help shivering slightly.
"And then?" he asked again without realizing it.
"And then?" Lu Sheng turned his head, and the water curtain before him dispersed on its own.