Gu Yuena's Plea!

"Don't touch me." Su Ling let go of her hand, his voice a little hoarse.

Xiao Wu withdrew her hand, aggrieved, and muttered under her breath, "I try to be nice, and this is the thanks I get..."

Su Ling ignored her complaints and got up, heading for the dining table.

The food on the table was a bizarre mix of green and charred black, and poisonous fumes that seemed to symbolize death wafted from it now and then.

"Not bad as poison goes, but next time, don't make it so obvious."

Su Ling was a little speechless, but his face remained expressionless. After saying that, he turned and headed for the kitchen.

"Hey! What do you mean by that? I spent two whole hours making that!"

Xiao Wu's rabbit ears trembled with anger as she planted her hands on her hips and blocked his path.

"Do you know I cut three of my fingers making this meal? And you call it poison?!"

She held out her slender fingers in indignation. There really were several bandages on them.

"Then are you willing to eat what you made?"

Su Ling stopped and looked down at her.

Xiao Wu was at a loss for words. Her guilty gaze drifted to the "delicacy" bubbling strangely on the plate, and she swallowed involuntarily.

"Who says I'm not? I'll eat it right now and show you."

As she spoke, she snatched up her chopsticks in a huff, picked up a charred "mystery object," and shoved it into her mouth.

But the moment it touched her tongue, her face turned deathly pale. Her rabbit ears snapped rigid, and her pink eyes went unfocused.

With a loud thud, Xiao Wu fell stiffly to the floor, foaming at the mouth.

Her rabbit ears drooped limply, and her limbs twitched faintly. She had clearly been badly poisoned.

Su Ling watched without expression and sighed. "Idiot."

He bent down, picked Xiao Wu up, and carried her to the sofa.

The girl's body was so light it seemed weightless. Her fine hair fell over his arm, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance.

"Mm..." Unconscious, Xiao Wu nuzzled against him, like a little animal seeking warmth.

In the kitchen, Su Ling deftly fried, stir-fried, deep-fried, braised, and simmered. In no time, he had made eight delicious dishes, each a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.

After all, in his previous lives, the female leads had all been bosses. Cooking was one of the essential skills for winning their trust.

As the aroma of food filled the room, Xiao Wu's nose twitched faintly. Her rabbit ears perked up on instinct, and she blinked awake, still groggy.

"Smells so good..." She rubbed her aching temples and staggered to her feet, staring blankly at the dining table.

The braised ribs gleamed a rich red, the sweet-and-sour fish was crisp on the outside and tender within, and the stir-fried vegetables were a vivid green.

There was also a steaming bowl of egg-drop seaweed soup. Just looking at it was enough to make one's mouth water.

Xiao Wu's stomach let out an unhelpful growl. She swallowed, then stubbornly turned her head away. "Hmph! I'm not eating anything you made!"

Su Ling didn't even raise his eyes. He simply packed up the food by himself.

"Awake?" After a while, he glanced at the little rabbit girl sulking on the sofa. "Come eat."

Only then did Xiao Wu hesitantly move over to the table. She stared at the delicious-looking dishes, suspicion filling her eyes.

"You didn't poison it, did you?" she asked warily.

"Eat it or don't." Su Ling put the packed food into his Soul Tool and turned to leave.

"Wait, I'll eat! I'll eat, all right?"

Seeing him leave, Xiao Wu's eyes flashed with panic. She hurriedly reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Let go!" Su Ling coldly shook off her hand. "The chopsticks are on the table. Get them yourself."

"Aren't you eating with me?" Xiao Wu bit her lip, a hint of disappointment crossing her pink eyes.

"Relax, I didn't poison it. If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't stoop to such a cheap trick."

Without looking back, Su Ling headed for the door, his voice as indifferent as if he were talking about the weather. "Wash the dishes when you're done."

Xiao Wu watched him leave, her eyes growing slightly red.

"What's wrong with me? What was I even hoping for..."

Xiao Wu muttered under her breath, her ears drooping without her noticing.

"He likes Rongrong, and Xiao San likes Rongrong too. Why does everyone like her? She's just a fake, stuck-up bitch..."

She prodded at the rice in her bowl, but tears fell onto the table despite her efforts to hold them back.

Deep in the dungeon, it was dark and damp, and the air reeked of rot and blood.

Gu Yuena curled up in a corner against the cold stone wall, her tiny body trembling uncontrollably.

Her silver hair was matted with grime and hung limply around her face, covering half of her pale cheeks.

The chill of the floor seeped through her thin clothes and into her bones, yet it was nothing compared to the coldness in her heart.

She no longer knew what reason she had to keep living.

Shengyan no longer recognized her. Her hatred was gone, her love was gone, and even her true self had abandoned her—as if Gu Yuena, the person she was, should never have existed at all.

The girl stared into the darkness with vacant purple eyes, her consciousness gradually fading.

So cold...

So hungry...

Why... why was I abandoned...

Did I do something wrong...

Shengyan... even you don't want me anymore?

In her delirium, a tall figure seemed to emerge from the darkness.

Gu Yuena struggled to lift her heavy eyelids and gazed toward him with unfocused eyes.

Against the faint light from the dungeon entrance, she glimpsed the familiar black robe and felt the eyes beneath the cold mask fixed on her.

In her previous life, Shengyan had often disguised himself as the black-robed Mysterious Person to hunt her down. He had once been her nightmare.

But she had always managed to find a stroke of luck in desperate situations and turn the tables.

Is this an illusion...? Another warm, cruel dream...? Am I going to die...?

She struggled to reach out, her fingertips pawing weakly at the air. Her faint voice came out with a sob. "Shengyan... is that you...? Am I dreaming again...?"

Tears fell silently from the corners of her eyes, mingling with the grime on her face.

"This time... don't disappear... so soon... okay...? I'm so scared... so hungry... I miss you so much..." Her fingers fell limp, and her consciousness gradually faded.

It seemed that after Su Ling left, the girl had endured even more brutal torment. Her slender wrists were covered in bruises, and bloody abrasions remained around her ankles where the chains had rubbed.

Su Ling's heart felt as though a hand had seized it and squeezed hard, leaving him unable to breathe.

But he could only pretend to be cold. Beneath his mask, his eyes were already red.

He walked toward her. The bars of Gu Yuena's cell offered him no resistance; he passed through them as if they were an illusion.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

Gu Yuena murmured weakly, tears streaming down her face. "I really didn't know that human woman was your mother... If I'd known... I never would have..."

"If the war hadn't started... if I hadn't listened to Di Tian... would things between us have turned out differently...?"

"Shengyan... kill me... take me home with you... please... don't leave me alone again..."

"Don't speak. You're going to be all right." Su Ling's voice was low and hoarse, choked with suppressed pain.

He came to stand before Gu Yuena. With a trembling hand, he gently caressed her tear-streaked cheek while healing her injuries.

The Flame of Life was warm as spring. It slowly seeped into Gu Yuena's icy skin, and the bruises and bloody abrasions healed at a visible pace.