Chapter 2

Long Aotian sat in the corner of the cage with his legs bent, wearing shackles made of a special material. His eyes were haughty and disdainful. Clearly, no matter where he was or how wretched his circumstances, nothing could keep him from radiating that proud, domineering aura of his.

Lou Yue snorted.

What a pretentious brat. Even if he was the male lead—Long Aotian himself—wasn’t he still a fallen tiger bullied by dogs... and by her?

On the way to the water prison, Lou Yue had already figured out what stage of the story they were in. If one were to name the weakest point in the male lead’s entire life, then aside from the brief mentions of his childhood, it would be now: his spirit veins had been damaged, causing his cultivation to plummet by two major realms, leaving him at only the late Foundation Establishment stage.

In other words, if she wanted to settle the score, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Lou Yue raised her brows. “Drag him outside. I’m going to interrogate him properly.”

Little Qiu was an exceedingly smooth operator. By the time Lou Yue returned to the courtyard, he had already arranged for someone to bring over a grand chair, a footstool, and a tea table. Fresh fruit and candied snacks were piled high.

The beauties from the rear courtyard also came flocking at the news, surrounding Lou Yue with soft laughter and delicate voices.

Lou Yue sat down, crossed one leg over the other, and opened her mouth to accept a grape offered by one of the beauties. Her languid gaze swept toward Long Aotian, who was being shoved outside.

“Kneel!” the guards shouted as they kicked the backs of his knees twice. When he still refused to kneel, Lou Yue waved her hand and signaled them to stop.

The dim light in the prison had kept her from seeing him clearly. Now, under the sunlight, even Lou Yue—who had seen more than her fair share of handsome celebrities—couldn’t help clicking her tongue.

His disheveled black hair clung to the corners of his forehead. Droplets of water rolled down the high bridge of his nose, paused briefly at the sharp line of his jaw, and then fell into his collar. His thick, dark lashes were beaded with water, and when his eyes lowered, they seemed veiled in a thin mist. Yet the instant he looked up, a sharp edge pierced through the dampness, making his disheveled state inexplicably seductive.

No wonder Long Aotian could still attract so many women even while his cultivation was in decline...

Lou Yue glanced at the beauties beside her, who were staring blankly, and gave a not-too-loud cough. They immediately came to their senses and remembered who the rightful master of the place was.

Lou Yue understood the instinct to admire a handsome man. She herself enjoyed looking at beautiful men and women. But the womanizing scumbag in front of her was the exception.

“Where’s that spear?” Lou Yue glanced at Little Qiu.

Soon, two people carried over a spear that was pitch-black from end to end, its tip stained with dried blood. Lou Yue rose and walked toward it.

She was just about to pick it up when she remembered that the male lead’s spear recognized its master. In the hands of anyone else, it would weigh tens of thousands of pounds. The thought that she could simply lift it was nothing but wishful thinking.

“Find me another spear.”

The moment she spoke, a spear appeared out of thin air in Little Qiu’s hands. He held it out like he was presenting a treasure. “Young Master, Little Qiu prepared one long ago!”

Lou Yue took the spear from him and sauntered over to Long Aotian.

“Was this where you stabbed me that day?” The sharp spearhead pointed toward the left side of his chest, where his heart lay.

Xiao Rangchen’s deep, narrow eyes locked firmly onto her.

“Not saying anything? Then I’ll take that as a yes.” Lou Yue’s brows relaxed, her expression rich with sly charm.

“What do you want?” Xiao Rangchen’s thin lips parted slightly. His voice was hoarse, caught somewhere between that of a youth and a mature man.

“What do I want?” Lou Yue stepped closer, then unhappily retreated when she realized she was shorter than him. “Obviously, I want to repay you in kind. You should understand that very well.”

A sharp glint suddenly flashed through Xiao Rangchen’s eyes. Even the black-and-gold thorn on his right ear seemed to gleam with icy light.

Lou Yue ignored that glint completely. She shifted the spear in her hand toward Xiao Rangchen’s right chest—the same place where he had stabbed her.

She had never held a spear before, let alone killed even a fish. But he had attacked her first. If she didn’t return the favor, how could she swallow her anger?

Lou Yue steeled herself and thrust the spear forward. A muffled groan sounded from the man before her. Blood seeped from the spearhead, which had disappeared into his flesh. She froze for an instant, then tightened her grip around the shaft.

Her vaunted ability to adapt proved extremely useful at that moment. The spearhead had only penetrated about two centimeters; it was still far from piercing straight through him. But that was no longer a problem.

Lou Yue’s gaze shifted from the spearhead to Xiao Rangchen’s sharply defined face.

If she killed him right now, would it change her future? Or would she be sent back?

As long as she drove the spear through the heart on his left side, perhaps everything would return to normal.

The killing intent that rose in Lou Yue’s eyes was clearly reflected in Xiao Rangchen’s. A fierce glint flashed through his gaze, and his entire body tensed. The invisible confrontation was like a bowstring stretched to its limit.

Then, without warning—

Boom!

A thunderclap split the sky.

There were no dark clouds overhead. In broad daylight, lightning struck out of nowhere, hitting Lou Yue with pinpoint accuracy, as if Heaven itself had been enraged.

Lou Yue felt as though red-hot needles had pierced through her entire body. Electricity raced wildly through every limb and bone, leaving every inch of her flesh numb and burning.

The force of the lightning also traveled rapidly along the spear shaft and into Xiao Rangchen’s body. His muscles convulsed uncontrollably. The spirit-sealing stone shackles locked away his spiritual power, leaving him no choice but to withstand the lightning with his physical body alone. His blood and qi churned violently, and he vomited blood.

Everyone was stunned motionless by the sudden turn of events. Once they came to their senses, they hurriedly crowded around them.

“Young Master!”

Lou Yue’s trembling hand released the spear. It fell to the ground with a clatter. Bracing herself against her knees, she struggled to stand straight. “...I-I’m fine...”

At the instant she had been struck, she had sensed a force protecting her heart. Still, the lightning had left her trembling uncontrollably, and the pain made her bare her teeth in a grimace.

But why had the lightning struck her?

Could it be... because she had developed the intention of killing the Child of Heaven’s Fortune, Long Aotian?

Lou Yue was shaken to the core. Although her life had not been in danger, as a modern person, she was far too deeply affected by the psychological shock of being struck by lightning. Her plan to kill Long Aotian and change the future immediately retreated.

She calmly smoothed down her hair, which had been blown into a wild mess, and swept her gaze around. Seeing that everyone else was acting as though nothing had happened, she was just beginning to curl her lips in satisfaction when she suddenly met a pair of eyes filled with contempt.

“Impudent!” Following Lou Yue’s gaze, Little Qiu caught sight of the look in Xiao Rangchen’s eyes and shouted before she could say anything. “Xiao Rangchen, you’re nothing but a Foundation Establishment commoner. You’re not even fit to carry our Young Master’s shoes! If our Young Master weren’t merciful, do you think you’d still be alive?”

Xiao Rangchen gave a cold snort. His eyes, deep as a frigid abyss, swept over Lou Yue.

“Little Qiu.” Lou Yue sat back down in her chair. Resting a fingertip carelessly against her temple, she lifted her chin slightly toward the front and said blandly, “Go finish the job with that spear.”

Little Qiu obeyed at once. He picked up the bloodstained spear from the ground and walked forward. The guards understood immediately, clamping down hard on Xiao Rangchen’s arms from either side.

Without the slightest obstruction, Little Qiu thrust the spear through the wound Lou Yue had left behind.

A muffled groan escaped Xiao Rangchen’s throat, only to be swallowed back down.

Just as Xiao Rangchen was beginning to adjust to the pain, Little Qiu slowly twisted the spear. The shaft scraped against flesh, producing a harsh, grating sound that struck straight through the heart. Lou Yue’s brows furrowed slightly at the noise.

Only then did Little Qiu begin withdrawing the spear inch by slow inch. Blood gushed out at once, splattering onto the ground and spreading into a vivid red stain.

Xiao Rangchen bit down hard on his lip, refusing to utter another sound. His bloodshot eyes remained fixed on Lou Yue, wild ferocity mingling with unwillingness and humiliation as it surged toward her.

The two guards exchanged a glance, then suddenly lifted their feet and stomped hard on Xiao Rangchen's knees. He staggered, his legs buckling, and the guards seized the chance to press down on his shoulders, determined to force him to his knees. Every muscle in Xiao Rangchen's body tensed up, and no matter how hard they pushed, his knees remained suspended an inch above the ground, refusing to touch the floor.

Lou Yue propped her cheek on one hand, watching the whole scene unfold.

The more unyielding and proud Xiao Rangchen showed himself to be, the more the suppressed restlessness in Lou Yue's heart grew wild.

Back then, she had dived headfirst into this serialized novel and followed every update for so long, precisely because she was drawn in by this very tenacity of Xiao Rangchen. It was the first time she had ever been captivated by a fictional character on paper.

However, the more she had admired him at the start, the more disappointed she felt later on.

Watching him build a harem, flirting with every woman he met only to turn around and pursue someone new, Lou Yue felt a disgust so intense it was like swallowing a fly. She was a strong-willed, stubborn person who hated losing, and this was the first time she had "fallen" for a paper character, yet she was still clinging to that bit of unwillingness. She masochistically followed the novel all the way to its end, and the result was naturally that her disgust doubled, with even the initial admiration she once held turning into a total joke.

Thinking of this, that familiar wave of nausea rose in Lou Yue's stomach again. Old grudges tangled with new resentment, making the idea of humiliating him clearer and more urgent than ever.

"That shot earlier was to repay what you owed me," Lou Yue said as she stood up, pacing unhurriedly over to Xiao Rangchen. She lowered her gaze, her condescending air laced with clear contempt. "But then—"

She drew out her tone, a faint smile playing on her lips as she stood with her hands behind her back, her voice carrying a hint of mischief. "Interest still has to be collected."

Her gaze swept over his sharp, unruly brows and eyes, and she asked, "What kind of punishment do you think won't take a life, but will be the most humiliating, the most unforgettable?"

Voices immediately came from behind her, chattering all at once. Some suggested using poison, some brought up strange and exotic torture devices, and someone even shouted that they could strip him naked and hang him from the city gate. Those ideas were crude and unremarkable, none of them hitting the mark for Lou Yue, but they did successfully darken Xiao Rangchen's expression.

Lou Yue let them keep letting their imaginations run wild as she circled around Xiao Rangchen, sizing him up from head to toe—from his oozing, bleeding wounds to his tightly pressed lips, and finally to his eyes that burned with rage.

Xiao Rangchen was remarkably tolerant of pain. Ordinary torture would only play right into his hands, so the method she came up with didn't need to cripple him, but it had to be completely unexpected, enough to shatter his pride and leave him feeling thoroughly humiliated.

As she was thinking, a quiet murmur drifted over to her ears: "I still haven't forgotten how my father spanked me in front of a whole crowd of people..."

Lou Yue's eyes lit up all at once. She spun around sharply, pointing straight at the person who had spoken. "Perfect!" That person had only mumbled the thought offhand, never expecting to be praised by Lou Yue, and immediately looked rather sheepish.

Lou Yue walked back to her chair under Xiao Rangchen's deep, furrowed gaze, crossed her legs, and a slightly wicked smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Bring over a long bench, push him onto it, and tie his hands and feet down tight!" Her voice rang out with unmistakable delight.

"Lou Yue!" Xiao Rangchen thundered, his chest heaving so hard it made the fresh blood seep out even more.

Lou Yue loved seeing him so furious and flustered. She lazily raised a hand, deliberately taunting him. "Now, now, don't shout. Save your voice for later."

The ambiguous wording drew a burst of laughter from the crowd. Even someone as tolerant as Xiao Rangchen couldn't keep his face from darkening completely.

Before long, Xiao Rangchen was forced onto the long bench in the middle of his struggles. Lou Yue took the short whip from a guard's back, leaned down, and used the tip of the whip to lift his chin, forcing him to look up at her.

"Xiao Rangchen, if you say out loud right now, 'Young Master Lou, I beg you to spare me', I'll consider waiving the interest. What do you say?"

Xiao Rangchen looked at the person right in front of him, who was grinning with obvious eagerness. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he parted his lips to speak two words:

"In your dreams."

Lou Yue nodded good-naturedly, then stood back up and waved away the others who were eager to watch the show for free. "Everyone leave. No peeking. No matter what sounds you hear, don't come over."

"Young Master, do you want Little Qiu to stay and help you out?"

"No," Lou Yue refused without even turning her head. She glanced at Xiao Rangchen's tensed back. "Just stand guard and make sure no one peeks."

"Rest assured, Young Master!" Little Qiu replied, herding everyone else away.

The others didn't know what Lou Yue had in mind, and they just found it strange that she would chase them all away for what seemed like nothing more than a whipping.

Dou'er, the youngest of the group, couldn't hold back her curiosity and tugged at the sister beside her. "Shuang'er, why won't the Young Master let anyone watch?"

Shuang'er's eyes glinted with a knowing look, and she leaned over to whisper something in Dou'er's ear.

Dou'er was shocked. "Ah! The Young Master is..."

"Shh!" Shuang'er quickly covered her mouth, glanced around warily, then let go and whispered, "It's not for sure. I only read about that kind of thing in a random anecdote book. But think about it—we've been by the Young Master's side for over a year, have you ever seen her spend the night with any girl?"

Dou'er thought about it carefully, then frowned and nodded. "You're right. The Young Master always makes up some excuse to send me away at night."

"Same for me," Shuang'er said, pointing at the several other girls ahead. "It's the same for all of them."

Dou'er thought of Xiao Rangchen's disheveled yet striking, tall and imposing appearance, and mumbled with a conflicted look on her face, "But... I don't want to share the Young Master with him..."

Lou Yue had no idea that her decision to chase everyone away had sparked such a ridiculous misunderstanding. It wasn't that she was being considerate to Xiao Rangchen—she simply didn't want anyone else to see her spank him. She didn't have any weird kink for that sort of thing, and technically she could have gotten someone else to do it for her, but that wouldn't be nearly as satisfying, or as humiliating for him, as doing it herself.

Even if it was a little awkward for her too, she'd still come out ahead. This was a good deal, no loss at all!

Lou Yue took a deep breath, then covered her eyes with a silk handkerchief she had swiped earlier from one of her maids. Oh, you think you're Long Aotian, huh? Today, she was going to make him taste the bitterness of humiliation, or her last name wouldn't be Lou!

Xiao Rangchen was tied to the long bench, a tearing pain spreading through his chest. He wasn't surprised at all that Lou Yue was going to "collect interest". The children of noble families all treated commoners like him as ants, and they could kill him on a whim without ever facing consequences. He had seen countless cruel methods from these aristocratic brats before. As long as he could stay alive, one day, he would pay back every bit of this torment a hundredfold, a thousandfold.

But then, a strange, unfamiliar sensation came from his waist.

The rough, corded whip had hooked onto the waistband of his pants.

The next moment, the whip pulled hard, dragging his waistband slowly downward...

Lou Yue: Surprise? Bet you didn't see this coming?