The setting sun dyed the courtyard walls of the Fang residence a deep crimson. Tiny wildflowers by the corner swayed gently in the breeze, unaware of the filth in the human world.
Qin Ruhai stood beside the flower field, his robes spotless, his gentle eyes as soft as the fading sunlight. He looked at the garden and said softly to Su Liwan beside him,
"The flowers here are unique. I thought you might like them, so I brought you to see."
Su Liwan's heart fluttered. Qin Ruhai was the one she cherished deeply. With just one word from him, she was willing to follow him to this remote, desolate house. Yun Xiu followed quietly behind her young lady, head bowed, seemingly obedient, yet her gaze never left Su Liwan for a moment.
As they neared the house, strange, soft, sticky sounds drifted from within.
Su Liwan had never heard such noises. She could not tell what they were, but her ears burned hot, her heart flustered with ignorant curiosity.
The sounds grew more unsettling, and she instinctively tried to turn away.
"Let's… let's go."
Qin Ruhai gently took her wrist. His hold was not forceful, yet gentle and unyielding. He leaned closer, his voice low and alluring,
"Aren't you curious what they're doing inside? Since we're already here, why not take a look?"
His touch made her heart tremble. She could not bring herself to leave, so she stood frozen, led by him to the cracked window to peek inside.
One glance, and Su Liwan stiffened all over, gasping sharply. Her face flushed bright red instantly.
As the number one beauty of Qingxi County, her features were pure and clear, her charm innocent yet alluring. In her shyness and shock, even the wildflowers beside her paled in comparison.
Inside the dim room, she saw a short, fat, flabby man with an ugly, brutish face. She did not recognize him, yet an overwhelming sense of crudeness and filth washed over her.
Clothes were disheveled, the air thick with ambiguous tension. He held a slender, delicate young woman firmly in his grasp. The girl was beautiful and innocent, yet she showed no reluctance. Instead, her face was clearly intoxicated and joyful, utterly enjoying herself—a stark, shocking contrast to the ugly, vulgar man beside her.
The scene was too much to bear, yet overwhelmingly impactful. Shame and shock surged through her. Her heart raced, and she wanted to look away at once, to run away.
Yet deep inside, a strange, unfamiliar flutter arose, mixed with a secret, unacknowledged pleasure. Scared and ashamed, she could not tear her eyes away, lost in utter confusion.
"Why…" Su Liwan whispered, innocent and stunned, "That young lady is so beautiful and pure… why is she doing such things with such an ugly man?"
Qin Ruhai spoke softly beside her ear,
"Love has nothing to do with appearance. When the heart is willing, one naturally drowns in it."
Yun Xiu immediately echoed gently,
"Yes, Miss. When one likes someone, outward appearances no longer matter."
Su Liwan's heart was in turmoil. She whispered again,
"How can someone so vulgar bring such happiness?"
Qin Ruhai said slowly,
"Desire is part of human nature. It has nothing to do with beauty or ugliness—only with following one's heart."
Yun Xiu added,
"Happiness has no rank, Miss. As long as it feels sweet to them, that is all that matters."
Su Liwan bit her lip, her confusion deepening.
"I feel uneasy, yet my heart beats so fast…"
Qin Ruhai's voice softened further,
"That is not uneasiness. It is a longing you have never known—you simply do not understand it yet."
Yun Xiu gently continued,
"You have followed the rules for too long, Miss. You mistake your own longing for fear."
Her eyes slightly moist, Su Liwan whispered blankly,
"Are all the rules I have always believed in… wrong?"
Qin Ruhai sighed softly,
"Etiquette and virtue are but chains. What is truly pure is always following one's heart."
Yun Xiu nodded softly,
"You have been restrained for years, Miss. It is time you lived for yourself."
Su Liwan trembled all over and murmured,
"If it were me… would I be just like her?"
Qin Ruhai turned to look at her, his gaze warm and calm,
"When that time comes, you will understand."
Yun Xiu said gently,
"Do not be afraid, Miss. Young Master Qin and I will always be by your side."
Something tight inside her finally loosened.
Seeing her trembling, Qin Ruhai gently reached out and pulled her into his arms.
The touch made her go weak. A strange, aching, flustered feeling overwhelmed her. She should push him away, yet she had no strength left.
She watched the genuine joy on the young girl's face inside, listened to Qin Ruhai's steady heartbeat and Yun Xiu's gentle guidance. Her beliefs crumbled and twisted. Shame and fear slowly gave way to shock and confusion.
Yun Xiu watched silently from the side. She saw the depravity inside, Qin Ruhai's careful manipulation, and her young lady's wavering resolve. Instead of unease, wild joy surged in her chest.
The more confused Miss became, the more her defenses shattered.
The further she strayed from innocence, the closer she drew to destruction. The more terrified and helpless she grew, the more she would have no one to rely on but Yun Xiu.
Once Miss was completely broken, lost, and beyond redemption—she would belong wholly and entirely to Yun Xiu.
That brief glimpse had planted a seed of destruction in Su Liwan's heart.
That night, she tossed and turned in her chamber, unable to sleep. The scene from the window replayed endlessly in her mind.
In the depths of night, she fell into an absurd, burning dream.
In her dream, there was no gentle, elegant Qin Ruhai—only the short, ugly man she had seen that day.
What terrified her most was that in the dream, she did not resist. She was even more active and indulgent than the girl inside, truly tasting the pleasure of abandon.
She jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat, her heart pounding. Terror and shame consumed her completely.
How could she have such a dream?
She loved Qin Ruhai, a noble, pure gentleman. How could she have acted so wantonly in her dreams with such a vulgar, ugly man?
Fear and self-loathing twisted inside her. She almost believed she was inherently filthy, that she had long been corrupted without realizing it.
She frantically grabbed Yun Xiu beside her, voice shaking and tearful,
"Yun Xiu… I had a terrible dream… I dreamed… I dreamed with that ugly man… I… I was even more forward than that girl… I'm so scared…"
Yun Xiu immediately turned and held her tightly, patting her back gently, her voice as soft as water,
"Don't be afraid, Miss. It was only a nightmare. Nothing more."
But deep in her eyes, suppressed delight and madness raged.
It had worked.
Completely.
The last shred of dignity and morality in her young lady had shattered into pieces in that dream.
Good.
Let her fall further into chaos.
Let her be tormented by desire and shame until she can bear it no longer—then she will cling to Yun Xiu, never letting go.
Qin Ruhai, hidden in the dark, had planned everything perfectly.
He needed no force, no coercion.
He only needed to loosen her shame, ignite her desire, and break her restraints.
In the end, Su Liwan would take the initiative to approach him, to depend on him, to give herself to him.
He need not reach out. She would come to him willingly.
In this game, he was destined to win.