Chapter 18: Driven Insane

Ye Feng’s guess turned out to be completely correct; he really was left to starve.

Although the raw pangs of hunger were agonizing, Ye Feng forced himself to endure. At the same time, his mind was racing, systematically plotting his escape.

The sheer trauma of today’s incident had dealt an astronomical blow to his psyche, but it had also forced him to recognize this parallel reality for what it truly was. This world was fundamentally warped and diseased. If someone wanted to survive here, they either had to become a psycho, a pervert, or a dog.

And right now, it seemed he didn’t even possess the baseline credentials to be treated like a dog anymore. Since he couldn’t even qualify as a pet, why shouldn’t he just become a psycho?

As for becoming a pervert… who exactly would he victimize? Himself? This was a world with completely reversed gender dynamics; if he tried to act like a predator, he would just be a lamb offering itself up to a pack of tigers.

Therefore, he had to escape. And after escaping, he would live as a complete madman. Or rather, starting from this very second, he was already a psycho.

First and foremost, escaping entirely on his own strength was a statistical impossibility. He possessed no legal identity documents and zero personal wealth. Coupled with his terrifyingly beautiful appearance, the exact millisecond he left Mu Yuchen’s villa, he would be reduced to nothing more than a stray dog on the streets—perhaps even worse, because his physical body was an immense liability.

Ye Feng didn’t understand the underlying mechanics, but he could clearly sense that his body had been continuously shifting over the past few days. The physical transformation was most glaringly obvious in his face and stature. If the version of him that first arrived in this world still retained a microscopic shred of masculine grit, his current self was practically a textbook “petite girl.” He was compact, delicate, and his height had noticeably shrunk. He looked like an adolescent youth, even though both in his past life and this current one, he was legally a fully grown adult.

Secondly, there was his physical stamina, as well as his waist and kidneys. It was a reality he desperately detested acknowledging, yet had to accept as factual reality: his body was completely breaking down.

The daily, dull ache in his lower back didn’t feel like the typical soreness of overexertion at all; it felt more like his organs were actively atrophying. Ye Feng heavily suspected that this might not be a medical disease at all, but rather the standard anatomical baseline for males in this universe.

Though he wasn’t clear on what he would ultimately turn into, at the very least, it didn’t seem to be posing an immediate, fatal threat to his life.

Regardless, none of that mattered. No matter what shape he took, he was still breathing.

To summarize his operational checklist for escape: problem number one was acquiring capital; problem number two was securing a fraudulent identity; problem number three was developing self-defense capabilities.

The third point was of paramount importance. His physical frame was far too weak. Weakness itself wasn’t an inherent sin, but when that weakness was paired with a breathtakingly handsome face capable of bewitching the vast majority of females in this world, it became a catastrophic error.

If he couldn’t solve his lack of combat ability, escaping would simply mean leaping out of the tiger’s den and straight into a wolf’s maw.

Of course, the first two prerequisites were equally indispensable. Money and an identity were the absolute bedrock elements required to survive in this society. And to secure all of this, he required an accomplice—a completely submissive, easily manipulated accomplice.

Perhaps before today, he didn’t possess such an asset. But after surviving the nightmare this afternoon, he now had one.

He wasn’t an idiot; he never had been. He simply disliked burning mental processing power on complex schemes. Mu Yuchen could easily deduce the identity of the masked intruder, and he had cracked it just as quickly.

Du Xiaowen arrogantly assumed that because Ye Feng had never seen her bare face during the assault, he would be completely incapable of identifying her. But cross-referencing a person’s identity never relied solely on facial recognition.

An individual’s aura, clothing preferences, behavioral tics, and physical habits could all compromise their anonymity.

Granted, Du Xiaowen had behaved exactly like a ravenous beast while violating him, but her subconscious habit of keeping her head lowered, the distinct, deep indentation left by her glasses near her temples, and the absolute reality that only she and Mu Yuchen knew his exact residential location made deducing her identity child’s play.

Therefore, all he needed was a single opportunity for a face-to-face confrontation. After a thoroughly calculated negotiation, he would successfully secure himself an accomplice. Of course, he would likely have to sacrifice a bit of skin and flesh to close the deal.

Given the depth of that chick’s depravity…

Whatever. She’s just a disposable tool to be exploited. Why waste energy overthinking it? If she wants my body, I’ll let her have it. I’ll just discard her like trash once her utility runs out.

Ye Feng never considered himself a cruel person. If anything, he felt his descent into ruthlessness had come entirely too late. If he had adopted this cold, calculating mindset sooner, he wouldn’t be trapped in this pathetic state today.

People might call him malicious, but what about the horrific violations he had suffered? When he was being brutally degraded, why didn’t a single soul call them cruel?

“Heh… hehe… heh-hahahaha!”

His laughter was low and guttural—a deeply unnerving, terrifying sound echoing through the room like a clown lurking in the shadows. If people wanted to claim he had lost his mind, it was this twisted world that had driven him insane.

Meanwhile, Mu Yuchen was tossing and turning in her bed, completely unable to drift off to sleep. She felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness beside her, as if a vital piece of property was missing.

Despite only sharing a bed with him for a brief span of two days, she had apparently already grown pathologically accustomed to his physical presence.

But he’s dirty now. A contaminated object is something I refuse to touch…

Wait, he hasn’t eaten a single thing today, has he?

Mu Yuchen sat bolt upright in bed.

Downstairs on the living room coffee table sat a multi-tier bento box she had purchased fresh this morning. Inside were three side dishes and a soup: corn and pork rib soup, stir-fried pork with green peppers, shredded pork in garlic sauce, and stir-fried Hunan beef.

Those three specific dishes happened to be her absolute favorites.

However, the food had grown completely cold. No matter how premium or well-insulated the bento box was, it was no match for a full afternoon of neglect—let alone the fact that it was now the dead of night.

“What kind of food does he actually like?”

Mu Yuchen murmured softly to herself as she spun around and walked toward the kitchen. Right now, she didn’t want to think about anything complex, nor did she dare to. She was terrified that if she let her mind wander, she would immediately flash back to the reality that the man had been defiled, causing her to recoil in disgust and retreat back to her own bedroom.

She couldn’t comprehend why she was acting this way. It felt as though she had regressed right back to the psychological state of the very first day she had forcefully taken him.

Forcing down the hollow pangs of starvation, Ye Feng had finally drifted off to sleep. Fortunately, this time around, it wasn’t a nightmare, but a beautiful, serene dream.

Yet, he didn’t feel a single shred of happiness. In fact, he infinitely preferred nightmares over pleasant dreams.

A beautiful dream was merely a fragile illusion he constructed to delude himself, whereas a nightmare served as a perpetual alarm clock, violently reminding him of the horrific reality of his environment and keeping his survival instincts sharp.

However, just as he was attempting to consciously warp his pleasant dream into a nightmare, the rich, savory aroma of fresh food drifted straight into his nose. Simultaneously, he felt a solid physical silhouette slip beneath the covers, pressing tightly against his back.

Ye Feng opened his eyes. He didn’t immediately look at the spread of food arranged on the table; instead, his gaze locked onto Mu Yuchen, who was lying directly behind him, poorly feigning sleep.

What twisted game is this woman playing now? Does she want to ride me again? But looking at her detached attitude earlier today, that doesn’t seem to be her angle at all.

Rumble!~

The violent protest from his stomach instantly short-circuited his philosophical deductions. Since he couldn’t crack her logic, he decided to stop wasting brainpower entirely. Besides, now was absolutely not the time to drop the facade and trigger a confrontation; he still needed to maintain this dynamic to exploit her down the line.

With that final thought, he sat up in bed, completely ignoring the figure resting behind him. He flicked on the lamp, grabbed the chopsticks, and began inhaling the food with ravenous intensity.

Hearing the heavy sounds of eating, Mu Yuchen covertly blinked one eye open.

She herself couldn’t explain her own behavior. But from the exact millisecond she lay down on this mattress, a profound wave of absolute peace and comfort had enveloped her entire being. Naturally, a heavy drowsiness began to wash over her.

Burp!~

Ye Feng swallowed a final gulp of soup and let out a massive, satisfied burp. Staring at the substantial amount of leftovers remaining in the containers, he felt a twinge of genuine wastefulness. But his physical stomach capacity was strictly limited now, leaving him no choice but to abandon the rest of the meal.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he slid back under the covers, reached out to kill the lamp, and plunged the entire bedroom back into absolute darkness. Closing his eyes, he quickly drifted back into a deep slumber.

This time, another beautiful dream manifested—and ironically, it was a dream featuring himself and Mu Yuchen.

Perhaps influenced by the contents of this dream, the sleeping Ye Feng unconsciously extended an arm, wrapping it securely around Mu Yuchen’s waist.

Mu Yuchen, matching his movement, similarly wrapped a large arm around Ye Feng’s frame. Because her physical build was substantially larger and her raw strength vastly overpowered his, this simple embrace instantly dragged Ye Feng flush against her chest.

Tucked securely within her embrace, Ye Feng slept peacefully, continuing his beautiful dream.

(Author’s Note: Rest assured, our protagonist has zero chance of fighting back.)

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