Chapter 2: The Past

The dim light seeped through the crack of the door and spilled across the rippling surface of the water.

Ming Yue carried Yu Zhu—lighter even than herself—into the bathroom.

She reached out to test the icy, bone-chilling water in the tub.

Lifting the fringe that covered his eyes, she unclipped the hairpin by his temple.

Her voice was gentle as she spoke.

“Sister Yu, let me wash you clean, alright?”

In the heavy darkness, a thread of light fell into the shallow depths of the youth’s eyes.

He blinked unconsciously, exquisite and obedient like a toy to be played with.

The moment his frail toes touched the freezing water, Yu Zhu’s hands, which had hung limp at his sides, suddenly gripped Ming Yue’s clothes.

A faint flush of struggle appeared on his face.

He tried to break free from her arms.

The girl chuckled under her breath, pleased by his powerless resistance, and ignored it.

With unhurried movements, she pressed him down into the water.

The basement was as cold as a sealed ice cave in the depths of winter.

Submerged in water like frozen steel, every inch of Yu Zhu’s skin turned purple.

Even his thoughts stuttered to a halt.

His lips, pale as death, trembled uncontrollably.

The suffocating grip of drowning tore through his instincts for breath.

His chest rose and fell almost imperceptibly, his gaze scattered, staring blankly at the devouring water.

There was no more movement.

Ming Yue pulled apart the hands he had wrapped around himself and lowered her head, kissing the ridges of his frail knuckles.

Her tongue curled around a drop of water.

After savoring its taste, she murmured.

“Huo Xin went too far before.

We already told her off.

So why is Sister Yu still so afraid of water?”

The suffocating pain of the soul dragged Yu Zhu back into that night.

The roar of tides filled his ears.

“What are you afraid of?

Isn’t this ecstasy?”

The tall girl stepped on his head, forcing him down into the basin.

Any sign of struggle only brought down storms of fury upon him.

“Cough… cough…”

She pushed harder, driving him deeper.

Air was crushed out of his lungs bit by bit.

Water surged into his nose, lancing with agony.

The helpless suffocation turned his vision black.

His complexion grew ashen-blue.

Even the sounds that reached his ears blurred beyond recognition beneath the water.

“…Ecstasy…”

“Break the toy… just throw it away…”

“Ingrate…”

Yu Zhu’s hands were bound tight behind his back.

The torrent scoured his nose and mouth, dragging his consciousness into darkness.

His pallid skin took on a deathly hue.

His spine, once thrashing in resistance, collapsed flat against the ground without a twitch.

“Playing dead?”

Huo Xin lifted her feet from his head, staring intently for a reaction.

Even the faintest reflex, and she would make him understand what it meant to be unable to live or die.

But nothing happened.

Even after she let go, the boy’s head remained submerged in the water.

Not a single bubble of breath rose to the surface.

“Don’t play dead!”

Huo Xin yanked him from the water and slammed his limp body to the floor.

His delicate, perfect face was slack, eyes closed, lips whitened like soaked paper.

No breath.

“Still pretending?”

She slapped him hard across the face, crimson handprints blooming on his cheeks.

Yet Yu Zhu gave no response.

She hastily undid the nylon rope binding his wrists.

The fear of having truly killed him prickled sharp in her chest.

Feigning composure, Huo Xin straddled his legs and pressed against his chest, forcing air into his mouth.

“Don’t think you can fool me.

I, Huo Xin, have killed more people than I can count.

Did you think such a trick would scare me?

You really overestimate yourself.”

“You’re just a plaything.

If you die, I’ll just get another.

What makes you think you’re one of a kind?”

“What now?

Still pretending?”

…

The brittle bones beneath her fingers pressed so sharply that Huo Xin’s hand ached, but no matter how she threatened, the body beneath her gave no response.

Only then did the princess of the underworld truly panic.

Her palm trembled as she fumbled to call the others, one hand still pressing against his chest.

“Yu Zhu!”

“Yu Zhu—!”

Ice-cold droplets slid down his forehead.

Dragged back from his nightmare, Yu Zhu felt Ming Yue wiping the water from his face with a soft towel.

His frozen, purple-tinged face was wrapped in the cloth.

Ming Yue suddenly lifted his chin and captured his pale lips.

The jelly-soft texture lingered against her mouth as she savored it for a long while.

Only when his body nearly slipped back into the water did she reluctantly let go.

“I really want to eat Sister piece by piece.”

Sliding her arms beneath his knees, Ming Yue lifted him in a princess carry and brought him back to the bed.

Under the lamp, his body was so white it almost dazzled.

The bow once again fastened at his neck.

Wet hair cascaded down his back, droplets trailing over his spine, each one making him tremble uncontrollably.

Ming Yue produced a Lolita dress in the classic red, white, and blue palette, adorned with rose lace at the bodice.

It was a fairy-tale style, both playful and ornate.

She maneuvered his limbs carefully, dressing him in the gown, then dried his damp hair with another towel.

Her fingers combed through his strands, occasionally dipping to kiss the hollow of his collarbone—like a maid serving her princess prisoner in a castle.

“Sister, sister…”

“Sister…”

Her kisses grew muddled, desire flushing her eyes red at the corners.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling the faint fragrance from his hair.

“Sister, give me… give me…”

“…It hurts… Sister…”

The sticky, breathless words slipped from her throat.

Ming Yue clung to Yu Zhu, gripping his hand desperately, then suddenly pulled away.

She stepped down, turned off the dim light, and only then returned to the bed.

Darkness filled his sight.

Her warm hands roamed across every corner of his body.

Leaning against the wall, half-reclined, Yu Zhu felt the skirt hem pushed up to his waist.

Kisses fell against the roots of his thighs.

The touch was so densely overwhelming his fingertips trembled.

He clutched tightly at the edge of his clothes.

The girl’s movements were violent, unrestrained.

The wooden bed creaked and groaned under the strain.

Yu Zhu’s mind went blank.

A firework burst brilliant across the night sky—only to be devoured by the black once more.

“Mm.”

The stomach pain struck without warning, scattering every thought.

Sharp spasms twisted his nerves.

He dared not curl his legs, only bit down hard, clutching his churning stomach, forcing back every sound.

By the time Ming Yue noticed something was wrong, he had already lost consciousness.

His body collapsed limply backward.

She stopped, frowned, and straightened the tattered skirt he wore before getting off the bed to turn on the light.

Cold sweat soaked his brow.

His body still trembled.

Both hands, pressed weakly to his stomach, had fallen slack.

Ming Yue adjusted the bow at his neck, then lifted him from the basement in her arms.

The lavish, vintage-style villa sat on the remote outskirts of C City.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, snowflakes drifted down onto withered branches.

The roads and rooftops in the distance were blanketed in white, the cold sealing all vitality away, leaving only bleak desolation.

Stepping onto the warmth of the wool carpet, Ming Yue drew the curtains tight.

Once the light dimmed, she set Yu Zhu down curled on the sofa and pulled out her phone.

“Do you want to come over soon?”

The voice on the other end said something indistinct.

Her fingers brushed over the boy’s pale, gaunt face, and she smiled.

“Sister fainted.”

The snow continued to fall outside.

Ming Yue picked up a tube of lipstick from the table and carefully painted color over Yu Zhu’s bloodless lips, the contrast making his skin glow unnaturally white.

The distorted voice on the other end filtered through the receiver.

She smudged the lipstick with her fingertips, whispering softly.

“I know your tastes.

But not this time.”

“Control yourself.”

“After all, Sister nearly didn’t survive last time.”