Chapter 6: The Price of Freedom

The joys and sorrows of humanity are rarely shared.

Su Qianyu found Illo to be nothing short of a nuisance.

Yet, the regrettable reality was that it compelled him to confront this dreadful individual.

‘Don’t laugh; you wouldn’t clear the second challenge either.’

To make matters worse, he was now hungry.

As he lay sprawled on the bed, Su Qianyu felt half-dead, though still very much alive.

‘How did that saying go?’

‘Poor people indulge in cars, wealthy people collect watches.’

When idle, Su Qianyu enjoyed dabbling in trivial pleasures, savoring every fleeting moment of comfort.

Though, at present, no such diversions were available to him.

Having anticipated Su Qianyu’s reaction, Illo produced the breakfast she had conveniently brought along.

Upon seeing the food, Su Qianyu’s languid body stirred.

Yet, it was nothing more than a faint tremor.

“Want to eat?”

“Not hungry.”

His voice, faint as a buzzing mosquito, drifted out, betraying a clear stubbornness.

“Truly not hungry?”

Illo’s eyes narrowed playfully, clearly intent on teasing him.

Just as Su Qianyu was about to open his mouth and continue his desperate pretense, his stomach preemptively rumbled.

‘Silence was this morning’s Cambridge (TL Note: A humorous literary allusion, referencing Xu Zhimo’s famous poem “Saying Goodbye to Cambridge Again,” implying a sudden, unwelcome disruption).’

‘Confound it!’

‘We were poised for a fight to the death! Why, Mr. Stomach, have you defected first!’

Su Qianyu squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to avoid facing Illo directly.

‘Right, as long as he couldn’t see her, he wouldn’t be angry.’

Unbeknownst to him, under Illo’s watchful gaze, his formerly pale cheeks had begun to acquire a faint blush.

Noting that her teasing had achieved its desired effect, Illo wisely decided to stop while she was ahead, directly stuffing the breakfast from her hand into his mouth.

“Mph.”

Though startled by her sudden action, the moment he felt the warmth of the food in his mouth, Su Qianyu decided to swallow the sharp retort he had been holding back.

‘It wasn’t that he wouldn’t curse her, but that the opportune moment had not yet arrived!’

‘For the time being, he would endure and tactfully avoid her sharp edge!’

Observing Su Qianyu’s contented eating, Illo’s gaze began to sweep across the entire room.

Noting the traces of water on the floor, clearly wiped away, her eyes gradually narrowed.

“Did you try to escape when I wasn’t around?”

Though she already knew everything, she simply wanted to see if the little fellow would be honest.

Upon hearing Illo’s question, Su Qianyu shook his head vehemently.

“No, I absolutely did not!”

‘How could he possibly admit to such a thing?’

‘If he were to let this fellow know he harbored thoughts of escape, she would likely inflict a slew of strange debuffs (TL Note: A gaming term referring to negative status effects) upon him once more.’

Illo’s fingertips grazed the floor, confirming that not a single speck of dust remained.

Had she not known her magic array had been triggered, and lacked the shared sensory link with Su Qianyu, she might truly have been deceived.

Alas, she knew all too well.

Watching the little fox-kit (TL Note: A playful, teasing term for Su Qianyu, implying cunning or a delicate appearance) on the bed nibbling on his breakfast, Illo approached once more.

“W-what are you going to do?”

As if sensing Illo’s malicious intent, Su Qianyu quickly recoiled backward.

Indeed, Illo’s aura remained overwhelmingly potent.

Even though he had been reborn, the violent influence from his previous life still lingered within him.

“Nothing much, just want to take a look, can’t I?”

Observing Illo’s every movement, Su Qianyu hastily swallowed the last bite of food he held.

‘Now, he lacked nothing!’

Su Qianyu was absolutely convinced that the individual before him was anything but benevolent.

‘Therefore, he would rather do nothing than make a mistake!’

Witnessing Su Qianyu’s palpable fear, Illo’s lips curved into a subtle smile.

This was exactly what she wanted.

Only absolute fear could lead to absolute obedience.

“So, how about we discuss the matter of setting you free?”

“Huh!?”

As Su Qianyu’s eyes suddenly widened, Illo secretly smiled to herself.

She had known it; this fellow truly hadn’t changed since his previous life.

The moment something advantageous to him presented itself, he would instantly perk up.

“Really? Really?!”

Su Qianyu was ecstatic; as long as he could escape this damned magical girl, he would do anything!

“Of course, the precondition is that you must be obedient.”

As she laid out a stack of documents, Su Qianyu gazed at his own image on them, utterly bewildered.

“What is this?”

He picked up one card, on which the four bold characters ‘Admission Certificate’ stood out prominently.

Illo chuckled softly, then slowly and leisurely began to speak.

“I need you to help me approach someone.”

“And then, use your telekinesis to retrieve something for me.”

Su Qianyu listened for a moment, slowly discerning the implications.

‘Wasn’t this just asking him to become a thief?’

‘This was excellent; he excelled at such things.’

‘In the past, he had always relished sneaking around.’

‘Before he was ever caught, he had delighted in pilfering toilet paper from occupied stalls and swiping lighters from passing smokers.’

However, as if a sudden thought struck him, Su Qianyu hastily pressed further.

“What about my previous identity then?” His eyes, though delicate as a young maiden’s (TL Note: The original text uses ‘少女’ or ‘young girl’ here, playfully emphasizing Su Qianyu’s delicate appearance despite his male gender), were filled with anxiety. “It can’t possibly be gone, can it?!”

Illo, however, merely offered a slight shrug, her gaze lingering on him with deep meaning.

“It’s gone. So what?”

“But I still accepted the client’s commission…?”

Illo, however, remained silent, slowly advancing toward him.

No superfluous words were exchanged; only a ruthless action followed.

“It seems to me you’re a little unclear about the current situation, aren’t you?”

Feeling the unusual sensation on his chest, Su Qianyu, still somewhat indignant, slowly spoke, his voice catching in his throat.

“But… the deposit… Mph!”

“I already said, this is your new identity.”

Illo’s words remained frigid, devoid of even a ripple of emotion.

Evidently, she disliked individuals like Su Qianyu defying her.

“O-okay… okay!”

“I… I understand… now!”

Su Qianyu strained to clench his teeth and keep his mouth shut, yet alas, no wall in this world could ever be truly airtight.

Before long, the young man found himself unable to endure further.

Feeling the sensation in her hand, Illo was somewhat surprised.

She hadn’t expected this ‘thing’ to feel so remarkably good when squeezed.

Glancing down at her own somewhat ‘barren airport’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term referring to a flat chest), she increased the pressure of her squeeze.

‘Jealousy, indeed, distorts one’s very being.’

‘Damn this thing; if only she had known, she wouldn’t have crafted such a generous size for him.’

“A-are you done?”

Initially, Su Qianyu had assumed she merely sought to establish her authority, ensuring he understood the rules.

Yet now, several minutes had elapsed, and the woman was still at it.

He couldn’t hold back anymore.

Even the expression he desperately tried to maintain had begun to warp.

“Is my technique really that bad?”

Illo raised a delicate eyebrow, her tone edged with a challenge.

“N-no, not at all!”

“Then endure it.”

Illo gazed at the ‘plaything’ in her hand, nodding with a sound of approval.

In her previous life, she had been subjected to Su Qianyu’s endless complaints about this and that, followed by a myriad of creative punishments.

Now he couldn’t even tolerate a mere prelude; how could that be acceptable?

Furthermore, considering the circumstances, her current actions were, in her estimation, bordering on acts of great benevolence.

To combat the strange sensations coursing through his body, Su Qianyu could only resort to silently cursing the eighteen generations of the person before him.

‘Confound it, you who deserve a thousand cuts…!’

Alas, Illo was not an individual to be trifled with.

‘So, he enjoyed secretly ‘cricket-ing’ (TL Note: A playful, onomatopoeic term implying secretly badmouthing or complaining about someone) her? Well then, apologies were in order, weren’t they?’

A mischievous grin spread across Illo’s lips as she began to hum a little tune.

Eavesdropping on his inner thoughts, she smiled knowingly.

Illo simply adored the sight of someone clearly defiant, yet utterly powerless against her.

But then, as if a sudden thought struck her, Illo’s hand abruptly stilled.

Su Qianyu’s face registered clear astonishment, mingled with a faint trace of… lingering desire?

“What, you still want more?”

Illo met the gaze of the now somewhat weak-kneed Su Qianyu, a slight smile playing on her lips.

“Beg me.”