The Substitute

Ye Xi was roused from unconsciousness by an inexplicable, overwhelming heat. Her delicate brows knitted tightly together, and her breath came in shallow, scorching waves that carried a strangely sweet scent. What’s... happening to me? With great effort, she pried her eyes open, her vision—hazy as if submerged in water—slowly sharpening, only to be met with utter darkness. As her awareness gradually returned, she had no time to piece together what had happened before her body’s unnatural state left her completely rigid. Though she had never experienced this sensation before, Ye Xi was, after all, a woman of the 21st century—she wasn’t so ignorant as to not recognize that she had been drugged. Just what had happened? Ye Xi bit down hard on her lip. She distinctly remembered that, just before losing consciousness, it had been her birthday banquet. Her father, unusually warm and affectionate, had gone to great lengths to arrange an exceptionally grand celebration for her. So why, mere moments after sharing a drink and heartfelt conversation with him, had she ended up in such a situation? Deliberately ignoring the deepest suspicions in her heart, Ye Xi clenched her fists in the darkness, comforting herself that nothing would go wrong. "Heh." Just as her emotions had barely settled, a scornful laugh echoed from the darkness, freezing her in place. A surge of terror welled up inside her. Suppressing the urge to squirm, she feigned composure and raised her voice, asking, "Who's there?" Yet her voice trembled uncontrollably. The voice in the darkness did not respond again, but Ye Xi detected something even more terrifying—the sound of footsteps. The noise grew closer and closer, click-clacking in a way that made her feel as though they were trampling directly on her heart. The footsteps came to a halt in front of the bed, and Ye Xi's fear intensified. At the same time, however, the drug in her system began to take full effect, gradually eroding her last shreds of rationality. "Who are you? Where is this?" Ye Xi dug her nails into her palm, using the pain to cling to consciousness. Her hand was already bleeding, yet she continued to press harder. "How pathetic." A low, hoarse voice rang out again, dripping with disdain and contempt. It struck Ye Xi's ears like a clap of thunder, but even so, her body continued to succumb rapidly. An icy-cold hand touched her cheek, and like a parched fish encountering water, she instinctively leaned into the touch, closed her eyes, and let out a soft, relieved sigh. "I wonder if you ever imagined, back when you left so dignifiedly, that you would end up like this one day?" The man's words made no sense to her. Ye Xi could only shake her head dazedly, unsure how to respond. Her reason was on the verge of being overwhelmed. Though she was still struggling, having never experienced such a situation before, she had no idea how to alleviate her agony. "I initially thought that your audacity to do such a thing was due to having powerful backing or exceptional intelligence... But as it turns out, your family traded you for their own gain, and you were foolish enough to be sold without even realizing it. How pathetic." The skin beneath his fingers was burning hot, yet the man remained exceedingly patient, slowly tormenting Ye Xi. "What’s even more laughable is that I didn’t even learn your real name until a few days ago. To think I’ve been defeated by someone like you—in the end, I was too soft-hearted. Hmph, don’t worry. From now on, I won’t show you any more gentleness. I’ll make you understand what the real me is like!" The moment he finished speaking, the force in his hands suddenly intensified. Ye Xi’s eyes welled up with tears from the pain, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break free. The man’s body stiffened, and his movements came to an abrupt halt. Every muscle in his body tensed up, veins bulging on his forehead. "Couldn’t hold back so soon, hmm?" He suddenly pressed his lips firmly against hers. Ye Xi tightly shut her eyes, her body leaning into the man’s embrace almost instinctively, even as her mind was filled with self-loathing. "I... I can’t stand it..." Her voice trembled with a sob, but there was nothing she could do. She could only allow the person pinning her down to mercilessly toy with her, never granting her what she truly desired. A glistening tear, heavy with despair, traced a path down Ye Qingqing’s cheek. She pressed an arm over her eyes, no longer having the energy to even consider the man’s question.