A birdcage as large as a house, adorned with a ring of flowers inside.
At its center stood a pristine white chair and an extravagantly soft, luxurious bed.
Chi Yuan's body was draped in white silk that barely covered her vital areas, her plump, firm thighs fully exposed.
She sat on the chair, her melancholic gaze fixed on the blue sky beyond.
Outside the iron bars, Ji Lin stared at Chi Yuan within the cage, her lips trembling as she struggled to find words.
Ji Lin knew this wasn't the real Chi Yuan, yet she couldn't bear to see her imprisoned in a birdcage.
And that bed… it was far too extravagant.
White gauze curtains cascaded from the dome above, with several silk ribbons swaying gently, creating an almost dreamlike atmosphere.
But Ji Lin couldn't shake the feeling that there was a more… intentional design at play.
Were those hanging silk ribbons truly just for decoration?
Ji Lin didn't know—and she didn't want to think too deeply about it.
Ye Feng, noticing Ji Lin's conflicted expression, asked, "Want to play rock-paper-scissors?"
"Huh?"
"A little game. Look—this is rock, it beats scissors; scissors beat paper; and paper beats rock."
As his fingers nimbly demonstrated, Ye Feng's voice took on a devilish whisper:
"If you win, I'll let her out of the cage."
"And if I lose?"
"You become my maid for a day. Think of it as… a personal attendant."
"..."
Ji Lin fell silent for a moment, her eyes drifting back to Chi Yuan in the cage.
Ye Feng's voice coaxed again, "You were able to enter this world. Who knows? Maybe Fu Hua—er, Chi Yuan—will show up here too someday."
"..."
Ji Lin couldn't deny that possibility.
Kiana, Raiden Mei, and even the once-disastrous Herrscher Hellmaru (now freed from its curse) were all proof.
No one could predict who might appear next.
But it could happen.
"What… exactly would a maid have to do?"
Ji Lin was a woman of her word—honest, principled, and utterly without deceit.
She embodied the perfect image of a classical noblewoman: poised, elegant, and traditional.
Like an ink wash painting veiled in misty rain.
By asking this, she had already steeled herself for whatever answer awaited.
"Whatever a personal attendant would do, a maid must do as well."
Still not the clarity she sought.
Ji Lin paused, a faint blush rising to her cheeks as she forced out the question:
"Would… would I have to share your bed?"
Ye Feng chuckled. "Well, if a beauty like you became my personal maid and I didn't do anything, people might question my competence. But—"
His tone shifted. "This time, it won't be necessary."
"It won't? Then… I accept your wager."
Ji Lin nodded.
If she didn't have to serve him in that way, then ordinary attendant duties were manageable.
"Ouch. You agreed so quickly once that condition was off the table?"
"Enough talk. Let's begin."
"So impatient, Ji Lin. Fine, I'm not one to drag things out either. Let's settle this—one round, winner takes all."
They acted simultaneously.
Ye Feng: Rock.
Ji Lin: Scissors.
"Ara~ Looks like I win."
"..."
"Don't give me that look. I didn't cheat."
Ji Lin's expression darkened.
She recalled a phrase Dan Zhu once said: "Those who gamble deserve no happy endings."
Now, Ji Lin understood just how right she was.
"A bet is a bet. From now on, I am your… attendant."
"Personal maid," Ye Feng corrected. "And you'll call me Master."
…Master?
The term rang a faint bell. Nuwa had vaguely mentioned it before—some kind of subculture from their era.
"Are you… also from the previous era?"
"So Fu Hua and the others told you about the Previous Era? You must be quite close. But no, I'm not from that time."
He leaned in. "Now, say it. Call me Master."
"...M-Mas… ter…" Ji Lin stammered.
"Not very smooth. Keep practicing until it rolls off your tongue naturally."
"..."
This man truly is a demon.
But if this was all he demanded, Ji Lin could endure it.
...
…
Without a doubt, this day was a long one for Ji Lin.
Not only had she failed to free Chi Yuan, but she'd also ended up ensnared herself.
Fortunately, Ye Feng didn't impose any particularly humiliating demands.
He only asked her to massage him, feed him, and—when the mood struck—perform a sword dance with the Xuanyuan Sword.
Dressed in a snow-white palace gown, her ink-black hair flowing, Ji Lin's swordplay carried an ethereal grace, like a celestial maiden of legend.
Ye Feng nearly succumbed to the urge to act out an impassioned xianxia romance right then and there.
But he held back.
There was no need to rush.
Night fell.
Kiana arrived as expected.
And Ji Lin… did not leave.
The two met in the dimly lit bedroom.
Kiana, who had charged in eagerly, felt her enthusiasm instantly doused.
Why is someone else here?!
"Uh… good evening, Ji Lin…"
Kiana scratched her head awkwardly.
Ji Lin, clad in her translucent white gown, exuded the quiet elegance of a noble lady, every movement refined and poised.
She gave a slight bow.
"Good evening, Kiana."
"Ji Lin, what are you doing here?"
This was Kiana and Ye Feng's battlefield—a private arena to settle their… disputes.
The key word being private.
Which was exactly why Kiana had hurried over the moment she arrived.
This time, it wasn't even her own desires driving her.
The clever worm had already realized Ye Feng wouldn't let her off easy.
And if he was going to pounce anyway, better a secluded room than some random corner!
Otherwise, they'd just repeat the last two times—right in front of Mei?!
Absolutely unbearable!
Kiana was learning to strategize.
So finding an outsider in what should have been their secret space?
Not ideal.
"Mm…"
Ji Lin lowered her head.
As Ye Feng's personal maid, wherever he was, she had to be nearby.
"Don't mind her. Let's begin, Kiana."
Ye Feng, sitting on the bed, beckoned her over.
"Huh?!"
Kiana froze.
'Don't mind her'?! How can I NOT mind?!
She stood rooted in place, torn between advancing and retreating.
Leaving wasn't an option—if she ran into Mei outside, would this bastard Ye Feng just scoop her up and sprint off again?
Last time that happened, back in the real world, Kiana's legs had ached for days from the phantom strain.
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