Chapter 14: “That’s enough for us to have some fun…”

Bai Linlin opened her eyes to find her cheek pressed against cold, damp soil. The smell of rotting leaves and moss filled her nose.

Her head spun. The spot on the back of her neck where she had been struck throbbed with every heartbeat.

She tried to move her arms—only to discover they were tightly bound behind her back.

She tried her legs—her calves were also tied together.

A wad of cloth had been stuffed into her mouth, carrying a faint chemical-fiber taste that muffled her every attempt at sound into helpless “mmph mmph” noises.

She was bound and dumped in the depths of a midnight forest.

But what nearly crashed her brain all over again wasn’t the kidnapping itself.

It was…

This binding was way too professional, way too deliberately suggestive!

The ropes weren’t haphazardly wrapped a few times.

She could feel the tough cords centered on her back, crisscrossing her body in a tight diamond-pattern grid—this was classic kinbaku, or Japanese rope bondage.

The ropes dug deeply into the soft fabric of her post-transformation lavish dress, cinching tight.

Especially across her chest.

The rococo-style frills and ruffles at the bodice were now forcibly lifted and constrained by the rope grid.

Her small chest was clearly outlined and compressed at the center of the tight diamond pattern. The upward-pulling tension from the crossing ropes even made it visually… more prominent than usual.

The cold texture of the ropes rubbed against her skin through the thin material.

Her white elbow-length gloves remained in place, but now they looked like part of some fetish costume.

The vertically striped tights shimmered faintly under the moonlight. Her legs were bound together at the calves, the skirt hem splayed messily around her.

The overall image—paired with her absurdly dreamy magical-girl outfit—created a grotesque, intensely wrong visual impact.

Just as her mind was being flooded with internal screams of “What kind of shame play is this?!”

Footsteps approached from the side, accompanied by a girl humming an off-key little tune.

Bai Linlin strained to turn her head.

Under the moonlight, a tall figure walked over.

The golden hair stood out even in the dim light—it was the same person who had knocked her out earlier.

Now that she was closer, Bai Linlin could see her face clearly: quite beautiful, but her eyes gleamed with unmasked, gleeful interest. The wide grin on her lips carried pure malice.

She walked up to Bai Linlin, crouched down, tilted her head, and admired her “work” with an ever-widening smile.

“Mmph! Mmph mmph—!”

(You! What do you want?!)

Bai Linlin glared with her eyes, but the gag turned everything into meaningless syllables.

The blonde girl seemed to understand. She reached out and lightly traced the faint red mark left on Bai Linlin’s cheek by the rope’s edge.

“No need to rush, ‘Bai Linlin.’”

Her voice was slightly husky, tone light and playful.

“We’re… old acquaintances, after all.”

At that moment, the system panel popped up in Bai Linlin’s vision without warning, automatically labeling the blonde girl in front of her.

[Character: Lin Zhizhi]

[Identity: Transfer student.]

[Relationship record with character “Bai Linlin”: Early in the semester, a conflict led to a “bully game.” Lin Zhizhi lost, but instead of becoming angry, she made an agreement with Bai Linlin to “stop bullying Xi Ran.”]

[Later, during Jiang Jiaojiao’s “kill Xi Ran plan” incident, she was “inspired” and developed strong interest.]

[Current goal: Personally observe Bai Linlin’s genuine reaction when “on the verge of death” in front of Jiang Jiaojiao, and planned this kidnapping accordingly.]

Bai Linlin: “…”

She stared at the text—especially the phrases “old acquaintances” and “bully game”—feeling her vision darken and her stomach churn.

Good grief!

“Bai Linlin,” oh “Bai Linlin”—just how many enemies, how many messy entanglements, how many twisted relationships do you have in this death game that you never told me about?!

Can’t you at least give me a damn list so I can mentally prepare myself?!

She ranted internally, but in reality she lay on the ground like a lavishly decorated sacrificial lamb—trussed up tight and helpless.

Out of the tiger’s den (Xi Ran), straight into the wolf’s lair (Lin Zhizhi).

And a completely different flavor of wolf!

“Tsk tsk, this outfit… where did you get it? Pretty unique.”

Lin Zhizhi hooked a finger under one of the fluffy pompoms on Bai Linlin’s cloak, then poked at the rope-constricted, accentuated spot on her chest—not too hard, but enough to make every hair on Bai Linlin’s body stand on end.

“Mmph mmph!” (Get your hand off!)

Lin Zhizhi’s smile grew even brighter. She leaned close to Bai Linlin’s ear, lowering her voice until hot breath brushed the sensitive skin.

“‘Bai Linlin,’ this stage was specially arranged by me… just to ‘spoil’ you properly.”

Her tone brimmed with twisted anticipation.

“Imagine—when that bitch Jiang Jiaojiao rushes over and sees her precious little white rabbit, the one she so gently trapped, looking this pitiful and… mm, enticing—what kind of face will she make?”

“Will she cry her heart out in distress, or lose her mind in rage?”

Lin Zhizhi’s eyes sparkled unnaturally bright under the moonlight.

“Just thinking about it gets me so excited!”

Bai Linlin’s scalp crawled.

Another lunatic!

And this one was a sadistic thrill-seeker who got off on toying with other people’s emotions!

Was there not a single normal person in this entire instance?!

Ruan Yuan!

Ruan Yuan!

Where the hell are you?!

Your best friend Linlin is about to be done for!

This time it’s really over!

Not just physically in danger—now she had to endure this humiliating public spectacle!

Lin Zhizhi seemed to have finished her “preview.” She began to act.

Her hands roamed—not gently—over the elaborate layers of Bai Linlin’s dress, sliding along her sides, dipping under the skirt hem into the makeshift “pocket” formed by the fabric, and finally locating a hard, rectangular object in a hidden inner pocket.

It was the phone.

Bai Linlin’s phone.

Lin Zhizhi pulled it out and methodically tried Bai Linlin’s bound fingers one by one against the sensor.

Click—the phone unlocked.

She scrolled through the contacts, quickly found “Jiang Jiaojiao,” and tapped in.

Bai Linlin’s eyes widened. She twisted desperately, trying to stop her, but it was useless.

Lin Zhizhi typed rapidly, then turned the screen toward Bai Linlin to show her.

The sent message read:

“Linlin belongs to me for now.”

“If you want her back.”

“Come upstream along the cliff from yesterday.”

Without waiting for any reaction, she casually tossed the phone into the nearby grass (goodbye, phone).

“All set!”

Lin Zhizhi clapped her hands as though she had just finished something monumental. In an excellent mood, she crouched back down in front of Bai Linlin.

“Now that bitch Jiaojiao will definitely come running obediently! With her personality and how much she ‘cares’ about you… tsk, I can’t wait.”

She glanced at the time, and her smile turned faintly suggestive.

“There’s still a little while before she finds this place…”

She suddenly leaned in again, nose almost touching Bai Linlin’s, those maliciously gleaming eyes staring straight into Bai Linlin’s terrified gaze.

“…which is more than enough time for us to set the others aside and have some real fun first!”