Chapter 20:Castle Past 20 Chess Piece

Cheng Li leaned in. Xu Nian stopped ten centimeters away, whispering something.

His pupils widened, suspicion flickering as he scrutinized her. “For real?”

“Of course. Try it—he’ll answer anything.”

Xu Nian shrugged nonchalantly.

“Pfft—”

The blonde woman stifled a laugh, her brows dancing with amusement.

Cheng Li shot the Young Lady a strange look, unsure why she laughed.

Better not provoke her.

Angering her might trigger a rule and cost his life.

He headed to the kitchen. Since he’d promised Xu Nian to protect Fu Ruxue, he’d put on a show.

“Let’s go.”

Xu Nian shook her cuffed wrist helplessly at the blonde woman.

Chained up, how could she run?

The Young Lady, silent, tugged the chain, dragging Xu Nian toward the basement.

Fu Ruxue watched worriedly, her knife absently cutting the chopping board.

The Duke, ever since the Young Lady arrived, stood obediently aside, less a father, more a subordinate.

So strange.

Cheng Li stood beside her. “What’re you doing?”

His gaze fell on the human hand on the board, face paling, stomach churning. He stepped back, eyeing Fu Ruxue like a monster.

“Chopping a hand, obviously.”

Fu Ruxue grinned, flashing teeth to scare him.

Cheng Li backed further, repulsed.

Her, need protection?

What a joke.

Something felt off. Why did Xu Nian ask him to protect Fu Ruxue? He was terrified of that snake…

He brushed it off, assuming Xu Nian valued their bond.

At the kitchen door, the Duke paced, glaring at the pair inside, his butler’s uniform pristine, eyes venomous.

Still a clean freak, even as the butler…

Fu Ruxue mused.

“Why doesn’t he come in?” Cheng Li wondered, then lit up. “He can’t enter the kitchen!”

Fu Ruxue chopped idly, ignoring him, but her ears perked up.

Realizing the Duke couldn’t enter, Cheng Li, emboldened by Xu Nian’s tip, waved at him. “Hey.”

The Duke’s grotesque face froze, fangs grinding, but he didn’t act.

Hesitantly, Cheng Li asked, “Are you… the Duke?”

A blur flashed.

Pain seared through Cheng Li. The Duke’s chiseled face loomed close, his arm piercing Cheng Li’s abdomen, blood soaking his sleeve.

The Duke tsked, his eyes brimming with disgust and resentment.

Agony numbed Cheng Li. He gasped, “You… can’t… enter…”

Fu Ruxue jumped at the sudden attack, her knife accidentally severing the hand’s fingers.

The stumps writhed like worms, merging into a smooth red surface.

She gagged, looking skyward to process.

The fingers morphed further. Fu Ruxue, fighting nausea, watched them twist into chess pieces.

Huh?

She recalled Xu Nian giving her chess pieces.

Comparing them, they matched.

What luck—she’d stumbled on the pieces in such a bizarre way.

Tears welled as the stench of Cheng Li’s blood mixed with the memory of the writhing fingers, churning her stomach.

“Urgh—”

Fu Ruxue vomited, acid and half-digested food splattering. She dry-heaved, stomach empty, mouth sour.

The Duke withdrew his bloodied arm, letting Cheng Li collapse.

He glared at Fu Ruxue, glanced at the chopping board, malice flashing, then left.

Probably to change, given his clean freak tendencies.

Fu Ruxue chopped absently, watching the Duke head upstairs, bypass his room, and enter… the Young Lady’s.

Shock crossed her eyes.

She hadn’t noticed before, but the Duke returned to the Young Lady’s room at night.

If he didn’t go to his own room, where did others go?

Then the maid appeared, heading straight to the Young Lady’s room.

Fu Ruxue watched cautiously, ignoring Cheng Li’s groans.

“Help me…”

Cheng Li crawled, clutching his bleeding abdomen.

She couldn’t save him—she wasn’t a doctor.

Instead, she stepped away, analyzing clues.

No sign of the gardener all night.

Maybe he’d gone in unseen.

The Duke and maid didn’t emerge. Fu Ruxue, bleary-eyed from staying up, left Cheng Li and returned to her room.

Cheng Li, bleeding out, passed out.

By the unclaimed corpse in the garden, the stripped coat bore blood-red words:

Rule Six: Shh! Don’t expose the Duke’s identity, or… hee hee hee…

A malicious rule, hidden in such an obscure place.

Xu Nian was led to the familiar basement. The Young Lady, holding her, leapt down, pulling the chain deeper inside.

“I really don’t know you,” Xu Nian said, seeing her dark expression, then pivoting for survival. “Can you tell me about our past?”

The Young Lady paused, lips moving, but no words came.

Recalling Xu Nian’s attempt to flee to the gate, her face hardened, pushing her to the bed.

Xu Nian’s soft body fell easily onto the mattress.

She propped herself up, only to be pushed down again.

The Young Lady leaned over, encircling her warm body.

Anger flared in Xu Nian’s eyes. Ignoring her question, all she thought about was that…

Trying to rise, a click sounded—something locked.

Xu Nian swung her fist, but it was caught. She was chained to the bedpost.

Red marks bloomed on her delicate wrists, the chain unyielding despite her struggles.

“Why run?”

Xu Nian didn’t answer, studying the silver cuffs glinting as they turned.

Ignoring the Young Lady, she focused on escaping.

No answer for her question? Fine.

“No answer?” The Young Lady laughed coldly, icy eyes on her. “Then you’ll be punished.”

As she leaned in, Xu Nian cried, “Wait—”

Too late.

An elegant hand removed the scarf.

—(See Chapter 1 for details)—

“Mmm… no more… please…”

Tears streaked Xu Nian’s flushed eyes, pleading.

“Will you run again?”

Her tearful gaze remained defiant.

The woman smirked, devastatingly beautiful. “Not enough punishment, then.”

She licked her lips, leaning down.

“Enough… you’re… awful, mm~”

Xu Nian’s shy, altered voice teased, spurring harsher punishment.

In the warm candlelit room, their skin intertwined endlessly.

Xu Nian’s cries echoed all night, until she fell into deep sleep, missing a whispered plea: “Never leave me, okay…”

Sixth Day

Morning.

Xu Nian woke, brow furrowed, teeth clenched, haunted by a bad dream.

“Sister…”

She jolted awake, drenched in sweat.

“Hiss—”

Pain wracked her body, strength gone.

The golden figure was absent.

Xu Nian sneered.

The Young Lady, so full of energy, tormented her all night and still went to “work.”

Moving hurt, so she stayed put.

Nestled in the soft, fragrant blankets the Young Lady prepared, Xu Nian nearly dozed off, wondering about Fu Ruxue.

Fu Ruxue rose, resentful, with dark circles under her eyes.

Sleepless, she’d pondered the rules and last night’s discoveries.

How was Xu Nian?

Probably suffering—the Young Lady seemed furious.

Was Xu Nian alive?

Fu Ruxue rubbed her messy hair, numbly starting another day of clue-hunting.