After returning to his house, Yang Ze sat in silence for a long time. Even though he never made friends with other servants in the Shen family, he still had knowledge of a few things.
"She… she was masturbating, right?" Just recalling that graceful figure bouncing and touching herself made Yang Ze's entire body burn with heat."
Since the age of six, he had stayed in the Shen family. Even though he had turned eighteen now, his mental state was that of a teenager. He was full of curiosity about the world around him and had a lot of questions, but unfortunately for him, there wasn't anyone who could provide him with answers.
As for knowledge about sex and other intimate matters, he had only picked it up by eavesdropping on the other servants during his cleaning duties. And even then, he didn't know anything of significance.
With a face flushed red, he took off his clothes and lay on the bed, trying to sleep. But every time he closed his eyes, the figure of Lan'er and her soul-stirring sound would make him roll around in bed, making it extremely uncomfortable to sleep.
It wasn't until a long time had passed that he finally managed to fall asleep.
"Huh!? Am I dreaming about this place again?"
Yang Ze only felt like he closed his eyes to sleep, and the next moment, he was in a completely different space.
The world around him was enveloped in darkness. The only thing in sight was a bright red string, floating endlessly with no beginning or end.
Yang Ze wasn't surprised by the situation in front of him. He had been having this same dream since he was six years old. At first, he was terrified and even tried to talk to others about this weird dream. But other than scornful gazes, he didn't receive anything else.
Over time, he slowly realised that it was just a dream and there was no need to worry about it.
Gradually, curiosity got the better of him, and he then slowly began to wander around in this place.
Every time he arrived in this place, he would just fly around like a bird. This freedom made him intoxicated.
He even tried to approach the string, but no matter how many times he tried, the distance between them never changed. It was as if the very space itself refused to let him get closer.
Initially, he thought that perhaps tonight would be the same, but contrary to his expectations, the red glow of the string only seemed to be getting stronger. Within moments, the entire space was dyed red, and under Yang Ze's terrified gaze, it all converged into a single dot and shot into his head.
"Am I going to die?" This was his last thought before Yang Ze lost consciousness. The only thing left in his heart was regret. Had he known about his fate of dying in his dreams, he would have surely confessed to Lan'er.
At the last moment, Lan'er's figure flashed before his eyes, and a gentle smile formed on his face, before everything went dark.
---------------
Morning dew had glistened upon a thousand leaves, yet when the sun ascended, all traces vanished, just as joy and sorrow scattered with time's passing hand.
Waking up the next morning, Yang Ze felt his head was about to split open. He had never felt such an intense headache in his entire life. For a moment, he himself wanted to smash open his head on a stone to end his misery.
"Huff... Huff..."
This lasted for almost half an hour. Yang Ze, who was now drenched in sweat, took deep breaths as he struggled to breathe.
It took him a moment to stabilise his senses, and when he did, he felt an extra set of memories that was forcefully inserted into his mind.
Holding his breath, Yang Ze slowly went through them and with every passing second, his face was filled with all kinds of expressions. From the initial fear, to bewilderment to disbelief and finally excitement.
"This.... this..." Looking at the back of his hand where a tattoo of a red thread had appeared, Yang Ze pinched his face as hard as he could.
"AAAH!" It wasn't until he screamed in pain did he realised that he was not dreaming. Whatever was happening was real.
The thread on the back of his hand was called 'Heavenly Fate String'. It had a simple function… each day, he could gift a single item to one of his lovers. And with every gift, he will get an increased return. The quality and quantity of the returned items will be affected by his relationship with the other party.
"Is this an immortal treasure?" Yang Ze didn't know too much about cultivation. His only knowledge came from rumours and stories. Of course, Immortals weren't a myth; after all, there were many in this city alone. It was just that due to his position as a servant, he neither had the time nor the opportunity to ever come in contact with an immortal.
After the initial joy, Yang Ze immediately stood up and looked around with caution. After making sure that he was the only one there, he immediately tore an old robe in stripes and tied it around his right hand, completely covering the tattoo.
In his twelve years serving the Shen family, if there was one lesson he had learned by heart, it was this: protect your secrets first.
He still remembers the event that took place six years ago. At that time, a servant got lucky and came across a small bottle that could produce spiritual liquid. After that, he made progress at an alarming rate.
It is said that his speed of cultivation even surpassed that of the geniuses.
In the end, that servant disappeared, and the fifth young master of the Lin family seemed to turn into a genius.
It wasn't hard for people to put two and two together and guess what happened. From then on, there was an unspeakable rule amongst the servants that, regardless of what one found, never ever reveal it to a second person.
Yang Ze might not know much about the way of life and human relations. But he knew very well how to hide a secret.
"So, whom do I give a gift?" The moment this thought came to his mind, the busty figure of his Lan'er flashed passed his mind. Even though he never confessed his feelings to her, he believed that she wasn't less than a lover in his heart. After all, they have shared countless hardships together, and after years of staying together, their love has only gotten stronger.
"And what should I gift her?" Yang Ze turned his room upside down, hoping to find something precious. But how could a servant like him have anything of value? The most valuable thing in his possession was the 'Evergreen Art' that he was tricked into purchasing from a stall. At that time, he believed that it was his ticket to immortality. After all, the bastard selling this made some pretty big promises.
The result was as anyone would have expected. Forget about making any progress... he almost died while trying to practice that stupid thing.
After that, he swore never to touch this thing again.
But now...
"What if she gets injured?" Yang Ze was afraid that giving it to her would perhaps lead her to make the same decision as him.
"No... no... I will tell her it's just a symbolic gift and she absolutely can not practice it." Making up his mind, he immediately rushed out of his house.
Compared to the previous night, when he walked in a relaxed manner while enjoying the scenery around him, this time he was in a hurry.
There were still three hours before their work began, so Yang Ze wasn't worried that he would miss his work.
In less than fifteen minutes, he has already reached his destination. Though there were a few servants on the road, none of them paid any attention to him.
Looking at the small house in front of him, he inadvertently thought of the previous night and the seductive voice of Lan'er.
Composing himself, he slowly walked forward before shouting in a soft voice.
"Sister Lan'er... Are you awake?"
-----------------
Even though both Yang Ze's and Lan'er's houses were similar in appearance, their interiors were vastly different. Compared to Yang Ze's house, which only had a bed, a few furniture and an extra set of clothes, the inside of Lan'er's house was filled with numerous things.
Her house was divided into three rooms, one was her bathing room, one room was for extra storage that was filled with drawers of exquisite clothes, and finally her bedroom, which had a giant luxurious bed in the middle and its walls were filled with all kinds of paintings.
At the moment, the entire room was almost plunged into the darkness. The only source of light was coming through the gap in the windows and doors, barely illuminating the area inside.
And in that dim light, the scenery inside was revealed clearly.
On the fur-covered grounds of the bedroom, a pile of clothes were discarded. It was a pink dress that seemed to have been torn up during a struggle. Just beside the pink dress was a set of underwear that was still drenched, and on the bed was the breathtaking figure of Lan'er resting without a single piece of fabric on her body.
Her curled position perfectly displayed every curve of her body; unfortunately, no one was there to see it.
"Sister Lan'er... Are you awake?"
It was this sudden shout that woke Lan'er. With a dazed expression, she looked around absent-mindedly. She first gazed at the familiar roof and walls before changing her position. Supporting her body with her right hand, she silently observed the room.
The messy bedsheets, her torn dress and her underwear that was still lying on the ground...
She didn't say a word, but just stood up from the bed.
The moment her feet touched the fur on the ground, she frowned in pain as her hand gently massaged the area between her legs. Slowly standing up, she gently rubbed the two pink petals around her sacred cave as a burst of water fell down.
"Hmm❤️" Letting out a moan, she controlled her body that was about to fall before picking up her underwear as well as the pink dress and using them to wipe the moist area between her legs.
Even though she wiped it gently, she could still feel every inch of fibre caressing her petals.
"Umm❤️~" Biting her lips, she cleaned herself before throwing those clothes into the storage room.
After making sure nothing was out of place, she took a new white pair of underwear as well as a simple white dress from her drawer.
"Ze'er... Wait for a moment." Speaking in a soft voice, she first told Yang Ze to wait before walking in front of the mirror.
In the mirror, her proud figure was fully displayed. At the moment, her hair was in a mess and her lips were swollen. Below her neck, there were bite marks all over her body. Especially on her perky breasts, where the bite marks were clearly visible. Other than the bite marks, there were also a few red handprints on those breasts as if they were repeatedly slapped.
Not only her milky breasts, but her perky buttocks were also red from constant slapping. And if one were to look carefully, one could still see a crystal clear line of thin liquid seeping from her vagina, that too was swollen red.
If words got out, it would shake the entire servant's quarter as well as a large section of the Shen family.
After all, the Shen family was one of the most prominent families of this city. They were the ones in charge of law and order in this city. If words were to go out that their servants were treated this way... it would surely create a bloody storm. Not to mention it happened to one of the head maids, whom a few elders even treated like their own daughter.
"Heh!" Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Lan'er let out a mocking smile. If not for her eyes turning red and tears threatening to drop, one might have thought that she was completely unbothered by this situation.
"What a good whore." The moment she finished speaking this sentence, she threw a vase towards the mirror, shattering it into countless pieces. And yet, every piece displayed her beautiful yet tragic figure.
---------------
"Huh!" Yang Ze, who was waiting patiently after hearing Lan'er's voice, was startled by the sound of something shattering.
"Sister Lan'er." He shouted at the top of his lungs and was about to break inside. But before he could have made a move, a calm voice sounded in his ears.
"Don't worry. I just dropped something. I will be out soon."
Yang Ze resisted the urge to rush in and took a few deep breaths. Since Lan'er said everything was fine, he would believe her.
Seconds turned into minutes, and soon after twenty minutes of waiting, the figure of Lan'er finally appeared in his vision.
Holding the door with a smile, she was wearing a simple white robe. Her hair was loosely held with the help of the jade hairpin.
Her red lips were particularly striking today, as if inviting others to take a bite. Due to the loose white robe, it was hard to see her proud figure, but one could still see those perky mountains that would tremble with her breathing.
At the moment, she was leaning on her doorframe, appearing somewhat laidback.
"What are you doing this early?" This time Lan'er was truly confused. Throughout their years of living together, this was the first time she saw Yang Ze coming to her this early. Usually, this guy would only show up during working hours and then sometimes at night.
"I..." Yang Ze had a million things that he wanted to, but found himself at a loss for words.
Looking at her playful eyes and teasing expression, he gritted his teeth and decided to take a gamble. He wasn't like those flowery scholars who would recite poems for their loved ones, nor was he like those playboys, using honeyed words to describe his feelings. His entire life was spent as a servant. And yet... even with all that, he had one thing that they all lacked...
Sincerity
'It's now or never.' Yang Ze didn't have any knowledge about courtship. So, he chose the most direct path.
"Lan'er, we have been together for almost our entire lives. I just wish to spend the rest of my life with you."
After he went through the near-death experience, Yang Ze decided to express his feelings to Lan'er. Yesterday, he was lucky that the phenomenon turned out to be an immortal treasure. But who is to say that next time he will be this lucky? What if he died?
He didn't want to have any regrets, so he decided to tell her about how he felt.
"Lan'er. I love you."
The words were simple, but filled with honesty. Even with the Immortal treasure in his hand, he didn't have any lofty ambitions. He just wanted to spend his time with Lan'er in peace.
The moment he finished speaking, the red string at the back of his hand vibrated as a small message appeared in his mind.
[Lover Lan'er: Ten times return]
Ignoring the message, Yang Ze looked at Lan'er with a face full of anticipation.
"Huh!?" This time Lan'er was truly stunned. She was expecting a lot of things, but nothing could have prepared her for this bombshell.
Her breathing almost stopped as she looked at the gentle boy in front of her. For as long as she could remember, the two of them had stuck together, and she even considered him to be her younger brother.
But now...
"Hiss." Taking a deep breath, she was still in disbelief that the stupid and naive boy who used to boss her around would propose to her in such a way.
Her mind almost stopped working for a while.
Looking at his puppy eyes that were filled with anticipation, she forced a smile and spoke in a soft voice.
"Can... Can you give me some time?"
"Uh! Okay, sure." Yang Ze just nodded in response.
The two of them looked at each other in silence before Yang Ze suddenly patted his forehead and took out the old, worn-out book from his robe and handed it to Lan'er.
"This is the most precious thing I have. It is not just a book, but my resolve to you."
Taking a deep breath, Yang Ze's voice grew hoarse as he spoke in a grave tone.
"Regardless of what happens in the future, I will always protect you. Even if death were to come for you, it would have to pass through me."
In Yang Ze's limited dialect, these were the most promising words. He had practised them countless times in his head throughout the years, and finally, he was able to say it aloud.
"Heh..." Listening to his childish, corny promises, Lan'er let out a hearty smile for the first time in perhaps many years.
She didn't say another word, but her gaze, full of tenderness, was enough to display her emotions completely.
Looking at her smiling face, Yang Ze almost forgot to breathe. He had never seen such a pure smile before. Even though the two of them usually play around, he always felt that her smile seemed forced.
But now... For a moment, he was lost. Was this the same seductive woman that he knew?
"Go..." Listening to her soft voice, Yang Ze nodded instinctively before leaving the place.
After walking away from that place, he finally snapped back to his senses.
"Oh no! I almost forgot to tell her not to practice that thing." Just when he was about to turn back, he saw a giant, bloated figure walking towards him.
Who could it be other than the fourth young master of the Shen clan, Shen Yuan?
"Greetings, Young master." Saluting him respectfully, Yang Ze kept his head down.
"Oh! It's you again?" Shen Yuan seemed to be smiling under all that fat as his body trembled with every step he took.
"Is your job roaming around freely?" Even though he spoke in a casual tone, it still sent chills down Yang Ze's spine.
"No, Young Master. I was just visiting my friend." Yang Ze didn't dare to hide anything from him. Who knows if the other party would just snap and punish him? There were already quite a few rumours about his erratic behaviour.
"Ah! That friend?" There was a mocking smile on his face as Shen Yuan took a step forward and patted him on his shoulder.
"Work hard, Young man... Perhaps one day, you might see her true face." These words seemed to be mocking him as he left the bewildered Yang Ze behind.
"What a weirdo." Muttering under his breath, Yang Ze ignored him and focused on the message in his mind.
[Successfully gifted 'Evergreen Art'. Received a hundred times feedback. Congratulations on getting the Heavenly Dragon Scripture.]
With this message, a vast amount of memories poured into his mind like an ocean.
------------------
After Yang Ze left, Lan'er kept on looking at his departing figure, with a face full of doting. She wanted to rush into his arms the moment he proposed. But...
Looking at the 'Evergreen Art' in his hands, she just shook her head with a smile.
When this brat got this technique, he never stopped clamouring about it. Truly... just as he said, this was his most precious possession.
Walking inside her room, she sat on her bed while gently wiping its cover with her white dress. With the passage of every second, the speed of her wiping the book became even more frantic.
It was as if she wasn't wiping the book, but all those marks on her body.
The tears that she managed to hold back after such a struggle burst out like a raging river.
In this world, who could understand her pain... who could understand her struggle... who could understand her heart?
"Heh..." The shattered pieces of the mirror were still reflecting her figure, which looked like a fairy that seemed to be overlapping with her previous naked figure, with marks all over her body.
"HEHE..." Looking at her figure, she suddenly began to laugh. Underneath all that glamour, all that makeup was something so disgusting that only she could see.
"HEHEHEHEHE...."
"HEHEHEHEHEHEHHE..."
With every passing second, her frantic laughter got louder and louder.
Her laughter grew so wild that even Shen Yuan, who was about to step inside her room, stopped in his tracks. A mocking smile crept onto his lips as he turned away. He didn't enter the room, but after taking one last look at the door, left with a wretched smile on his face.
The only thing left there was a desolate house with the heartbreaking cries of a beautiful figure who seemed to have gone mad.