Liang Di slowly turned her head.
Whether illusion or trick of the light, Liang Lin saw Liang Di’s sapphire-blue eyes shifting—gradually turning green, glowing with an eerie luminescence. Liang Lin’s lips twitched slightly; the corners of her mouth curled higher and higher into a twisted, unsettling smile, as if a demon whispered just beneath the surface.
A vortex swirled deep within those eyes.
Liang Lin froze. A sensation slithered beneath her feet—something skinned, slimy, writhing. She jerked her gaze downward, but the strangeness vanished.
When she looked up again, Liang Di gazed back with large, glistening eyes—docile, obedient.
“It can’t be. I trust you, Sister Liang Lin.”
What just happened? A hallucination from lack of sleep?
“Indeed it won’t. You guessed right.” Liang Lin gripped the wheelchair handles, turned it around, and wheeled toward her room. “I’m a villainess—not some foolish noble lady.”
Liang Di paused for a heartbeat.
“Oh~ So am *I* the foolish noble lady, Sister?”
Liang Lin let out a soft chuckle, offering no reply—silence speaking louder than words.
*Creak~*
Liang Lin’s chamber dripped in deep crimson. A towering bookshelf and desk occupied the corner; walls draped in red wallpaper woven with intricate gold patterns. At the bed’s head, a golden maiden statue stood seductively posed. Wine-red gauze curtains swayed gently in the breeze. One glance screamed two words: *luxury*.
Liang Di narrowed her eyes.
That golden statue felt oddly familiar. She glanced at Liang Lin—and realization dawned.
“This is carved in your likeness, Sister.”
Liang Lin didn’t blush. She simply nodded. “I think I’m beautiful. So I had it made.”
Liang Lin was thoroughly pleased with her current form—the delicate face, the curvaceous figure. Only the slightly modest bust gave her pause; everything else was perfect.
“You truly are beautiful,” Liang Di praised without hesitation.
“Enough. Time for serious talk, Miss Liang Di.” Liang Lin circled in front, eyes sharp. “Why return to House Langwendi so suddenly? Where were you before? And… why did Auston look like a fool who just learned his ‘daughter Liang Lin’ isn’t his blood?”
“You want to know?”
“You allowed me to stay—as daughter of House Langwendi. I have the right to know.”
Arms crossed, Liang Lin radiated haughty disdain, her contempt for Liang Di utterly unmasked.
“What makes you think I’d tell you?”
Liang Di frowned. Beneath that docile mask, a scornful smirk played on her lips. She waved a hand—casual, dismissive, like summoning a dog.
“You’re just a puppet miss. What right do you have to know? I kept you for your usefulness. One word from me, and you’re gone. Understand?”
…
No one had ever dared speak to Liang Lin this way.
She leaned down, eyes wide, nose nearly brushing Liang Di’s.
“You—a cripple—dare insult *me*?”
Liang Di’s smile froze.
“Cripple?”
“Aren’t you? Ha~”
“Say that again. If you won’t regret it.”
All traces of docility vanished from Liang Di.
“I despise threats—especially from trash like you.”
Liang Lin’s fingers closed around Liang Di’s throat, tightening slowly. “Remember: this is *my* room. Just us two. Know your place before acting arrogant… fool.”
*Cough…* Saliva trickled from Liang Di’s lip.
*Tsk. Don’t actually choke her.*
Truth was, Liang Lin only meant to humble that infuriating arrogance. Time to release—when she saw Liang Di *smiling*.
Wait… why…?!
Something slimy coiled around her neck. A violent yank lifted her off the floor. She reached for her waist sword—wrist seized, immobilized.
*Clang!*
The blade clattered onto bare wood.
Breath ragged, Liang Lin saw it: strand-like, vine-thick tentacles—smooth reddish-brown skin, suckers clinging—twisting across the room like living shadows.
*Cough…*
Saliva dripped to her chin. Face flushed crimson, she thrashed midair. The tentacles slithered along her skin; suckers latched tight.
Liang Di rubbed her own neck, smiling sweetly up at her suspended sister.
“Arrogant, ignorant villainess? A fool blind to the situation? Sounds exactly like *you*, Sister.”
The tentacles shoved Liang Lin forward.
Liang Di’s fingertip brushed Liang Lin’s lips, glided slowly down to her chest, and flicked open two buttons.
“What a pity.” She sighed, admiring the view. “Your future children will surely go hungry.”
Liang Di’s pupils were fully emerald now. She licked her lips, swallowed hard.
Liang Lin felt the coils tighten—choking, suffocating. Tentacles dug deep into arms and thighs. Her pale skin flushed violently red, stretched to bursting.
Wait—something slithered down her back…
A shudder jolted her foggy mind awake.
*Thank goodness—it’s only resting there. No further.*
“Be grateful I suppress my urges.” Liang Di patted her cheek. “I’ll let it slide… this time, Sister.”
In the floor-length mirror, Liang Lin saw it: a tiny, corn-silk-like tendril slipping into her ear.
A tickle. Then—an indescribable, electric thrill.
This feeling…
*Haa…*
Mouth open, gasping shamelessly, Liang Lin locked eyes with Liang Di’s gentle smile. Two words burned in her fading mind: *monster*.
“Sleep well, trash villainess.”
—— —— ——
So… what truly happened that day?
When Liang Lin awoke, she lay in bed. Memory ended the moment she and Liang Di entered the room—then blank.
But at the mere thought of Liang Di, her body trembled. Heart hammered. A primal fear coiled deep inside, swallowing her whole.
It had been so long since she felt this afraid.
Sitting up, she covered her face.
These months of pampered nobility had made her soft. Complacent.
She’d forgotten—House Langwendi held too many secrets.
