"Xiao Yu... Xiao Yu?"

The gentle call became Su Yu’s only anchor as he struggled through the darkness. He clung to that familiar voice, straining to break free.

*Am I still not awake?*

Su Yu wondered. He could feel the parched thirst in his mouth—every cell in his body screaming, craving… water.

"Water… I need water…"

To his shock, he heard his own hoarse, raspy voice. Before he could process it, a soft sensation pressed against his lips. Just as he tensed to resist, a trickle seeped through the cracks, moistening his dry, cracked lips.

He stilled. Yielding. Even leaning in—instinct overriding reason. He needed water. Nothing else mattered. Or he’d die.

After a while, the flow stopped. The soft presence withdrew.

"Hehe…"

A laugh—familiar in tone, alien in its mad, icy chill—brushed Su Yu’s ear. *The class reunion… Her.* A memory surged, sharp pain exploding behind his eyes.

"Figured it out?" Hot breath grazed his earlobe. Breathing unnervingly close. "So clever. But too clever isn’t always wise."

Su Yu thrashed. Useless. Bound tight. Vision blocked. Trapped in cold, hard wood—like a coffin. Every struggle futile. Death felt near.

His newly gained moisture vanished. Thirst returned. He unconsciously pressed his peeling lips together.

"Let me help you…"

The words barely faded when the soft touch returned. *Xia Qian Ge… Are we kissing?*

Su Yu jerked his head away. *No.* His mind screamed: *This isn’t her. Not my Qian Ge. Never.*

A slender hand clamped his jaw—iron grip. He couldn’t move.

"Heh. Good boy."

She kissed him fiercely, almost biting. The wait had frayed her patience to breaking.

Muffled moans escaped Su Yu. His body betrayed him—a forceful yet soft invasion claiming him. *Not mine anymore.* Faint trickling water echoed in his ears. Throat burning. Saliva gone.

Breath grew ragged. Oxygen fading. Only when a pill hidden beneath her teeth slid into his throat did the assault ease.

He swallowed before his fogged mind could react. Coughed violently. Useless.

"What did you give me?" Su Yu demanded, voice cold. "You’re not Xia Qian Ge. Who *are* you?"

"Not her? See for yourself."

Shackles clicked open. Su Yu ripped off the blindfold.

Eyes bright as spring water met his. Familiar. *It really is Xia Qian Ge.*

"Am I beautiful?"

Her lips curved—a midnight rose, fragrant, dangerously alluring. She buried her face in his neck, inhaling deeply.

Su Yu glanced down. Bluish veins pulsed on her snow-white neck—marred perfection, a sickly, haunting allure.

"Qian Ge… No. Xia Qian Ge." Despite the face, he refused. "The Qian Ge I knew would never do this. You’re ill. Turn yourself in. Or see a doctor."

"Haha… *Ill*?" Her laugh twisted into hellish whispers. Reason gone. Only hunger remained.

"Yes. Beyond cure. And all of this—" Her teeth sank deep into his shoulder. Muffled words tore out: "*—is your fault!*"

"You’re insane! Get off!"

Pain jolted through him. He gritted his teeth, cry escaping anyway.

"As punishment…" She released him, licked blood from her lips like vintage wine. A drunken flush touched her eyes. She smiled at the deep mark on his shoulder. "I’ll leave my mark on you."

"Why…" Su Yu turned his head away. "Why do this? You’ve changed."

"What… don’t you like it?" She wrenched his face back. "You promised—*forever*. Through age. Through ugliness. You’d love me."

Her eyes demanded his reflection. *Only me. Always me.*

"I loved the *real* Xia Qian Ge. Pure as clear springwater. Not you. Just a deranged madwoman."

Su Yu met her gaze. His eyes, a mirror. Calm. Disgust etched deep.

It struck true. Her smile vanished. Nails dug into palms until skin turned pale.

Silence. Thick. Terrifying.

After a long moment, she smiled again—hollow. Eyes cold. Voice sharper than ice.

"Maybe I was too kind. Made you think I cared nothing." Her fingers lifted his chin. Sinister calm spread across her flawless face. "I gave you freedom. Dignity. Everything. You threw it away. So I take it all back. Even if you grovel like a dog, begging… I won’t spare you."

She sat up. Stripped slowly. One piece. Two. Until bare as he was.

She pressed against him. Skin to skin. Heat surging between them.

"I’ve wanted this… to toy with you. You’re *mine*. What I gave, you wasted. Now—you have no choice."

The lamp clicked off. Darkness swallowed the room.

Su Yu’s breath hitched. Fear coiled tight.

"Xiao Yu… A year. I can’t hold on anymore. It hurts… *Please*… give yourself to me…"

Teeth grinding faintly. Her hands traced his chest, sliding down…

"Su Yu… I love you. You’re my antidote."

Her body moved against his waist. Whispered words, tender yet desperate, stirring primal need.

"So… give yourself to me. *Please*… save me."