The moment the term “cuckold” registered in her ears, Nan Mengling’s expression froze slightly. She furrowed her brows, a trace of disbelief flickering across her face.

Zhou Jiuyu spoke softly at the sight: “I know this might be hard to accept, but it’s the truth.”

After a long stunned pause, Nan Mengling finally turned to him.

“Young master… what is a ‘cuckold’?”

Zhou Jiuyu: “???”

He covered his forehead with a sigh. *Right. She’s my silly maid.*

“Put simply,” Zhou Jiuyu explained, “your master has a fetish unlike most people. He doesn’t enjoy intimacy with his partner—but he gets pleasure watching her with others. That’s why he never touched you all these years. That’s why he wanted others to ‘train’ you… This is called a cuckold fetish.”

In that instant, everything clicked for Nan Mengling.

So that was it… So that was it…

Making Mother sleep with so many men—for this?

Staging that whole scene to turn her into another version of Mother—for this?

All because of this revolting cuckold fetish…

The depth of her former trust now matched the depth of her crushing disappointment.

Her hand stilled—no longer trembling, no longer hesitant.

The suspended White Moon Longsword pierced Chen Ping’s neck. Blood trickled down. His head rolled to the doorway, tumbling step by step down the stairs before landing in the rain-soaked mud, stained beyond recognition.

After the kill, Nan Mengling stood motionless, gazing into the rainy night. After a long silence, she whispered:

“I’ve been here before, young master. It was raining then too. Dad pulled Mom and me under the awning. I pressed my face to the window, pointing at a hamburger on the menu… Dad wanted to buy it for me, but Mom slapped me. Said thinking only of food was shameful—that one burger here could feed us a whole meal… I never got the burger. We had no dinner that night. I was so hungry… That’s why I remember it so clearly.”

Zhou Jiuyu was quiet for a moment. “So… now that you’ve had a hamburger, was it good?”

Nan Mengling nodded earnestly. “So delicious.”

“Want another?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s tasty, but eating too much makes you fat. If I get fat, I’ll be ugly… and young master will dislike me.”

Zhou Jiuyu raised an eyebrow. He picked up the nearby umbrella, opened it slowly, stepped into the rain, and beckoned her.

“Then let’s go.”

“Where?”

“To buy you a pretty little dress—one that’ll make me like how you look. Your clothes are torn, aren’t they?”

——

——

Hearing he’d buy her new clothes, Nan Mengling felt a flicker of joy. But after changing into the black strapless mini dress Zhou Jiuyu chose—complete with over-the-knee black stockings and tiny leather shoes—and seeing the near-dazzling gleam in his eyes…

She felt even happier~

Her first thought in the fitting room: *This is shameless!* How was this any different from wearing an oversized dudou? It barely covered her butt!

So frivolous! So immodest!

*Perfect for seducing young master!*

She instinctively knew—but dared not step out. Instead, she poked a small hand through the fitting room door to beckon him.

Zhou Jiuyu swallowed hard. The all-black ensemble transformed the already aloof Nan Mengling into a true ice-cold goddess, shifting her entire aura.

“Tsk…”

Then his brows furrowed slightly. Nan Mengling’s heart skipped.

*Does he not like it…?*

But in the next breath, she understood.

Zhou Jiuyu reached out with mock seriousness, adjusting the edge of her black stockings on her fair thigh—pulling them up slightly, his fingers accidentally brushing the fabric-clad skin. His frown eased.

“Honestly. Must this young master fix your stockings for you, you silly maid?”

Nan Mengling ducked her head, cheeks warm.

*It really works!*

“Buying this set?” Zhou Jiuyu asked.

She shook her head. “No.”

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

“It’s not that… It’s too shameless. I don’t want others to see me in it. I only want to wear it for young master,” she said earnestly.

Zhou Jiuyu sucked in a sharp breath. *Absurdly silly girl… yet her words hit like lightning.* Especially for a pure-hearted guy like him.

“Then… we’ll buy another. Wear this one for me later at the hotel.” He cleared his throat.

“Mm.” She nodded.

So they bought a second outfit: a white strapless maxi dress, cotton ankle socks, white sneakers, a cat-ear headband, and a pink-cased smartphone. Zhou Jiuyu then led his “kitty” to check in.

“One single room,” he stated calmly to the clerk, then turned to Nan Mengling with grave sincerity. “I told you—you insisted on KFC. Now we only have enough for a single. A double’s out of budget. Two rooms? Forget it.”

The clerk forced a smile while inwardly scoffing.

*Dude, who are you fooling? If you’d slipped me a hundred bucks under the ID, I’d have played along…*

He added politely: “Here’s your key… Oh! Sir, miss—a standard double is only fifty yuan more. Scan this QR code for a coupon: forty yuan off! Just ten extra to upgrade to twin beds.”

“No need, thank you,” Zhou Jiuyu replied flatly. He turned to Nan Mengling, voice earnest. “See? ‘Scan for discounts’—all consumer traps! We can stay fine with the single room price, yet he pushes us to spend ten more. So suspicious! Never fall for this when shopping alone, understand?”

Nan Mengling nodded firmly. “Understood, young master!”

“Let’s go.”

Zhou Jiuyu took her soft little hand. Their silhouettes vanished from the clerk’s wide-eyed stare.

*What did I just witness?*

*A sci-fi scene?*

But deeper thought sent a chill down his spine.

*Who’s the hunter… and who’s the prey?*

Damn it. All along… he was the only clown.