Katarina was drunk, so she withdrew midway.

But that didn’t mean she hadn’t been hypnotized.

Even faint hypnosis was still hypnosis.

And Gu Qinghan needed exactly this kind of person—

someone under hypnosis, with zero resistance.

A replacement for Mr. Richard.

A far more suitable test subject.

Gu Qinghan took a slow, deep breath, steadying his nerves.

The plan he’d thought ruined was, by sheer coincidence, still unfolding.

Recalling their earlier verbal sparring, he couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.

A narrow escape.

Outwardly, they seemed like mutual admirers—close friends.

Beneath the surface, both were plotting to trip the other up.

Thankfully, Gu Qinghan had edged ahead.

Now, the night’s main act was about to begin.

He rose slowly, lifting his gaze to the last girl remaining.

Tonight’s unexpected turn? Entirely her doing.

Bathed in silvery moonlight, her profile glowed. She bit her lip softly; her delicate frame trembled slightly; her eyes shimmered with moisture.

Rosy cheeks, the casually draped straps of her sundress, an accidental glimpse of fair skin—a strangely alluring charm.

Liana had stayed silent the entire time.

Gu Qinghan’s expression darkened.

She could have exposed his lie.

After all, she’d personally experienced that “alcohol-like” substance—she held the strongest testimony.

Yet she chose silence.

He felt a flicker of surprise.

“Mr. Hohenheim… may I ask you something?”

The girl pressed her crimson lips together, voice trembling. Her eyes cautiously fixed on Gu Qinghan, breath shallow.

Gu Qinghan narrowed his eyes, gaze sharp.

“What is it?”

“Must… must I eat the banquet food too?”

Flushed, she bit her lip and asked timidly.

Gu Qinghan paused, brow furrowed in thought.

Her words triggered a realization: she was already hypnotized. Deepening it would be dangerous.

His tone turned stern.

“No. You are not to touch tonight’s food.”

Liana flinched, then lowered her head slowly, disappointment flickering across her face.

“I… can’t eat?”

Gu Qinghan blinked, puzzled by her reaction.

“Correct. No meal for you tonight.”

He turned away, briskly clearing the table.

A soft whimper escaped her; her body shuddered faintly.

He ignored it. Time was short.

Katarina wasn’t hypnotized—just drunk. No telling when she’d wake.

Step one of reversal: immerse her in Clarity Spring Water.

And someone had to remove her clothes.

His movements grew rougher, faster.

*Who would undress Miss Katarina?*

*Him. Obviously.*

To Liana, however, it looked like deliberate neglect—impatience, even disdain.

*He hates me.*

A strange shift stirred within her.

Why did Mr. Hohenheim care for Katarina… but not her?

The sting of being ignored felt like needles—yet carried a faint, sweet thrill.

Her slender fingers drifted to the table’s edge, tips tinged pink.

This odd sensation had sprouted the day she met Hohenheim.

A side effect of the Hypnotic Powder.

She’d fought it, denied it.

She was Richard’s fiancée. Spoken for.

Yet curiosity tugged at her—what was this unfamiliar warmth?

If left unchecked…

A tingling current surged through her chest, thighs—electric, dizzying.

*Let him ignore me. Scold me. Humiliate me.*

Only then could she cling to Richard.

Her will alone wasn’t enough anymore.

“Why… can’t I eat?” she whispered, voice hoarse, body trembling.

Gu Qinghan kept clearing dishes, not glancing back.

“What for? Go home. You’re dismissed.”

The careless words made her whimper, stumbling back half a step.

*Yes. This feeling.*

She bit her lip, exhaling a hot breath, heart racing.

*Scold me again!*

“I… have another question, Mr. Hohenheim.”

A faint smile touched her lips; a soft gasp escaped.

Gu Qinghan stopped, frowning at her.

“What?”

“Am I… unworthy of this meal?”

He froze. Her clenched fists, flushed cheeks, ragged breathing—something was off.

After a long pause, he repeated firmly:

“Yes. You have no right to this food.”

*Let this snap her out of it,* he thought.

But Liana shuddered violently, a jolt of pleasure shooting through her.

Her thighs twitched.

She gripped his sleeve, breathless.

“Just… leave me some leftovers? Please?”

Her whisper trembled.

Gu Qinghan blinked. Even he sensed the strangeness now.

*Is Miss Liana… genuinely hungry?*

She’d stayed silent the whole time, watching his clash with Katarina.

This was her only request: scraps.

A pang of pity stirred.

“If you’re truly hungry,” he sighed, “I’ll prepare something else later. But not this.”

“No… I don’t deserve a special meal.”

“I only want the leftovers.”

The words barely escaped her clenched teeth.

Gu Qinghan: ?

*Is she this selfless?*

But her flushed face, damp brow, trembling frame, faint moans—

She didn’t seem hungry. She seemed…

*“Leftovers.”*

Suddenly, Hohenheim’s notes flashed in his mind:

*—At deep hypnosis levels, personality and desires undergo subtle shifts.*

He’d emphasized this.

Watching Liana’s flushed skin, sweat-beaded neck, Gu Qinghan’s dread grew.

*Could it be…?*

Testing carefully, he murmured:

“Tonight, Katarina and I will share the bed.”

Liana’s head dipped; her body visibly trembled.

Silence thickened the air.

Gu Qinghan watched her closely, pulse quickening.

“And… me?” she finally whispered, lifting her face. “May I sleep here too?”

“No,” Gu Qinghan replied coldly. “If you insist, sleep on the floor.”

“Mmph!”

A choked gasp escaped her; sweat glistened on her skin.

Gu Qinghan: ?

*Confirmed.*

His scalp prickled. *Is this real?*

One more test.

“Later, I’ll bathe with Miss Katarina,” he said flatly.

“And… me?” Liana’s voice quivered, laced with unmistakable hope.

“You’ll scrub our backs.”

“Mmm!”

Her reply was a breathy whimper.

*It’s true!*

Gu Qinghan’s mind reeled. *What twisted turn is this?! How do I fix it?! Will the Hypnosis Nullifier even work?!*

Before he could spiral further, Liana spoke again, breath fogging the cool air:

“Mr. Hohenheim… you banned me from the banquet because that ‘alcohol’ was actually the secret Hypnotic Powder… wasn’t it?”

She took the offensive.

Gu Qinghan’s blood ran cold.

“Yes,” he admitted after a beat.

“The powder… steals my consciousness like alcohol?”

She lifted her gaze; moonlight made her eyes gleam.

“Yes.”

“Leaves me helpless… at someone’s mercy… to do… improper things?”

“No—wait.”

He cut her off. *Don’t say it.*

“Can… someone do perverted things to me? Things Miss Katarina must never know?”

Moonlight caught the feverish shine in Liana’s eyes.

In that instant, the last trace of innocence in her expression melted into dark, eager delight.