Gu Qinghan silently cursed every soul in the Empire of Indulgence from the bottom of his heart.

Of all times—why now?

But he had to stay calm. Stop Richard.

Letting him leave now would bring unimaginable consequences.

Forget the kidnapping and imprisonment—even the pile of tools on the table alone could bury Gu Qinghan forever.

“What you said makes perfect sense, Mr. Richard.”

Gu Qinghan furrowed his brows, feigning deep thought.

“But I still don’t agree with your methods.”

Richard’s steps faltered. He turned slowly, confusion flickering in his eyes.

“Why?”

“The inspectors are swamped rounding up Empire of Indulgence members. Reporting now is pointless.”

Gu Qinghan paused, brow furrowed, then offered a faint smile.

“But if you trust me, Mr. Richard, I’ll handle the search. I’ll set your mind at ease—quickly.”

He forced a thin smile, heart hammering.

Would Richard buy it?

A deathly silence. Cold sweat beaded on Gu Qinghan’s palms.

After a long moment, Richard gave a slight nod.

“Mr. Hohenheim has a point.”

He bowed respectfully, expression solemn.

“Those officials? Useless loafers who never lift a finger!”

They shared a laugh, clapping each other’s shoulders.

Gu Qinghan exhaled silently. Crisis averted.

With his assurance, Richard relaxed, mood lightening. He vented about brutal overtime demands from the boss lady; Gu Qinghan listened patiently, wordless.

Thirty minutes later, after brief pleasantries, the conversation ended.

Watching Richard leave, Gu Qinghan’s expression darkened.

He hadn’t expected the Empire of Indulgence’s crackdown to ripple this far.

Earlier, buying dinner, he’d spotted mage patrols—five per team, all Magic Academy graduates, skilled and serious.

No ordinary thief warranted this. Patrols were tighter, streets tenser.

Bad news kept piling up.

“Guess I’ll have to speed up the progress…”

He muttered inwardly, opened the door, and stepped into the dark.

Time was short. He had to handle Liana—fast.

Today, the preparations would deliver maximum effect.

…

The moment he entered, Gu Qinghan saw her.

Curled like a boiled shrimp, trembling on the floor.

Iron chains shackled her wrists behind her back; her eyes gleamed in the dim light.

At his entrance, her gaze froze—then she masked it with forced indifference.

“How’ve you been? Comfortable?”

Gu Qinghan smiled faintly, set the grocery bag down, pulled a chair, and sat slowly.

Pretend not to notice.

Liana clenched her teeth, body quivering. A soft huff escaped her lips.

“Is *this* interrogation? Hmph!

Want the truth? Wait ten years!”

Gu Qinghan blinked—her reaction was sharper than expected.

“So… Miss Liana still refuses to speak?” He wore a troubled frown.

“I have nothing to say to a small fry like you.”

“Confessing benefits you too,” he sighed.

“I… no longer believe your kindness, Mr. Hohenheim. Just show your true colors!”

Gu Qinghan gazed at her, sighing deeply. “This is… quite troubling.”

“Hehe—regretting it now, Mr. Hohenheim?” Liana seized the moment, voice sharp.

“Too late. Next Monday, during Miss Katarina’s inspection, I’ll tell her *everything*.

What you did this time… and last time.”

Gu Qinghan scratched his head, pained and helpless.

Liana’s eyes sparkled with triumph.

“What must I do for your cooperation, Miss Liana?”

She bit her lip, cheeks flushing.

The alchemy table held an array of tools.

*Just use them!* she nearly blurted—then stopped.

She remembered Hohenheim’s words on day one:

*“I will never use tools on you.”*

His character… decent. Not truly indecent.

Unless *she* pushed him.

Her eyes lit up. “You prepared methods—try them first!

You can’t accept failure without trying!”

A twitch tugged Gu Qinghan’s lips.

*Passionate words… while drooling? Seriously?*

He took a breath, ignored it, and nodded firmly.

“Reasonable. Starting tomorrow, I’ll use the tools on the alchemy table. Sound good?”

“Go ahead!”

“If one fails, rotate them. Use several at once. What do you think?”

“I can’t wait—ahem! I mean… yes!”

Another twitch. He pretended not to hear the first part.

“Then tomorrow morning it is.”

Joy flooded Liana.

“Good!” She nodded vigorously—suddenly, legs didn’t ache, back didn’t hurt. She could climb eight flights in one breath.

After the long wait… the fruit had ripened.

*He’s going to punish me.*

*Finally.*

Glancing at the tools—gag, candles, whip—her eyes welled.

Imagining tomorrow’s session, she pressed her lips tight, knees together.

Scandalous. Forbidden. Her fiancé lived next door… yet here she was.

A shiver raced through her; cheeks burned.

*Ah…*

*No…*

*It’s leaking…*

*(Her drool.)*

“Rest well tonight,” Gu Qinghan said brightly. “Prepare for tomorrow!”

Preparations were set.

Night’s veil draped the sky, hinting at what dawn would bring.

And Liana? Oblivious. Happily munching her fruit pizza.