Early the next morning, Liana was already sitting by the corner of the wall, staring eagerly as she waited in anxiety.

The first light of dawn slipped through the gap in the curtains and fell across her body, leaving soft traces of light.

Her snow-white, silky thighs were brushed by the sunlight, tinted with a faint blush.

Liana kept breathing out in uneven bursts. She looked at the props on the table, her cherry lips parting slightly, her delicate body trembling without stop.

Almost there.

She'd be able to reward herself any second now!

Just imagining Mr. Hohenheim picking up that long whip and lashing it hard across her body—

Liana felt her heartbeat rise to her throat. She was so happy she almost fainted.

Would he spit out filthy words?

Would impatience show in his eyes?

Would he trap her in a chair and use that thick, long leather whip until her body was covered in bruises?

“Mmh...”

Liana couldn't help pressing her legs together. Fragrant sweat soaked her collar, and her whole body felt as if it had been jolted by electricity.

Second by second, time passed. The wall clock ticked on, making Liana even more anxious.

With anxiety and anticipation tangled together, even the room itself seemed to grow hot and restless.

Finally, the wooden door creaked open, and a familiar figure slowly stepped across the threshold.

“Mr. Hohenheim, you're finally back.” Liana raised her head anxiously, her breath warm and fragrant.

“Mm, sorry about that. I suddenly remembered something just now, but it's already taken care of.”

As he spoke, Gu Qinghan revealed a mysterious smile and lifted the thing in his hand.

Liana froze for a moment. Only then did she notice that Gu Qinghan had brought something back with him.

A black cardboard box.

About as long as an arm, and impossible to see what was inside.

“This is...?”

A gleam flickered in Liana's eyes. There was a vague hint of expectation there.

“The last prop. So I can better satisfy Miss Liana's request today.”

As he said that, Gu Qinghan slowly set the box on the floor and wiped the tired sweat from his forehead.

After a brief daze, the corners of Liana's lips couldn't help lifting. Her eyes burned as she stared at the cardboard box.

If Mr. Hohenheim had gone out of his way to buy it himself, then it had to be something incredible.

Maybe... something even more excessive than all the other props.

At that thought, Liana's breathing grew heavy. Her little mouth hung slightly open, white mist spilling out with every breath.

What kind of prop could be inside?

Swallowing the saliva in her mouth, Liana listened carefully. She seemed to hear something crawling around inside.

Alive.

Could it be a snake?

Liana's delicate body trembled slightly. Her thighs rubbed together without stopping, and her toes curled tight.

Mr. Hohenheim's tastes were way too much.

“I have a question. I want to confirm something.”

After a long while, Liana finally forced out the words, speaking one syllable at a time.

“Go ahead.”

“Mr. Hohenheim, are you planning to use the things on the table together with whatever's in the box?”

As she said those words, her delicate white neck was soaked with sweat, gleaming under the sunlight.

“Yes.”

“Mmgh!”

As if shocked by electricity, Liana's body quivered, even her fingertips trembling.

“You're going to use every single prop on the table, one by one?”

“That's right.”

Liana braced herself with both arms against the floor, barely managing to support her body as she panted.

Happiness had come too fast. She couldn't process it for a moment.

So Mr. Hohenheim liked things this intense?

This was bad.

She was going to faint from happiness...

Just as Liana was getting dizzy, Gu Qinghan gave a light cough and slowly walked over to the alchemy table.

The dazzling array of props shone brilliantly under the sunlight.

“Then, let's begin.”

As he spoke, Gu Qinghan slowly raised his right hand and held it in the air, reaching toward the nearest prop on the alchemy table.

It was a feather pen.

Liana's gaze locked tightly onto Gu Qinghan's right hand. She bit her lip with her silver teeth, and her hands clenched on their own.

What was Mr. Hohenheim planning to do with a feather?

Liana quickly started imagining things.

In the scene inside her head, Gu Qinghan used the soft feather to lightly brush her body, making her itch all over and ache for more.

He was so good at this...

But just as Liana's face flushed and her heart raced, a sudden sigh reached her ears.

“...Sigh.”

She opened her eyes and found that he had put the feather pen back down, shaking his head.

Eh?

He wasn't going to use the feather pen?

Before Liana could recover, he raised his hand again and, after much thought, reached for the prop beside it.

A whip.

Liana's eyes widened, and her cheeks turned scarlet in an instant.

Was he planning to start by punishing her hard right away?

How mean.

Liana couldn't help letting out a soft hum. Her thighs had actually started spasming in a steady rhythm.

If he suddenly went this hard, she really wouldn't be able to hold on.

“...Sigh.”

Another sigh. Gu Qinghan put the prop down once more.

A trace of blankness flashed across Liana's face.

Then she looked at his expression and saw something like struggle between his brows.

He still hadn't decided which prop to use first.

Liana's body trembled slightly, and her breathing turned rapid.

Her body and mind were both nearing their limit. She was about to lose control.

Could this guy just be decisive already?!

And yet that hesitant hand seemed determined to work against her, rising and falling over and over without making a choice.

Liana's body grew hotter and more sensitive with it.

Over the next five minutes, his fingers brushed over the candle, the gag, the blindfold, the coarse rope, the magic stun gun, and more...

Every time he picked up one of the props and made Liana think it was finally starting, he would let out a long sigh and gently put it back down.

Liana felt a torment like something scratching at her heart.

Please.

Could you hurry up already?!

That was what Liana screamed in her heart.

But Gu Qinghan was completely unaware of it and remained hopelessly tangled in indecision.

Ten minutes later, Liana collapsed weakly onto the floor. Her hands were cuffed tightly behind her back, and she panted as she spoke.

“Mr. Hohenheim, have you still not decided which prop to choose?”

By now, Liana's whole body had gone limp and weak.

Gu Qinghan was stunned at first. Then he turned around with a bitter smile and nodded lightly.

“Yeah. I've never done this kind of thing before, so I don't know what to start with.”

Wouldn't it be fine to just pick one already?!

Liana shouted that in her heart.

But she knew she absolutely couldn't say it out loud.

She couldn't let Mr. Hohenheim know what she was really thinking.

With his personality, he definitely wouldn't go along with what she wanted.

Clenching her teeth, Liana forced herself upright and leaned tiredly against the wall. She put on a calm smile and said,

“What matters isn't how you take the first step. It's taking it at all.”

Keeping a perfectly serious face, Liana continued with the same composed smile,

“You'll never be fully ready.”

“You only find the mistakes after you do it. Then you can improve.”

Gu Qinghan froze in place. After hearing Liana's words, his eyes lit up.

“That makes sense.”

Liana secretly let out a sigh of relief. Then she forced out a trace of a tired smile and added,

“Then please begin quickly, Mr. Hohenheim.”

Gu Qinghan nodded. When he looked back at the alchemy table, his hand finally moved without hesitation.

He chose the very first thing he'd picked up.

The feather pen.

But what happened next did not go the way Liana had imagined.

The feather pen did not touch her body.

On the contrary, after choosing the feather pen, Gu Qinghan didn't even take a single step toward Liana.

Instead, he turned around and walked back to where the black box was.

He opened the package with practiced ease, and a small, nimble figure strolled out of the black box.

It was a clever little orange cat. It obediently showed its belly and rolled around on the floor.

“Little Orange, sorry to keep you waiting!”

Gu Qinghan broke into a happy smile and started teasing the orange cat with the feather pen.