The Price of Lies

Confiding in a mirror, the reality felt somewhat ironic. Even without courting disaster, a whip still awaited her.

“I’m scared of pain…”

Qing Zixi pleaded in a soft, gentle voice, begging for it to be at least a little lighter.

That small leather whip was simply terrifying.

“Of course, of course. How could I ever, how could I ever harm my darling? I will, gently, dote on you, making you fall in love with me willingly, making you beg for it…”

“…for me to do this, and that, to you~ Hmph~”

Eek!

Why were human ears so incredibly sensitive?

“But first, a naughty child who lies must be punished. Otherwise, how will they ever learn to be obedient?”

Scratch.

The match scraped against the box as Zi Yun’ai lit the candle.

“Look, what a beautiful flame. Fragile, tiny, struggling, burning its entire life away in a dance of light~”

“No, no, I was truly wrong! I won’t lie again!”

Qing Zixi made a bitter face, struggling, yet her body remained utterly immobile.

Her only movable parts were her eyes, which fixated on the candle in Zi Yun’ai’s hand, watching it slowly grow larger in her vision.

Despite it being the dead of winter, Qing Zixi felt a scorching heat, as if she were trapped beneath a blazing sun.

One by one, beads of fragrant sweat emerged from her forehead, trickling downwards.

Hiss.

They dripped onto her thigh.

“Fidgeting? Do you want me to let you go?”

Mm-hmm! Mm-hmm!

Qing Zixi’s wide, watery eyes affirmed her eagerness as she nodded vigorously.

“I can release you, but once I do, I’ll insert the candle into the can~dle~holder, alright?”

Qing Zixi’s body trembled. She initially thought she was saved, but then she glanced around the room.

There was no candelholder anywhere in the room!

So the “candlestick” was…?

She decided it was best not to move carelessly after all.

How terrifying! This person was more frightening than Lan Mengyao and Xia Mengying combined!

“You, you can only be mine. I want to possess you, to own you. I want to make you belong to me!”

The candle burned out, and Zi Yun’ai casually tossed it aside.

She then extended a hand, stroking her fingers as she examined them.

Her long, purple nails were adorned with something sparkling.

These were lethal weapons!

Surely, she wouldn’t be so heartless as to let her adorable little sister “croak” just like that.

Tsk.

Zi Yun’ai furrowed her brow, her hands pinching her nails, poised to snap them off.

Just then, she heard a soft voice from in front of her.

“Don’t, don’t…”

“Huh!?”

Zi Yun’ai irritably looked over, and the white-haired loli before her flinched at the shout.

“It, it will hurt.” Her red eyes were filled with worry.

Gulp!

Zi Yun’ai’s tightly knitted brows slowly relaxed.

Eyes couldn’t lie.

What had she just done? She had actually yelled at her.

Seeing Qing Zixi on the verge of tears, Zi Yun’ai leaned in and wrapped her arms tightly around the smaller girl’s delicate body.

She must have been terrified; her body was still trembling…

Why was she trembling so incessantly?

‘Hahaha, you weakling, puh-ha! Look, look, look! You’re clearly worried sick about this young lady in your heart, aren’t you? After yelling at me, you’re probably scrambling to apologize, but you’re too proud to, aren’t you? Go on, obediently untie me and serve me well. Send me off in style and comfort with an eight-bearer palanquin, and this young lady might just forgive you~’

Qing Zixi laughed, her body trembling.

‘Lies couldn’t fool this perfect idol, but what if her concern was genuinely real? How would Zi Yun’ai distinguish it then?’

‘Serves you right! For tying me up without reason, and for deceiving my feelings in the car. If I had known you were so fanatical, I would never have come home with you.’

“Ugh-ah-ah-ah~!?”

It was satisfying, but it was also “painful”.

Qing Zixi still knew very little about matters between women.

Beyond mere fingers, there was actually an even deadlier weapon.

Knuckles.

Applying pressure with the back of the hand facing up allowed for better force than with the palm up.

Moreover, during a blind massage, for areas where fingertips couldn’t reach, masseurs often curled their fingers.

The hardened knuckles could penetrate deeper into muscle groups more effectively than fingertips.

When the masseur located a client’s uncomfortable pressure point, be it at the base of the neck or the lower back, they could precisely press on it with their knuckles.

Pressing.

Rubbing.

Rotating.

Grinding in every direction.

“My dear Xier, am I serving you well? Is it comfortable?”

Zi Yun’ai leaned in close, biting Qing Zixi’s earlobe.

“Don’t keep staring at the ceiling with your eyes, look at me~ Sigh, are you sticking out your tongue and making a face? Are you mocking your elder sister again? Then elder sister will just have to continue punishing you~”

With every half-sentence, Zi Yun’ai’s movements accelerated, until the “lethal rhythm” in her hands reached its peak.

The room then fell silent once more, save for a few incomprehensible onomatopoeic exclamations.

At times, Qing Zixi genuinely felt her physique was somewhat beyond ordinary.

Who else could endure “that” three times in two days and still remain conscious?

Moreover, the first and last times both occurred in the early hours, lasting until nearly dawn.

****

The next day, Qing Zixi was roused awake on a relatively soft bed by a masseuse.

“Young Miss, you’re awake. Her Highness Ai instructed me that you might have some lower back pain, and asked me to massage your waist for you.”

A female voice reached her ears, and immediately after, Qing Zixi felt a dull ache in her lower back.

She let out soft groans of “Aiyoh, aiyoh.”

Her waist ached terribly.

Compared to the first night, last night had been just as painful.

“Is this the spot?”

The masseuse seemed to pinpoint the tender spot on Qing Zixi’s lower back.

With skillful hands, she began to knead the area, and with the fading ache came a sensation of blockage being completely released and cleared.

Qing Zixi had never experienced such a deliciously invigorating relief.

In that regard, last night had been no different.

“Alright, is there anywhere else on your body that feels uncomfortable?”

After approximately twenty minutes, the masseuse stopped and asked Qing Zixi.

“Does your neck hurt? How about your shoulders and legs?”

“Mm… no, no, I’m fine now. Thank you.”

Qing Zixi certainly couldn’t bring herself to say that *that* particular area also felt a bit uncomfortable and ask for a massage there.

Aside from the risk of being labeled a pervert, Qing Zixi simply couldn’t endure any more.

“Very well. Her Highness Ai is already in the main hall; I’ll escort you there.”

The masseuse, clad in a loose white robe, gave Qing Zixi a slight bow of acknowledgment.

She then watched as the white-haired loli struggled to rise from the massage bed, her feet touching the floor…

“Are you alright? Be careful!”

Seeing the little loli’s legs buckle, on the verge of collapsing, the masseuse quickly stepped forward and helped her up.

She offered a somewhat serious admonition.

“You’ve just finished your massage. Your brain might not react quickly enough when you suddenly switch from lying down to standing. Take it slow, and let yourself adjust first.”

“Tha-thank you…”

Qing Zixi forced a weak smile onto her pale, tender face.

She wasn’t actually weak from getting out of bed too quickly; her legs were simply jelly.

“Shall I help you over?”

“No, there’s no need. I’m not an old lady.”

Qing Zixi politely declined the masseuse’s kind offer, then lifted her head and looked around.

The massage room was lit with a warm yellow glow, and its walls were covered in light yellow wallpaper.

A bed occupied the center, flanked by a small cart laden with various bottles, jars, and sundry “props,” which sent a shiver down Qing Zixi’s spine.

Her mind instinctively drifted to a certain… implication.