Awakening and an Unsettling Revelation

“Ugh…”

It was already the afternoon of the third day when Bai Chen finally stirred from his deep slumber. Having expended a vast amount of internal energy and physical strength, he didn’t immediately attempt to rise. Instead, he lay still for a moment, then lifted his right hand to his temple, rubbing it vigorously, trying to clear the fog from his sluggish mind. ‘What exactly transpired during these chaotic days?’ he wondered.

‘Ah, the martial arts competition… His Majesty? He actually saw through my disguise and wanted to form a contract with me? So… Qiao!’

The thought jolted Bai Chen upright with a sudden movement. ‘Ugh… the wounds still ache.’ He glanced down at the gruesome injuries, yet a sense of relief washed over him. ‘This bandaging technique… it was Bai Qiao’s. It seems I’ll be fine after all.’

Only then did Bai Chen feel secure enough to survey his surroundings. He was in his own room, free of any superfluous shackles. The device suppressing his internal energy was still there, of course, but such an item was likely bound to its master. Without Mo Xiao’s blood, it would be impossible to remove. Mo Xiao wouldn’t launch a full-scale search for him; even if he knew Bai Chen was here, he wouldn’t make a move. He would pretend nothing had happened, for Mo Xiao was not a madman. A rash move would only cost him the support of countless people.

“Oh? You’re awake…”

Bai Chen froze, taken aback. The face was familiar, yet the aura emanating from it was utterly different from the Bai Qiao he knew. It was as if another personality, long suppressed, was now awakening.

Noticing Bai Chen’s gaze, Bai Qiao didn’t flinch. Instead, she met it head-on, her chin lifting ever so slightly in an utterly indifferent manner. Though her voice was soft, it carried an undeniable tone of nonchalance.

“What? Did sleeping for a few days make you forget who I am?”

Bai Chen was momentarily stunned. ‘That expression, that gesture, that tone… could it truly be the same person?’

“…………”

Bai Chen stared at the exquisite face magnified several times before him. Despite the almost loli-like appearance, there was an urge to kneel etched between those brows. Just as Bai Chen opened his mouth to speak, a chilling sensation suddenly gripped his chin. Bai Qiao had actually pinched his jaw. ‘This was… vexing. No one had ever treated me this way.’ Bai Chen attempted to break free from the restraint, only to realize he couldn’t move at all. ‘Internal energy? Had the seal within Bai Qiao been broken?’

His brow furrowed involuntarily. However, his astonishment at Bai Qiao’s newfound internal energy was quickly overshadowed by his current irritation. When had the proud White King, as others called him, ever been so casually held by the chin by a woman? Even if it was the person he desired, he wouldn’t find it amusing.

For a moment, his anger rendered Bai Chen speechless, his face flushing then paling. The Bai Chen who usually verbally annihilated others was utterly tongue-tied. If anyone saw this, they’d probably go mad…

Without waiting for Bai Chen to utter a word, Bai Qiao leaned in close to his ear, speaking in the same flirtatious tone she once used to tease girls.

“My, oh my. Looking at this face of yours, I can’t help but want to tease it…”

“You!…”

It took a long time for Bai Chen to manage that single word. ‘This state… to an outsider, he would probably want to shoot himself, to wake from this nightmare. The White King, always expressionless, always indifferent to everything, always… a master at charming women.’ But in Bai Qiao’s eyes, it was a different sensation entirely. ‘This is me, isn’t it? Knowing my own personality, to be speechless now… ah, it feels like everything Bai Chen ever teased me about is being paid back now. How exhilarating… ugh… hmm…’

Her moment of triumph lasted less than three seconds. A sharp pain shot through Bai Qiao’s abdomen, causing her body to go limp. She clutched her stomach, trembling. Bai Chen, utterly bewildered, watched her. From the moment he woke up, Bai Qiao’s every action had left him dumbfounded. Still in a daze, Bai Chen simply stared as Bai Qiao suddenly broke out in a cold sweat from the pain.

It took a while for Bai Chen to finally snap back to reality. He reached out and touched Bai Qiao’s hand; it was unnaturally cold. ‘Could… could that bastard Mo Xiao have poisoned Bai Qiao?’ The thought terrified Bai Chen, and he immediately called for a doctor in a loud voice.

He watched intently as the doctor examined Bai Qiao. After a long moment, the doctor slowly looked up. Bai Chen seized him, almost roaring:

“How… how is she?!”

“Er…” The doctor wiped sweat from his face, clearly startled by Bai Chen’s intensity. “King Bai, please don’t rush. This… this is a woman’s… private matter. It wouldn’t be appropriate for you to inquire further…”

“Oh…”

“Huh?!”

Two entirely different reactions. Bai Chen exhaled, his expression serious, his mind at ease. Bai Qiao, on the other hand, gasped in alarm. ‘What? A woman’s private matter… No way?!’ Bai Qiao, an eighteen-year-old adult, even if she wasn’t entirely clear on the specifics, knew about ‘that’ for girls… ‘N-no! I’d rather be poisoned!’

“Miss Bai Qiao, perhaps you should go to the restroom to take care of it. I’ll go prepare some brown sugar water for you…”

“Huh? Brown sugar? No! I hate brown sugar and all that! Ugh… it hurts…” Never having experienced such abdominal pain, cold sweat was already trickling down Bai Qiao’s face.

“Miss, brown sugar can help alleviate the pain…”

“Ugh… g-go make it…” Bai Qiao gritted her teeth. ‘What the hell? Why do I have to experience this pain… Once a month, ugh! As a boy, this is… truly a life without regrets…’

“Ah… this…”

Bai Qiao stood frozen in the restroom, her hands half-raised and trembling incessantly, utterly unsure where to put them. She stared fixedly at the crimson stain beneath her… her face also flushed a deep red. In this situation, she suddenly felt her face grow hot, and she instinctively wiped it. ‘Ugh… hands covered in blood, nosebleed… Ugh, this is too much. Even facing myself, I get a nosebleed… Ahhh! Don’t be so perverted!’

Bai Qiao shook her head, forcing herself to accept the reality before her. Then… what should she do next? Bai Qiao picked up the white item placed nearby. ‘Ugh… I’m so done with life,’ her expression seemed to say. ‘So what am I supposed to do with this thing? Ahhh! My head hurts so much…’

The maid waited outside for a long time… The brown sugar water she held grew steadily colder… She changed it once… then again… Finally…

“Knock, knock, knock!”

“Miss, are you not done yet?”

“…………”

“Miss? Miss? I’m coming in, okay?”

“…………”

The maid cautiously pushed open the door… ‘Ugh…’ What she saw was Bai Qiao, clutching a white item in her hand, her face crimson, utterly at a loss. With a helpless expression, the maid walked over.

“Miss… would you like me to help you?”

“Huh? No! Don’t come closer… Wait, don’t move, don’t touch my thigh! Ha, it tickles…”

****