The Fragile Embrace

Xiyue’s words left Su Xiaoxiao seething with anger. She gritted her teeth and retorted, ‘Is this what you call punishment?’

Su Xiaoxiao dared not respond, using her hand to wipe away her tears.

Her wrists were shackled with long chains that clanked against the pair of red jade bracelets, creating a jarring symphony of metallic sounds.

Xiyue glanced up and noticed how frail Su Xiaoxiao had become. Her wrists were so slender that Xiyue could almost crush them with a single finger. The beautiful face was marred with vulnerability and pain, a sight that made Xiyue uncomfortable, as if a thorn had pierced her heart.

Xiyue gently laid Su Xiaoxiao on the bed, positioning her so that Su Xiaoxiao’s back was facing her. Su Xiaoxiao moved slowly, clearly resisting but too frightened to defy Xiyue.

She hugged her stomach with one hand and propped herself up on the bed with the other, biting her lip as she silently endured the ordeal. However, the anticipated pain did not come. Instead, Xiyue merely embraced her from behind.

‘We’re not doing this,’ Xiyue said softly, looking at Su Xiaoxiao.

As Xiyue released her, Su Xiaoxiao, who had been relying on Xiyue’s support, slumped to the bed, her pregnant belly hitting the mattress. Despite the softness of the bed, the impact caused Xiyue’s heart to tighten.

Su Xiaoxiao, who had been unable to cry, let out a sharp cry of pain upon falling. This time, Xiyue was truly angered. She tried to calm Su Xiaoxiao, but it was no use.

Xiyue reached out to comfort Su Xiaoxiao, but the young woman, now in a fit of temper, pushed her away. ‘Don’t touch me…’ Su Xiaoxiao sobbed.

‘Cough… cough…’

Su Xiaoxiao started coughing uncontrollably, her breath growing shallow, and her face turning red as if she might suffocate. Xiyue transferred some spiritual energy to her, and with the protection of the red jade bracelets, Su Xiaoxiao gradually regained her composure.

She refused to look at Xiyue, her body shaking uncontrollably. The air in the Magic Realm was growing chilly, but the bedchamber remained unheated. Xiyue pulled a blanket over Su Xiaoxiao and noticed bloodstains on the bed.

Though Xiyue had been careful, she hadn’t realized Su Xiaoxiao was bleeding. Ignoring Su Xiaoxiao’s struggles, Xiyue lifted the blanket to examine her. Su Xiaoxiao thought Xiyue was about to continue, and with the previous impact and Xiyue’s hurried movements, she felt pain not just in her abdomen but throughout her body. The baby inside her stirred uncomfortably.

Su Xiaoxiao feared she wouldn’t survive if Xiyue continued. Driven by her maternal instincts, she opened her mouth and bit Xiyue’s finger.

Xiyue, startled, grabbed Su Xiaoxiao’s chin, not applying much force, but nearly dislocating her jaw. Clearly, this little fish only responded to harsh treatment.

With overwhelming force, Xiyue restrained Su Xiaoxiao and discovered that the blood had come from her ankles, where the wounds were quite severe. The blood had stained the bed.

Unsure of the extent of the injuries, Xiyue carefully removed the chains from Su Xiaoxiao’s ankles. The flesh was badly torn, explaining the heavy bleeding. Xiyue donned her clothes and ordered Chitang to bring water. She then took Su Xiaoxiao’s feet, intending to clean the wounds. Su Xiaoxiao seemed lifeless, her eyes dull.

Xiyue, despite her long life, had never been so gentle. Yet, her careless words only served to further anger Su Xiaoxiao. This time, when Su Xiaoxiao spoke, her voice was not weak as it had been in previous days. Instead, she said, ‘You’re too cruel…’ ‘You’ll never be kind to her…’

‘What did you say?’ Xiyue asked, but Su Xiaoxiao fell silent again. The wounds, now oozing blood, stung when the medicine was applied. Despite the gentleness of Xiyue’s touch, the medicine caused pain as it touched the raw flesh.

Xiyue knew Su Xiaoxiao was delicate, but she was surprised by her silence during the treatment. Su Xiaoxiao lay still, like a puppet, allowing Xiyue to tend to her without a word or sound.

After this incident, Xiyue’s treatment of Su Xiaoxiao improved. The chains around her neck and ankles were removed, and a few days later, Xiyue released the chains from her wrists as well. Xiyue expected Su Xiaoxiao to attempt an escape, but surprisingly, she remained in the bedchamber, barely moving. She rarely spoke, even when Xiyue addressed her, and often acted as if she hadn’t heard. She refused to eat or drink her medicine, and when forced, she would vomit it all out.

Su Xiaoxiao was like a fish stranded on the shore, slowly fading away. The baby in her womb grew increasingly restless, and without proper nourishment, it tormented Su Xiaoxiao. Unable to take her medicine, Su Xiaoxiao had to endure Gu Yan’s acupuncture.

In the past, Su Xiaoxiao had feared acupuncture so much that she would cry, even going as far as to not resist Xiyue’s embrace. But this time, she lay quietly, only slightly furrowed her brow when the long needle pierced her abdomen.

Gu Yan said, ‘Su Xiaoxiao, it’s snowing, but the flowers in the courtyard are beautiful, scattered on the pool and the snow. Would you like to take a walk?’ But Su Xiaoxiao ignored her. Her pregnant belly was large, making her movements sluggish and slow. She turned away from Gu Yan, hugging her belly and acting as if she hadn’t heard a word.

Xiyue had removed all the chains from Su Xiaoxiao, and as her pregnancy progressed, her movements grew even slower. Sometimes, Xiyue would hold her close in the middle of the night, but instead of feeling the chains, she felt Su Xiaoxiao’s lifelessness. Su Xiaoxiao showed no emotion, speaking not a word, and letting Xiyue do as she pleased.

After a month of being chained, the marks on her body were slow to fade. One day, when Xiyue was absent, Su Xiaoxiao bathed and stared at her reflection in the mirror for a long time. Her belly was round and swollen, but her arms and legs remained slender. Her wrists, ankles, and neck were marked with the red impressions left by the chains. Xiyue, knowing they could have s*x now, no longer restrained herself. Sometimes, when Su Xiaoxiao ignored her, Xiyue would press her down and…

Xiyue was always inventive, insisting that Su Xiaoxiao say something that would please her before she would let her go. The red marks on her wrists, even covered by the jade bracelets, were visible. Her ankles bore a string of red symbols, and her fair, smooth skin was marked with Xiyue’s fingerprints and bite marks.

Su Xiaoxiao stared at her reflection for a long time, her expression calm, but inside, she felt ugly and repulsive. With a swift motion, she smashed the mirror with a fruit platter.

The shattering sound echoed, and when the attending magic beings rushed in, Su Xiaoxiao was already back in bed, as if nothing had happened.