It was early morning the next day when Lao Zhan quietly crept into my room, probably intending to tease me as usual. But the moment he saw me lying there pale and weak, his confident smirk faltered, replaced by something close to panic. He clearly didn't know what to do when someone was sick—especially a girl.
He took a cautious step forward, eyeing me like I might suddenly collapse. The idea of me being on my period seemed to horrify him more than anything else. After all, he had been on the receiving end of Lu Lu's period-torture before, and he had no intention of being subjected to the madness that he imagined awaited him with me.
Still, he bravely reached out, placing his hand on my forehead to check my temperature. His eyes widened. "Damn! She's burning up like a furnace. And those lips…" He squinted at my pale, slightly bluish lips. "Purple lips... that's a classic symptom of poisoning. Oh hell no! I cannot have her dying in my house."
Before I could protest, he scooped me up into his arms like I weighed nothing and rushed downstairs, shouting orders. "Call one of our doctors to stand by! If anything happens to her, we're all dead!"
His usual calm was gone, replaced by a frantic urgency as he carried me out to the car. The ride to the hospital was a blur of flashing streetlights and pounding in my head. I barely registered the cold metal of the stretcher beneath me when they rushed me into the emergency room.
Minutes later, a doctor emerged, pale and serious, followed by nurses pushing my stretcher down the hall. Lao Zhan's face was tight with worry as he approached.
"How is she?" he asked, voice rough with panic.
The doctor folded his arms, brow furrowed. "We found traces of gluten in her system. That's what caused the reaction. Lao Zhan, did you slip something containing gluten into her drink?"
Lao Zhan shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. "Okay, okay… fine. I did slip beer into her juice. I thought she'd drink it since she's scared of getting drunk. Who knew she was allergic to alcohol?" He looked away, pouting like a child caught red-handed. "Besides, how is it even possible to be allergic to alcohol but drink whisky?"
The doctor sighed. "She's not allergic to alcohol. She's gluten sensitive. Instead of trying to justify yourself, you should come up with a plan to come clean."
Lao Zhan gave me a pleading look. "Oh hell no! That satan—Lu Lu—she's going to skin me alive if she finds out I had something to do with her being sick. Can't you come up with some medical excuse?"
The doctor clapped his palm against the back of his other hand, his tone sharp. "Do you even know which course she took at school? You think she wouldn't recognize what made her sick?"
I woke up suddenly, my voice sharp as a whip. "LAO ZHAN!! YOU MOTHERF**KER!!"
He shuffled into the room slowly, looking like a kid who'd just been caught breaking his mom's favorite glass. His usual smugness was gone, replaced by sheepish guilt.
"Oh look! The little prey brought itself to be eaten. How sweet," I hissed, my smile replaced by a furious glare. "I swear I'm going to kill you."
"Did you really think you were going to get away with it?" I asked, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and grabbing him by the collar. His eyes widened in surprise, but I wasn't about to let go.
[Shit! I really wish I could strangle him, but I can't—he's Wen Qin's son. Damn, I'm starting to hate this.] My thoughts churned as I tightened my grip.
Then, a grin slowly spread across my face, stretching ear to ear. [Wait—this gives me an idea. Something even more fun.]
Lao Zhan's expression darkened as he noticed the shift in my demeanor. His brow furrowed deeply, eyes narrowing. [Yeishhh! I feel a chill down my spine. I don't like that grin. What is this maniac thinking now?]
"I think I have an idea that can make me forget all of this misery," I said, my voice low and teasing.
"And what might that be?" he replied, eyeing me as if I'd lost what was left of my mind.
"I want you to be my slave," I declared boldly. "Starting today, and lasting until the end of our punishment."
His face twisted in confusion and disbelief.
"And if you refuse?" I leaned closer, whispering with a creepy grin. "Well… I wouldn't mind letting you have a taste of my bǐ shǒu men. After all, it's been a while since they've tasted human flesh."
His eyes widened, his usually stoic face freezing into a mask of disbelief.
[Then those fools say she's a cute and innocent little girl. How the hell is that considered cute and innocent? She's clearly a devil reincarnated.] Lao Zhan's thoughts echoed silently as he stared at me, his expression unreadable.