[What is happening? What is happening? What is happening?!]

Le Gui was completely dazed. Before she knew it, she was pressed down onto the bed. When his lips parted hers, inch by inch stealing her breath away, alarm bells went off in her mind.

[He kissed me! He kissed me again! And this time, he even used his tongue!]

She stiffened, her body rigid with shock. The next moment, her gaze met Di Jiang’s cold, emotionless eyes. It was… jarring. Extremely jarring. It was as if he was split into two—one half domineering and intense as he took control, the other detached and impassive, observing everything.

Le Gui swallowed hard, instinctively trying to shrink back. But Di Jiang gave her no chance to escape. His long, cool fingers pressed against her throat, a silent threat that sent a shiver down her spine.

[Oh my god, what is he trying to do? Is he going to kill me after kissing me? He hasn’t even finished kissing me yet! They say being close to a king is as dangerous as living with a tiger. A single misstep and your life could be over. So what should I do now? Keep kissing him or find a way to escape?]

[My lips hurt so much! And I can’t breathe! Why do I feel so hot? He’s just kissing me, so why does it feel like this…?]

At first, Le Gui could still process her thoughts, but soon, her mind turned to mush. Forget complaining—she could barely think at all.

She had never been in a relationship before. Her only experience with kissing came from Di Jiang. Even so, she could tell that while he was forceful and aggressive, he lacked any real technique.

Yet somehow, he still easily ignited something in her.

At first, she was simply overwhelmed by the intensity. But gradually, a spark of curiosity emerged. Tentatively, she flicked her tongue against his, testing the waters.

Like a creature with little intelligence, she acted purely on instinct. She was so caught up in the moment that she failed to notice how Di Jiang’s gaze darkened the instant she made her move.

“…Mmm.”

A soft whimper escaped her throat. Without thinking, her hand slipped under his robes, but before she could do anything, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away.

When the kiss ended, Le Gui’s gaze was still unfocused, and she could only stare at Di Jiang in silence.

Di Jiang’s expression remained deep and unreadable, his breathing steady as ever. “If you dare to be so presumptuous again, I will truly kill you.”

Le Gui: “…”

After a brief silence, she suddenly realized that the passionate kiss just now was merely a punishment for her disrespect in Di Jiang’s eyes.

[That was such an intense kiss! I was practically about to take off my pants! And yet, it was just a punishment for being disrespectful?!]

Le Gui’s breath trembled as she looked at Di Jiang as if he were a heartless scoundrel.

Di Jiang, feeling irritated under her gaze, instinctively tightened his grip on her neck. However, just as his fingers began to press down, he caught sight of her shocked expression.

Di Jiang instantly snapped back to his senses.

Something felt off.

Le Gui cleared her throat and hesitantly asked, “Your Lordship, just now… were you actually planning to kill me?”

Di Jiang stared into her eyes but found no trace of fear.

That was interesting. She had always been timid, yet now, with her life hanging by a thread, she showed no fear at all. It was as if she was certain he would not kill her.

A dark thought crossed his mind. He wondered if she would still be this calm if he really tightened his grip. But before he could act on it, Le Gui’s survival instincts kicked in, and she quickly lowered her head to plant a kiss on the back of his hand.

“Your Lordship,” she looked at him with a fawning smile.

[Holy hell, he was actually going to kill me! Are you a female spider or something?! Mating and then immediately eating your partner? I haven’t even done anything with you yet, and you already want to kill me?! Where is your conscience?! If it weren’t for me dragging you around for days, spending a fortune on renting a courtyard and buying clothes, would you even be able to recover so comfortably right now?!]

Di Jiang glanced at her. “Even without you, I can heal just fine.”

“Huh?” Le Gui was briefly stunned by his out-of-context response.

A flicker of exhaustion crossed Di Jiang’s eyes. He released her neck and turned to lie down, and Le Gui immediately rolled off the bed.

“I acted rashly and offended Your Lordship just now. It is only natural that Your Lordship would want to kill me. But since Your Lordship is still injured, if I die, there will be no one left to care for you. Please spare my life for now. I truly understand my mistake and will never do it again,” she apologized with utmost sincerity.

“You really understand your mistake?” Di Jiang asked indifferently.

Le Gui nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, I do!”

[As if! I was just asking for what was rightfully mine! How is that a mistake?!]

Di Jiang let out a soft chuckle.

Le Gui shivered under his gaze but had no choice other than to continue crouching by the bedside, her hands gripping the mattress like a small, obedient puppy.

“Get out,” Di Jiang finally ordered.

Le Gui blinked, hesitating.

[If I leave now, all my effort in coming here to negotiate would be wasted. If I don’t get an answer tonight, it will only become harder to bring this up in the future. But if I stay… what if he gets the urge to kill me again?]

[No wonder working people always complain about their bosses. They promise commissions and rewards, but when the time comes, they act like they never said anything. And if you dare to ask for it, they want to kill you! Are employees supposed to just accept this mistreatment?! We work ourselves to the bone, and in the end, we still have to worry about losing our lives?!]

[So, should I stay or leave? Stay or leave? Ugh, if I do not get a clear answer tonight, I will not be able to sleep! But of course, an exploitative boss does not care about his employee’s sleep!]

Just as she was stuck in an internal battle, Di Jiang, who had been resting with his eyes closed, lost his patience. “Get out.”

[Excuse me?! I did not even say anything! Is my breathing too loud for you now?!]

Le Gui was both cowardly and resentful, dragging her feet as she left, practically wearing disappointment on her face.

Just as she reached the door, Di Jiang’s cold voice rang out from behind. “Since I gave you my word, I will not go back on it.”

Le Gui’s spirits instantly lifted. She spun around excitedly.

Unfortunately, Di Jiang had already closed his eyes again, showing no intention of speaking further.

“Thank you, Your Lordship!” she chirped, then swiftly made her exit.

As soon as she left, silence settled over the room. Di Jiang slowly opened his eyes, staring at the hand he had nearly strangled her with.

His internal energy was indeed too depleted. Even his emotions were starting to be influenced by the demonic energy.

Di Jiang lowered his gaze, clenching his fist. A surge of dark purple demonic energy seeped out from between his fingers, letting out a mournful hiss before dissipating into silence.

The room remained still. Di Jiang glanced at the tightly shut door, lingering in thought for a long moment before ultimately choosing not to call her back. Instead, he closed his eyes and began meditating.

—

When Le Gui burst out of the room, Ah Hua was still sitting on the stone bench, mourning what she assumed was her friend’s inevitable demise. Seeing Le Gui emerge unscathed, bouncing with energy, Ah Hua was dumbstruck.

“No missing limbs, no internal injuries… You kicked down his door, yet he actually let you walk out unharmed?”

“His Lordship is kind and benevolent. How could he possibly hurt me?” Le Gui declared righteously.

Ah Hua: “…Listen to yourself. Which of those words could possibly apply to him?”

“Tsk, you should not say such things,” Le Gui frowned. “His Lordship is your master. You should at least show him some basic respect.”

Ah Hua: “…” I was not the one who kicked down his door!

After a long pause, she hit the nail on the head. “So, he is not planning to break his promise?”

“Of course not! But even if he was, would that make me respect him any less?” Le Gui huffed, giving her a reproachful look. “We work for His Lordship. We should think about his needs and treat the Demon Realm as our home. We should not always be so focused on personal gains and losses.”

Ah Hua let out a cold laugh and extended a hand toward her. “Where is your defensive artifact?”

“It broke, remember? Why do you need it?” Le Gui asked, puzzled.

Ah Hua said, “The artifact is broken, but the thousand-year-old cold jade inside is still intact. I’ll take it out and use it.”

Le Gui retorted, “Use it for what? Is it something you should be using? Do you think the Demon Realm is your personal home where you can just take whatever you want?”

“…Enough already. His Lordship’s spiritual power is depleted. If nothing unexpected happens, he should have sealed his spiritual core by now. No matter how much you praise him, he doesn’t have the divine sense to eavesdrop on us,” Ah Hua said, unable to bear it any longer.

Le Gui insisted, “This is a matter of principle. Even if he can’t hear—”

“Shut up!”

Having completely provoked Ah Hua, Le Gui slowly wandered into the kitchen, scooped up a ladle of water, and gulped down more than half of it. On a summer night, drinking cold well water was a real treat. When Ah Hua came chasing after her, she saw Le Gui looking completely at ease.

“Why are you here again?” Le Gui glanced at her.

Ah Hua sneered, “Oh, I poisoned the water in the vat. I wanted to watch you die with my own eyes.”

“How can a young girl like you be so ruthless?” Le Gui remarked before taking another sip.

Ah Hua let out a cold laugh. “Young girl? At my age, I could be your ancestor.”

Le Gui fell silent for three seconds, then stepped forward and compared their heights. Ah Hua barely reached her waist.

Ah Hua: “…”

In a fit of rage, the petite and beautiful girl instantly transformed into a blood-covered ghost, filling the kitchen with an eerie chill.

Le Gui looked at her with pity. “Even as a ghost, you’re still short.”

Ah Hua: “…”

“A shorty who hasn’t grown in five thousand years,” Le Gui added.

Ah Hua: “…”

“Treasure this time when we can still interact as equals. Once we return to the Demon Realm, I’ll be your mistress,” Le Gui declared. Having gone from a mere worker to a future lady of the house, she now walked with an air of arrogance.

Ah Hua was so enraged that she disappeared into the mirror, refusing to come out.