Su Baiyue found herself transmigrated into a stallion novel titled Dominance. The male lead in the story was Lu Gan—”Gan,” a reference to a wild dog. This male lead rose from humble beginnings, clawing his way to the top and eventually building a grand harem, a textbook protagonist of such tales.

As the male lead, of course, his first love, the “White Moonlight,” had to be extraordinary. This White Moonlight was none other than Mistress Ling Yun, daughter of the Weinan King. Known far and wide across vassal states, she was the untouchable goddess every royal and noble heir longed for but could never attain—a peerless beauty, lauded as the world’s first and purest celestial maiden.

Starting off with a challenge of this caliber, it was no surprise that Mistress Ling Yun had nothing but disdain for the male lead, who at the time was akin to a bedraggled stray dog. Yet the purpose of a White Moonlight like her was clear: to serve as the ultimate face-slapping tool later. Imagine it—seeing the once lofty, untouchable goddess defiled by the very mudd she once looked down upon. How could that not be satisfying?

Indeed, as the dark, edgy male lead of Dominance, Lu Gan’s rise couldn’t possibly be without a plethora of dirty tactics. If Lu Gan was the novel’s ultimate embodiment of darkness, then Liu Ling was its epitome of purity. From the moment Lu Gan laid eyes on Liu Ling, he knew one thing—he wanted her.

Speaking of Mistress Ling Yun, she was a peculiar flower among nobles. With a severe cleanliness obsession, she refused close contact even with her own family. Her lifestyle was more ascetic than that of any monk or nun, untouched by the mortal world. She abstained from rice and meat, subsisting solely on fruits and dew. This, unsurprisingly, left her increasingly frail, to the point that the entire Weinan King’s household lived in perpetual fear of her transcending into immortality at any moment.

Still, after over a decade of careful nurturing, this princess finally reached the age of marriage. Seeing no eligible suitors in their small territory, the Weinan King relocated his household to the royal capital to find a worthy match for his ethereal daughter.

Despite her untouchable reputation, countless suitors flocked to pursue Mistress Ling Yun, not only drawn by her beauty but also the power of the Weinan King’s estate behind her.

With all the vassal states vying to become the overlord, the Weinan King’s economically and militarily strong household became the most coveted prize. Even the emperor had sent the crown prince on numerous occasions to deliver gifts and curry favor. Though Mistress Ling Yun was unwell and childless, these issues could always be resolved—adopting an heir was an easy enough solution.

As such, the Weinan King’s residence had been abuzz with activity in recent days. Ostensibly, people came to celebrate Liu Chen’s triumphant return from war. In reality, they were all here to shower the icy beauty Mistress Ling Yun with their flattery.

Su Baiyue, however, was panicking. The story was about to progress to the next major scene—a direct confrontation with the male lead.

Well, “direct confrontation” might be overstating it. It was more of a one-sided humiliation, where Mistress Ling Yun stomped all over the male lead. This setup laid a solid foundation for the star-crossed romance between the proud daughter of heaven and the lowly stable boy.

The aloof Mistress Ling Yun, with her unyielding cleanliness and haughty demeanor, did whatever she pleased. She cared nothing for the opinions of others, not even among the other princesses and noblewomen, whose dissatisfaction she had long incurred.

Yet no one dared to openly voice their complaints, restrained by the Weinan King’s influence and Liu Chen’s freshly earned military accolades. They could only grumble in private, wearing polite smiles when they next saw her, groveling shamelessly before her indifference.

The pivotal scene unfolded at the Weinan King’s racetrack.

Liu Chen, in high spirits after drinking, had been cajoled by vassal princes into displaying his riding skills.

The racetrack was a gathering of noble sons and daughters, including even the crown prince himself, who had come bearing gifts. On a hint from the Weinan Queen, the Weinan King summoned Su Baiyue out, hoping to arrange a meeting between her and the crown prince.

Though the imperial family was waning, the crown prince was still the crown prince. With his interest piqued, Su Baiyue’s future as the crown princess seemed all but assured.

First, a procession of handmaidens entered, laying layers of white silk over half the racetrack. They then raised curtains to shield the area from dust, sprinkled water to settle the dirt, and lit fragrant incense. Only after this meticulous preparation did they retreat to the sides, bowing their heads in silent anticipation.

When Su Baiyue first read this part of the novel, she cringed so hard she nearly died of secondhand embarrassment. How could someone so pretentious survive this long? Surely, it was thanks to her father and brother! But after personally enduring so many ostentatious rituals, Su Baiyue had only one thought: Being rich is awesome.

Truly, the joys of wealth were beyond imagination.

A luxurious carriage slowly approached, adorned with silken curtains, white bells, and lanterns, exuding extravagant elegance.

Hearing its approach, the vassal princes craned their necks eagerly, while even the crown prince stood up involuntarily.

Through the thin veil of the curtains, everyone caught a glimpse of a slender, graceful figure descending from the carriage. The veiled hat obscured her face, but the grandeur left no doubt—this was the legendary Mistress Ling Yun.

The men gazed at her, enraptured, while the noblewomen exchanged disdainful sneers. “We’re all princesses here. Who’s she trying to impress with that act?”

It wasn’t as if Su Baiyue wanted to act like this. Her character demanded it. Not playing the part would be out of character.

At the racetrack, riding was, of course, mandatory. Dressed in pristine white and a fox fur cloak, veiled and delicate, Su Baiyue stood at the entrance, her presence entirely at odds with the dust and chaos of the racetrack.

Mistress Ling Yun’s temperament naturally detested the vulgar presence of men. Normally, she wouldn’t spare them a glance, but with the crown prince present and her parents’ reminders ringing in her ears, she reluctantly conceded a token acknowledgment.

Behind her, a stable boy led over a spotless white horse named Treading Snow.

The stable boy wore the uniform of the Weinan King’s servants. His figure was tall but lean, his posture slightly hunched, and his face obscured. His bony hands clutched the reins tightly, betraying a mix of tension and excitement.

Su Baiyue’s weak body barely had the strength to walk, let alone mount a horse. Watching the other princesses mount gracefully, she resolved to mimic their actions.

But hunger made her dizzy, her feeble limbs incapable of the task.

“Three fruits a day? Is that a life?! I’m only alive because the author is keeping me on life support!” she mentally ran.

Despite her complaints, she gritted her teeth and soldiered on. That was the spirit of professionalism, after all.

This was the moment in the novel where Mistress Ling Yun lashed the male lead with three whip strikes.

Dragging her weak body to the horse, Su Baiyue licked her dry lips and approached Lu Gan, who stood holding the reins. A sweet, fruity fragrance wafted from her, tempting and refreshing.

“What are you standing around for?” scolded Jingwen, her head maid. “Kneel!”

Lu Gan tightened his grip on the reins, his entire body trembling.

As the male lead, he could not tolerate such humiliation—being knelt on by a woman, no less.

Su Baiyue hesitated for a moment, pity stirring in her heart, but she steeled herself. A plot was a plot.

Taking the whip from Jingwen, she lashed out at Lu Gan.

With a sharp crack, the whip tore through his servant’s uniform.

For Su Baiyue, whose hunger made her head swim, her strike lacked force, landing more like a scratch. Yet to the onlookers, it appeared as if she were cruelly bullying a lowly stable boy.

The boy knelt, his bony hands digging into the silk-covered ground as his lean body shook.

Stepping on Lu Gan’s back, Su Baiyue climbed onto the horse, hearing his rapid breaths beneath her.

That trembling wasn’t from fear or humiliation—it was excitement.

Even as she dismounted his back, Lu Gan felt a twinge of regret.

When the veil was lifted from his face, he gazed up at her, captivated. From her delicate chin to her fair neck and pearl-adorned ears, everything about her was mesmerizing.

Especially her lips—a vivid red amidst the pure white that seemed to beckon him.

Su Baiyue, meeting his gaze, felt a chill. But she carried out the scene—another strike of the whip landed, leaving a faint mark on his hand.

At that moment, Lu Gan’s blood-soaked fingers pressed into the silk-covered ground. He licked away the blood with a slow, deliberate motion before leading her horse.

For Su Baiyue, this marked the beginning of the male lead’s obsession—a story where a White Moonlight dares to tread so close to danger, surviving the storm unscathed.

Truly, Mistress Ling Yun was one of a kind.