After the game ended, Liu Ruyan felt a long-lost sense of relaxation—if she ignored the upcoming wedding tomorrow, this was probably the most pleasant moment she had had since her rebirth. After all, what could be better than immersing herself in the game world to temporarily forget her troubles? Of course, that excluded those "private moments" in her previous life when she secretly watched small movies under the covers.

But this joy was quickly overshadowed by the shadow of reality. She knew Chu Linyuan's intentions all too well—like a butcher giving livestock a hearty last meal before slaughtering them. This seemingly considerate act was simply to disarm her and make her better accept the coming "taming."

Her fingertip unconsciously caressed the edge of the tablet, and a bitter smile appeared on Liu Ruyan's lips. Even this moment of happiness was a carefully arranged gentle trap set by Chu Linyuan.

"Satisfied?" Chu Linyuan suddenly asked, his voice laced with a sated languor. Liu Ruyan stared at his satisfied expression and suddenly understood what this scene resembled—like he had just "fed" her a carefully calculated happiness through the tablet. And the real "main course" was to be saved for the wedding night.

But at this moment, she was also tired and needed to get a good night's sleep. After all, waiting for her tomorrow was a big gamble, the biggest gamble in her two lifetimes, one that would either make her rich or turn herself into a plaything.

"It's... okay..." Liu Ruyan's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, like a tamed little animal murmuring. She knew the answer was meaningless, but she still responded reflexively—the "conditioning" of the past few days had already made her body remember the instinct to obey.

She slowly fell into Chu Linyuan's arms, and could clearly hear the powerful beating of his heart in his chest through his shirt. The rhythm was somehow a little erratic, but she was too lazy to delve into it. Anyway, this throbbing had never been for her, but for that Ji Ruxue who would forever live in his memory.

After all, what you can't get is always the most exciting, and what is easily obtained may not necessarily be cherished.

But soon... Liu Ruyan thought vaguely before falling into darkness... after tomorrow, she, this substitute, would be able to completely satisfy his paranoid possessiveness in his eyes, right? Let him indulge in illusions, anyway...

This time, Liu Ruyan fell into an unprecedentedly deep sleep. Perhaps it was the continuous mental torture and sleepless nights that had finally drained her physical stamina, or perhaps that devil had a rare moment of kindness—Chu Linyuan had actually, for the first time, not come to disturb her.

It wasn't until four in the morning that the maid's gentle but firm knocking dragged her out of her sweet dreams. Liu Ruyan struggled to open her heavy eyelids, outside the window it was still a thick night, and her "execution ground" had already lit up with glaring lights.

Outside the window, it was still a thick darkness, only the small night light on the dressing table emitted a dim yellow halo. Four seventeen in the morning—this time point instantly sobered her up, like being doused with ice water.

The tray held by the maid carried refreshing mint tea, its pungent coolness piercing her nostrils.

Has this day finally arrived? Liu Ruyan stared blankly at everything before her, recalling that today was the day she and Chu Linyuan were to be married.

It was no wonder Chu Linyuan hadn't woken her up early; after all, as the groom, he too had many things to attend to.

It was just that, seeing the maids treating her just as they had when she first transmigrated—bringing her into the washroom and meticulously bathing her—was like handling a long-unseen work of art with extreme care.

Looking at this group of busy maids, Liu Ruyan could only sigh at life's unfairness. Although everyone claimed people were born equal, how unrealistic it was to truly achieve the Great Harmony of the world that Confucius spoke of.

Moreover, looking at the bridesmaid and groomsman parties for this farcical wedding, she could tell they were all handpicked by Chu Linyuan specifically to monitor her every move, making it impossible for her to have the fun she might have had at a classmate's wedding in her previous life—the bachelor/bachelorette night before, the door games on the wedding day, and all the blessings exchanged between good brothers.

When the maids had finished bathing and dressing her, Liu Ruyan stood before the full-length mirror, vaguely gazing at the nearly perfect body reflected there—a slender waist, long legs, and a physique that never seemed to gain weight no matter how much she ate, which must make countless women intensely envious.

Only when the pearl-encrusted wedding dress was slowly put on, and the moment the cool silk touched her skin, did she truly confirm: this was not a nightmare, but an imminent reality. She was really going to become Chu Linyuan's bride, regardless of whether this marriage would be acknowledged by the world.

"I absolutely must not—"

As soon as the thought of resistance arose, several hands suddenly clamped down on her limbs from behind. Liu Ruyan's heart trembled; were these usually meek maids rebelling? Or perhaps... like her, they had long been unable to bear Chu Linyuan's tyranny?

But before she could sort out her thoughts, a sharp, piercing pain suddenly shot through her shoulder. Glancing at the syringe gleaming with cold light in her peripheral vision, she finally recalled the tranquilizer she had seen yesterday.

It was too late.

The icy liquid spread through her veins, like a sudden heavy snowfall, gently yet cruelly burying all her anger, fear, and unwillingness.