The wine had been passed around three times, and the banquet was halfway through.
Hua Yanyun lay sprawled lazily across her chair, using Lin Hanjing’s chest as a pillow. Her legs were crossed casually, her posture relaxed to the point of being downright sloppy.
Her shoes had long since vanished. She was enjoying the foot massage from Qing Lanyue, letting out soft, contented hums from time to time.
No one present dared criticize Hua Yanyun. Instead, they continued showering her with praise.
This was the immortal-like life many could only dream of.
Hua Yanyun took the wine cup from He Shu’s hand and drained it in one gulp. She let out a satisfied burp, closed her eyes, and simply enjoyed herself.
Not counting He Shu, four or five other people were currently attending to Hua Yanyun—massaging her shoulders, kneading her legs, rubbing her feet, and feeding her. She was living in absolute bliss.
Hua Yanyun was thoroughly comfortable, but He Shu, who had been standing motionless for nearly half an hour, was on the verge of collapse.
Setting aside the constant itchy, tingling torment from the fabric rubbing against every sensitive part of her body, the nine-centimeter heels had kept her calf muscles in a state of extreme tension the entire time. Her ankles had already gone numb from the pain.
He Shu felt as if her legs were gradually refusing to obey her. Even when she occasionally lifted one foot to give it a brief rest, the relief was only temporary.
After today, I probably won’t be able to stand for days.
Throughout the entire banquet, He Shu had been holding back her frustration. She had not eaten anything all day, and the hunger gnawed at her. Seeing all the exquisite dishes laid out before her—yet forbidden to touch a single bite—only made it worse.
On the way here, that damned Hua Yanyun had warned her: “I’m only bringing you along to see the world. At this banquet, you are attending as a mere servant. If you dare eat even one mouthful, I will lock you up for three days and three nights.”
Everyone else present was a cultivator; their need for food was nowhere near as urgent as He Shu’s, a mere mortal.
She clearly promised to let me eat my fill. What kind of people are these…
He Shu had no choice. The “deal” she had made with Hua Yanyun was nothing more than a verbal agreement. To Hua Yanyun, it carried zero binding force.
Right now, she was a prisoner. Her entire being could be considered Hua Yanyun’s private property.
Hua Yanyun could completely ignore any of her wishes, and He Shu had no power to resist.
An ancient saying once claimed: “Life is like being forced against your will. If you can’t resist, you might as well enjoy it.”
But He Shu could not enjoy her current life at all.
Every single day she was tormented by someone she despised, and not once had it ever been of her own free will.
A sudden backward tug came from her shoulder. Before He Shu could react, she lost her balance and fell to the floor.
In the instant before she hit the ground, she instinctively let go of the wine pot she had been holding and reached out to grab something—anything—but there was nothing to catch.
The crisp sound of porcelain shattering rang out. Wine splashed everywhere, its fragrant aroma filling the air.
The entire venue fell silent. Dozens of gazes snapped toward He Shu, who had collapsed on the floor. Even Hua Yanyun was startled awake by the noise.
He Shu landed hard on her backside, her head striking the ground. A wave of intense dizziness washed over her.
Before she could recover from the impact, a hand clamped viciously around her fragile neck.
She had no time to cry out in pain before she was lifted completely off the ground.
The person gripping her throat squeezed with brutal force, as if intending to strangle He Shu to death on the spot.
The overwhelming sensation of suffocation nearly drowned her consciousness. Her mind grew sluggish, almost unable to think.
“You useless little thing! How can you be so clumsy? You spilled wine all over this lady’s clothes!”
A sharp, shrill female voice pierced He Shu’s ears. Liu Shumei glared at her with the twisted, ferocious expression of a shrew, tightening her grip even further.
“My… neck… is going to break…”
He Shu forced out a few weak words. She struggled desperately to breathe, but it was useless.
Both hands clutched at Liu Shumei’s wrist. Suspended in mid-air, no matter how hard she struggled, she could not loosen the hand crushing her throat even a fraction.
“What is going on?” Hua Yanyun frowned, looking at the scene before her. “Shumei, don’t actually strangle her to death. Let her down.”
Only because of Hua Yanyun’s authority did Liu Shumei reluctantly release He Shu.
Even Liu Shumei felt somewhat wronged. She had only walked over to Hua Yanyun’s side to curry favor when He Shu suddenly fell and splashed wine all over her.
Her entire outfit was soaked. How could she possibly be in a good mood? That was why the scene had unfolded as it had.
“Shumei, what exactly happened? If I hadn’t spoken just now, were you really going to strangle her to death?”
There was a trace of anger in Hua Yanyun’s voice. She had been enjoying the pinnacle of mortal pleasure when this disturbance ruined the mood.
“You will give me an explanation today.”
Seeing that Hua Yanyun was truly angry, Liu Shumei hurriedly defended herself. “Your Majesty, please calm down. This consort did not act without reason. He Wanyi suddenly fell for no reason and splashed wine all over me. I was simply too angry and acted rashly.”
Liu Shumei desperately tried to distance herself from any blame, completely ignoring He Shu, whom she had just thrown to the ground and injured once more.
If Hua Yanyun had spoken even a moment later, He Shu really might have been strangled to death.
Lying sprawled on the floor in a pathetic heap, He Shu gasped desperately for fresh air. Her clothes were soaked through, and ceramic shards had cut into her forearms. The sharp pain assaulted her already hypersensitive nerves.
Looking at He Shu’s miserable state on the ground, Hua Yanyun raised an eyebrow and lightly kicked her a couple of times with her bare foot.
“It really wasn’t you who pulled her down on purpose?”
Seeing that Hua Yanyun suspected her of framing He Shu, Liu Shumei’s hatred toward the girl intensified.
Not only had this little runt stolen most of His Majesty’s attention the moment she arrived, but she even dared to frame her?
Liu Shumei was convinced He Shu had done this deliberately to take revenge for being tied up by her before.
If this short winter melon ever falls into my hands in the future, I will make her experience what it truly means to wish for death!
Liu Shumei seethed inwardly.
Lin Hanjing watched the unfolding drama with a smile she could not suppress. She exchanged a knowing glance with Qing Lanyue, who had been massaging Hua Yanyun’s feet moments earlier, then turned and gave a slight nod toward Bai Lian, who had just returned to another table.
That’s right. Everything that had just happened had been orchestrated by her. The goal was to watch He Shu make a fool of herself. Liu Shumei had simply happened to be standing beside He Shu at the exact right moment and taken the bullet for her.
Blame your own bad luck, Liu Shumei.
Lin Hanjing covered her mouth and let out a few soft, bell-like giggles.
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