When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 436: Take It Or Not?

Chapter 436: Take It Or Not?

A muffled grunt echoed as droplets of crimson blood splattered to the ground.

Jin Jiuchi, who was caught off guard by the sudden attack that landed on his leg, stumbled a little and fell on his knees – the sight that brought a look of satisfaction to Madam Vivianne’s eyes.

Shen Nianzu’s pupils dilated upon seeing blood oozing out of the gash on Jin Jiuchi’s calf. His body began to move toward the man by instinct, but the older woman’s words successfully halted him in his tracks,

"What do you want to do, Rosie? Don’t tell me... was Richard telling the truth?" a hint of doubt and veiled threat crept into her tone.

Shen Nianzu clenched his fists and forced himself to remain still no matter how much he yearned to check on Jin Jiuchi. He couldn’t – he must not. If he moved now... if he so much as cast an anxious glance at Jin Jiuchi, the situation would definitely take a turn for the worse. He couldn’t afford to lose his composure and break out of his character, especially not at a time like this.

Right now, he was Lady Rosie, Madam Vivianne’s daughter and Cinderella’s stepsister. He was supposed to be one of Cinderella’s cruel bullies.

Shen Nianzu gritted his teeth so hard that he tasted blood in his mouth. Keeping his gaze fixed on Vivianne, he managed to reply through his constricted throat, "Of course not, Mother. You’re absolutely right. Cinderella deserves to be punished after the trouble she has caused."

Don’t look, don’t look at him...

While Eva had only ordered Jin Jiuchi around to do housework, this woman... she actually resorted to harsh and physical punishment! How awful!

Madam Vivianne’s features softened upon confirming her daughter’s stance. Rising to her feet, she took measured steps toward Shen Nianzu, and Shen Nianzu had to consciously tell himself to stay put lest he blow his own cover. His gaze dropped to the object in the woman’s hand, and he couldn’t help but be stunned.

W–What the hell was that?!

Held in Vivianne’s grip was a whip – or at least that’s what it appeared to be, if not for the material that resembled live, pulsing flesh with its pinkish hue. It trailed down to the woman’s feet, the tip smeared with Jin Jiuchi’s blood. Somehow, it reminded Shen Nianzu of... a tongue. The tongue of an amphibian which could extend swiftly to capture prey.

Under Shen Nianzu’s complex gaze, Vivianne handed the bizarre whip to him, saying, "I know my daughter always makes the right choices. You never disappoint me." Bathed under the golden glow from the fireplace, her smile looked distorted and sinister. "This time, too, should be no exception, right?"

Shen Nianzu swallowed subtly. He knew what Madam Vivianne was trying to do – have him strike Jin Jiuchi right in front of her eyes. In this case, whether their relationship had really improved or not, it would end up completely irreconcilable. She really left him with no way out.

If he were to refuse, it would only arouse suspicion. However, if he accepted this...

Shen Nianzu drew in a shuddering breath. His entire body was tense, and his nails sank into his palms hard enough to leave marks behind, but the pain did not even register in his mind. It felt like he had been facing this choice for an eternity, though barely two seconds had passed.

Should he take it or not?

This clearly wasn’t the first time he had been forced to do something like this. Back in the Temple of Anubis, he had also hurt Jin Jiuchi – worse, he had slit the man’s throat with his own hands. It was a wound deep enough to kill. The current situation couldn’t be compared to then. Now, he only needed to hurt Jin Jiuchi a bit. He just had to strike once, or maybe twice, to satisfy Madam Vivianne.

However, just the mere thought of hurting Jin Jiuchi with his own hands was—

Shen Nianzu’s breath grew heavier, and droplets of sweat formed over his forehead. Sensing his discomfort, a subtle shift appeared on Madam Vivianne’s expression, and hidden under the dim lights, her features began to distort.

At that moment—

A choked sob echoed behind them, followed by a pitiful voice begging, "I– I know my mistakes now. Please... don’t hurt me. It hurts so much wuwu..."

Shen Nianzu: "..."

Just when he thought that this husky could be obedient for a second.

Almost immediately, tension ebbed away from Shen Nianzu’s body as he decisively took the whip from Vivianne’s hand. The smile that spread across his face was sweet, so sweet that it bordered on murderous.

"Of course, Mother," he said, his voice dripping with false sweetness. "I won’t disappoint you."

Turning around, he marched toward Jin Jiuchi, the whip swishing through the air with a sharp ’pa’ as the tip collided with the ground. The fleshy texture of the whip felt warm and slightly moist to the touch, and Shen Nianzu forced himself not to think of what it could possibly be made of. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the kneeling Jin Jiuchi, who was staring up at him in fear. But in the corner where Madam Vivianne couldn’t see, he managed to sneak Shen Nianzu a roguish wink.

"Haha," a cold laugh escaped Shen Nianzu. "Let’s see if you can still cause trouble after I’m done with you."

Gazing at her eldest daughter’s back, Madam Vivianne felt an overwhelming sense of pride and satisfaction. Yes, this was how Rosie usually behaved. She must have been too paranoid to think that her daughter would take the wretched child’s side. Alas, no sooner had this thought crossed her mind than Vivianne found her surroundings abruptly shifting.

The dimly lit drawing room transformed into a surreal underwater world with water swirling around as if in a tempest. Above, an ethereal aquatic sky concealed the ceiling, casting an eerie glow over the scene. In a matter of seconds, she was no longer standing in the residence she was familiar with, but... on top of the sea!

This... this was—?!

Without warning, the ground beneath Vivianne disappeared, and she plunged straight into the abyss below. "AHHH—!!!" A sharp scream was torn out of her throat. Everything happened so fast that she didn’t even have the chance to react.

Standing a few steps away, both Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi were not affected by the illusion. They watched as Madam Vivianne inexplicably lost her balance and tumbled to the ground in an embarrassing pose, her hands outstretched as if seeking purchase. Her expression was twisted in the mixture of shock, disbelief and horror as she flailed around like a fish thrown out of water.

It did not take long for her to lose consciousness out of extreme fright.

"Hmph." With a disdainful snort, Shen Nianzu tossed the fleshy whip away and wiped his hands on his skirt with a disgusted look on his face. "Serves you right. Did you think I would remain passive as you manipulate me?"

Jin Jiuchi clapped enthusiastically and released a wolf whistle, "Nian’er is so cool! Nian’er is super pretty! Nian’er is—"

"You still dare to talk?!" Shen Nianzu shot him a scathing glare. Kneeling in front of Jin Jiuchi, he extended a hand to inspect the man’s wound. "How are you feeling? Does it still hurt? I don’t know what’s the deal with that strange whip, but what if it contains poison?!"

The more Shen Nianzu thought about it, the more flustered he became. Jin Jiuchi, on the other hand, carelessly wiped the blood off his skin, revealing his unharmed, sturdy, and hairy leg. "Oh, it’s already healed ages ago."

Shen Nianzu: "..."

How utterly infuriating.

Unreconciled, Shen Nianzu checked once more and found that the bloody gash had indeed closed. If not for the bloodstains left behind, he might have suspected Jin Jiuchi of faking it somehow. Had this man’s recovery rate always been so remarkable? Or was it because of the fusion of his two-halved souls?

After making sure that Jin Jiuchi did not experience any strange symptoms, Shen Nianzu collapsed to the ground and heaved out a loud sigh. "That was close!"

"Well," Jin Jiuchi sighed with a touch of regret. "I didn’t mind you whipping me a few times, you know."

Shen Nianzu pretended not to hear that and chose to ignore Jin Jiuchi for the next five minutes lest he be tempted to strangle this dog again. However, his resolve was promptly put into test when Jin Jiuchi gasped loudly and scrambled to his feet,

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, Nian’er! Look at her! Oh shit, what the hell is that??"

Unable to hold his curiosity at bay, Shen Nianzu turned his head to observe, and the sight that greeted him almost caused him to choke on his saliva. "W–What the hell?!"

.

.

A/N:

JJ: wuwu QAQ

SN: *brandish whip*