Ren shouted, "Stop! Let me out."

A shock of golden light burst from the thread as the entire scene of him being forced onto a bed and overwhelmed by several women, including Meiling, vanished into thin air, replaced by the vision of a hospital-like room belonging to Meiling.

He gasped and stumbled, slamming his palms onto the edge of Meiling's bed. The golden strand snapped and vanished.

"What was that?" Ren asked himself, noticing that he had indeed created a nuclear explosion in his pants due to that dream or vision or whatever it was. He felt weak, as if he had masturbated.

His heart hammered against his ribs. His palms were cold.

He stared at Meiling's sleeping face. Her lips moved faintly, as though murmuring a name.

Ren wiped sweat from his brow. "We really are entering the dangerous zone now," he muttered. "I hope what I saw was just a dream...but it didn't feel like one."

The monitor beeped steadily. Outside the window, a bird chirped.

He sat down heavily in the chair by her bed, rubbing his temples. All of them, he thought. All of them could end me. And yet…

His eyes drifted to Meiling again.

"…And yet I still need keep going."

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and whispered, "I need to clean myself."

The room offered no answer but its soft, sterile hum, so, seeing that Amanda wasn't coming anytime soon, he decided to find a washroom, hoping not to meet anyone who would create more problems for him.

Ren pushed open the door, stepping out of Meiling's room.

Two women stood guard on either side of the door, clad in black suits with silver embroidery, semi-automatic rifles held upright. Their faces were blank, expressionless, like statues carved from stones.

Ren cleared his throat. "Uh… excuse me."

No answer.

He scratched his cheek, trying again. "I was wondering if there's a washroom nearby."

The two guards didn't even blink. Their gazes were fixed forward, their breathing steady, as if they didn't even hear him.

Ren frowned. "...Did you hear me? Washroom. Toilet. Place to clean up. Is there one closeby?"

Silence.

He waved a hand in front of one of their eyes. Not even a flinch.

Ren muttered, "What are you, mannequins?"

Still nothing.

He sighed, stepping back. His face twisted in frustration. "You know what? Fine. Stay like statues. I'll find it myself."

He turned on his heel, his shoes tapping softly on the polished marble floor as he walked away from Meiling's room.

The Lan Palace was a labyrinth. Long corridors stretched in every direction, decorated with red lanterns, calligraphy scrolls, and carved pillars. Some hallways led to dead ends, others split into three or four passages.

Ren rubbed his temple. "This place is worse than a dungeon."

He walked past several doors, all closed, each looking the same. His stomach churned in discomfort, a reminder of why he was searching in the first place.

After what felt like half an hour, he finally pushed open a door to find polished tiles, a marble basin, and flowing water.

Ren exhaled in relief. "Finally…"

He cleaned himself up properly, washing his face, arms and pants until the sticky exhaustion clinging to him was gone. Splashing water on his cheeks, he stared at his reflection in the mirror.

"You're alive, Ren," he muttered. "Barely."

He dried himself with a cloth and stepped back out into the palace hall knowing full well he needs to quickly go back home and change the clothes since it was still uncomfortable for him.

But the moment he turned the corner, his relief turned into annoyance.

"…I have no idea where I am."

Every hallway looked the same—red walls, golden trim, white marble floors.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay… retrace steps. I came from…" He turned left, then right, then frowned.

"…Yeah, I'm lost."

He stopped walking and listened carefully. Somewhere ahead, faint footsteps echoed. And then—soft laughter. A woman's laughter.

Ren crept forward, pressing himself against the wall before peeking around the corner.

What he saw made him blink.

Lan Xue.

She stood very close to a man dressed in luxurious robes, his hair neatly tied, a jeweled clasp on his belt. His expression, however, was tight, uncomfortable, as Lan Xue's slender hand trailed along his chest.

Ren didn't know who the man was, but judging by his expression and clothes, he could guess that whatever was happening here wasn't something that should be happening.

"...Oh, boy," Ren whispered.

The man's jaw clenched. But the moment Lan Xue heard his footsteps, she froze. Her hand snapped back like lightning, and she took a quick step away from the man.

The consort looked relieved, gave a stiff bow, and fled down the opposite hallway without a word.

Lan Xue turned her head, her eyes locking onto Ren. For a split second, her face tightened with panic—but then, like a storm passing, her lips curved into a smile.

"Well, well." Her voice dripped with amusement. "Isn't this my sister's little lover?"

Ren straightened, masking his surprise.

Lan Xue glided toward him, her red sleeves brushing along the floor. She tilted her head, eyes sharp with mischief. "What are you doing here, darling? Lost? if you are I can show you the way."

Ren forced a polite smile. "Good day to you, Miss Lan Xue."

Her brow arched. "So stiff." She slid her arm around his shoulder, leaning close enough that he caught the faint scent of lotus perfume. "Why so serious? Don't be so formal with me. Come here, let's relax. We know each other, darling!"

Ren's mind screamed danger. He stepped back slightly, keeping his tone calm. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss Lan Xue. I came here for Meiling, and I should return to her."

"Oh, Meiling…" Xue's lips curled. "Always Meiling. I hear nothing but Meiling these days."

Ren tilted his head. "It must be difficult for you, though, since I heard… certain things."

Xue's smile faltered. "What things?"

Ren's eyes narrowed just slightly. "That it was you who betrayed Meiling. That you tried to sacrifice her to terrorists to save your life."

The color drained from her face. Her hand slipped off his shoulder. Her eyes sharpened, anger flickering in their depths.

"Those are vile, fake rumors," she hissed. "Don't believe them. I don't care who spreads them—I will discipline them myself for tarnishing my name."

Ren's lips curved in a small, knowing smile. "Hit the jackpot," he thought. Her reaction said it all.

But the last thing he needed was another enemy or someone like Lan Xue following him. He turned to leave.

Lan Xue grabbed his wrist, her nails digging into his skin.

Her voice dripped venom. "What's so great about my sister, hm?"

Ren frowned knowing his worst fear is becoming a truth. "Miss Lan Xue—"

"She's weak!" Xue spat. "She's done nothing for this family despite being an Imperial Qi user. Compared to the past Imperial Qi users, she's trash. Utter trash!"

Ren's eyes twitched. For some reason, his chest tightened in irritation.

Yes, he was using Meiling for his own ends. Yes, she was dangerous and possibly kill him. But compared to this woman in front of him—greedy, rotten, selfish—Meiling shone like gold. She was kind and a lovely woman.

Ren's voice came out sharper than he intended. "At least Meiling treats people like people. Unlike you."

Xue's expression darkened.

"And just now," Ren added coldly, "what exactly were you doing with that man who ran away?"

Her face twisted. She squeezed his wrist harder, her nails biting into his flesh. "That's none of your business. A man like you should be taught how to talk to a woman."

Her other hand rose, grabbing his collar as she tried to push him against the wall. Her lips parted in a twisted grin as she leaned close to force herself on Ren.

Ren gritted his teeth, struggling and was ready to fight back. "What the hell—"

But before she could force herself any further—

"Enough."

The single word sliced through the air like ice.

Lan Xue froze. Her entire body stiffened.

Ren blinked, turning his head.

A woman stood at the end of the corridor.

Her hair was pure white, cascading down like frost. Her skin, her brows, her lashes—all the same pale, icy shade. Her robes were blue and white, embroidered with snowflake-like patterns, the hem trailing gracefully behind her.

Her eyes were colder than winter itself, fixed on the scene before her.

Ren felt a chill run down his spine.

Lan Xue quickly released him, bowing low, her voice trembling slightly despite her earlier arrogance. "F-First Mother! Lan Xue greets you!"

Ren's mind raced. "So this is her… Lan Xinyue. The Ice Queen. First Mother of the Lan Family. Guild leader of Sirius."

His throat tightened. "Not someone I want to cross."

Lan Xinyue's gaze lingered on him for a brief moment before returning to Xue. The temperature in the corridor seemed to drop as silence filled the space.

Ren straightened, forcing himself to remain calm, though inside his heart pounded like a drum.