Power Up, Artist Yang!

At the sight of Xie Yufeng, Yujia's jaw dropped. 

Out of everyone she expected to appear— if that was anyone in the first place— she did not expect Xie Yufeng. But now that Yufeng was here, Yujia couldn't be more grateful.

Yufeng didn't say anything else, immediately looking around. She took a few steps to the left, her eyes keeping on the body of A'Yan on the floor every few seconds to make sure he wasn't stirring. Then, she grabbed a pile of ropes. Pulling A'Yan's hands up, she loosened one coil of rope, looped it over his wrists a couple of times, and tied a solid knot. She did the same with his ankles. Lastly, she dragged his body to a pole which helped to prop up the shed, strapping him onto it with the longest coil of rope.

At the end of this process, she dusted her hands off. Once she made sure he was tied securely, she switched her attention to Yujia and Lianye.

"You're still here? I think you should get her some help," Yufeng remarked, "Take her back to her room at least."

Yujia blurted in response, "Thank you." 

"No need." Yufeng waved her hand.

After this, Yujia paused for a moment— just a brief moment— before she turned around. "Lianye?" she called out, nudging the girl with her elbow.

Earlier, while Yujia watched Xie Yufeng tie A'Yan up, she tried calling out to Lianye, and the girl was barely conscious. Yujia suspected that Lianye could've been drugged in some way. Now, though, the girl seemed to be struggling even more to stay awake. She barely let out a noise when Yujia nudged her.

Sighing, Yujia bent her knees, and in a half-carrying manner, brought Lianye back to the North Courtyard. 

…

Once Yujia placed Lianye on her bed, straightening her clothes and tucking the girl underneath her blankets, she sat by the side of the bed for a few moments, staring at Lianye's face.

The things that happened tonight were alarming, to say at the least. The more she thought about it, the more disturbed she became. 

Yujia had already known for a long time that there were plenty of immoral people in the world. It just felt different to have someone who she knew personally to suffer from these actions.

The guilt on Yujia's heart only layered some more knowing that she was part of the reason for why what happened tonight happened. 

Even if Yujia saved Lianye just in time, before things developed even further, it didn't make Yujia feel any better. She recalled the way Lianye described A'Yan in the past, with such adoration.

Instead of guilt, now, she felt angry. She felt rage at A'Yan, for being so wretched. She felt rage that he had manipulated her, and all the people around him like this, the entire time. But most of all, Yujia felt rage at herself, her mistakes, and her incapability of doing so many things.

Seeing that whatever drug that was used upon Lianye completely took her out, and that she was fast asleep, Yujia stood up. She exited the room and began walking in the direction of the South Courtyard.

…

In the meantime, Xie Yufeng was sharpening an axe. In the moonlight, she scraped the blade of the axe against a sharpening stone, making harsh scraping noises.

That was the sound A'Yan groggily opened his eyes to. His vision was blurry, and his head was pounding. He tried to move his arms, but he discovered that they were tied down.

"What?" he called out, moving his head to look around. Memories of what had happened flashed in his mind. An annoyed scowl crossed his face, and his eyes glanced in the direction of the sound. "Who are you? What are you doing? Untie me, right now."

Xie Yufeng, hearing that he had awoken, simply continued sharpening the blade. 

The noise bothered A'Yan. It didn't help his headache. "Stop doing that, whatever you're doing," he demanded again.

Yufeng paused this time. She replied, tersely, "I'm just sharpening my blade."

"For what?"

She stood up, tilting the axe in her hands and staring at the reflection of the moonlight on it. "For pig slaughtering."

A'Yan froze. What pigs? It was this late already.

He then realized the meaning behind her words. A cold sweat broke out on his back. "Let me go, this instant!" He pushed against the bounds of the ropes.

Who was this girl? How dare she threaten him? 

Rolling her eyes and taking a few steps forward, Xie Yufeng tested a swing of the axe awfully close to A'Yan's face. He flinched, shouting out again.

Yufeng pursed her lips, her unamused gaze fixed on him. "Listen. Right now, I am the one with the axe, and you are the one all tied up. I'd advise you to stop screaming, demanding, and testing my patience… or my hand might just 'accidently' slip."

A'Yan immediately shut up.

"Good," Yufeng said, "Now tell me, what exactly was your plan tonight?"

Brows furrowing, A'Yan thought about his plan. Originally, it was supposed to be that maid— Shen Yuling— who had a fairly pretty face that he had his eyes on since the first day. He thought she would be easy prey, like other girls he had dealt with before. Except, his plans just had to be ruined when she disappeared, and he was left alone with that annoying girl she brought along with her. He didn't want to make all his efforts go to waste, so he just went along with it, using a drug he prepared on the girl, just to make things easier. It would've gone even better, yet another maid in the villa had run into him and the girl in front of the alley, and seeing how the girl was so drowsy, she demanded for A'Yan to take the girl back to the villa. 

And from there, everything started to go wrong.

Just the thought of it brought great frustration within him. Who was that Shen Yuling to ruin everything like that? But more importantly, who was this maid in front of him right now? His blurred vision made things difficult to see, and he couldn't recognize her voice.

A'Yan spent a second thinking about this, then immediately changed his expression. Turning his gaze into something pleading, he said, "I… I really didn't know what I was doing. I was drunk. I didn't mean to hurt anyone, and I'm sorry if I did, but I really wasn't thinking straight."

Xie Yufeng nodded very slowly. "Ah. Yes. You were drunk. Right— that excuses things." 

A'Yan nodded. 

In the next moment, a burning sensation ripped through his arm. He yelped, feeling the warm blood trickling down his sleeve. Right next to his arm, the axe he held earlier splintered into the wall, wedging there. It cut him along the way.

"Oh, did I cut you?" Yufeng asked, pursing her lips again. "I'm sorry, I did have a few drinks as well this evening, and I think my hand slipped. Didn't I warn you before that my hand might slip if you tested my patience?"

The pain in his arm was sharp, immense. How deep did the axe cut? A'Yan groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. He would hold his hands up, but he couldn't move at all right now.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell the truth."

And so he did. He left out a few details, such as his past prey, but for the most part, he kept things honest about what happened tonight.

At the end of all of this, he hastily called out, "But you have to let me go. You can't kill me. You'll be charged with murder. If you leave me tied up like this, someone will untie me. If you don't untie me, I'll call for help and tell everyone that you— you— were one of the thieves, and I caught you, so you tied me up."

"And they'll believe you?" Yufeng replied, an eyebrow raised.

"Of course! Everyone in this villa trusts me," he boasted, "You better let me go now. I promise if we both act like nothing has happened tonight, then I won't expose you."

Yufeng scratched the side of her head. "Well then, if you put it like that… I suppose I have to kill you. You leave me no choice." 

"What?" A'Yan said, his voice sharp, "Didn't you hear what I just said? You'll be charged with murder!"

"Not unless they find your body."