Chapter 1: The Song Family Dungeon (Warning: Protagonist abuse! The young lady of the noble family has completely lost her mind, thinking in ways that defy normalcy, wanting only to keep the male lead at any cost.)

The Song family, a cultivation clan.

Deep within the Song family estate, inside a secret chamber.

The lighting was dim, the floor icy, and in the center of the chamber, several cold iron chains bound a single person.

In the gloomy light, his face was unclear, only vaguely revealing a handsome outline.

The entire prison held only the sound of the young man's breathing; other than that, there was not a single sound.

The massive prison seemed built for him alone; the cold chill wantonly assaulted his body, and the loneliness of despair constantly gnawed at his spirit.

What kind of crime had he committed to be punished like this?

The young man did not know, nor did he understand.

Why had things reached this point overnight?

From the joy of being saved, he had fallen back into an endless abyss.

The young man could not fathom it, recalling things over and over to see if a mistake had been made.

'Bang'—a heavy door-opening sound came, followed by the clatter of light boots stepping on the floor, one step at a time.

The sound of boots on the ground spread throughout the prison, reaching the young man's ears.

The chains in the center of the prison shook violently, clattering loudly.

The young man struggled continuously, shouting in the direction of the footsteps with a somewhat hoarse voice.

"Miss Song, I do not know where I, Junior Brother Bai Ming, have offended you. I ask that you please point it out. I did not mean to do so, and I beg for a chance to make amends."

The owner of the light boots did not speak, a faint smile on her face as she walked step by step toward the center of the prison, coming to stand before the young man.

The woman wore a light green robe, her sleeves fluttering, her pair of starry eyes containing autumn water, her fair, jade-like hands gently supporting her sleeves.

Even the slightly loose robe could not hide her slender figure.

Her brows and eyes were gentle as she looked at the young man bound by heavy chains, the slight curve of her lips appearing tender and affectionate at this moment.

Seeing the woman's face, the young man's heart stirred with excitement.

"I was saved by Miss Song, so how could I have committed such an improper act? There must be some misunderstanding in this."

The chains rattled incessantly as Junior Brother Bai Ming attempted to break free from his restraints to properly explain things to the woman before him.

He had accidentally transmigrated into this world, unfamiliar with his surroundings, and had been schemed against and captured by slave traders, imprisoned in a foul-smelling cellar.

He, who should have been sent to the Demon Sect, had been kindly saved by the woman before him and taken away from that pitch-black cage.

Having escaped the clutches of the slave traders, Junior Brother Bai Ming's gratitude was beyond words, and he vowed to repay the woman before him well.

But after being treated to hospitality by the Song family, overnight, he had once again entered a dark, sunless prison.

He did not understand what was going on; for several days in a row, he had been trapped alone in this gloomy dungeon.

After thinking for a long time, he suspected that perhaps someone in the Song family disliked him and had falsely accused him, leading to his imprisonment.

But regardless of the reason, there was finally a chance for escape right now.

Miss Song was beautiful and kind-hearted, and she knew right from wrong; she would surely be able to help him clear his name and escape this sea of bitterness.

Junior Brother Bai Ming calmed down a bit, convinced that the sensible beauty before him was his savior.

Facing the young man's inquiry, Song Wanqing smiled faintly without speaking and took an exquisite food basket from her bosom.

She said softly, "You must be starving."

A hint of warmth appeared in the empty prison cell.

Junior Brother Bai Ming nodded; having not had a drop of water for four days, he was already exhausted in body and mind, his head dizzy.

A silver spoon was passed to his lips, and he instinctively felt some resistance; being hand-fed in such a scene made him feel somewhat shy.

Especially when being fed by a peerless beauty who could cause fish to sink and geese to alight.

In terms of appearance, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life, and paired with her gentle, spring-breeze-like temperament, she was truly stunning, like a fairy from a painting.

But this resistance did not last long; with his hands bound, he was completely unable to eat on his own.

Seeing this, the curve of Song Wanqing's lips widened, and the silver spoon in her hand was fed directly to him.

"Young Master, do not mind it. You have been hungry for so many days; if you do not eat, your body will be damaged."

The silver spoon was right at his lips, and Junior Brother Bai Ming took a bite, shaking his head inwardly.

The woman didn't mind, so why was he being so coy here?

After a few spoonfuls, his strength improved, and he gradually adapted to the process of being fed.

The speed at which the spoon was delivered increased, and that strange feeling in his heart dissipated.

"Miss Song, why is it that after just a few mouthfuls, I feel my strength has recovered so much?"

Song Wanqing did not speak but took out a jade bottle and began to pour water for him.

Junior Brother Bai Ming's throat was tight, his voice dry and uncomfortable, and upon encountering the sweet dew, his condition improved.

He contentedly sipped the fine wine in the jade bottle until he was full before pulling his mouth back.

"Miss Song, when will I be able to leave?"

Song Wanqing stopped pouring the water and looked at Junior Brother Bai Ming with a smile.

Junior Brother Bai Ming was stunned. "What is it? Did I say something wrong?"

Song Wanqing covered her face with her sleeve and laughed, saying, "It is nothing, you really are naive."

Junior Brother Bai Ming did not hear the second half clearly, only feeling that the woman's actions before him were somewhat strange.

"Surely, with Miss Song's help, the real culprit has already been found."

Song Wanqing held the jade bottle, her beautiful head slightly tilted, her tone somewhat frivolous. "Oh, do you know who it is that caused you to be locked up here?"

Junior Brother Bai Ming was somewhat excited. "Have you already found the scoundrel who framed me? I hope you can tell me."

Song Wanqing's pretty face leaned close to Junior Brother Bai Ming's ear, her warm breath blowing against his cheek, making his side slightly hot.

Junior Brother Bai Ming felt a bit strange; did one need to be this close to reveal the culprit? But he did not think too much about it.

He wanted to clear his name and see the light of day too much; he had already experienced a period of forbearance with the slave traders, and now no one could restrict his freedom.

Once he got out, he would definitely make the culprit pay.

Song Wanqing's gentle voice lingered in his ear.

"The culprit who caused you to be locked in here is… me."

"Eh—"

Junior Brother Bai Ming's face went blank, doubting for a moment if he had misheard.

Song Wanqing covered her mouth with her jade hand and laughed behind it, seemingly very satisfied with the expression on Junior Brother Bai Ming's face.

Junior Brother Bai Ming's body stiffened; he did not want to believe it in his heart. No matter what, he would not associate the woman before him with the culprit who had caused his imprisonment.

His brain woke up as if electrocuted. "Ah… I know, Miss Song is joking with me."

"Right…?"

He met Song Wanqing's eyes, which were filled with autumn water, attempting to get the response he wanted.

But he could only see the mockery on her face, as well as the deep darkness hidden beneath her eyes.

After a brief silence, Junior Brother Bai Ming spoke uncertainly.

"Really?"

"Really." Song Wanqing nodded with a light laugh.

Watching the woman before him change her temperament in the blink of an eye, Junior Brother Bai Ming's heart tightened violently.

The gentle, spring-breeze-like tenderness on the woman's face was gone, replaced by mockery, brutality, and madness.

I was harmed by Miss Song? Miss Song wants to lock me up? But this isn't right; I was saved by her. Could it be that I am to be locked up by her again? Why would she do this?

All kinds of questions were buried in Junior Brother Bai Ming's heart. Looking at the smirk on Song Wanqing's face, he already believed it eight-tenths.

The thousands of words surging in his heart turned into a weak question.

"Why?"

She was his savior, having rescued him from the foul-smelling cellar.

But she was also the culprit who had caused his imprisonment.

"Miss Song, why go to such lengths?"

"You saved me from the abyss; I, Junior Brother Bai Ming, would surely follow you sincerely from now on. Why was this necessary?"

Song Wanqing shook her head. "It seems you still have not figured out the current situation."

"I do not want any followers, nor do I want any service. No one framed you, and no one manipulated my thoughts."

"I simply want to imprison you." Song Wanqing revealed a gentle, faint smile. "Is that not allowed?"