I tilted my head, admiring the man bound before me, his wrists secured by a crimson silk ribbon.

A slow smile curved my lips. Leaning in close to his ear, my voice dripped like honey:

“Tell me… I wonder how Tuong Minh Chau would feel if she saw you like this behind her back?”

I dragged out the last word, letting it linger in the air like a taunt.

Ta Chi kept his eyes closed, his expression detached as if he couldn’t care less.

I chuckled softly, tracing my fingertips down his cheek, skimming over his collarbone, and resting lightly against the tight contours of his abs.

“Maybe I should let her catch a glimpse sometime. That’d be so much more fun, wouldn’t it?”

Ta Chi snapped his eyes open, his voice razor-sharp:

“You think everyone is as shameless as you? Is that all you’ve got, Tuong An?”

I let out a soft laugh, leaning down to sink my teeth gently into his collarbone.

“Be good. Bad boys get punished.”

Ta Chi pressed his lips into a tight line, his dark eyes unreadable.

I had intended to call it a night, but the look in his eyes only stoked my desire.

Just then, the space before my eyes warped, and glowing lines of text hovered in the air:

【Have to admit, they look ridiculously good together.】

【The villainess is speedrunning her own execution.】

【Ta Chi is the sole heir to the Ta Empire, the richest dynasty around. The day he goes back to the Ta family is the day she dies.】

【If the villainess doesn’t make a mess, how else is the female lead supposed to shine?】

I froze in pure shock and dropped straight onto Ta Chi’s lap.

“Ungh…” he let out a stifled groan.

In a panic, I slapped my hand over his mouth. “Shh! Don’t make a sound!”

His eyes darkened into a scowl, silently screaming: What kind of psycho episode are you throwing now?

【Why did they stop? Even their silhouettes are drop-dead gorgeous.】

【Here comes the villainess with her next move.】

My entire body went rigid. Could thosefloating comments… actually be talking about us?

My gaze drifted down to him.

Broad shoulders, a towering frame, and a face so striking it was practically art.

I had to give it to him, even if he was just a pawn to get back at Tuong Minh Châu, Ta Chi was entirely my type.

Then the weight of those horrifying words crashed back down, sending a wave of ice straight down my spine.

Realizing I was about to suffocate him, I yanked my hand back.

He coughed harshly, voice rasping, “Cough… what the hell is wrong with you now?”

Watching his fair skin flush a deep crimson, I began chanting under my breath like a mantra: “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form… lust is a trap…”

Before he could react, I grabbed the silk band and blindfolded him tight.

He stayed entirely still, letting me do whatever I wanted without a fight.

The second he was completely blinded, I snatched my clothes off the floor and ran like my life depended on it.

The next afternoon at campus was the second time I ran into Ta Chi.

In the hallway, his glare was cold enough to freeze hell over.

I didn’t bother looking him in the eye.

Beside him walked Tuong Minh Chau, chatting and laughing, acting as close as could be.

The moment she spotted me, her smile instantly vanished.

“Tuong An, Mom and Dad said not to forget your dress fitting tonight.”

I let out a dry laugh. “Thanks for caring so much.”

Minh Chau’s face instantly went sour.

When my eyes flicked toward Ta Chi, she immediately took a step forward, blocking him from my sight as if she was terrified I might devour him whole.

I smirked, but as my gaze drifted back to Ta Chi. I froze.

Dark red bruises lined his wrists.

…Oh crap. I forgot to untie him last night.

I pulled my head back, forcing myself to look unbothered.

【Ta Chi was tied up by the villainess all night long. He must hate her guts right now.】

【Haha, the villainess’s face is priceless!】

【Stay calm, guys, she’s a certified black lotus!】

I quickened my pace, terrified that staying another second would mean getting burned alive by their glares.

Back in the classroom, I slid into my seat and twirled a pen between my fingers, my mind a complete blank.

Recalling the floating text from yesterday only made my head spin faster.

If Ta Chi really was the heir to the Ta family like the screen comments claimed, he wasn’t some destitute guy who had to sell himself to me just to afford his mother’s medical bills.

It seemed his background was anything but simple.

I let out a heavy sigh, reflecting on everything I had put him through. This was… a massive mess.

After thinking it over and over, I reached one solid conclusion: I’m completely doomed.

The way Ta Chi and I got entangled read like a trashy soap opera script.

I was the biological daughter of the Tuong family, switched at birth.

By the time I was brought back, I discovered there was already a “Tuong Minh Chau” in my place, a girl who had been spoiled, cherished, and raised like a princess for over eighteen years.

Real life wasn’t a fairy tale.

Minh Chau wasn’t particularly extraordinary, but having been groomed in luxury since childhood, she was well-versed in art, music, and effortless charm—a picture-perfect heiress.

Meanwhile, I had grown up in a remote, dusty backwater town. I was the type of student who did nothing but bury her head in textbooks, unremarkable in every way except for test scores.

After I returned to the Tuong household, my parents wanted to make it up to me, but all they offered was polite courtesy, not genuine warmth.

Luckily, I was naturally selfish.

I did whatever I wanted, spent their money freely, and felt zero guilt about it.

Money really did buy happiness. It was just a shame that Minh Chau was a constant thorn in my side, a walking reminder that I was nothing more than an extra in my own home.

So, I deliberately chose the same university as her. And that was where I met Ta Chi.

Ta Chi was the untouchable white moonlight of Minh Chau’s heart.

I had caught her looking at him countless times, her eyes overflowing with sweet adoration.

So, to ruin her day, I targeted him.

When his mother fell ill and desperately needed surgery money, I stepped in with an offer.

Ta Chi had stayed silent for a long, agonizing moment before finally agreeing.

Looking back at it now…

It’d be a miracle if he didn’t come after me for revenge later.

I pouted slightly.

What a shame. I hadn’t even had my fill yet.

Would you like me to continue translating the next chapter or adjust the tone of any specific character’s dialogue?