After everyone was reborn, I was strictly disciplined.

After fussing for a long time, Xie Xingran casually tidied her slightly messy hair, her eyes showing a lazy and pleased look after her success.

The image of the thousand villain points he had just earned flashed through his mind, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips. Most of the murderous aura around him dissipated, leaving only a refreshing and pleasant feeling.

He didn't even glance at Lu Chengyuan on the ground again, and strode away with light steps.

The room fell silent again, with only Lu Chengyuan lying motionless on the cold floor tiles.

He stared blankly at the roof beam, his once bright eyes now only a dull gray, his cheeks red and swollen, his bones feeling as if they had been dismantled and barely put back together, every inch of him throbbing with excruciating pain.

He was like an abandoned rag doll, radiating an inescapable sense of despair and wretchedness.

Only after everyone had left did Wu Hao dare to slowly move forward.

Seeing Lu Chengyuan's state, a genuine pity flashed in his eyes. He moved closer quietly, reaching out to help Lu Chengyuan up from the ground, his tone carrying a hint of cautious comfort:

"Chengyuan, why don't you just give in?"

His hand hovered in mid-air. Seeing that Lu Chengyuan had no reaction, he sighed softly and continued to persuade him, "Look how good the young master is. He not only provides us with spacious accommodations, but he also never skimps on spirit stones and pills. They are all top-quality items."

"If you just go along with him and listen to him, you can avoid all this physical suffering, right?"

He paused, his tone softening, "The young master is still a child at heart, his temperament is unpredictable. If you give in to him a little, maybe he'll stop bothering you."

Lu Chengyuan's fingertips twitched slightly, and a faint breath escaped from his throat.

With sheer willpower, he shakily propped himself up on his arms, his knees making a soft thud on the ground, and slowly crawled up from the cold floor.

With every movement, his wounds ached, but he remained expressionless, ignoring Wu Hao's advice. He moved unsteadily to the bedside, lay down, and only then did his fatigue ease slightly when his back pressed against the bed.

Seeing that Lu Chengyuan was completely unmoved, Wu Hao helplessly withdrew his hand, sighed inwardly, and thought that Lu Chengyuan would never speak again. Just as he was about to turn around and step aside, he heard Lu Chengyuan speak.

His voice was soft but clear as he spoke, word by word: "He's not childish."

He paused, closed his eyes, a mixture of humiliation and anger surging within them, but in his heart, he had already seen through Xie Xingran's true nature beneath her childlike exterior:

"He's just bad, bad to the core. He just wants to bully me again and again, to trample me under his feet, and to force me to willingly be his dog."

"Then let's do it!"

Wu Hao was provoked by his words and became somewhat angry. His tone was filled with a sense of frustration and helplessness.

"We used to work in the outer gate, toiling every day until our backs were so sore we couldn't straighten up. Wasn't that better than being a dog?"

He took two steps forward, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of resentment that Lu Chengyuan was so oblivious: "Those spirit stones and pills that the young master gave you, aren't they all rare and scarce?"

"Even if you take anything back, your mother's illness can be cured, and your sister will no longer have to struggle for a living and can live a stable life."

"Why are you so stubborn, making things so difficult for yourself and your family?"

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent again.

Lu Chengyuan lay on the bed with his eyelids tightly closed and his long eyelashes trembling slightly. No one knew what he was thinking at that moment. They could only see his body trembling slightly, which revealed his inner struggle and resentment.

Wu Hao thought he was just stubborn, but only Lu Chengyuan knew that he and Wu Hao were fundamentally different.

From birth, Wu Hao was plagued by poverty and hunger. A life of constant displacement was the norm. In order to have a bite to eat and a place to stay, he had to lower himself and live a life of humiliation. In his eyes, enduring humiliation for a while in exchange for stability was the norm for survival.

But Lu Chengyuan was different.

He was born into the Lu family as the legitimate eldest son, and grew up in luxury. He received the most orthodox etiquette education during his early education. His teacher taught him integrity and to be unyielding.

His mother treated him with gentleness and affection, her eyes filled with the expectation that he would become a pillar of society. In that expectation, there was never a word of servility.

How could he, with his pride and self-respect etched into his very bones, beg for pity and become a subservient like Wu Hao, for a little benefit?

Even though he was covered in wounds, this deep-rooted sense of dignity made it impossible for him to easily give it up.

Therefore, even if he dies, he will never submit to Xie Xingran, never!

Seeing his expression, Wu Hao knew that further persuasion would be futile, so he finally sighed softly, his anxious expression fading, and his tone softened:

"I need to go home this afternoon to drop off some things. Would you like to come with me?"

"No."

Lu Chengyuan shook his head, raised his hand and gently touched his swollen cheek. When his fingertips touched the purplish bruises, he gasped.

He was covered in injuries, with clear shoe prints on his face. If he went back looking like this, his mother would surely be heartbroken and weep, and his sister would be worried sick. He didn't want his family to worry about him.

Wu Hao also noticed the injury on his face, nodded knowingly, and then asked, "What should I bring you back? Some snacks or medicine for your aunt and younger sister?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chengyuan instinctively reached into his pocket, intending to retrieve his monthly savings so that Wu Hao could pass them on to his family.

But all that could be touched by my fingertips was the loose fabric, without a trace of the weight of silver.

He paused, his eyes suddenly darkening. Only then did he belatedly realize that the money he had saved for three months, which he had dropped and lost on his way to the Saintess Residence, had been lost because he had closed his eyes at the time.

His face instantly turned ugly, his brows furrowed, his lips pressed into a tight line, and a hint of embarrassment and awkwardness flashed in his eyes.

After a long silence, as if he had made a huge decision, he looked up at Wu Hao, his voice low and hoarse, tinged with an awkwardness as if he couldn't speak:

"I... could I lend you some money first? Please pass it on to my mother and sister. Just enough for three months' worth of monthly expenses will do. I will definitely pay you back when I have the money."

"You don't need to pay it back."

Without a second thought, Wu Hao shook his head, turned around and went to the corner to pack his things. "The young master gave me three top-grade spirit stones. That's enough money for my family to live comfortably for several years. Don't worry about your monthly allowance. Keep it for your recovery."

"I will pay you back!" Lu Chengyuan's face flushed red, as if his pride had been hurt by these words. He propped himself up and sat up.

Wu Hao paused for a moment, but did not turn around or argue further. He simply slung the packed bundle over his shoulder.

He paused slightly, but ultimately said nothing more, pushed open the door and walked out. The door closed with a soft sound, leaving Lu Chengyuan alone in the silent room once again.

Watching Wu Hao's departing figure completely disappear outside the door, Lu Chengyuan clenched his fist tightly and slammed it hard on the bed, making a dull thud.

He gritted his teeth, his eyes surging with overwhelming anger and humiliation, and squeezed out the name, word by word, through clenched teeth: "Xie Xingran!"

If it weren't for Xie Xingran, why would he have suffered so much humiliation?

If it weren't for Xie Xingran, how could he have ended up in such a miserable state?

What's more, the jade pendant that his mother had personally tied on his wrist, symbolizing peace, was also forcibly taken away by Xie Xingran and played with at will.

The determination in Lu Chengyuan's eyes grew even stronger. He was determined to find an opportunity to take the jade pendant back himself, and to make Xie Xingran, who had trampled on his dignity and manipulated him, pay the price he deserved.