Chapter 2: Daily Blood Draws

It was said that Lu Wanhe suffered from a heart condition, and only Lu Lanxi’s blood could save her. But Lu Lanxi knew the truth—this claim that her blood could save a life was merely an excuse concocted to torment her.

Lu Lanxi felt nothing but sorrow. In all the world, how could there be a mother like this? One who willingly sacrificed her own daughter as a remedy for her rival’s child.

She still remembered when her birth mother heard of her illness recently and came to see her. There was not a shred of concern in her eyes; instead, she pursed her lips and casually said, “Don’t blame me. If anyone’s to blame, it’s your face. If there’s a next life, and you can be my daughter again, I will make it up to you properly.”

Ha. Her face? Was it a crime to be beautiful? Everyone envied her, even her own mother.

In this lifetime, she was never regarded as human, and yet her mother dared to dream of a next life?

In the next life, Lu Lanxi vowed never to be a daughter of the Lu family again.

Seven days later.

“Young Madam, the Princess Consort of Prince Yuan has fainted. The heir has sent me to fetch some of your blood again.”

Chunchan, the maid who had accompanied her since childhood, pushed open the tightly shut door. She carried a porcelain bowl and strode in arrogantly, flaring her nostrils in disdain.

Lu Lanxi, clad in thin garments, her hair disheveled, her exquisite face marred by countless scratches, curled up tightly on the bed, trembling. Hearing Chunchan’s voice, she shakily lifted her head and opened her bloodshot eyes.

Chunchan glanced at her and shook her head, suddenly feeling a flicker of pity. After all, she had served Lu Lanxi for many years, and Lu Lanxi had treated her relatively well.

In that instant, compassion stirred within her. “Young Madam, please be obedient. If you’re willing to give some blood, the heir will stop tormenting you. You should stop resisting.”

“Get lost, you treacherous dog,” Lu Lanxi said, her voice weak but icy.

“I call you Young Madam out of respect, but look at yourself now—neither human nor ghost, just disgusting to behold.”

“Get lost. Tell him he won’t get a single drop of my blood again.”

“Bah! Ungrateful wretch! You really think you’re something special? Let me tell you, you’re nothing but a substitute for the eldest miss, a puppet ready to die for the eldest young master at any moment, a plaything for your mother, a pawn of the Minister’s residence, and a disgrace to the eldest young master. Meanwhile, our eldest miss is the capital’s foremost talent, the esteemed Princess Consort of Prince Yuan, and will one day be the beloved Empress of the harem. You’re nothing but a puddle of filth in a stinking ditch, while she is the radiant lotus flower, pure and untainted despite growing from mud.”

Leaning over, Chunchan’s fleeting pity vanished as she lifted Lu Lanxi’s chin, gazing at the scarred face and spouting these venomous words.

Lu Lanxi’s eyes widened with rage; she let out a roar and bit down hard on Chunchan’s finger.

“Ah… ahhh! Let go! Let go! Are you out of your mind? It hurts…”

Chunchan was terrified and stunned, trying desperately to pull her finger free, but no matter how she called out, Lu Lanxi bit down tightly and refused to release!

Tears streaming from the pain, Chunchan dropped the porcelain bowl and slapped Lu Lanxi’s head repeatedly.

After a while, Lu Lanxi tired of biting and spat out half a finger, blood staining her lips. With a chilling smile, she grimly said, “Rotten flesh that doesn’t deserve the stage. You truly are a loyal dog to Lu Wanhe.”

“To be a loyal dog to the Princess Consort of Prince Yuan is not a position just anyone can claim—you don’t even qualify.”

Chunchan, already terrified and in pain, sweat pouring down her forehead, stubbornly finished her sentence before retreating to the doorway. She rolled her eyes in disdain, spat toward Lu Lanxi, and staggered away.

She dared not stay any longer—Lu Lanxi was utterly mad!

Lu Lanxi closed her bloodshot eyes.

She was the third daughter of the Minister’s household, born to a concubine.

At eight years old, to win her father’s favor, her mother abandoned her to a remote estate as punishment. During those lonely days, a passing stranger gave her a candy, warming her frozen heart.

Later, back in the capital, she learned that he was Zhuang Huaijin, the legitimate eldest son of the Marquis of Dongyang.

She fell for him—that tender bloom of first love, a ray of light in her dark world.

Since she could remember, she had been an unloved wild child; the Lu family had no place for her. Even the servants looked down on her. Her mother only used her to gain her father’s favor. She thought her life would always be like a puddle of filth, ignored in both life and death.

But she met him—only him. Each time they met, he smiled at her first, asked after her well-being.

In the end, by a twist of fate, he became her husband.

Who would have guessed that on their wedding day, he claimed sudden illness and made her wed a rooster instead, a scandal that spread throughout the city, turning her into the greatest joke.

In the days that followed, he refused to consummate their marriage, blaming impotence, until two years ago when he died.

Yet she remained devoted to the Marquis of Dongyang’s household, doing everything a wife should, never imagining that the family she protected was more beast than human, that the paradise she longed for was a merciless inferno.

The door creaked open again, footsteps approaching faintly.

Dazed, Lu Lanxi slightly opened her eyes and saw Zhuang Huaijin standing before her, dressed in a black robe, looking down at her expressionlessly, as if she were a mere plaything.

A chill rose in her heart—what she saw was not a man but a demon come to claim her soul.

“Did you think that once you were dead, I couldn’t torment you anymore? Forgot to tell you—besides your blood, your heart and liver can also prolong Wanhe’s life.”

“Wait,” Lu Lanxi said, stunned. Then tears of blood welled up as she pleaded bitterly, “Don’t treat me like this. I know there are other ways to saveI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.