The thugs hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances. Mo Liancheng's presence alone crushed the arrogance out of them, his aura suffocating like a predator looming over weak prey.
Ji Yunxi, however, was calm—her gaze sharp and unflinching as she took a deliberate step toward Lin Xi.
"You want me on my knees?" Her tone was mocking, laced with quiet amusement. "Lin Xi, you're far too unqualified."
Lin Xi's face twisted. "Don't be so arrogant! She's just hiding behind Mo Liancheng!"
Yunxi laughed softly, the sound clear and cutting like glass. "You think he's here because I begged him? No. He came because he chose to." Her eyes swept across the men still lingering. "Unlike you, Lin Xi, who can only rent loyalty with money."
The words pierced sharper than a blade.
Lin Xi's eyes burned with fury. "Shut up!"
But Yunxi didn't. She stepped forward again, her chin raised, her aura dazzling and suffocating.
"Listen well. Even without him, I would still stand while you cower in the shadows. You scheme, you steal, you pretend—but in the end, Lin Xi, you are nothing more than a clown dancing for scraps."
The system chimed:
[Ding! Face-slapping progress: 70%.]
Lin Xi's lips trembled with rage. "No—no! You think you've won? As long as I expose you, they'll all abandon you!"
She lunged for a phone in her bag, fumbling to press record. But before she could, Yunxi's hand snapped out, slender fingers gripping her wrist in an iron hold.
"You wanted to humiliate me in front of everyone?" Yunxi's smile was cold, her voice like silk wrapping around a dagger. "Then I'll humiliate you instead."
With one sharp tug, she yanked Lin Xi forward. The phone clattered to the ground and skidded across the concrete. Lin Xi staggered, her hair disheveled, face pale.
The thugs had already retreated to the shadows, unwilling to provoke Mo Liancheng further.
Now, under the flickering light, it was only the two of them—prey and hunter.
Mo Liancheng stood quietly behind Yunxi, eyes dark, a faint curve tugging at his lips. He didn't intervene. This was her stage, and he would let her shine.
Ji Yunxi's grip tightened as she forced Lin Xi to her knees. "Remember this position, Lin Xi. This is the only throne you'll ever sit on."
[Ding! Mini-task complete. Reward: +300 points. Current balance: 620 points.]
Lin Xi let out a choked cry, humiliated, broken beneath Yunxi's cold gaze.
And for the first time, Ji Yunxi allowed herself to smile—not sweet, not gentle, but triumphant.