Guards stood outside the dungeon door, but Helian Yi had vanished without a trace.

Shen Ruoyu sat in a corner, peering through a crack in the dungeon wall. A sliver of light filtered through, signaling the dawn. She was certain that the message she had entrusted to Xiao Chun had reached Jiang Peizhi by now. All she needed to do was wait for them to come to her rescue.

In another corner of the same cell, Lu Zhixing bit his lower lip, his face flushed with a feverish hue. He was caught in the torment between reason and desire, struggling to maintain control. Despite his efforts, ambiguous moans escaped his lips, "Umm... Ah..."

His eyes were tightly shut, his muscular chest bearing the marks of his loss of control. As the effects of the aphr0disiac took hold, his mouth was parched, and a thin layer of sweat drenched his inner garments, even dampening the stray hairs on his forehead.

Lu Zhixing's labored breaths filled Shen Ruoyu's ears, prompting her to mutter under her breath, "What a racket. Thank goodness this place is far from where my brother is being held, or he'd be corrupted."

Helian Yi, for reasons unknown, had decided to imprison her with Lu Zhixing and deliberately separate them from Shen Xinghuai.

Already agitated, Lu Zhixing's irritation grew at Chen Ruoyu's murmurs, his voice hoarse as he said, "Shen Ruoyu... Just you wait. Once I'm rid of this poison, I'll make you pay..."

Rid of the poison? That was nothing short of a fantasy. Lu Zhixing himself knew that he couldn't neutralize the aphr0disiac alone. The only way to counteract it was through intercourse, and the only other person in the room was Shen Ruoyu. Not only did he despise her, but she was also the wife of a friend, and he still had some principles.

While Lu Zhixing was immobilized, Shen Ruoyu moved freely. She approached him and kicked him lightly in the waist, saying, "Oh, the young master still has the energy to boast. Don't worry, didn't Helian Yi promise to send a few sturdy men to satisfy you? Once the drug's effects are gone, you can come after me all you want."

Her seemingly comforting words pierced Lu Zhixing's heart like daggers.

"Get away! Who told you to touch me... Ugh..." Lu Zhixing turned to face the wall, retching again. His stomach was empty, forcing him to expel only bitter bile. He was in agony. He used to believe that his countless killings would condemn him to the deepest hell, but meeting Shen Ruoyu made him realize that perhaps this was the divine retribution he deserved.

He had been deceived by Shen Ruoyu time and again.

He had spared her for the sake of Shen Xinghuai, and then for Rong Yan's sake, he had let her live. Now, he realized his leniency was a mistake. This woman needed to be dealt with to quell his fury.

The aphr0disiac's effects intensified quickly, but Shen Ruoyu, carefree as ever, found a relatively comfortable spot to lie down and doze off.

"Young master, I'll take a nap first. If I don't, I'll have to watch your er0tic show, and that would give me nightmares for life."

Lu Zhixing remained silent, too furious to respond. Once she was asleep, he lay alone in the corner, his breathing heavy and labored. His body burned fiercely, and the sizable er3ction between his legs throbbed painfully. The aphr0disiac was potent, and even he, accustomed to physical torment, was beginning to falter.

Glancing at the sleeping Shen Ruoyu, Lu Zhixing removed his dust-covered robe. With trembling fingers, he reached for his engorged member. If he had any other choice, he would never resort to self-pleasure, especially not beside a woman.

Lu Zhixing did not want to die; he was determined to survive. He relished the power and control he wielded, and he wasn't ready to die a humiliating death at Helian Yi's hands.

"Ah... Ugh... It hurts..." His swollen member was engorged and red, veins bulging grotesquely. His rough hands offered no pleasure, only pain as they rubbed against the heated flesh, causing him to wince.

It was truly unbearable. Self-pleasure was futile, but it wasn't his fault. Lu Zhixing harbored a secret: he had always lacked desire, for anyone. He couldn't get hard, so self-pleasure was never an option. In Southern Yue, this had even saved him from Helian Yi's mother's clutches.

Who would have thought that the handsome and exceptional heir of Prince Yu suffered from such a condition?

Lu Zhixing's attempt at self-relief was futile, and his gaze shifted to Shen Ruoyu.

He could barely stand, so he crawled towards her with difficulty.

Shen Ruoyu's sleep was restless. In her half-dream state, she felt her hand being grasped, and then she touched something hot and hard.

Startled awake, her eyes met Lu Zhixing's bloodshot phoenix-like eyes. His expression was a mix of disgust and satisfaction. Following his gaze to her hand, Shen Ruoyu sat up abruptly, pulling it away, "Are you sick again, Lu Zhixing? Do you think I'm easy to bully? You used my hand for your pleasure? Do you believe I won't cut it off with my dagger?!"

Having learned from past lives, Shen Ruoyu always carried something for self-defense. She hadn't expected the dagger to come in handy today.

It was truly a curse. Every time she closed her eyes, something horrifying happened. It had happened so often that Shen Ruoyu was now afraid to sleep.

"Shen Ruoyu, save me. If I die, you won't survive either. No one else can neutralize your poison but me. If I die here, do you really think you can escape unscathed?"

Lu Zhixing had no other option. He didn't want to be reduced to begging for relief from a group of men. Weighing his choices, he decided to plead with Shen Ruoyu. The brief moments of using her hand had been both revolting and relieving; the contact with a woman made him nauseous, yet the release of his desire brought him comfort.

But it wasn't enough. He needed more.