Lu Zhixing's face was deathly pale; the contact with Shen Ruoyu's skin made him nauseous, yet he could not deny the pleasure he felt from her touch.

"Lu Zhixing, it is you who faces death now, not me. Is this truly the attitude of one seeking help? I once begged you with all humility, yet you remained unmoved." 

At times, Shen Ruoyu envied Lu Zhixing's lack of memories from his past life; he was unaware of his own deeds. Initially, when Lu Zhixing moved to harm Shen Xinghuai, she would weep and plead for him to spare her brother. But how did Lu Zhixing respond then?

He kicked Shen Ruoyu away disdainfully, mocking her. "How dare such trash talk before this noble son? It is your Shen family's fortune that Shen Xinghuai caught my eye. Now, get out of my sight, lest you pollute my eyes."

Since then, Shen Ruoyu learned that it was better to rely on oneself than to beg others. In her subsequent life, she protected her brother through her own efforts. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, she could not break the curse of the cycle; each time, Shen Xinghuai did not live past twenty.

She had tried to eliminate Lu Zhixing, but even if he died, her brother would still perish before reaching twenty for other reasons. Shen Ruoyu could not claim that her brother died at Lu Zhixing's hands in every life, but Lu Zhixing was always connected to her brother's death to some degree.

Even if Lu Zhixing's death could not alter the fate of this life, at least it would make Shen Ruoyu's future days much more bearable.

Lu Zhixing did not understand Shen Ruoyu's words and retorted, "Shen Ruoyu, when did you ever beg me? You only asked me to save your brother, and didn't I come?"

Experiencing the torment of burning desire for the first time, Lu Zhixing felt it was more unbearable than the harshest military punishments; it was as if thousands of ants were crawling through his flesh and bones. Helian Yi must have sent him here because of the tense situation in the north. If he could rid himself of this poison, he might still have a chance to resist when Helian Yi arrived.

As for his feud with Shen Ruoyu, Lu Zhixing was certain he would not spare her; she knew too much, and he would not leave her alive. Once they were out, he would find an excuse to kill her.

"Shen Ruoyu, have you made up your mind? Your life is in my hands now."

He knew she was Rong Yan's fiancée, someone he should not touch, or else Rong Yan would hate him even more. But Lu Zhixing was selfish and lacked any sense of morality; all that mattered now was getting out of here alive. Everything else was irrelevant.

Moreover, hadn't Shen Xinghuai said that Rong Yan was not entirely innocent?

Guiding her soft hand to his taut abdomen, Lu Zhixing's skin, roughened from years of leading troops into battle, bore various scars.

The searing heat from his body made Shen Ruoyu recoil in fright. Lu Zhixing found her touch repulsive, yet did he not disgust her as well?

The guards' voices filtered through the walls, "Prince Helian will be here soon. Do you think he'll spare anyone inside with his indiscriminate tastes?"

The other guard chuckled l*wdly, "Who knows? Prince Helian might be preparing something special. He'll surely lavish attention on these Li Dynasty folks later..."

The vulgar words were heard clearly by both. With Jiang Peizhi still absent, Shen Ruoyu faced two choices, succumb to Lu Zhixing or endure endless torment from Helian Yi.

"Made your decision? Don't worry, you like Rong Yan, right? I, the noble son, won't let him know about what happens between us in this dungeon today." Lu Zhixing narrowed his eyes, appraising Shen Ruoyu's fair, shapely figure.

She was indeed beautiful, yet he only felt revulsion.

Shen Ruoyu's clothes were somewhat crumpled as she approached Lu Zhixing. She looked down at his handsome face, from his brows to his eyes; he was truly striking, yet appearances could be so deceiving.

"Shen Ruoyu, who gave you the audacity to touch me?!" Lu Zhixing, lacking the strength to stand, could only sit on the cold ground, struggling to prop himself up.

Seizing the moment, Shen Ruoyu reached into his soft, dark hair, pulling it painfully. Lu Zhixing was forced to tilt his head back and look at her. Was Shen Ruoyu tired of living? How dare she treat him this way?

She leaned close to his ear, "You still want to be with me? You don't even know how to beg. You deserve nothing more than to be trampled under my feet, understand?"

Did he think she, Shen Ruoyu, would fear his petty threats? At worst, she would be reborn once more. In this life, she had already unraveled some mysteries; another death would not be so bad. It was better than living a stifled life under such a man, with no chance of ever rising again.

He wanted the antidote? Fine, she would satisfy him.

Shen Ruoyu raised her leg, her smooth, bare foot pressing down on the man's hot, rigid member.

The sudden pressure made Lu Zhixing tense his entire body, trembling slightly as he tried to suppress his gasps.

"No wonder Rong Yan doesn't want you; no one in their right mind would choose you!" 

Being trampled by a woman would be a lifelong humiliation.

Lu Zhixing dared not make a sound, fearing the guards' attention. His fists clenched tightly. Once out of this hellish place, he would tear this woman apart to vent his anger.

Though the cells were not adjacent, they were close enough. Shen Xinghuai could sense the unusual sounds coming from behind that door.