The walk back to Madam Lin’s house was silent.
Not the comfortable kind of silence. The heavy, weighted kind—filled with unspoken thoughts, sha, fear, and sothing darker that neither woman wanted to acknowledge.
Zhang Yue walked slightly ahead, one hand still loosely held in Cang’s larger grip, her other hand periodically moving to her face—trying uselessly to wipe away the evidence of what had happened in the garden.
But it was useless.
Her face was still ruined. Eyes red and swollen from crying. Cheeks flushed crimson. Lips swollen and tender from being stretched impossibly wide. Chin and neck still slightly sticky where she hadn’t been able to wipe all the cum away.
And her throat—gods, her throat ached. Raw and sore from being violated, every swallow sending sharp reminders of what she’d just endured.
’I sucked his cock,’ her mind kept repeating numbly. ’I—I let him—no, he MADE —but I didn’t fight hard enough—I could have bitten—could have—’
But she hadn’t.
And worse—Wei Chen had watched.
That frozen expression of horror and rage and arousal was burned into her mory. The knowledge that her forr fiancé had witnessed her degradation made the sha sohow deeper.
’He saw everything. He’ll tell everyone. They’ll all know I’m—that I—’
Cang’s thumb rubbed gentle circles on the back of her hand, and she flinched—the tenderness after brutality making her head spin with confusion.
’How can he—? After what he just—?’
They reached the small blue house with white shutters, and before they’d even opened the door—
It burst open.
"YUE’ER—?!"
Madam Lin stood in the doorway, face showing worry and relief in equal asure, clearly having spent the morning anxiously waiting.
"Thank the heavens you’re—" She stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening as she took in her daughter’s appearance.
The tear-stained face. The swollen lips. The disheveled hair. The slight stickiness still visible on her chin and neck.
And most damningly—the expression. That broken, sha-filled, traumatized look that Madam Lin recognized instantly because she’d worn it herself decades ago.
’No—’ Her maternal instinct scread. ’No no no he didn’t—he wouldn’t—’
"Yue’er—" Her voice cracked, stepping forward with arms outstretched. "What happened—? Are you—?"
And Zhang Yue broke.
All the sha, fear, confusion, and desperate need for comfort crashed through her barriers, and she collapsed into her mother’s arms, sobbing.
"Mother—" The word ca out strangled, muffled against Madam Lin’s shoulder. "I—he—I don’t—"
Sobs cut off coherent speech, and she just clung, fingers digging into fabric, body shaking violently.
Madam Lin held her daughter tight, one hand stroking her hair, the other wrapped protectively around her back, and glared daggers at Cang over Yue’s shoulder.
’What did you DO to her?!’ the look scread.
But Cang just stood in the doorway, perfectly calm, perfectly composed, that gentle smile still playing at his lips.
"What—" Madam Lin’s voice was cold, protective fury overriding fear of his power. "What did you do to my daughter?"
"I protected her," Cang said simply. "From the Wei family. From forced marriage. From a life of being soone’s concubine."
"By HURTING her—?!"
"By showing her the price of power," he corrected. "And letting her choose whether she’s willing to pay it."
Madam Lin’s glare intensified, but before she could respond—
Yue pulled back slightly, wiping tears with trembling hands, and looked at her mother with eyes that were determined despite the crying.
"Mother—" Her voice was hoarse, wrecked. "I—I want to beco strong."
Silence.
Madam Lin blinked, confusion replacing anger.
"What—?"
"Strong," Yue repeated, voice gaining strength. "Like him. Like—like a real cultivator. I want power. I want—"
She swallowed hard, throat aching.
"—I want to never be helpless again."
Understanding crashed through Madam Lin like ice water.
’She wants—she’s asking him to—oh gods—’
"NO—" The word exploded from her. "Absolutely NOT—you don’t understand what you’re asking—!!"
"I do understand—" Yue protested, pulling away from her mother’s arms. "I saw what he did to those maids—I saw them breakthrough—I saw—"
"You saw them DESTROYED—" Madam Lin cut her off, voice sharp with panic. "You saw them fucked unconscious—you heard them SCREAMING—and you want THAT—?!"
"Yes—" Yue’s voice cracked. "If it ans being strong enough that no one can force into anything ever again—YES—"
She turned to face Cang, tears still streaming but expression resolute.
"Please," she said. "Help . Make strong. I’ll—I’ll pay whatever price—"
"No," Cang said gently.
Both won froze, staring at him.
"What—?" Yue’s voice was small, confused.
"I said no," Cang repeated, stepping fully into the house and closing the door behind him. "Not because I won’t help you. But because I’m leaving in two or three days."
Silence.
"Leaving—?" Madam Lin whispered, and sothing in her chest clenched at the thought—though she didn’t want to examine why.
"I have business elsewhere," Cang explained. "People I need to find. Enemies to deal with. I can’t stay in this backwater town forever."
He looked at Yue with sothing almost like sympathy.
"Half session—maybe one if we’re efficient—isn’t enough to advance you significantly. You’d barely reach Peak Body Cultivation. Maybe touch the edge of Qi Condensation if we’re lucky."
"Then—then I’ll take whatever I can get—" Yue said desperately. "Please—even a little power is better than—"
"Yue’er, LISTEN to yourself—" Madam Lin grabbed her daughter’s shoulders, forcing eye contact. "You’re talking about letting him—about PROSTITUTING yourself for—"
"I’M TALKING ABOUT SURVIVAL—" Yue scread, startling both adults. "Do you know what the Wei family will DO when they find out I rejected them—?! When Wei Chen tells everyone what he saw—?!"
Her voice cracked with hysteria.
"They’ll make our lives HELL—they’ll burn the shop—they’ll—we’ll have to LEAVE and we have NOWHERE TO GO—"
"Then we’ll leave—" Madam Lin said firmly. "We’ll go to another town—start over—"
"And be vulnerable AGAIN—" Yue countered. "And again and again and AGAIN because we’re WEAK—"
She pulled away from her mother’s grip, facing Cang with desperate determination.
"I don’t care if it hurts. I don’t care if I scream. I don’t care about ANYTHING except becoming strong enough to protect myself—"
"His cock will TEAR YOU APART—"
The words burst from Madam Lin before she could stop them, face burning crimson as both Cang and Yue turned to stare at her.
"I—" She tried to backtrack, but it was too late. "I saw it—I felt it when he—when we teleported—"
Her hands moved unconsciously, asuring out a length in the air.
"It’s THIS big—maybe bigger—and THICK—" Her face was burning now. "And you’re—you’re a VIRGIN—you’ve never—it would DESTROY you—split you in half—"
"I don’t CARE—" Yue started.
"I care—" Madam Lin cut her off, voice breaking. "I’m your MOTHER—I won’t let you—I can’t let you—"
She turned to Cang, desperation replacing anger.
"Please—" The word ca out strangled. "Please don’t—she’s just—she’s scared and confused and—"
"I’m not confused," Yue said quietly. "I’m making a choice. My choice."
"A choice that will RUIN you—"
"Better ruined and strong than pristine and helpless—"
The two won stared at each other, maternal protection warring with desperate determination, and—
Cang laughed.
Not mockingly. Just—amused. Like watching an entertaining performance.
Both won turned to glare at him.
"What’s so FUNNY—?!" Madam Lin demanded.
"You are," he said simply. "Both of you. Fighting over sothing that’s already decided."
He took a step forward, and both won unconsciously took a step back.
"Yue has chosen. And whether you like it or not, Auntie, you can’t stop her. She’s an adult. She has agency."
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