Du Lai stepped into the open spot and stood perfectly still, just like the other servants holding chickens, letting Fu Miaoxue take aim.

With one hand he gripped the hen’s legs tightly, the other pressed over the bird’s neck to keep it from squirming. The hen stretched its neck out every now and then, clucking softly.

Du Lai glanced over at Fu Miaoxue’s stance…

She sat on horseback, looking down at him from ten meters away with an air of superiority.

Du Lai looked at the chicken, then looked down at himself, and felt a sense of impending doom in his gut.

*Thwack!*

A hard agate marble whipped through the air and slammed into the webbing between his thumb and forefinger — half his hand went instantly numb!

The hen, frightened by the impact, lunged straight upward with wings flapping wildly, nearly making its escape — but Du Lai’s reflexes were fast enough, and he jammed his other hand down hard on the hen’s back, shoving it back into his arms!

The next second, another agate marble drove hard into Du Lai’s chest!

Hen: “BWAK BWAK BWAK BWAK BWAK!!!”

Du Lai: “……”

*What the — you crazy woman, you’re toying with me on purpose, aren’t you?*

He looked up indignantly, only to find that Fu Miaoxue had already moved on to targeting the others, throwing her agate marbles one after another in quick succession — not particularly accurate, but fast and ruthless.

What was going on?

Could it be that she hadn’t recognized him?

Looking at her now, fully concentrated, it seemed she wasn’t giving him any special treatment at all.

His thoughts turned briefly — then before he could finish thinking, another of Fu Miaoxue’s marbles came hurtling toward him. His body reacted faster than his mind: he instantly stepped back half a pace and barely dodged it!

Clutching the chicken, he exhaled with great relief. If that had actually hit him just now, he’d have definitely gone down on his knees in front of everyone — an embarrassment of legendary proportions!

“You *dare* to dodge?!” Fu Miaoxue barked furiously. “Who told you to dodge?! Now you’ve made me miss the hen! Someone — tie this man up!”

Du Lai: “……”

*What the hell!*

Three large men in black walked over. One took the chicken from Du Lai’s arms; two grabbed and restrained him.

Fu Miaoxue then said: “Wait — don’t tie him up yet.”

Du Lai craned his neck and stared straight at her, his expression extraordinarily complicated. He now seriously suspected that Fu Miaoxue had recognized him all along and was causing trouble on purpose.

Having already pelted him twice, was that still not enough to vent her anger?

Fu Miaoxue sat on horseback, apparently deep in thought, then spoke in a tone of grand magnanimity: “I can see you have quite decent skills. How about this — get down on the ground, do a hundred push-ups, and this young mistress will let the matter drop.”

Du Lai smiled with his mouth but not his eyes. “Thank you, Young Mistress…”

Fu Miaoxue climbed down from her horse with great enthusiasm. “Get started then! I’ll count for you!”

Du Lai: “……”

Fine. He was now certain that Fu Miaoxue was doing this deliberately. Even if she couldn’t recognize his face, there was no way she couldn’t recognize his voice.

One who is under someone else’s roof must bow their head. He glanced at the men in black flanking him on both sides, swallowed his resentment, lowered himself to the ground, and began doing push-ups…

He had barely done two when something heavy landed on his back.

Fu Miaoxue had climbed on.

“Keep going — why did you stop?” She patted his head the way she’d pat her white horse, grinning cheerfully. “Still ninety-eight to go~”

Du Lai clenched his back molars together. “…Young Mistress, I don’t have the strength. I can’t do that many.”

“I told you to do them, so do them! Stop talking so much!” Fu Miaoxue was displeased and pressed down harder on his back. “Go! Go!”

Du Lai closed his eyes and took a deep breath…

He must have had a screw loose to come all this way just to find her, spending all that money in the process. This was pure self-torture.

Seething inside though he was, he couldn’t make a scene in front of all these bodyguards. Du Lai swallowed his anger and pushed up, one rep after another.

He had never been the muscle-bound type — his build was more on the agile side. That, combined with his inability to stand the sight of Fu Miaoxue sitting astride his back and lording it over him, meant that by the thirty-seventh push-up he collapsed flat on the ground and refused to get up.

He was faking unconsciousness.

A bodyguard dutifully asked Fu Miaoxue: “Young Mistress, shall we toss this one into the sea to feed the fish?”

Du Lai: “……”

Fu Miaoxue’s eyes rolled thoughtfully. She rose at a leisurely pace and gave the prone Du Lai a light kick, her eyes curving into a smile. “Hmm… have him washed up, changed into something nice, and brought to my pet room.”

……

—