Yingluo Manor sits on the banks of the Pu River, a prime piece of land on the riverbank where grand buildings are scattered and interspersed. River water has been diverted to create beautiful waterways and woodlands.
Shaded by lush trees and bursting with vibrant flowers, the manor is almost entirely crisscrossed by streams and stone-paved paths, except for a main road leading directly to the villas. The green tiles and wooden railings add to the charm, evoking a classical beauty reminiscent of the early Ming Dynasty.
Yingluo Manor is also characterized by its sparse number of servants and even fewer security personnel. Apart from a row of guardhouses adjacent to the villas, almost no one is seen.
However, anyone even slightly familiar with the Jiang family knows that Yingluo Manor is a nightmare for thieves and trespassers.
Anyone who dares to break into Yingluo Manor invariably dies suddenly for various reasons, and their deaths are always gruesome.
Over time, Yingluo Manor became a forbidden area. Although it lacked any modern surveillance or security facilities, no one dared to trespass…
"Why is no one here?"
The stars were sparse and the moon was bright. I walked through the garden, which resembled that of an ancient aristocratic family. The architecture was not only antique and elegant, but also more realistic and detailed than anything seen in television dramas. Streams, artificial hills, gardens, pavilions, and various strange rocks and landscapes, along with winding corridors and paths—if an ordinary person were to wander in, they would likely get lost.
But for some reason, I felt an unusual familiarity with this place. I had vaguely sensed this feeling when I left before.
This time, the familiarity was even stronger, making me certain that this place must have some connection to me, greatly aiding in the recovery of my memories.
However, I was also surprised that in such a large courtyard, I hadn't encountered a single person from beginning to end.
Could it be that this place doesn't need any maintenance?
Just as this thought crossed my mind, a figure suddenly appeared in my field of vision, radiating a chilling aura, expressionless, moving silently through the darkness without the aid of light.
He emerged from a side path, his deathly face sweeping over me without a trace, only pausing briefly before turning and walking away silently.
My body stiffened slightly, feeling a strange unease, yet for some reason, I felt a strange sense of confidence, gritting my teeth and continuing onward.
Along the way, I encountered several more people radiating the same chilling aura. Without exception, they all had numb, deathly faces, their steps stiff and sluggish, wandering like ghosts along the garden paths and corridors.
There was even one who brushed past me without even glancing at me.
Arriving here, although a sense of unease still lingered, I inexplicably felt a sense of coming home, a slight excitement stirring within me.
After walking for a while, the number of Ming-style ancient buildings around me gradually decreased, while more buildings resembling European styles, or even those whose style I couldn't quite define, appeared. However, most of them seemed deserted.
Suddenly, a glimmer of light appeared ahead. My heart skipped a beat, for this meant there were finally "people" around. I hurried over to investigate.
There stood a building with a somewhat peculiar style: white marble with an arched roof, inlaid with a row of skylights for light and ventilation. A thin wisp of warm steam was rising from it.
Intrigued, I used my inner strength to leap lightly, my body effortlessly rising from the ground and landing on the roof without a sound.
I clung to it like a spider, so tightly that even the slightest movement wouldn't disturb a bird perched on top.
This was a technique from my memory. Navigating heavily guarded, trap-filled places, completing missions, and committing murder—similar techniques were indispensable.
I slowly approached the skylight, which was billowing steam. It was a cleverly designed skylight; downward-facing crystal grilles served as window bars, allowing heat to escape but making it difficult to see inside from the outside.
Adding to the rising steam inside, it was impossible to see what was happening inside. But from the steam, I smelled a particularly familiar, alluring scent, like orchids and snow plums with a hint of fresh, sweet musk, mingled with the moisture and the fragrance of roses, rushing straight to my head through my nose.
Suddenly, I felt a slight warmth in my body, and my lower body began to stir.
Just as I was wondering what was going on, I suddenly heard a sound from inside, like lips moving, very faint, yet continuous.
Interspersed with these sounds were soft breaths and moans, as if occasionally escaping from between the lips; it seemed that just from the sound alone, I could imagine two soft, wet lips pressed together, making soft, sucking sounds.
I vaguely sensed what was happening inside, and a strange, tingling sensation welled up inside me, as if something precious had been defiled by someone else.
A strong sense of unease rose within me, making me even more eager to understand what was happening inside. However, the skylight was covered by a specially polished crystal grille, and the hazy steam obstructed the view. Apart from the constant sucking and moaning sounds, even with my eyes wide open, I couldn't see what was taking place…
Just as I was starting to feel anxious, I suddenly heard the soft splashing of water below, followed by even more seductive moans and soft breaths, filled with intense desire.
I clenched my teeth, then suddenly felt a numbness in my fingers. Looking down, I realized that all ten of my fingers had involuntarily dug into the hard marble. A cloud of dust fell down, perhaps just like my heart at that moment.
"Mmm~ No, Anping~"
"Godmother, your nipples... are so big and round... I can't even pinch them all."
"Mmm, mmm... Ahh... Don't pinch them, my nipples~"
The soft moans, though seemingly resistance, were filled with a deep, seductive allure, more like flirtation than resistance. Hearing that final, deeply seductive moan, I trembled slightly.
The realization and intense hatred of having my most precious possession stolen intensified. I had an urge to storm in, drag that man out, and grind him to dust.
But my mind was a jumbled mess. I didn't know what standpoint I could have taken. In my fragmented memories, besides wandering high-rises, being in enemy territory, there was only fighting and bloodshed.
I should be an assassin. I shouldn't know these two people at all. Perhaps they are inseparable lovers, and I'm just someone eavesdropping on the wall...
I clutched my head in anguish. Who am I?
At this moment, more than ever, I wanted to know who I really was.
Because even if I had the slightest connection to the woman inside, I would have rushed in without hesitation to stop it all…
But now, I realized I couldn't.
As someone most likely a shadowy assassin, what right did I have to interfere with the intimacy between lovers?
"Mmm… Ah…!"
Just as I was in utter distress, the sound from inside suddenly changed, from a languid moan to a short cry, then to a seductive moan that went straight to my bones.
It finally happened.
I felt a jolt in my heart, as if a large hand had gripped my heart tightly.
"Ah, ah… um, ya… Anping, ah… not washed yet… ah, clean…"