Bella felt as if she had fallen into an endless deep sea.
In her dream, everything around her was painted in thick, murky tones, except for Ye Jinzhi's face, which was strikingly clear.
The scenes were constantly shifting.
From a moonlit terrace to a sun-dappled art studio, and even on a certain afternoon with pouring rain...
Every corner was left with the traces of their lingering intimacy.
She saw her dream self firmly locked in the man's embrace, her posture constantly changing under his control, like a vine forced to sway in a storm.
Every breath carried a scorching heat, and every inch of her skin was repeatedly caressed and claimed by someone's touch, which was at times slightly cool and at others burning hot.
The feeling was so real that she restlessly curled her toes in her sleep, fine beads of sweat seeping from her forehead and vanishing into her pillow.
In the quiet bedroom, [Beep—]
Immediately after, a translucent, faint blue screen silently lit up in mid-air.
[Locus shifting, energy loading...]
The progress bar on the screen flashed rapidly, casting distorted lights and shadows across the entire room.
[Loading successful.]
[Warning: Host's consciousness is in a deep sleep state. Forced awakening failed. The program is about to execute the secondary plan: Soul Transfer—]
As the last line of text appeared, the screen seemed to experience interference. It flickered a few times before instantly shattering into countless tiny glimmers, completely merging into the air and vanishing without a trace.
Her body felt impossibly heavy, as if countless invisible tentacles were dragging her endlessly downward.
Cold, suffocating, despairing.
The sensation of drowning was terrifyingly real. Bella struggled desperately in the chaos, her consciousness sinking madly into the boundless darkness.
Splash—
She suddenly opened her eyes, only to find her vision completely covered by distorted green ripples.
Looking around, she was indeed in the water.
Before Bella could even paddle her limbs to swim upward, a tender and clear child's voice rang out from ahead.
"Wow... what a pretty doll!"
Immediately after, a chubby hand broke through the water and, like an eagle catching a chick, accurately grabbed Bella by the waist.
Bella was abruptly hoisted out of the water. Amidst the splashing drops, she finally got a clear look at the giant in front of her.
It was a little boy who looked as exquisite as an angel, about six or seven years old.
His skin was as fair and tender as a freshly peeled lychee, and his light blond curly hair was fluffy and soft, gleaming gently in the sunlight. He looked exactly like a pampered young master stepping straight out of a classic vintage poster.
His large, azure eyes sparkled, currently filled with the excitement of discovering a novel toy.
This perspective...
Bella's heart skipped a beat.
It was too familiar, this oppressive feeling of looking up at a giant...
Before she could recover from her shock, she heard the little angel pout his rosy lips and say the words she least wanted to hear in the most innocent tone:
"You're so pitiful, little doll. You're all soaked. Let me squeeze the water out for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, those chubby little hands aimed at Bella's chest and abdomen and squeezed hard.
Bella screamed internally.
Masked by the water on her face, Bella shed two lines of despairing tears. In her heart, she cursed the damn system and its entire family:
[I %￥#@&... System, get out here! Where did you send me this time? Why am I a doll again?]
"Doll, did someone throw you here?"
The boy squatted by the pool, tilting his head as he stared at the soaking wet Bella.
His curly hair swayed in the breeze. He stood up and walked around the pool on his short little legs.
After confirming that there was no one around, he pursed his rosy lips and revealed an extremely satisfied expression.
Since nobody wanted it, from this second on, it was his.
Carefully but unquestioningly, he stuffed the still-dripping Bella into the breast of his little suit.
Sandwiched between a warm chest and stiff fabric, Bella didn't even have time to complain about this suffocating hug before she heard a milky, childish voice comforting her from above:
"You are very pretty. Now you are mine. The Basque cake at the banquet today tastes pretty good, you will definitely like it."
Bella: "..."
Along with the little boy's bouncing steps, Bella could feel the surrounding air gradually becoming warmer.
Faint indoor music drifted over. As they got closer, the sounds of fragmented conversations, the crisp clicking of high heels on the marble floor, and the clinking of silver cutlery against bone china plates flooded in like a tide.
There were occasional clinking of glasses, accompanied by people's reserved and proper laughter.
What an old-money style of laughter.
Nestled in the little boy's embrace, Bella caught a glimpse of a corner of the brilliantly lit banquet hall.
The luxurious tasseled chandeliers dazzled her eyes. The passing men were all dressed in suits and leather shoes, the crisp fabrics ironed without a single crease. Occasionally, she could catch a glimpse of the luxury watches flashing on their wrists.
Their tall figures crossed paths, carrying the faint, bitter scent of tobacco or expensive woody fragrances.
As for the noble ladies, just from the blinding brilliance of their jewelry, Bella felt as if everyone was stamped with dollar signs.
"Mateo! You child, where did you run off to again?"
A woman's voice, carrying a hint of reproach, came from ahead.
Bella felt the little hands holding her suddenly tighten, and she could even hear Mateo's small heart thumping wildly in his chest.
"Mommy, I just went out for a casual stroll."
Mateo looked up with his porcelain-white face, his tone completely lacking the domineering attitude he had just shown by the pool.
As he spoke, he very naturally adjusted the angle of his arm, hiding the soaking wet Bella further into the shadows of his little suit.
"Come here, let's take you to see Uncle Ye first."
The noble lady did not notice her son's unusual behavior. She simply reached out her lace-gloved hand and gently took Mateo's.
[Uncle Ye?]
Hearing this surname, Bella shivered.
Just as she was grumbling internally, the little boy's footsteps suddenly stopped.
Bella felt the hands holding her tighten a bit more, and a man's deep, cold voice came from above:
"Why are you running around here?"
"Daddy... I wasn't running around."
The boy's voice instantly dropped in confidence, replaced by a timid sense of grievance. Even the small arm holding Bella trembled involuntarily.
The man gave a cold snort, and his lowered voice struck down from above, carrying the natural, oppressive aura of someone in power:
"This is the banquet area. What do you look like, soaking wet like this? Come here."
Just as Bella was worrying if she would be discovered on the spot, the woman's voice from earlier chimed in.
"Darling, don't you dare scold my son!"
The hem of a red evening gown flashed across Bella's field of vision.
Next, she felt the little boy holding her being gently pulled into an embrace.
"How old is he? Wanting to play with water is just his nature. Don't keep a straight face all day long, you're scaring the child."
The woman complained reproachfully, her tone full of the confidence of someone who is deeply pampered.
The man seemed to lose his temper. After a moment of silence, a helpless yet indulgent sigh was heard.
