She lowered her gaze, reminding herself that now, she was nobody—just a shadow of who she once was.
"Hey, Xue, don't be too hard on her," the maid munching on fruit chimed in, her lips curling into a sly smile. "Didn't we have some leftovers in the fridge? Since they're going to waste anyway, why not give them to her?"
Zhao Xue stretched out an exaggerated "Oh," as though struck by sudden realization. "You're right."
Turning to Du Yue, she said, "Wait here. I'll fetch you something to eat."
Zhao Xue opened the refrigerator and pulled out a lunchbox, handing it over to Du Yue. By then, Du Yue already sensed what was coming. When she lifted the lid, her suspicions were confirmed.
The lunchbox contained nothing but plain rice drowning in fiery red chili powder—a glaring testament to its unbearable spiciness.
Zhao Xue arched an eyebrow, smirking with satisfaction. "Go ahead, eat up! You've been starving all day, haven't you? This is the last bit of food we have. If you won't eat it, I'll feed it to the dog."
Du Yue stared at the meal blankly, silently mocking herself. Did they really expect anyone—or even an animal—to consume such a thing?
But she did. Picking up the spoon, she shoveled the burning mix into her mouth as if numb to the taste. A searing heat scorched her throat, tears streaming from her eyes.
Even the other maids couldn't bear to watch. They wrinkled their noses and stepped back, one of them asking Zhao Xue, "Is this really the same top socialite from Starlight City? Are you sure? No matter what, someone from Starlight City should come from a wealthy family. How could she sink so low?"
Watching Du Yue struggle, Zhao Xue felt a mix of disgust and vindictive pleasure. "Of course it's her. Don't you trust me? Besides, if she weren't Du Yue, why would Master bring her back only to treat her like this? He's no sadist."
"It makes sense… but I still feel uneasy watching her grovel like that. I'm leaving. I can't respect someone who has no dignity left."
With that, the room emptied in moments, leaving Du Yue alone. As she forced down the chili-laden rice, tears rolled down her cheeks—not from sorrow, but from the relentless burn of the spice. Eventually, she lost all sensation, unable to distinguish what she was eating anymore.
Her mouth felt numb, as if paralyzed. She rinsed it under cold water repeatedly, but the tingling refused to subside.
Giving up, she returned upstairs and collapsed onto the bed.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xue slipped quietly out of the house and dialed a number on her phone.
The call connected amidst a cacophony of blaring music. Shen Ya's loud laughter rang through the line before she finally spoke. "What's wrong? Did something happen with Chen Ze?"
Zhao Xue replied, "Du Yue is back."
"I know," Shen Ya said coolly, a smirk evident in her voice. "I saw her kneeling and kowtowing in Wang Siwei's social media posts. So, she's out, huh?"
"I got revenge for you today. Made her wash clothes by hand in this freezing weather and eat raw chili powder."
"Oh?" Shen Ya's interest piqued. "Did she actually do it?"
Zhao Xue sneered. "Of course. She's lost every shred of pride. Making her eat chili powder is nothing—if you asked her to crawl around barking like a dog, she'd probably oblige without hesitation."
"I wish I could see that happen," Shen Ya said wistfully, her tone laced with anticipation. "Too bad I can't return yet."
"Why not?" Zhao Xue asked, puzzled. "The timing seems perfect. Master hasn't replaced you, and I'm worried that if Du Yue stays much longer, he might…"