The Weight of the Unborn

In the blink of an eye, tears streamed down her face, feeling utterly wronged. “You’re bullying me too much,” she sobbed.

Xiyue: …

Su Xiaoxiao started crying, and once she started, she couldn’t stop. Xiyue, at a loss, remained silent with a grave expression, watching Su Xiaoxiao’s tiny pearls of tears fall.

Finally, as Su Xiaoxiao began to cough and sweat from her brow, Xiyue remembered Gu Yan’s words. She had warned that if the magic seed in Su Xiaoxiao’s womb was lost, Su Xiaoxiao might not survive.

Xiyue could only manage to say, “Alright, I won’t let you fall again. Be quiet, or I’ll gag you.”

Half compromise, half threat, it worked, and Su Xiaoxiao stopped crying.

Overwhelmed by her troubles, Su Xiaoxiao became extremely sleepy. Her eyelids drooped, as if she couldn’t keep them open.

Xiyue accompanied her to sleep, and when she awoke, she nudged Su Xiaoxiao to help her dress. The first time, Su Xiaoxiao rose in a daze, tying Xiyue’s laces incorrectly.

The second time, Xiyue called for her, but Su Xiaoxiao only rolled over, burrowing deeper into the covers, unmoved.

“z…”

“zz…”

“zzz…”

“Su Xiaoxiao!!”

Xiyue’s voice rose in anger. She grabbed Su Xiaoxiao’s arm, pulling her from the bed. Su Xiaoxiao woke in pain, her eyes red, but thankfully, she didn’t cry.

Su Xiaoxiao was so tired and sleepy that her feet wobbled as she stood. She nearly fell, but Xiyue caught her just in time.

This shock and fright completely unleashed Su Xiaoxiao’s pent-up frustration, and she lashed out at Xiyue.

“Slap, slap”

She slapped Xiyue twice.

Xiyue was stunned, her face stern, but she said nothing more and didn’t retaliate despite her initial impulse.

Beyond this, Su Xiaoxiao’s most unusual behavior, the one that surprised Xiyue the most, was her growing dependence on Xiyue.

Even in sleep, Su Xiaoxiao would be restless, instinctively seeking Xiyue’s embrace. She, who once feared Xiyue so deeply, now slept nestled in her arms, as if only Xiyue’s touch could bring her comfort.

Xiyue, waking from this, assumed Su Xiaoxiao was being difficult. In the darkness, she scolded, “What are you up to now?”

Su Xiaoxiao’s soft reply was, “Can you come closer? Being in your arms feels so good.”

Xiyue, who had merely been resting, thought this was a hallucination brought on by her inner demons. She didn’t respond, but Su Xiaoxiao, unable to wait, took Xiyue’s hand and placed it on her flat stomach.

“This… feels so much better…”

“It’s so comforting…”

This was too strange. Xiyue had to share this with Gu Yan. Gu Yan, however, responded casually, “The magic seed in her womb is drawing on her life force and power.

Su Xiaoxiao is fragile like any ordinary person now. Her power is insufficient for the seed’s development. Since you’re always with her, the seed shares your bloodline, causing her to depend on you subconsciously. It’s only natural.”

Xiyue’s expression darkened, then twisted into a grimace. “This magic seed must be eliminated.”

She realized that if the seed could drain Su Xiaoxiao’s energy even in the womb, what would happen when it was born?

Xiyue’s resolve to end the seed grew stronger, but Gu Yan’s timeline required patience.

During their time together, Xiyue’s inner demons surfaced, and every glance at Su Xiaoxiao’s unchanging stomach filled her with uncontrollable rage.

Su Xiaoxiao, too, sensed the changes in her body. On that day, when her stomach ached severely, she had heard Gu Yan’s words to Xiyue in her delirium.

But upon waking, neither Xiyue nor Gu Yan mentioned it, and Su Xiaoxiao’s mind raced with fear and confusion. In secluded corners, she would press her hand to her stomach, anxiously sensing the changes.

“Is there really a little one in there?”

The Merfolk were gentle and harmonious, and bearing young was a joyous occasion. Su Xiaoxiao had seen how adorable the little ones were.

If only the other mother wasn’t Xiyue, Su Xiaoxiao might have been thrilled. But Xiyue was a demon…

Su Xiaoxiao often despaired, wondering what manner of being she would give birth to. Xiyue was a serpent before becoming a dragon… Su Xiaoxiao shivered at the thought, fearing she might birth a snake.

Her emotions grew increasingly complex. Su Xiaoxiao pondered endlessly, but her thoughts always returned to the question of what she and Xiyue would create. Would it be a sweet, lovable little one like the Merfolk?

Unlike Xiyue, Su Xiaoxiao never considered abandoning the child. She struggled, suffered, and reflected.

How could she flee the demon realm with the little one? Xiyue awaited Su Xiaoxiao’s recovery to end the life within her.

Su Xiaoxiao knew the red jade bracelet on her wrist wouldn’t harm her as she left the demon realm. Now, she only needed a suitable opportunity to escape when Xiyue was unaware.

Both harbored secret plans, but Xiyue’s inner demons grew stronger each day, disrupting her practice and making her increasingly irritable and brutal.

Even Gu Yan cautioned Su Xiaoxiao to be careful and not provoke Xiyue. Su Xiaoxiao, though confused, complied.

Yet, their fragile balance was easily shattered. One day, Xiyue returned with a dark, brooding expression. Su Xiaoxiao dared not breathe loudly, her energy depleted, always on the verge of exhaustion.

Xiyue, needing no rest, was different. As night fell, Su Xiaoxiao yawned repeatedly, rubbing her eyes as she helped Xiyue undress. She couldn’t fathom what had displeased Xiyue, but as she removed the outer garment, Xiyue seized her wrist, pushing her onto the bed.

The force was strong, and Su Xiaoxiao, already drowsy, was caught off guard. She fell, her stomach taking the impact.

She looked back at Xiyue, who gazed at her with blood-red eyes, a furrowed brow, and a hint of anger.

Before Su Xiaoxiao could speak, Xiyue pressed against her from behind, tearing her dress and gripping her legs.

“Sam, Samyue?!”

Su Xiaoxiao’s body tensed, her mind flashing back to that day’s agony.

“Be quiet,” Xiyue snapped, uninterested in further conversation. “These past days, you owe me this.”

Su Xiaoxiao’s terror surged, knowing resistance would only bring harsher punishment. Her compliance, however, didn’t soften Xiyue.

Her body, now carrying the little one, was incredibly unsuited for this.

Su Xiaoxiao wept in pain, begging Xiyue, “Samyue, it hurts…”

Xiyue showed no reaction, and Su Xiaoxiao’s agony intensified, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Xiyue’s hand moved to Su Xiaoxiao’s stomach, who cried out, “Stop! Samyue! Stop!!”

“Ah—”

Su Xiaoxiao called her name, but it only seemed to excite Xiyue more. She loomed over Su Xiaoxiao, her pale face a sight of anguish, her hand pressing into Su Xiaoxiao’s side, almost unconsciously digging in.

Xiyue, lost to reason, fixated on Su Xiaoxiao’s stomach, consumed by thoughts of the unborn magic seed.

“Just end it…”

“End it now…”