The Unforeseen Covenant

Indeed, what was she to do now that things had come to this?

A few minutes later, having composed herself, Bai Xia sat helplessly on the edge of her bed. Her pale, delicate feet dangled, swaying idly. Her disheveled white hair cascaded over the casually worn shirt, as her blood-red eyes stared blankly at the spilled chicken blood and vomit on the floor.

Just like that… her deskmate had inexplicably become her master.

This was a truth Bai Xia now had to confront.

As a lesser bloodkin, if she willingly and actively consumed someone’s blood, she would forge an irreversible and indissoluble covenant with that person. Once such a pact was established, she would instinctively crave that person’s blood—even developing a dependence.

And, crucially, in situations like the one she had just experienced, her body would actively reject all other blood, accepting only the blood of her covenant partner as an energy source.

What is this…

For some reason, Bai Xia suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of grievance. A prickle of sorrow tightened her nose, and her eyes instantly welled up. Crystalline tears gathered at the corners, forming large, pearl-like drops that rolled down her cheeks, spreading dark stains on her white shirt.

All she wanted was to live a normal life—so why had things turned out this way? Had she done something wrong?

Why was fate playing such a cruel joke on her? It wasn’t funny at all!

All I wanted… was to earn some living expenses…

While the money she’d earned at the bar was substantial, she had also endured considerable risks for it. She couldn’t understand why life had to treat her so unfairly.

The girl’s choked sobs echoed, sounding particularly fragile in the empty room. Bai Xia slowly drew her dangling feet back onto the bed, curling into a tight ball in the corner and burying her face deep into her knees. Her long, snowy hair fell, obscuring her reddened eyes.

Others might not know, but she understood intimately just how difficult it was for a bloodkin to live in a human city. Behind every seemingly peaceful day lay a perilous masquerade and meticulous calculation.

Where was this? This was the Imperial Capital! A place where a single misstep could lead to capture by the Blade Keepers Agency, and her very life would be forfeit!

If she hadn’t been able to use her “disguise” to transform back into a boy and meticulously avoid anything that might reveal her true identity, she would have long ago been treated as one of those monsters from television—either eradicated by the Blade Keepers Agency or dragged off to a laboratory as a test subject.

Yet, she couldn’t fathom why, despite her arduous efforts to simply survive, life insisted on playing such a colossal joke on her.

She had always lived so cautiously, yet her “first time” had still been surrendered yesterday—and in such an absurd manner, falling into the hands of the person she trusted most.

Bai Xia’s slender fingers clutched the bedsheet tightly, her grip so fierce that her knuckles turned faintly white. Tears streamed down uncontrollably, wetting her thighs in patches before sliding down her fair skin to dampen the sheets.

So wronged…

Ugh…

The girl’s suppressed sobs echoed and resonated within the cramped room, her snowy white hair swaying gently with her trembling shoulders. In that moment, she appeared utterly vulnerable, a stark contrast to the habitually cheerful “Bai Xia” everyone knew.

But she didn’t want to be like this. The thought that she could now only seek out Mo Bai for sustenance brought a suffocating wave of despair.

Without Mo Bai, she would lose her energy source and eventually be unable to attend school. If the police were alerted, her identity and current appearance would never withstand scrutiny. And if the Blade Keepers Agency were alarmed, she might as well start preparing for her next life.

Moreover, how could she possibly face her deskmate, Mo Bai, in this form?

Bai Xia buried her face deep into her palms, her snowy hair falling around her like a fragile protective shell, shielding herself from the outside world in a desperate bid for security.

Why did this happen…

She actually didn’t want Mo Bai to see her like this. If she went to Mo Bai, he would surely question her endlessly. And Mo Bai was her classmate and friend; even if nothing came of it, she feared what might happen if, over time, he started to pay too much attention to her.

She didn’t want their friendship to change, to sour…

A mess, a complete mess…

But what could she possibly do? At this point, did she truly have any other choice?

Her long, snowy hair lay disheveled over her shoulders, concealing Bai Xia’s tear-swollen eyes. Her fingertips unconsciously plucked at the bedsheet, leaving behind a series of wrinkles, each simple motion betraying her inner struggle and helplessness.

Indeed, there were no other options; she had no choice at all.

The next moment, Bai Xia collapsed onto the bed as if all her strength had been drained, her snowy hair fanned out across the crumpled sheets, mirroring the shattered state of her heart—until…

Ding— A crisp notification chime suddenly emanated from the phone tossed by the bed, followed by several more in quick succession.

Who is it? So annoying. Can’t they see I’m in my feelings right now…

As the saying goes, when misfortune strikes, all sorts of troubles come knocking—and even a bloodkin was no exception.

At this moment, Bai Xia felt as if she had destroyed the entire galaxy in her previous life, destined for every little thing to annoy her before it found peace.

Her mood was already abysmal; now, even her anger was being disturbed. Which inconsiderate idiot dared to bother her at a time like this?

With a hint of self-abandonment, Bai Xia snatched the phone from beside her—but the moment her eyes fell upon the screen, she abruptly sat upright.

[Mo: Morning.]
[Mo: It’s fine, no problem if you need the money urgently and return it in a few days.]
[Mo: Anyway, I need to tell you something. You might not believe it, but I picked up a girl on the street yesterday.]

Seeing Mo Bai’s messages, Bai Xia felt her heart nearly pound out of her chest. A chaotic mix of panic and bewilderment instantly replaced the suffocating despair, causing her slender fingers to tremble faintly.

That’s right—the girl her good deskmate “picked up” was none other than herself. Yet, it seemed Mo Bai was unaware of her true identity.

But then again, if her identity could be so easily discovered, she would have been apprehended by the Blade Keepers Agency long ago.

Seeing this, she couldn’t help but let out a small sigh of relief. At least things hadn’t spiraled to their worst possible outcome yet.

[Mo: White hair and red eyes, and she’s incredibly cute.]
[Mo: What do you think… is this a romantic encounter?]

Facing Mo Bai’s teasing, Bai Xia’s fingertips hovered above the screen, unsure how to reply. She couldn’t possibly reveal to Mo Bai’s face that she was the girl he’d “picked up” yesterday, could she?

No, no, no. As the saying goes, ‘no zuo no die.’ As long as she didn’t court death, she should be safe… right?

Right now, she wanted to live more than anyone else in this world!

She had come so far; giving up? Absolutely not!

Bai Xia took a deep breath, her fingertips hovering over the screen for a long moment. After much deliberation, she decided to play dumb, and her trembling fingers slowly typed out two lines of text.

[Xia: Such a thing? You didn’t just ‘pick up’ someone from a bar, did you?]
[Xia: Mo Ge, don’t do anything illegal…]

For some reason, after sending the message, Bai Xia felt her heart pounding wildly. The despair and suffocation from before seemed to vanish in an instant, replaced by an indescribable tension and a baffling sense of shame that brought a faint blush to her cheeks.

Just moments ago, she had been crying pitifully on the bed, feeling utterly wronged. Yet now, she was like a shy little girl, her crimson cheeks still bearing the faint traces of tears from her earlier grief, making her appear both pitiable and adorable.

Damn it… Bai Xia, get a grip!

Overwhelmed by a sudden, inexplicable surge of shame, the girl abruptly tossed her phone onto the bed, burying her burning cheeks into the soft pillow. Her snowy hair spread in disarray across the sheets, and her slender calves thrashed aimlessly in the air, emitting muffled whimpers like a startled kitten.

Bai Xia didn’t know why, but whenever she chatted with Mo Bai about herself while in her female form, an unprecedented wave of shame would rise within her.

Interacting with Mo Bai as a boy used to feel so natural, yet now, even sending a message made her heart race.

And if it were Mo Bai…

The thought flashed through Bai Xia’s mind, instantly causing the tips of her ears—peeking out from her snowy hair—to visibly redden. She slowly lifted her small head from the pillow, her ruby-red eyes filled with bashfulness.

After all, she was a girl, and it was only natural to fantasize about things that made her heart pound. Moreover, Mo Bai was handsome, wealthy, her closest friend, and he often lent her money. It was inevitable that her mind would wander to scenarios typically found only in fictional stories.

Like… the domineering CEO falling for me?

Thinking about it, Mo Bai did seem to be the somewhat aloof type, only becoming more amiable when chatting with her. So, their relationship should be considered quite good, right?

Then if Mo Bai found out, would she be “conquered” and “trained” into a docile little wife…

No, no, no, what am I thinking!

Bai Xia violently shook her head, her snowy hair tracing wild arcs in the air. She sat up and vigorously patted her burning cheeks, trying to banish those embarrassing thoughts from her mind.

What a joke! She absolutely refused to become one of those clingy girls who begged for hugs all day! Being “conquered” by Mo Bai was even more out of the question! Even though she was a girl now, she still retained the dignity of her former self as a boy.

Let Mo Bai be her master? No way!

Bai Xia indignantly jumped off the bed, her snowy hair scattering messily over her shoulders from the abrupt movement.

“I won’t acknowledge such a thing!”