Steaming heat rose from the opulent golden bath, surrounded by the vibrant beauty of a lavish courtyard. To call it extravagant would be an understatement.
Yet, Lin Xiao remained entirely unaffected. It wasn’t that he had grown accustomed to such a life, becoming part of that privileged class; rather, this was merely a projection within the Demonkin Domain. It was far from truly expansive or magnificent, and those glittering golden decorations would turn to mere dust outside.
The hot spring water here had been specially sourced by him from afar. Immersing oneself in it always allowed a busy person to relax their mind and body. In the past, when he was constantly rushing for various matters, this had been his sole sanctuary, a place where he could enjoy time truly for himself.
He stepped into the water, the warmth of the spring dispelling the chill from his body, yet he felt no relaxation at all. For the first time, he was enveloped by a suffocating sense of bewilderment.
‘Was all of this… wrong from the very beginning?’
His voice, low and resonant, stood out in the tranquil environment, only to be quickly swallowed by the silence.
He longed to return to her at this very moment, to feel her breath and warmth, to see her familiar face.
However, at the same time, a potent fear gripped him—a fear of hurting her further, and a fear of returning to that atmosphere of unspoken tension.
He was the one who had snatched her from that rare path of salvation, transforming her into the doll-like figure she was now. Recently, due to psychological reasons, her spiritual energy had even become chaotic. While the bracelet prevented her from harming herself, it had also, in a way, completely imprisoned her here, preventing her from even walking the darkest path.
To rediscover her original self, to have her understand everything, to overcome inevitable destruction and reach a future for the two of them—this wish had always been his initial aspiration.
But now…
“Tap, tap, tap.”
Just as he was lost in melancholy, a light footfall suddenly echoed from the entrance. By the sound, it seemed to be a woman.
He immediately looked in that direction, a noticeable alertness in his gaze. This was a rather core area within his Demonkin Domain; apart from a few highly trusted subordinates, no one knew of its existence.
“Who’s there?”
The few individuals who met the criteria didn’t seem like they would do such a thing, but there was always the unexpected. His position was not without those who coveted it…
“It’s me.”
Qi Yue’an heard his voice, a faint smile curving her lips. It seemed she had truly found him, and by the sound, he appeared to be still bathing.
Hearing that familiar voice, Lin Xiao’s tense mood immediately relaxed. However, he recalled that while Qi Yue’an possessed the highest access clearance here, this was not a place one could simply stumble upon.
“Why are you here?”
He didn’t press her on how she found him; after all, given her current situation, it wasn’t impossible she could have inquired about his whereabouts on the way.
“I… wanted to see you.”
She had rushed here at almost full speed, originally envisioning herself calling out to him in a yandere-like tone, then suddenly slipping into the pool to surprise him.
Yet, when she truly arrived at the door, she could only manage such a soft, vulnerable sound.
“An, wait for me. I’ll be right out.”
A hurried splashing sound, as if someone was emerging from the water, came from within. However, before he could do so, the door already opened.
“Xiao… may I? Join you.”
She had, at some point, wrapped herself in a bath towel, though her wrap was so unprofessional, almost crude, that she had to hold it with both hands to prevent it from slipping.
Her slender, well-proportioned calves were exposed to the air, and her hair, free of all clips and adornments, cascaded loosely—it seemed this was her first time bathing.
She hesitated for a moment before entering, ultimately lacking the courage to immediately bare herself.
This place was astonishing. From the outside, it appeared to be just a small cubicle, but upon entering, one discovered it was practically a utopian garden. Such beautiful scenery was a rare sight, even within the wondrous Hall of Dawn Star.
However, at this moment, she had no leisure to appreciate the view. Instead, she suppressed the nervousness and agitation in her heart, forcing her somewhat weak legs forward.
‘It’s fine… I used to be like this too… so it’s fine…’
She encouraged herself to walk forward, but the first sight of his uncovered upper body still made blood rush to her face.
Unlike others, her inner self hadn’t completely transformed into some shy maiden. Due to her personality, she had never co-bathed with anyone since childhood.
She wasn’t entirely ignorant of the differences between men and women, but in all her past years, she had absolutely no related experiences. The probability of her interacting with others was pitifully low, let alone with the opposite s*x.
Thus, even when Bai Zhi had once suggested going to a similar place together, she and Xiyin—who, for some reason, seemed slightly regretful—had refused.
“Don’t force yourself. I…”
Seeing her slightly flustered appearance, Lin Xiao, understanding her nature, immediately prepared to dissuade her. However, this only made her quicken her pace, plunging into the water as if throwing caution to the wind.
“Ah… mmph…”
The temperature of the hot spring was higher than she expected, and due to her physical transformation, she had misjudged her height and the water’s depth. Having just entered the water, she was somewhat flustered, and the slightly sulfur-scented spring water filling her mouth made her involuntarily struggle.
“An!”
Seeing her appear to be drowning, he swiftly rushed towards her. Yet, she had once learned to swim, and in her momentary loss of balance, she quickly adjusted her posture, righting herself.
“Cough, cough… Ah!”
Just as she surfaced, coughing twice, she felt herself embraced by a firm hold. Their skin made direct contact as they moved together towards the edge.
“Are you alright? Did you hit anywhere?”
“I’m fine, I… I didn’t hit anything at all…”
He asked anxiously about her condition, but Qi Yue’an, having quickly recovered, paused mid-sentence, her words becoming somewhat incoherent.
She realized she was being held captive in his embrace, two strong arms encircling her shoulders and slender waist. The bath towel she had been wrapped in had, at some unknown point, floated away on the water in front of them. She was now completely exposed, her back pressed intimately against him in a highly ambiguous position.
She felt her heart pound as never before, pumping blood to her face. It was an indescribable sensation, one that instantly calmed the tearing confusion that had tormented her before coming here. All her thoughts, along with those chaotic voices, receded completely.
The sensation against her back and the broad touch of his hand on her lower abdomen sent waves of a slightly irritating heat through her, making her feel as if she was being completely occupied, consumed, by the figure behind her, bringing a strange, alluring feeling akin to happiness, yet more seductive.
“Uh… I’m sorry, I…”
Lin Xiao also seemed to realize the impropriety. His voice carried a hint of embarrassment, and he quickly released his hold. She, in turn, bent her knees and squatted in the water, revealing only her lovely, lotus-like face.
Due to some added elements, the water here wasn’t entirely transparent. He watched as the girl’s graceful, yet blurred, figure turned with her head breaking the surface, moving with a penguin-like shuffle.
As if shy about what had just happened, her turn was exceptionally slow. Half her face was submerged, subtly blowing bubbles.
“It’s actually fine…”
She blushed, glancing away, but then forced herself to turn her gaze back. Subsequently, her small head, now above water, began to inch forward.
The figure stopped when it was almost close enough to touch, then slowly began to rise from the water, revealing her smooth, fair shoulders and collarbones, against which her wet hair clung. Any further up, and the scene would become R-rated.
“Um… Xiao… do you want to?”
As if mustering all her courage, she uttered words he didn’t quite comprehend at first.
“Uh… want what?”
He retreated slightly, bewildered.
“Just… that…”
She made shy gestures, gestures that completely clashed with her pure demeanor and face, instantly unsettling his already slightly flushed face. He struggled to regain his composure.
“Why did you come to find me?”
He pretended not to understand, asking as calmly as possible.
“I… wanted to apologize…”
Qi Yue’an’s voice was low, laced with apology and, deeper still, a heartbreaking self-abasement.
“I shouldn’t have forced you that way.”
Lin Xiao paused, quickly realizing she was referring to her earlier suicide attempt. He had vaguely sensed it; her choice to stab herself with a knife rather than destroy her soul gem proved she hadn’t truly intended to end her life at that moment.
“So I want to make amends… please don’t hate me…”
Her voice, filled with apology, sounded so heartbreaking, bringing with her cute face a profound sense of guilt.
“An…”
His agitated heart settled. He wanted to say it wasn’t her fault at all, but before he could, she grasped his hand, her face resolute, as if she had made a difficult decision.
“So, to make amends… I’ll help you… Um… even though I’ve never done it, I’ll try my best…”
She spoke humbly. Lin Xiao didn’t understand why the topic had swerved back to this, and quickly used his hand to push her head away, preventing her from getting closer. After a brief struggle, the girl, realizing she was no match for him, had no choice but to give up.
“It’s just… use me to resolve… that… sometimes it presses against me at night, it must be hard to endure.”
She spoke these words with almost all her strength, and her statement instantly caused Lin Xiao, who was usually adept at handling anything, to freeze.
“An, I arranged the position of ‘Queen Consort’ for you to protect you from being coveted by the people here… I didn’t mean it that way!”
He stammered explanations, flustered for a moment. With such a beautiful, nude girl suddenly pressing close and saying such things, it would be difficult for anyone to remain calm.
“…If you still want me to stay with you later, I can sleep on the floor, because that really is a bit…”
The girl’s words had made him incredibly embarrassed. As a normal male, it was impossible he wouldn’t face similar situations in the future. He quickly offered a solution, but as his words fell, she first widened her eyes, then lowered her gaze.
“Is that so…”
Her face instantly dimmed. The silver eyes, which had initially held shyness, determination, and a hint of expectation, now contained only darkness. Her body submerged again, and the atmosphere instantly took a sharp turn for the worse.
The better, ‘other’ self must have already progressed further than she knew. If her despicable act, under the guise of making amends, were to succeed, he wouldn’t be ‘him’ anymore, would he?
That unbearable feeling surged into her mind once more. The small sense of happiness that had just suppressed the chaos was instantly engulfed, and at the same time, a strong fear of loss prompted her to continue speaking.
“…Don’t sleep on the floor. I’ll help you in other ways, ones that won’t harm her body… Please… don’t leave me…”
Her renewed confusion made her utterly different from her earlier cute demeanor. Her silver eyes had become like an abyss, deep and subtly mad.
“I just… don’t want to leave you. Anyway, we look the same, right? Anyway, it’s still me, right?”
However, once these words escaped her lips, her face again showed regret, as if she had said something excessive, like she was fighting against herself.
The turbulent magic was dispelled, leaving only chaotic spiritual energy to rage within her already fragile consciousness.
‘I messed up again… and he saw my ugly side…’
Thinking this, she prepared to stand up and leave quickly, but in the next instant, she was unexpectedly embraced by him from the front.
“…Xiao?”
His familiar scent was closer than ever. Her chest pressed against his firm muscles, her face against his shoulder. This instantly cleared her chaotic consciousness. She could clearly hear the core beat of his heart against her chest.
“An, if you don’t want to, then I won’t leave. My closest has always been this original you. This kind of thing ultimately requires mutual consent. Don’t debase yourself.”
“You are the you of now, belonging to no one else.”
“But… I…”
She lowered her head, a bitter expression he couldn’t see on her face.
“I’m still just like before, only causing you trouble, and I even did such a thing earlier. I’m not as good as her; this is all I can do…”
“And… I really want to be like her, too…”
Halfway through her words, she suddenly felt a movement. One of her hands and one thigh were restrained, and her body tilted backward.
This action left her somewhat flustered, but soon, her inner stubbornness made her turn her head back. Their current posture could no longer be described as merely awkward; it was like the prelude to an assault. He only needed to push her down to take everything from her.
“Qi Yue’an, let me make one thing clear: I have never had that kind of relationship with you… and I have been by your side since childhood not to use you, but because I genuinely want to protect you.”
“Ah… mm, okay.”
Qi Yue’an agreed dazedly, but her mind was filled only with panic. Although his actions were suspicious, they didn’t seem like someone familiar with a girl and her body; they could only be described as rough.
She instinctively struggled, but it was futile. Although she had prepared for anything to happen before coming in, now, with her back against the edge of the bath and in such an obvious posture, she couldn’t stop her apprehension.
“Do you truly wish to be in that kind of relationship with me in your heart? Are you prepared to do such a thing? If not, then don’t do this. I will never abandon you. Every version of you is vitally important to me, and the current you is the most special among them. So, please stop belittling yourself for this.”
Lin Xiao turned his head, speaking these words that sounded like a confession. He didn’t look in her direction; after all, in their current state, everything would be completely exposed if he did.
She covered her chest with her unrestrained hand, looking at his face. He seemed much taller than she remembered.
Qi Yue’an covered her chest with her unrestrained hand, feeling the intense, yet no longer chaotic, heartbeat within.
He said he had never had… he said he wanted to protect the original her… he said the current her was “special.”
“I…”
Her voice trembled slightly, and an indescribably vast joy surged from the depths of her heart.
‘Do you truly wish to be in that kind of relationship with me?’
She began to search for the answer to this question within herself.
Qi Yue’an had never experienced this luxurious emotion called love, but these words, the pounding of her body, and the stirring in her heart, allowed even her to realize the answer.
It was no longer born of humble apology, nor of the fear of being replaced, but sprang from the depths of her heart—that attachment and stirring that had long existed, yet had always been suppressed.
Only, this confirmation was too heavy, too embarrassing. She opened her mouth but felt her cheeks burning, and ultimately couldn’t speak the words immediately.
Seeing the tumultuous emotions in her eyes gradually calm, replaced by a soft bewilderment, Lin Xiao knew she had listened.
He took a deep breath, carefully releasing his hold on her, his movements gentle, utterly unlike his previous “roughness.”
“The water… might be a bit cool now.”
He averted his gaze, his voice returning to its usual calm, though a faint, almost imperceptible blush lingered at his earlobes.
“You go get dressed first. I’ll follow right away.”
He didn’t press for her answer, but let her go first, while he temporarily sat back in the bath, as if suppressing something.
“…Mm.”
Qi Yue’an responded softly, a blush-tinged smile playing on her lips. She understood why he didn’t immediately get up and leave with her, and so she no longer worried. She quickly retrieved the floating bath towel, wrapping herself anew, her actions now infused with a touch of normal girlish fluster, but none of the earlier desperation.
On the way back, silence still reigned between them, but the atmosphere had subtly shifted.
It was no longer a suffocating stalemate, but a delicate feeling tinged with anticipation.
Lin Xiao walked slightly ahead, deliberately maintaining a distance, yet when she stumbled slightly on the wet floor, he promptly steadied her arm.
Returning to her bedroom, the one they shared, the warm yellow light dispelled the chill of the Hall of Dawn Star. The air still seemed to hold the lingering warmth of the hot spring.
“Let’s sleep together… you promised not to leave.”
She pulled on Lin Xiao’s wrist as he silently tried to depart, a warmth on her face that she hadn’t possessed before.
Then, she spread out the excessively large duvet on her bed, inviting him to lie beside her once more.
The night in the Hall of Dawn Star remained as it always was, yet this bedroom held a little more warmth tonight. She ultimately did not voice her answer, but Lin Xiao, finding it difficult to sleep, felt her body heat. Just as he was about to drift off, he faintly felt a brief, soft touch on his lips.
He vaguely dreamt of the girl’s straightforward murmur, imbued with pure love.
‘How could I not want to?’