Then.
“Woah~”
Ling Qinghe’s head was seized by an invisible telekinetic force.
Yet, there was no great pressure, and she offered no resistance, docilely playing the role of a hostage.
This was merely Xia Naxin’s way of ensuring Ling Qinghe would hand over her sister, devoid of any actual malicious intent.
****
Concurrently, as the telekinetic barrier dissipated, Ling Qinghe swiftly stepped forward.
Barefoot, she walked onto the bed, approaching Xia Naxin and Silvia.
As she leaned down, one of her straps slipped, revealing a portion of her collarbone and shoulder.
Immediately after.
Xia Naxin knelt, gently placing Silvia onto the bed.
At last, his gaze met Ling Qinghe’s.
“‘What is this method you speak of?’”
In response, Ling Qinghe showed no haste.
She first placed her hand on Silvia’s lower abdomen, where the pink heart-shaped mark had faded to little more than a whisper of color.
“‘To save her, hmm, I believe it’s necessary to plant another Seed of Lust within her heart… to merely sustain her life.’”
At this, Xia Naxin’s expression darkened.
Upon hearing Ling Qinghe speak of ‘planting’ that… depraved mark again, he instantly bristled with displeasure.
“‘Are you serious, Ling Qinghe? Do you take me for a fool? At a time like this, you’re still coveting my beloved?’”
Xia Naxin recalled Silvia’s twisted, ever-changing, bitter face under the torment of lust.
Deep in his heart, his hostility and anger towards Ling Qinghe intensified.
After all, he and Silvia were the lovers, while Ling Qinghe was merely an ‘interloper’ who had forcefully inserted herself.
Yet, it was precisely this ‘interloper’ who had forcibly stolen Silvia’s first kiss.
“‘I tell you! Silvia is mine… she is not your plaything!’”
Ling Qinghe let out a cold laugh.
Hearing her soon-to-be ‘possession’ being claimed by another, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of irritation.
“‘Idiot… if I didn’t see some use in her, why would I bother with this effort?’”
A furious scoff escaped Xia Naxin.
He tried to make green light emanate from his hands, intending to heal Silvia with restorative magic.
But Ling Qinghe stopped him.
“‘It’s useless. You don’t possess healing or life-attribute magic. This level of restorative magic won’t be enough to cure Silvia…’”
Xia Naxin’s movements froze.
Gazing at Silvia’s increasingly pallid face, he intertwined his fingers with Silvia’s.
Feeling his beloved’s body temperature rapidly fading, Xia Naxin grew desperate.
He pressed on, asking:
“‘Is there any other way, besides that disgusting tattoo?’”
Ling Qinghe heard him, and a ‘complex’ expression flickered in her eyes.
In her haste, she leaned closer, reaching out to press on Xia Naxin’s trembling shoulder, only to be reflexively shrugged away.
“‘There is another method, it simply depends on whether you… can accept it.’”
Ling Qinghe’s tone was suggestive, yet a rare trace of solemnity also emerged.
Hearing this, Xia Naxin naturally felt something was amiss, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was in that moment.
“‘Stop being so cryptic, a life is at stake…’”
At his words, the usually aloof Ling Qinghe seemed to soften, becoming somewhat ‘delicate’?
She looked at Silvia, then at Xia Naxin, her cheeks faintly flushed.
“‘The second method, if we don’t plant the Seed of Lust, is to replenish Silvia’s magic!’”
Xia Naxin immediately leaned back, his head tilting in caution, yet he pressed for more information:
“‘What do you mean by ‘replenish magic’?’”
Ling Qinghe replied:
“‘The literal meaning: to help Silvia replenish her magical power…’”
Xia Naxin hummed softly, finding it plausible. But then he reconsidered, ‘No, that’s not right. How is this different from the first method?’
‘Isn’t it all just replenishing magic?’
Ling Qinghe perceived Xia Naxin’s confusion and continued to explain:
“‘The first method relies on an external object, while this method relies on us…’”
When she uttered the word ‘us,’ Ling Qinghe’s tone subtly shifted.
Ling Qinghe continued:
“‘After all, you know Silvia’s magical capacity… I alone cannot accomplish it…’”
Xia Naxin’s heart pounded with urgency, and he didn’t overthink it.
“‘Then what are we waiting for? Hurry—’”
Upon hearing this, Ling Qinghe rose on her toes and began to undress.
This action nearly left Xia Naxin dumbfounded, and he immediately snapped in anger:
“‘Hey, replenish magic is one thing, but what exactly do you mean by this?’”
Yet, Ling Qinghe seemed not to hear. As she shed her upper garments, her face flushed with color.
“‘You… might not know, but replenishing magic isn’t a simple transfer of power.’
As her clothes slipped away, Ling Qinghe revealed her fair, beautiful shoulders, placing one hand across her front to shield herself.
“‘Instead, it requires extremely intimate… contact.’”
The final words, Ling Qinghe murmured close to Xia Naxin’s ear.
“‘In other words, the practitioners must use their bodies as the ‘output terminal,’ guiding magic to flow into every inch of Silvia’s being.’”
“‘I forbid you from touching her!’”
Xia Naxin understood Ling Qinghe’s ‘meaning.’ Telekinetic energy exploded between his fingers, forcing Ling Qinghe back half a step.
How could this be acceptable?
What kind of joke was this?
How could he possibly agree to it?
“‘How is this any different from actively sharing Silvia with others? Then just watch her die!’”
Ling Qinghe’s voice held a challenging edge, yet beneath it lay a subtle, almost imperceptible urgency.
“‘Or perhaps…’”
Suddenly, she took Xia Naxin’s hand and pressed it against Silvia’s chest.
“‘If you have another way, then hurry… Silvia is dying.’”
But things did not go as hoped.
Xia Naxin was utterly helpless; his palm felt only a chilling coolness and a faint, fluttering heartbeat.
“‘What… needs to be done?’”
Xia Naxin gritted his teeth, speaking the words. He had no other choice but to try.
Only then, as he looked up again, did he see Ling Qinghe had already shed her last layer of clothing.
At this, a ‘complex’ smile once again graced Ling Qinghe’s lips.
She lowered the hand that had been shielding herself.
Exposing herself completely.
Then, before Xia Naxin’s eyes, she gently brushed aside Silvia’s silver hair and placed a soft kiss on the girl’s forehead.
As she rose, she spoke again:
“‘First, you must cast aside all your defenses. Then…’
As she spoke, Ling Qinghe took Xia Naxin’s hand, and, without any reservation… placed it over her own heart!
“‘Together with me, we will become one, becoming her magical output terminal…’”
At this, Xia Naxin felt as if he’d been shocked.
He tried to withdraw his hand, but Ling Qinghe held it firmly in place.
He could feel Ling Qinghe’s heartbeat, and the warmth radiating through her skin – soft, indeed.
Yet, despite his instinctive resistance to this contact, he found himself gradually softening as he met the earnest gaze in Ling Qinghe’s eyes.
‘No, no!’
‘This… this setup from Ling Qinghe… she couldn’t possibly be planning to take both him and Silvia, could she?!’
“‘This is the only way,’ Ling Qinghe’s voice was as light as a sigh.
“‘Do you truly believe I revel in this?’
“‘Compared to watching her die… losing this plaything that has captured my interest, what does a moment of pretense matter?’”
As she spoke, she suddenly tugged open Xia Naxin’s collar, hooking a finger under the neckline, signaling him to quickly disrobe.
“‘You’d better not make me regret this!’”
Immediately, Xia Naxin tore off his cloak, revealing the pure white dress beneath, now stained crimson with blood.
Indeed, he too began to shed his garments.
Before long, Xia Naxin, a touch uneasy, covered his body, kneeling there, overwhelmed with bashfulness.
Only moments before, they had been sworn enemies, their eyes burning with antagonism at the mere sight of each other. Now, they were to be… together.
Alas, truly, the world was full of unpredictable turns.
Seeing this, Ling Qinghe stepped forward, pressed her hands onto Xia Naxin’s shoulders, and suddenly kissed the corner of his lips.
As he gasped, Ling Qinghe transferred a wisp of magic into his mouth.
“‘We will first become acquainted with each other… please, you must cooperate with me.’”
Xia Naxin felt his mind explode with a resounding roar!
‘Madness. Ling Qinghe must be utterly mad. Was she truly this desperate?’
After all, soon, they would become Silvia’s left and right arms, the two integrated facets of her salvation.