“Hmm?”
It was then that Silvia noticed Ling Cheyin, standing motionless not far away.
A flicker of confusion crossed Silvia’s eyes, but she paid it little mind. Her own body was of far greater concern than the little demoness.
In a secluded corner, a phone screen glowed faintly.
Unbeknownst to Silvia, it had recorded the entire process of their ‘magic replenishment’.
Ling Cheyin rubbed her eyes, a subtle curve playing on her lips. Clearly, she had come prepared, having set up the recording beforehand.
Simultaneously, she struggled to break free from the telekinetic restraint that bound her.
Ever since Xia Naxin had fallen unconscious, the binding power had gradually weakened, allowing Ling Cheyin’s fingertips to twitch ever so slightly.
****
“What happened? What… what did you do to me?”
Silvia clutched the edge of the bed, protectively wrapping her arms around herself.
The room was silent, save for Silvia’s tearful accusations echoing mournfully in the air.
Wrapped in a bedsheet, Silvia stumbled to her feet. A sharp, piercing pain threatened to make her collapse.
“This is impossible…嗚嗚嗚~”
The cream-colored sheet slid down her trembling shoulders.
Silvia’s body quivered as she touched the pair of ‘devil’s wings’ etched onto her abdomen. Hazy memories surged forth.
All her senses, once muddled, now sharpened, yet they twisted into a chaotic knot within her mind.
During her unconsciousness, she had vaguely felt the convergence of psychic energy and magic, the warmth of Ling Qinghe’s fingertips, and Xia Naxin’s feverish body heat.
It was they who had pulled her back from the precipice of death.
****
“Why… why her?”
A dull ache churned in Silvia’s chest. She hated Ling Qinghe’s domineering, predatory nature, and now, she even felt a burgeoning disgust for herself, sullied as she was.
What was she to do?
How could she ever marry now?
Just then, a faint groan escaped the unconscious Xia Naxin, startling Silvia.
The pressing question remained: how would she face her lover once she awoke?
Silvia buried her face in her hands, taking several deep, shuddering breaths to wipe away her tears.
Mechanically, she rose and walked to the wardrobe, pulling out two woolen blankets.
She gently and thoughtfully covered Xia Naxin, her thumb caressing her lover’s pale cheek, a bittersweet fondness filling her heart.
Then, with a surge of revulsion, she tossed the other blanket towards Ling Qinghe, covering the body that now made her nauseous.
****
Having done all this, Silvia felt her limbs turn to jelly.
She stumbled into the bathroom, then turned back to lock the door, finally giving in to the stifled sobs that had threatened to overwhelm her.
As she stepped closer, the showerhead burst to life, and water cascaded into the bathtub, creating a dense mist.
While waiting for the tub to fill, Silvia scrutinized her reflection in the mirror.
Her silver hair was disheveled, fanned across her shoulders, and a lingering blush, a soft ‘trace of intimacy,’ remained at the corners of her eyes.
****
After a while, the bathtub was full.
Silvia snatched the essential oil shower gel beside the tub, frantically rubbing it into a lather in her palms and scrubbing it onto her skin.
Her neck, her collarbone, her lips—all the places Ling Qinghe had repeatedly kissed.
She scrubbed with all her might, determined to completely wash away Ling Qinghe’s scent.
Yet, she felt as though that scent had already permeated her body, impossible to cleanse.
The hot water cascaded over her, but it could not wash away the humiliation and pain that filled Silvia’s heart.
Silvia gritted her teeth, tears brimming in her eyes, as she obsessively scrubbed every inch of her skin.
The water flowed until it turned tepid, until the gaze reflected in the mirror shifted from intense agony to vacant emptiness.
Before long, the sound of water in the bathroom ceased.
Silvia, breathing faintly, pushed herself up by the edge of the tub, grabbing a pristine white towel.
She then activated an unfamiliar, silvery-pink magic, drying the water droplets from her body.
****
The bathroom light cast a warm, yellow glow.
Silvia’s steps were unsteady.
By the bed, Silvia stared at Ling Qinghe’s loathsome profile, a surging tide of hatred rising within her.
“Get out!”
In a tearful growl, she gritted her teeth and kicked Ling Qinghe’s waist.
Instantly, the pink heart-shaped mark on her abdomen flared with a scorching pain, as if molten lava coursed through her veins.
The agony made Silvia’s vision blur, but she bit her lip, refusing to show weakness.
Ling Qinghe grunted as she was kicked off the bed but remained unconscious.
Silvia, however, was past caring. She scrambled onto the bed, like a drowning person grasping at driftwood.
Xia Naxin’s body heat radiated through her skin, yet it could not warm the chill that permeated Silvia’s very bones.
Silvia buried her face in her lover’s neck, tears dampening her cheeks.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”
She blamed herself repeatedly. Her first kiss, her first night—all stolen by Ling Qinghe. She felt utterly unworthy of Xia Naxin.
All those moments of affection and love that should have belonged to them, that awaited them, had been violently crushed to dust by that wicked woman, Ling Qinghe.
Silvia suddenly felt like a shattered and re-mended piece of ‘porcelain’.
Cracks would forever hold another’s fingerprints.
Silvia hugged Xia Naxin’s waist, feeling her steady breathing, yet unable to dispel the gloom in her heart.
Silvia yearned for this warmth and tranquility, feeling her lover’s heartbeat, but with every beat, she felt a pang of ‘guilt’.
‘Could someone like me still stand by her side?’
‘If only… none of this had ever happened, how wonderful that would be?’
Silvia didn’t know how she would face everything once Xia Naxin awoke.
Nor did she know how to explain it to her.
A bitter air filled the room.
Silvia felt she was suffocating. She curled into an even smaller ball, letting the darkness gradually consume her consciousness.
Amidst her turmoil and despair, her awareness blurred, finally succumbing to sleep in pain and unease.
****
After an unknown amount of time, Ling Qinghe, lying on the floor, suddenly felt her eyelashes flutter.
Cool against the floor, Ling Qinghe propped herself up on her arms, rubbing her heavy forehead.
“Huh? How did I end up here…”
As she spoke, Ling Qinghe heard a faint rustling from the bed.
She looked up. The sight on the bed made her breath catch.
Silvia was nestled in Xia Naxin’s embrace, their hair intertwined, and unshed tears still clung to Silvia’s eyelashes. Her sleeping face was serene.
Ling Qinghe herself didn’t realize why her heart felt so sour.
Seeing this, Ling Qinghe forced herself to look away, picking up the white dress scattered on the bed and pulling it on.
Next, she walked to her sister, Ling Cheyin, and raised her hand to dispel the telekinetic restraint binding her.
“Sister!”
The moment the psychic chains dissipated, Ling Cheyin threw herself into Ling Qinghe’s arms, intimately nuzzling her chest.
“Congratulations, Sister! I… I have a ‘sister-in-law’ now…”
“What sister-in-law?”
Ling Qinghe’s tone was cold, yet she unconsciously tightened her embrace around her sister.
She thought to herself, ‘My actions towards Silvia were merely about taking, satisfying desires, and…’
‘…revenge against Xia Naxin, nothing more.’
‘Yes, that must be it. She’s merely a somewhat interesting toy, and I suspect the novelty will quickly wear off.’
Upon hearing this, Ling Cheyin tilted her head up and blinked.
“What do you mean? Sister, you must like Silvia! Why else would you be so interested in a woman…
“And spend so much time saving her?”
****
After a while, Ling Cheyin held the phone she had retrieved from the corner of the room.
On the screen, the progress bar showed numbers ticking away. This recording… was two hours long!
‘How intense!’
Seeing this, Ling Cheyin sought praise from her sister.
“Sister, I recorded everything!”
“Hmm, your cleverness was put to good use.”
Ling Qinghe ruffled her sister’s hair, though her gaze remained fixed on the two figures embracing on the bed.
****
‘This recording… might even be useful for blackmailing Qiye?’
Ling Cheyin had a flash of inspiration, pressing the phone to her chest.
She began to fantasize, getting carried away with her thoughts.
‘What would Qiye’s reaction be upon seeing this two-hour ‘rescue’ video clip?’
‘This would give me even greater ‘leverage’ over Qiye.’
‘Perhaps I could even take it a step further, and blackmail the Three Colors Squad to get…’
****
For some reason, watching the entangled duo on the bed, Ling Qinghe felt a surge of suppressed anger.
It was as if she couldn’t tolerate these ‘thorns in her side.’ She wanted to… tear them apart, and claim Silvia for herself.
After a moment, Ling Qinghe leaned close to her sister’s ear.
“Give me the phone for now. Go prepare some meals.”
Ling Cheyin understood the implication. At this moment, it was best to avoid suspicion.
After handing the phone to her sister, she prepared to leave.
“Remember not to overdo it, Sister~”
Then came the sound of the door closing.
Ling Qinghe stood alone by the bed, and without a word, reached out to shake Silvia’s shoulder.
“Ugh~”
Silvia’s brow furrowed. With the persistent shaking, she reluctantly opened her eyes, her vision blurry.
It took a moment for her gaze to focus on… Ling Qinghe’s face.
“You…”
Silvia choked, words caught in her throat. She grabbed a nearby pillow and threw it.
“Why did you do this to me?!”
Ling Qinghe, however, stood with one hand on her hip, casually batting away the incoming pillow.
“To save you.”
“Look at the mark on your belly. It has evolved into a Twin Lust Heart Seed. You now belong to me, and also to Xia—”
“Stop it!”
Silvia sharply interrupted, covering her ears as large tears rolled down her cheeks. If she hadn’t been branded with that heart-shaped mark, she would have fought Ling Qinghe to the death long ago.
“You bastard—oof~!”
Mid-curse, Silvia clutched her stomach in pain. She turned to look at the still unconscious Xia Naxin.
They were lovers, yet they had been forced to endure such a thing while unconscious. How much pain must Xia Naxin be in?
“Lovers?”
Ling Qinghe suddenly chuckled.
“Look at this.”
She raised her hand, displaying a glowing phone screen.
Seeing this, Silvia flushed with anger and embarrassment.
She instinctively thought, ‘That damned Ling Qinghe is going to threaten me again with Qiye’s innocence and reputation!’
However, when Silvia clearly saw the image on the screen, she was shocked.
‘What is this?’
“The protagonist… is me?”
“Tell me, what if this video were to leak out?”
Ling Qinghe leaned in close, their foreheads almost touching.
Silvia stiffened, tilting her head back to distance herself from Ling Qinghe’s smirking, shamelessly close face.
However, Silvia also realized that her ‘humiliation’ might be exposed to the public.
It was the magic replenishment ritual… with Xia and Ling Qinghe.
“Delete it!”
She shrieked, lunging at Ling Qinghe, but was caught. Ling Qinghe’s palm pressed against her.
Ling Qinghe increased her force, pinning Silvia down, then leaned in and bit her ear.
“As long as you’re obedient, I… I can promise that this video will never be released.”
As she spoke, she reached out, touching Silvia’s lower abdomen, gently tracing it amidst Silvia’s trembling whimpers.
“We’ve already done what needed to be done, haven’t we, my dear~”
“Silvia, now, here, here, and here…”
Ling Qinghe pointed to Silvia’s lips, her heart, and her lower abdomen, among other places.
“All bear my marks.”
“I… I would rather die! I will never submit to you in this lifetime!”
Silvia struggled desperately. She absolutely refused to be pinned down by this detestable woman.
Suddenly, Silvia heard a faint sigh from above her.
“Do you know? From the first time you and I met, and the first time you so easily destroyed the mimicry beasts I summoned, I wanted to drag you into the abyss. Now, I’ve finally taken a few steps.”
“So what? You want to destroy me?”
Silvia clutched the bedsheet, meeting Ling Qinghe’s gaze defiantly. Yet, Ling Qinghe merely offered a faint smile.
“No, no, no… what I meant to say is, Silvia, I seem to have… fallen a little bit in love with you.”