After the Black Moonlight’s "Death Escape" Failed [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 37.1

Chapter 37.1: The Wolf and the Whip-Wielder

◎ “Do you… like me?” ◎

Jiao Qingyin brought Al to the room next to her own bedroom.

This was the place Jiao Qingyin had originally intended to settle Al. Indeed, after being brought back from the Red Tower, Al had spent one day here—though only her body lay on the bed while her soul had turned into a wolf pup that Jiao Qingyin picked up.

Since then, Al had essentially never stepped foot in this room again. She never imagined that the day she returned… it would be in Jiao Qingyin’s arms.

Even after being placed on the bed, Al’s cheeks remained burning hot. She didn’t say a word. Her usual arrogance—the way she constantly schemed to get close to Jiao Qingyin—was completely suppressed. Her heart was racing so fast that she couldn’t think straight.

At this moment, she was much more obedient than usual. Seeing Al looking so constrained, the corners of Jiao Qingyin’s mouth quirked up in a subtle smile.

Catching sight of that smile, Al finally snapped out of it. Her first reaction was—she had actually let her mind go blank and failed to record every single detail of the moment Jiao Qingyin held her!!

Al was instantly filled with immense regret. Who knew if there would ever be a second chance? She had actually missed it!!!

After finding a piece of black fabric of suitable width, Jiao Qingyin turned around and caught the full spectrum of Al’s vivid facial expressions.

She couldn’t help but chuckle softly. However, before Al could notice, she retracted all expression and walked step by step to the bedside.

Al tried to sit up, but Jiao Qingyin pressed a hand against her shoulder.

“Your Highness?” It was all happening too fast; Al was a bit nervous.

“Don’t move,” Jiao Qingyin said, holding up the fabric to measure it against Al’s head. Seeing the length was right, she moved to cover Al’s eyes.

“Why do I have to—”

“This is a necessary step.”

Jiao Qingyin cut off Al’s question. The soft black fabric covered the latter’s eyes, completely blocking her vision.

Suddenly plunged into darkness, a sense of insecurity made Al immediately reach out and grab Jiao Qingyin’s sleeve. She was like a drowning person, clutching tightly to the only piece of straw on the river’s surface.

Jiao Qingyin paused for a moment before continuing her movements naturally, tying the fabric behind Al’s head.

She then quietly left a restriction on the knot. The restriction could only be triggered by her own elemental power, ensuring that Al wouldn’t be able to untie it.

This was indeed a necessary step for healing Al’s legs—she was going to use magic to transfer the toxins from the other’s legs to herself, and the entire process could not be seen by Al.

Although Jiao Qingyin felt that Al had long since discovered her ability to use magic, the System didn’t know that Al knew. Therefore, she couldn’t let the secret slip.

However, after blindfolding Al, Jiao Qingyin remembered that her prepared tools and materials were all in the next room. There were knight guards in the corridor; if she brought a bunch of magical supplies out from the next room, it might cause unnecessary complications.

Jiao Qingyin thought for a bit and decided to simply climb through the window.

Al heard a soft sound beside her, followed by a cold breeze hitting her body. She realized Jiao Qingyin had opened the window.

Unable to see, she instinctively gripped Jiao Qingyin’s sleeve even tighter.

“Al, let go,” Jiao Qingyin said helplessly.

Al hesitated. Not only did she refuse to let go, but she also pulled harder. As if that wasn’t enough, her other hand climbed up as well, and she directly hung her entire body onto Jiao Qingyin.

She was like a clingy dog; she knew her owner had serious business to do, but she just wanted her owner to stay with her.

“I’m just going out for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

As Jiao Qingyin spoke, she tried to pat Al’s hands away.

Al did indeed follow her lead and let go, but before Jiao Qingyin could relax, Al suddenly leaned forward and swiftly wrapped her arms around Jiao Qingyin’s waist.

Jiao Qingyin, whose waist was extremely sensitive, nearly reacted with a reflexive strike. Fortunately, she realized the person in front of her wasn’t an enemy but her own troublesome protagonist, and her tensed nerves relaxed.

She peeled Al’s fingers away one by one, but as soon as she pried one loose, another would tighten its grip. Jiao Qingyin worked at it for a long time but achieved nothing; it felt as if she were playing a game with Al.

Jiao Qingyin grew tired. Seeing that the other refused to let her go, she could only try gentle persuasion. “I’m going to get someone to treat you. Please cooperate.”

Al immediately asked back: “Who are you going to get?”

Jiao Qingyin was vague, making up a story on the spot using the only healer she knew: “Lottis.”

Al let out a soft laugh. “Your Highness, I know she only excels at alchemy and farming. She can’t even treat minor injuries very well.”

Her lie exposed, Jiao Qingyin was momentarily speechless. But on second thought, she didn’t need to answer Al’s question, so she simply laid her cards on the table: “That person doesn’t want you to know their identity. Let go now, or she’ll change her mind and won’t treat you.”

Hearing this, Al became very quiet. With the black cloth covering her eyes, she looked slightly more frail than usual. Her lips had turned somewhat pale from being bitten.

Not this again… Jiao Qingyin looked away. She couldn’t stand seeing Al like this, or else her emotions would always betray her logic.

Meanwhile, Al’s intuition was constantly sounding an alarm.

Something is wrong. Something is definitely wrong—

Why must her eyes be covered? Is there something she isn’t supposed to know? What exactly is this so-called “method” to heal her legs? Can such a complete cure for a disability be without a price?

Al was certain that “finding someone to treat her” was just a hastily fabricated lie. The person who was going to treat her was definitely Jiao Qingyin herself.

A strong sense of unease made her press her entire body against Jiao Qingyin while clutching her waist, like a piece of sticky candy that couldn’t be shaken off.

She was pressed too close. Jiao Qingyin’s body stiffened uncontrollably, and she immediately wanted to push her away. But just as her hands touched Al’s shoulders, she felt the other person trembling.

Was she… crying?

Jiao Qingyin stiffened even more. Her movements stalled for a long time before she began to move slowly, like a machine that hadn’t been oiled in years.

“…What is this for?”

Her tone carried a trace of indulgence and worry that she hadn’t noticed herself—behavior completely uncharacteristic of the original host.

The System noticed, but because all the data appeared normal and the role-playing value remained steady at “5,” it chose not to offer a reminder. It began writing another report to headquarters, hoping for a comprehensive virus scan of the entire database.

Jiao Qingyin’s hand landed gently on Al’s head. Feeling the soft hair beneath her palm, she instinctively gave it a rub. It was as if she were comforting a wounded animal.

A certain “successfully comforted small animal” moved slightly, finally loosening her grip on Jiao Qingyin’s waist and looking up.

Jiao Qingyin immediately checked the black cloth covering the other’s eyes. It was clean, with no water stains.

…Good, she wasn’t crying.

“I have something I want to say to you, can I…? I can only say it to you alone.”

Al’s voice was muffled, her words somewhat unclear, but Jiao Qingyin guessed her unspoken meaning: the other was asking if she had a way to temporarily drive away the other presence—the System—to leave her a chance for a private conversation.

Jiao Qingyin sighed inwardly. She had to admit, Al was frighteningly sharp. She thought she hadn’t shown any clues, yet the other had still become wary.

But she was using a small sacrifice in exchange for a healthy body; for Al, it was a purely good thing. There was no need to be this nervous.

Jiao Qingyin had already planned it out. The toxins would be compressed during the transfer process, and she would then guide them into her own left eye. Losing sight in one eye wouldn’t show any obvious abnormality on the outside, and it wouldn’t significantly affect her normal movement.

“Can I? Just a few words,” Al was still asking.

Jiao Qingyin took a moment to look at the System. Seeing that the other was busy with flying data streams, writing a virus report to headquarters, her heart skipped a beat. It seemed it wouldn’t be long before she would be free again for a while.

But the System wouldn’t be leaving just yet. Jiao Qingyin turned her gaze back to Al, only to find that a thin layer of blood had appeared on the other’s lips at some point.

…Jiao Qingyin remembered that the other liked to bite things whenever she was nervous. If she couldn’t bite anything else, she would bite her own lips. This was not a good habit.

So, she instinctively reached out and pressed her thumb between Al’s teeth, forcing her to open her mouth.

“…” Al was clearly stunned.

“Ahem,” feeling the softness of the tongue under her thumb, Jiao Qingyin quickly withdrew her hand. After a light cough, she said with grandiosity, “Don’t go biting yourself.”

She looked around as she spoke. There was nothing suitable nearby, and wiping her slightly damp thumb anywhere felt weird. After hesitating between Al’s clothes and the bedsheets beneath her, Jiao Qingyin decided to ignore the thumb for now and just wash her hands when she got back to her room.

Taking advantage of Al being distracted by this sudden turn of events, Jiao Qingyin extracted herself from the embrace, took several steps back, and said: “Not now. Whatever you want to say, say it later. I’ll first…”

Then her voice vanished.

The embrace was suddenly empty. Unable to see anything, Al’s heart pounded wildly. “Your Highness—!”

The eyes beneath the black cloth instantly changed from round to fierce. Several pure black threads flew out from Al’s body, rushing like living creatures toward the last position Jiao Qingyin had occupied.

Then they hit nothing but air. Jiao Qingyin had suddenly disappeared from the room.

An aura so suppressed it was terrifying instantly erupted from Al.

She reached out to untie the black fabric, but upon sensing the elemental power Jiao Qingyin had left on it, her hand paused. She didn’t forcibly destroy it, choosing to do something else instead.

Elemental power condensed into a black liquid, beginning to spread outward from her body. It landed on the floor, passed through the cracks in the door… in a few breaths, it occupied the entire room and continued to extend outward. At first glance, it looked like a cluster of black snakes surrounding their king.

Jiao Qingyin, who had quickly jumped out the window back to her room, swiftly grabbed her pre-prepared material bag and tools, but was delayed for a few seconds by washing her hands… and at this moment was standing by the window thinking about jumping back: “…”

Jiao Qingyin had intended to go and return quickly, thinking nothing would happen in a minute. Who knew that…

Looking at the room full of flying… tentacles, her vision went dark.

They looked all too familiar—before participating in the masquerade ball, while she was changing her clothes, she had almost caught a tentacle of the same model.

So the little thief from back then was Al—no—now was not the time to investigate what happened then.

Every single one of these black whisker-like things radiated a massive amount of elemental power. Jiao Qingyin considered her own magic level to be quite high, but if she had to deal with these tentacles while simultaneously subduing Al, who had released them…

She knew Al had a high talent for magic and had learned more magic than in the original book under her deliberate indulgence, but she never imagined the other had already become powerful to this extent.

The ability Al was displaying now had already exceeded the level she should have had in the mid-to-late stages of the original book.

Jiao Qingyin couldn’t help but drag the System out, questioning it: “When I first entered this world, you told me the mission difficulty was three stars, not very high.”

Does this look like “not very high”?

There was still a year before the plot point of sending Al to the colosseum. Jiao Qingyin had no doubt that with Al’s current strength, the moment she sent her in, the other would punch through the entire colosseum, capture her, and skip directly to the “little dark room.”

At that point, she would die before the mission was completed. Not only would all her early efforts be in vain, but more seriously, she might be trapped in this world forever.

As it turned out, the System was even more shocked than she was. Garbled code appeared across its entire interface. After a moment, it gave feedback: “Host, please handle the protagonist on your own for now. The System will apply for support from headquarters…”

With a crackle of static, the System disappeared.

Jiao Qingyin: “…”

On one hand, she felt a sense of relief at the System’s departure; on the other, she worried that after headquarters sent support, someone would come and “process” either her or Al. Her mood was extremely complicated.

But since she couldn’t rely on the System right now, Jiao Qingyin quietly retracted her foot that was exploring the room, intending to leave for a while until Al’s anger subsided…

“Your Highness?” Al suddenly turned her head, looking through the black cloth toward the direction where Jiao Qingyin was located.

Jiao Qingyin, sitting on the window ledge and about to jump down: “…”

She slowly looked down and saw a black whisker clinging to her left wrist. It looked a bit like a hemp rope. Not only did it bind Jiao Qingyin, but after she looked over, it even gave a little wiggle.

It looked like it was being shy, yet also like it was throwing a tantrum. In short, it very humanly displayed Al’s emotions.

…It seemed she couldn’t leave.

Jiao Qingyin sighed, intending to climb down from the window ledge voluntarily. Because the window was right next to the bed, Jiao Qingyin didn’t want to step on the sheets with her shoes, so she intended to lean to the side. But just as she made a move, the whisker that had been quietly tied to her wrist acted.

—It pulled her directly onto the bed.

Considering Al’s current mental state wasn’t quite normal, Jiao Qingyin didn’t struggle, letting Al press her body down onto her.

The wolf pup often did this movement, but Al’s size was much larger than the wolf’s. With Al pressing down on her, Jiao Qingyin suddenly couldn’t get up. Moreover, even at this point, Al hadn’t retracted those flying tentacles.

Is she not going to pretend anymore?

Jiao Qingyin wanted to say something to ease the atmosphere, but then a sharp pain suddenly erupted at her neck.

“Mmph!” Jiao Qingyin let out a sound of pain. “You—”

Al was nipping at the skin of her neck, fiercely grinding her canine teeth as if in a predator’s stance to tear open prey’s throat.

But Jiao Qingyin felt a strange certainty… she felt Al was just angry and wouldn’t truly hurt her. Even though the room full of black whiskers had all stopped, surrounding her and Al in layers, this intuition did not waver.

However, Al was biting harder and harder. Jiao Qingyin’s initial compensatory mindset quickly vanished between the other’s teeth. Seeing Al wouldn’t stop, Jiao Qingyin finally lost her patience and slapped the brat on the forehead.

Why can’t things be resolved with words instead of biting!

Al let go this time. Sensing the pain in her neck, Jiao Qingyin let out a hiss and reached up to touch it, only to find a hand full of blood.

Jiao Qingyin was stunned. Why was there so much blood?

The culprit’s eyes were covered, so she couldn’t see the blood on Jiao Qingyin, but her sense of smell was sensitive. She noticed something was wrong almost immediately after.

“Blood?” Al’s voice was so stiff it was trembling. “You’re bleeding? Is it… me…?”

Rationality returned in full at this moment. All the black whiskers were retracted by Al within a single second. The massive elemental power suddenly returned to her body; Al’s throat hitched, and her face turned visibly pale.

Ignoring her own discomfort, she frantically tried to pull off the black cloth on her eyes, but she was stopped by the now-composed Jiao Qingyin.

Jiao Qingyin realized this was the best opportunity. Because of the excessive use of magic followed by the sudden retraction of all elemental power, Al was currently in an especially weak state. She had to perform the “surgery” now. Otherwise, once Al became wary, it would be almost impossible to trick her into cooperating again.

“It’s stopped,” Jiao Qingyin said in a low voice after applying a healing spell to herself and restraining Al.

“It’s stopped?” Al repeated dazed. She then twitched her nose, and after confirming the scent of blood wasn’t growing stronger, she relaxed slightly.

At this point, she remembered to apologize for her recklessness: “Your Highness, I’m sorry, I…”

Al’s voice was truly sobbing now. She was both anxious and afraid. For a moment just now, she really thought, thought…

She thought the other didn’t want her anymore. The other always said she was too clingy; perhaps she had just been sick of her and suddenly left without a word…

Seeing her look so sad, Jiao Qingyin didn’t expect her small action to have caused such a massive psychological trauma to Al. The anger that had flared from being bitten dissipated. She lowered her hand and rubbed the other’s head. “Don’t overthink things.”

Because the System was gone, Jiao Qingyin’s movements were unconsciously much gentler than usual. However, since the blood on her hand hadn’t dried, she accidentally smeared some on Al’s forehead.

Jiao Qingyin felt a bit awkward. She wanted to wipe it off but fell back into the previous predicament of not finding suitable fabric. After looking around, she simply used her sleeve to wipe away the large smear of blood.

The snow-white sleeve was instantly stained, but a faint pinkish tint remained on the skin of Al’s forehead.

“You get up first. We need to get down to business…”

“Jiao-Jiao?”

Jiao Qingyin stiffened completely, thinking she might be hallucinating.

However, as if fearing Jiao Qingyin hadn’t heard her, Al called out again the next second: “Jiao-Jiao!”

When she spoke the second time, her tone became extremely certain, and her volume doubled. She was clearly becoming excited.

Caught off guard, Jiao Qingyin’s body, which she had just propped up, was pushed back down by Al. Her head hit the soft pillow. Jiao Qingyin didn’t feel pain, but Al immediately became nervous, supporting her head with one hand. “Where did you hit? Are you hurt?”

Jiao Qingyin looked up at her, her emotions complex beyond words. The System had just left and Al had already noticed; this was far too fast.

But since she had been found out, many things could be said plainly. Jiao Qingyin grabbed Al’s hand, pulled the girl off her, and said: “If you keep tossing around like this, do you not want to heal your legs?”

Al shook her head. “I’m not doing it.”

Jiao Qingyin’s movements stalled. She never expected Al to refuse.

Before she could speak, Al repeated, “I don’t want to heal them anymore.” She spoke clearly, looking as if she had already made up her mind.

Jiao Qingyin was silent for a moment before asking: “Why?”

After a few seconds of silence, Al’s voice sounded low: “You are the one treating me, right?”

Jiao Qingyin hadn’t expected to keep it from her anyway. Seeing she had been discovered, she simply admitted it.

Al’s face grew even paler. Noticing her abnormality, Jiao Qingyin turned her concern into a question: “What, you don’t believe in my ability?”

“No!” Al argued frantically. “I just feel—”

“Hmm?”

The atmosphere between the two suddenly fell into a heavy silence. After a long time, Al spoke slowly: “I feel that you are hiding something from me… for example… what is the price of the treatment?”

Al had tried countless methods, and yet her legs remained devoid of life. If curing a disability were truly such an easy thing, she would have healed herself long ago. But something she had tried a thousand times and failed at had become a casual “it hurts a little” in Jiao Qingyin’s mouth… Al didn’t believe it could be that simple.