The Devil's Contract Lover - Chapter 22

The sound of rain was gradually intensifying. Yao Yuan tossed and turned in her sleep. “Xing Kong, close the window.”

She slowly woke up. Wait, she wasn’t at home now. Where would such a loud water sound come from on a cruise ship?

Drowsily, Yao Yuan climbed out of bed but couldn’t find her slippers. For some reason, she couldn’t find the light switch either. “Xing Kong.” She fumbled towards the door, as if still dreaming.

Click. The door opened, and the sound of water instantly became overwhelming.

No, it wasn’t just the overwhelming sound—it was genuine seawater!

The seawater instantly poured in, covering her ankles.

What was going on? Why was it so dark? Yao Yuan gave herself a hard slap.

It stung a little, so it probably wasn’t a dream.

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter. The sound of many people’s footsteps arose.

The rain curtain, which had been so quiet just moments before, was instantly filled with noise. When she stepped onto the deck, countless panicked people were scrambling like headless chickens, looking for a way out.

They were pushing each other, and some were shouting: “Lifeboat! Lifeboat!”

She must still be dreaming, Yao Yuan pinched herself hard. It hurt, it still hurt a lot.

But where did so many people come from on the ship? They didn’t look like crew members. Everyone’s clothes were ordinary, and they didn’t seem to be occult enthusiasts.

“Move aside!” A girl’s voice sounded, and Yao Yuan bumped squarely into her.

“Fire Opal?!”

“What Fire Opal? You want to die, but I don’t.” The girl, who looked exactly like the one named Fire Opal from the morning, lifted her skirt and rushed to the other side, disappearing around the corner.

What could possibly make a chūnibyō who insisted on wearing fiery red clothes change into a blue dress?

Yao Yuan’s face sank. It seemed this was an extremely potent illusion.

She didn’t follow the crowd running outwards. If one could still die in an illusion, she had to avoid the most dangerous places. Rushing onto a lifeboat with a large crowd of people would be an open invitation to be killed however the enemy wished.

She walked against the flow of people, heading inside the cabin: someone must still be inside.

The water was gradually rising, soon covering her shins. Yao Yuan, however, calmed down. Good, it seemed the enemy didn’t want her to do this.

Who was the one who ambushed her? Was it that strange succubus or the person behind the succubus? Or maybe Chu Yan… could she be the one behind the succubus?

She wasn’t sure where to go, but if she had to find someone to escape—Xing Kong’s face first flashed through her mind, but she immediately shook her head: Xing Kong might be entangled with the enemy.

Faces flashed back and forth in her mind, and the image finally settled on Lin Xiaoyu, whom she had just met. If it were her… For some unknown reason, Yao Yuan’s intuition whispered: She will help her.

She took a deep breath, letting the air rush out of her chest. “Lin Xiaoyu—” Her penetrating voice vibrated in the space, mingling with the gurgling sound of the water.

Yao Yuan gave a wry smile. Sure enough, it wasn’t that simple. How could just shouting a name… She froze.

A beam of light shone on the staircase. This was already the top deck, and the staircase could only lead to a space that didn’t originally exist.

She didn’t stop to wonder if it was a trap and sprinted up the stairs. The carved wooden doors opened automatically to both sides.

“Quite clever, aren’t you?” Lin Xiaoyu leaned back in a pearwood chair, dressed in an elaborate gown. Lace folded in layers, and fragmented gems created a dazzling effect.

The furnishings in the room were very classical, but the furniture design didn’t belong to any artistic style Yao Yuan knew. What made her sigh in relief was that the young man who had put her under so much pressure was not beside her.

“I want to ask for your help to save me. May I ask what price I need to pay?” Yao Yuan placed her hand on her chest, barely catching her breath. “I won’t hide anything from you; my soul has already been paid to the devil, so it is the only thing I cannot give you.”

“Price? No need. Although you are not mine… in my eyes, everyone is equally worth saving.” Compassion appeared for only a moment, quickly replaced by shrewdness. “You are safe now. Would you like to hear my proposal?”

“Please, go ahead,” Yao Yuan stood meekly opposite her, seemingly facing not an ordinary girl but a more noble being.

“Do you believe me when I say that although this is a dream, it can substitute reality?”

“I can definitely understand that,” Yao Yuan replied with a bitter smile. “Since devils exist, space-time magic must also be possible.”

“Good. In any case, the ‘you’ in this dream has not signed a contract with the devil,” Lin Xiaoyu patiently explained. “The enemy constructed such a dream for you precisely to bypass the devil’s protection over you.”

“Are you suggesting?” Yao Yuan looked cautiously at Lin Xiaoyu.

“It’s very simple. I have the ability to send the black hand that framed you back, allowing you to escape the threat of death. At the same time, I can graft your fate, completely freeing you from the devil’s bargain.”

“I really don’t have to pay any price?!”

Lin Xiaoyu pondered for a moment. “If we’re talking about a price, well, your connection with the real world will weaken further, making it harder to establish intimate relationships with others. After all, you would be walking on a parallel world whose distance has been forcibly shortened.”

“Since I’m already…” Yao Yuan’s heart jumped before she agreed. “Will Xing Kong be okay? What will happen to her after the contract ceases to exist?”

“Oh, you mean the devil? She will suffer some backlash and punishment because the contract is torn up. A tiny bit of pain is nothing to them,” Lin Xiaoyu said lightly, waving her hand.

Yao Yuan nodded. “I understand—please send me back to the real world.”

Lin Xiaoyu didn’t seem confused, merely following up as a routine. “Are you sure? I, Xiao Mei, the devil, and other beings like us are too ‘heavy’ for your world. The devil stays by your side through the contract, and we can only stay for a very short time each visit. If you miss this chance, I won’t be able to help you.”

“If my freedom comes at the cost of betraying and harming my benefactor, then I truly cannot do it,” she replied with difficulty. “Even if it’s just my wishful thinking, Xing Kong did save my life.”

“Hahahaha.” Lin Xiaoyu laughed heartily. “Are you perhaps showing pity to the devil because she was seriously injured before, and you feel you can’t add insult to injury?”

Yao Yuan’s confusion flashed across her face. “That’s right. Perhaps the future her will do something terrifying to me. Perhaps one day I will regret today’s refusal, but right now, I don’t want to betray Xing Kong.” She took a few steps forward and bowed deeply. “Thank you very much for your kindness.”

“Even so, you still want to go back?”

“Yes, even so, I want to go back.”

“The devil waiting over there can come out now. Don’t think I can’t see you,” Lin Xiaoyu suddenly clapped her hands. “Thank your little girlfriend. If it weren’t for her, I would definitely send you back to the Purgatory.”

“Confident for a newborn deity, aren’t you? This is not a world you created. It’s not certain who will kill whom.” Xing Kong’s figure slowly emerged.

“Fine, you tricked me!” Yao Yuan was annoyed. “Why didn’t you just come and save me earlier, and none of this would have happened?”

Xing Kong didn’t reply. Her faintly mocking smile seemed a little more genuine, no longer superficial.

Lin Xiaoyu shook her head. “Ah, to be young is wonderful~ Devil, when you get tired of playing with her soul, remember to offer it to me. I definitely want to ask her if she regrets it or not.”

Yao Yuan was so frightened that her hair stood on end and she darted into the devil’s arms.

A bluish-red brilliance enveloped the two of them. Space and time twisted before the deity.