The Devil's Contract Lover - Chapter 38

“Wuu wuu wuu,” Yao Yuan covered her face, clutching Xing kong’s hand like a wronged little wife, slowly and reluctantly walking out of the castle.

“You guys are so slow. What happened to your face?” Da Ju asked casually, but no one answered him. Xing kong’s expression was normal, but Yao Yuan’s face was only slightly better than a candied chestnut.

The group of four slowly made their way to the changing room to change their clothes. Each of them held a vanilla ice cream cone as they ambled toward the exit.

“Xiao Yuan, where else do you want to go? There’s a fireworks show in 10 minutes,” Xing kong  bent down, his gaze focused.

Somewhere else to go? A golden spark flashed through her mind. No, there are too many people today; there’s no need to look for something that might not exist.

“Nowhere. We can watch the fireworks from the entrance. Let’s go back—” The Ferris wheel directly across from them stood silently at the end of their sight, and her heart was suddenly stirred.

“I want to go see the Ferris wheel,” she blurted out, an unnamable feeling quietly sinking into the deepest part of her heart.

A few days had passed since the accident. The Ferris wheel stood quietly in place, wrapped on the outside by a circle of rope with a “Tourists Stop” sign hanging on it.

Xing kong , holding her hand, walked straight through the rope barrier with a brazen disregard.

“Want to confirm it properly? Good habit,” the devil whispered in her ear, causing the fine hairs on her ear to tingle.

Even up close, she couldn’t see anything unusual. There was no red figure, no golden light; the motionless Ferris wheel was shrouded in darkness.

Xing kong  picked her up and lightly leaped into a gondola.

“It’s so cold,” Yao Yuan complained, pushing away from Xing kong’s embrace, only to find it was even colder without him.

She secretly glanced at Xing kong, but the devil didn’t reach out again. Feeling awkward about leaning back in, she hugged her own arms.

This place was quite suitable for talking. Yao Yuan’s heart stirred: Xing kong  was not a magnanimous devil; the face-pinching punishment just now didn’t count as passing the test at all.

[Attack proactively, righteously and openly!]

She softly nestled closer, pressing her fingernails hard into her palm: “I’m sorry, Xing kong ~ I just said that out of habit during the fight~” “Oh? No need to apologize, I know you weren’t talking about me.” The first half of the devil’s sentence made her relax, but the following half made her heart clench again.

“Xiao Yuan, you weren’t thinking of resisting me in your heart, were you?” A touch of crimson flickered in his eyes.

This is a trick question!

Yao Yuan quickly calculated in her mind: Saying no would definitely be a lie. The shovel she swung was indeed aimed at the unfamiliar male devil, but against Xing kong … her inner unease was also about to spill over.

When she shouted that sentence, she definitely wanted to vent her resentment at being in an inferior position. Even if her lover was perfect, she didn’t like the feeling of being completely controlled by the devil.

So, the moment she brought the shovel down, it was indeed Xing kong’s face in her mind.

If this were a game, there would surely be three options here.

[Lie. The devil said she can’t read minds.]

[Tell the truth, face death with courage and confidence.]

[Just act cute and silly.] It seems this is the correct answer!

“Eh heh.” She tilted her head, giggling foolishly, and the temperature instantly dropped. Oh no, wrong choice… There was no ‘Favorability decrease’ prompt in her ear, only the intense pressure that enveloped her.

“Xiao Yuan, I’ll give you one more chance.” A dangerous aura pulsed near her ear: “Tell me, who did you most want to hit earlier?”

Her heart plummeted. This really was a trick question.

“Xing kong , I didn’t mean it that way.” Should she say here that hitting is an act of affection? No, no, if she dared to say that, she would really die!

One hand gently caressed Yao Yuan’s right arm, then slowly increased its grip: “I remember you once said you would treat me righteously and openly, fulfilling the contract like a true lover.”

“Yes, yes, yes, and you also said that domestic violence is bad, something even scumbags wouldn’t stoop to,” Yao Yuan nodded hastily.

Xing kong’s voice held a smile: “That’s right. Lovers certainly shouldn’t think about hitting each other. Using fists or weapons is a sin, isn’t it?”

“I… I’m sorry!”

“When I said I wouldn’t use certain methods anymore, there was a prerequisite.” Xing kong’s voice gradually deepened: “That is, if you truly treated me as your lover. Since you haven’t, are you prepared to accept all of my abilities?”

A scream was caught in Yao Yuan’s throat, which was lightly pressed by his fingertip. It didn’t hurt much, but her whole body trembled with fear.

Clang! Clang! The gondola suddenly shook. The Ferris wheel had started moving right at that moment, and the restraints on her body instantly loosened. The devil glanced outside, temporarily sat back in his seat, and shielded her within his arms.

Yao Yuan let out a huge sigh of relief, patting her own little heart. It wasn’t time to relax yet. Although investigating the anomaly of the Ferris wheel was important, the most crucial thing now was definitely to reach a truce.

“Xing kong ~” She drew out her voice in a spoiled manner, leaning against him again, gently rubbing the devil’s shoulder with her head: “Can you forgive me this one time, please? Just this once.”

The devil didn’t speak, so she continued to escalate her efforts: “This time it really was my fault. But we’ve both improved a lot since the beginning, haven’t we? You’re super sincere now, and I’m genuinely touched~” “Is that so?” Xing kong  was noncommittal.

“Of course~ Look, our date today was very successful,” she blinked hard.

“I don’t think so.”

“…” That’s just mean, Yao Yuan puffed out her cheeks, wanting to curse but not daring to. The chilled atmosphere had eased after her apology, but the devil was still not as considerate as before.

Come to think of it, since when did Xing kong … start losing his temper like this? The devil could never have been a good person from the start and often threatened her, but being unappeasable with just two sentences was very rare.

What did she usually do before? Xing kong  would immediately adopt an affectionate attitude, offering expensive gifts without a second thought… But illusions, magic, and wealth might be cheaper to a devil than his own emotions.

Thinking of this, she tentatively placed her hand on Xing kong’s leg.

She waited a few seconds, and when she wasn’t rejected, Yao Yuan leaned forward, gently placing her other hand on top of Xing kong’s. The devil’s eyes lifted slightly, still indifferent.

Until… her bright smile reflected in them.

Fireworks exploded brilliantly in the sky, the scattered light illuminating the gondola in the air.

Her actively pressed lips were slightly tense, like a wild rabbit tentatively extending a paw to test a coyote’s den… This rabbit, naturally, could not escape.

Did she think she could escape with one shallow kiss? The devil wouldn’t give her that chance.

A scorching heat surged in mercilessly, eliminating all hesitation. Even with the [Equal Treatment] clause, when tightly embraced by the demon, she could still feel the leash tightening around her neck and the overwhelming demand of his desires.

After they separated, Yao Yuan gasped for breath, slumping back into Xing kong’s arms, feeling like countless little stars were rising and falling all around her. When she collected herself, she lay back, quietly enjoying the colorful fireworks dissipate as the gondola reached its highest point.

Suddenly, a playful, mischievous thought flashed through her mind.

“Xing kong , how are you so skilled?” she deliberately mimicked the tone of a certain game character.

“Skilled at what?”

Yao Yuan lazily nudged his stomach with her head: “At kissing, of course…”

After a long silence, the devil spoke as the gondola began its descent: “Guess.”

“I won’t guess…” The sense of danger made the human retreat instantly. She rubbed Xing kong ‘s hand with her head to appease him: “Are you still angry?”

“I’m not angry. I haven’t been from the start.”

“You said that! You can’t go back on your word, and no settling scores later!” Yao Yuan lifted her face, staring suspiciously at his placid features.

Xing kong  pinched Yao Yuan’s cheek: “Do you want to make a bet with me?” A bet? No way. Who would dare to gamble with a devil? Having almost developed Devil-Betting-TSD, she decisively shook her head: “No bet, no bet. What were you going to bet on anyway…”

Xing kong  let go of her hand: “Of course I was betting that you would try to provoke me once every few days.”

The girl resting on the devil’s lap was stunned, then suddenly burst into laughter: “Hahahaha, what’s there to be afraid of gambling? I’d definitely bet that you will get angry! Ow, ow, ow… Please be merciful and let go, let go~~” Under the heavy night, the two walked away from the Ferris wheel hand in hand. A gust of wind blew, scattering cherry blossoms on the ground. Something heavy landed on Yao Yuan’s forehead. She reached up to touch it, and what met her hand was not a small pink petal, but a rosebud.

“How can there be a rose on a cherry tree?” She was momentarily stunned. Clutching the bud happily, she looked towards Xing kong , but her smile froze on her face: the devil was looking in the direction of the Ferris wheel.

The highest gondola had just gone dark, and a red figure gradually vanished.

As they entered the villa, Da Ju was the first to loudly demand a shower: “Should I stay on the first floor or the second floor?”

Since both floors had separate toilets and bathrooms, it didn’t really matter.

Yao Yuan glanced at Xing kong  and, seeing no objection, said, “You and Xiao Yu can take the guest rooms on the second floor, one left and one right.”

“Fine, whatever,” he replied.

After settling all the guests, the rooms quickly became quiet. Yao Yuan showered and comfortably lay back in the quilt. Being wrapped up on all sides truly felt super safe~ She was happily bundling herself into a round ball when Xing kong  suddenly pulled the quilt, and half of it fell to the other side.

“Xing kong , aren’t there several blankets in the closet?”

“One is enough.”

Recalling how she had provoked the devil just today, she dared not argue further and lay down obediently: “Okay, just don’t crush me…”

The lights went out, and the human gradually drifted into sleep.

Wisp after wisp of white smoke enveloped the house, probing at the window. Pat, pat, a rhythmic tapping sound was completely absorbed by the runes on the glass.

Xing kong  glanced at Yao Yuan, who was clinging to him like an octopus, then turned into black mist before re-coalescing by the bed. After the runes were retracted, the white smoke successfully seeped into the room.

“Your power is truly astonishing.” A girl in a long purple dress materialized in the white smoke, her bare feet touching the carpet: “Don’t attack me yet, I have something to discuss with you.”

The devil stood between her and Yao Yuan: “Speak.”

“The matter in that mountain village was your doing, wasn’t it? It was terrifying. Aside from the victims, I think anyone who saw that scene would be satisfied.” The girl in the purple dress shook her head, opening her vigilant eyes: “Forget it, I’m not in a position to criticize you on that point… I want to make a deal with you.”

“You don’t have the qualifications to sign a contract.”

“I know.” She took a few steps toward Xing kong  but was forced back by a sharp blade: “A verbal agreement is fine.” Ignoring the shadow aggressively swallowing the white smoke, she managed to shield her head, her faint voice relaying her final words: “Even a devil needs power. I can offer you a stronger and purer power—” The devil did not reply. He stood on the dividing line between light and shadow, slicing through the heavy mist.

The negotiation broke down, and the white mist dissipated once more in the space.

“The ability to escape is decent,” a scornful voice remarked, and darkness and tranquility once again enveloped the room.

Ugh… it’s so cold.

Yao Yuan reached out a hand, grasping at nothing. The soft white clouds of her dream instantly vanished, and she smacked her head on the pillow.

“Wah, Xing kong ? Where’s Xing kong !”

Her hand suddenly touched cold skin. Looking closely, the devil lying beside her was gazing at her without a word.

Yao Yuan patted Xing kong’s stomach and sighed with relief: “You’re here… I thought you disappeared.” She whined and flopped horizontally onto the devil’s body, squinting her eyes to go back to sleep.

“Xiao Yuan.”

“Hmm?”

“Let’s go on a date tomorrow.” Xing kong  wrapped his arms around her waist: “A date like normal lovers.”