The Devil's Contract Lover - Chapter 55

Shanshan’s blood bloomed in the departed time, and the truth was masked by the sealing of that day. Shanshan’s parents and life were assigned to an [Unrelated Person] who should have died with them.

Why did this happen? Who was [She]—Yao Yuan? She was fundamentally an ordinary person who received a strange gift, returned to an ordinary life, and was then killed by the one pursuing her…

A hand gently covered her eyes, dimming the light.

“It’s over now. Come home with me, Xiao Yuan.”

The distance between the amusement park and the villa called ‘home’ was not far. When the lights came on, Yao Yuan suddenly clutched her head: “Turn off the lights!” Her screams masked her fear. The illusion clinging to her pinky finger was constantly draining away. When even the anchor of confidence began to loosen, what could save a weak existence destined to disappear?

The lights went out. Instability persisted in the enveloping darkness. “It must be funny, right? It must be hilarious?” Yao Yuan’s fragmented voice was more ephemeral than a candle flickering in the wind. “Maybe I was fake from the start, more inferior than Chu Yan, just… just some kind of… kind of usurper…”

The sense of suffocation coming from all directions was self-imposed, yet she was powerless to break free. The phrase, “Life is inherently meaningless; you must determine its meaning,” was only useful for humans… Perhaps she wasn’t even human, just a temporary symbol created by a god.

The accompanying parents, the source of her bonds, her past experiences, the reality she had always felt since childhood—if all of this were stripped away, what would remain of a human? Not to mention, the meaning of her survival might simply be to escape.

If she were to die an unnatural death, the fragments of power would fall into the hands of a devil or a false god. If she died of old age, the fragment might return to some unknown place, or it might stir up more contention.

Meaning, meaning… If she still had any meaning now. Her eyes suddenly met the devil’s distinct crimson. Ignoring the coldness in the crimson, she reached out into the void: “Take me away, okay? You can do it, right? You can do it, right?”

“Of course I can. Where do you want to go?”

“The starry sky. Please… devour me.” Yao Yuan solemnly pressed her other hand to her chest.

If she completely vanished from the world, wouldn’t she be able to [escape] the incessant questioning in her heart? Perhaps giving this small fragment to the one she loved was the best answer to satisfy her selfishness?

“Are you serious?” The tone was icy, and a feeling close to resentment was brewing.

“Of course! You like my soul, don’t you? If you like it, then… Ugh!” Her shoulder slammed heavily into the headboard. She looked incredulously at the crimson gem suspended in the shadow.

The bizarre sight was far less shocking to her than the fact: this was the first time the devil had struck her.

“How utterly disgusting.” The shadow began to solidify but did not coalesce into the appearance of the starry sky. The strange limbs formed by the dark shadow seemed to be contemplating how to erase her without touching her.

It was exactly like how a human deals with a cockroach.

“Ha, ha ha ha ha ha.” Yao Yuan suddenly burst into frantic laughter, tears continuously streaming out. Even wiping them away with the back of her hand was impossible.

Her sudden weeping temporarily delayed the approach of Death. For some unknown reason, the devil remained a few steps away: “Have you made up your mind? If this is your wish, I will grant it.”

Every single word was condensed with distaste and hatred, like a human being forced to swallow something abnormally repulsive.

The starry sky’s unreserved, utter disgust was even more effective than the silver chains surging around her. Reason gradually returned. The mirror spun between Escape and Confrontation, finally firmly pressing the escape down. “A-are you serious, too? You wouldn’t be that foolish, would you?” The emotions surged quickly and dissipated even faster. Yao Yuan’s eyes were still red, but her expression was gradually recovering.

Clack. She reached out and pressed the switch on the headboard. Light once again flooded the room.

“…Xiao Yuan?” A probing call seemed to precede the devil’s thought process. The shadow fell silent for a few seconds, then re-coalesced into the appearance of the starry sky, standing behind her and to the side.

“Good evening, my loyal servant.” She moved her arm away, her small expression arrogantly comical.

If someone intended to drive a devil, would they adopt this kind of posture?

“…” Xing Kong’s hand reached out, grabbing and pulling her face several times.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch!” Yao Yuan laughed until tears came out: “Xing Kong, have you never comforted any other human before?”

“Of course not. There was no need.”

The handkerchief offered by Xing Kong was refused. Yao Yuan blinked: “Right, using rhetoric or illusions is more convenient, I guess.”

After a moderately long silence, Yao Yuan stretched in a huge yawn: “You lost everything, yet you still act like a master. The changed title hasn’t even been used much.”

She only heard Xing Kong say “Master” once—a total loss.

“No, I did not lose everything.” Xing Kong sat on the edge of the bed and deftly flipped over beside her: “The wager corresponding to your Everything was my Obedience until the end of your life.”

It was a little touching, but she absolutely had to stay calm. Yao Yuan turned her face away to hide the corners of her mouth that were constantly curling upwards: “Is that so? Then why didn’t you want me to die quickly just now? If I died, you would be free.”

Immediate answer: “Obeying a creature like a maggot makes me sick.”

“Eh, you don’t have to go that far. I was just having a breakdown earlier. Haven’t you seen people break down before?” Yao Yuan gestured several times in the air.

The devil actually began to recall, and after dozens of seconds, gave a reply: “I’ve seen plenty. They all died. I don’t purposely remember meaningless beings.”

“Meaning, ah… Xing Kong, what kind of meaning do you think I should pursue?” She pulled the blanket up to cover her chest and gently hooked her arm around Xing Kong’s neck: “Time is running out. I…”

Her tongue touched her teeth several times in succession. That sentence just wouldn’t come out.

Until Xing Kong embraced her in return and passionately kissed her lips.

“Don’t worry about your finger. I told you I would reclaim everything for you.” The devil gently held her pinky finger: “I will not follow any command. I will only fulfill my promise to you.”

In fact, what she was worried about wasn’t the pinky finger, nor the existence she had complained about just now. Yao Yuan didn’t point it out. Her eyes narrowed in a smile: “Okay, since you’ve said so, I’ll look forward a bit to how you plan to reclaim my existence then~” It was time for sleep. The clock pointed to midnight. Yao Yuan’s finger had just reached for the switch when the light went out on its own.

Xing Kong is really fast at turning off the lights… Huh? She turned her head, suddenly realizing it wasn’t the switch that controlled it, but rather shadow enveloping the bed, isolating the light.

“Xing Kong?” Her mind went blank. Instinct or inspiration naturally couldn’t offer any warning.

“I said I wouldn’t let you worry about the finger’s problem.” The devil solemnly promised. The shadow by the bed began to converge toward the center.

“Ha, ha ha ha, you already said that just now. I’m not worried.” Yao Yuan didn’t know why her face was getting redder and redder. Was it because Xing Kong’s pressing posture was too ambiguous? The palm placed on her waist was clearly cold, yet the touch was extraordinarily hot.

Her wrist was suddenly restrained by an invisible shadow. The troublesome pillow turned into a mass of scattered feathers and vanished behind her. Bundles of strips of fabric-like touch supported her body.

“Y-you need to explain this situation to me?” Yao Yuan really wanted to have some of the master’s authority, but her voice uncooperatively became softer.

“Don’t move. Arbitrary movement will lead to injury.” The devil’s gaze didn’t waver, fixated tightly on her chest. Those golden light dots were beginning to shift uneasily, and the circuit around her heart was heating up without limit.

“…Are you looking at my circuit?” Yao Yuan barely recovered a bit of reason, trying to use normal conversation to calm herself down.

“That’s right. I must first let the fragment quiet down. I will take you to an important place tomorrow.”

Where was this important place? Before Yao Yuan could ask, a sentence reached her ears.

“My most hated coordinates.” From her upward angle, she could easily see the devil’s momentarily complex expression. It clearly showed no disgust, yet it was spoken with resolute certainty.

[If you hate it, then don’t go.]

It was too late. Her pupils suddenly widened. She didn’t know whether to be glad she hadn’t asked what method the devil intended to use to quell the energy throbbing in her heart.

The moment the buttons naturally came undone, the balance of fear and anticipation heavily tipped to one side.

The limits of how humans express love to humans, and humans to devils—she understood none of it and had never experienced it. But at this moment and through the passage of time that followed, extreme pain and ultimate bliss twisted into a spiral, unendingly regenerating.

Drip, drop. Drip, drop. Yao Yuan suddenly opened her eyes. The strange clock sound instantly scattered, and her face flushed intensely: The scattered memories of the early morning leaped about in her mind, thoroughly crushing all worry and confusion.

“Hah…” She clutched her chest and let out a long sigh, realizing why there are people who like to let others dominate everything… The feeling of [being completely dominated by the strong]… If it was only a temporary situation, it was truly thrilling and somehow reassuring.

Her love for Xing Kong was distinctly more passionate and pure than her other thoughts. In the face of such intense emotion, everything else was secondary.

Looking at Xing Kong’s sleeping face, Yao Yuan reached out a finger to touch her eyelashes, successfully catching the fleeting moment when the devil opened her eyes. Even an action as ordinary as opening her eyes possessed a unique beauty.

“Good morning. Why are you sleeping in today?” Yao Yuan chattered, hooking her arm around Xing Kong’s neck and leaning against her: “Last night, last night, how did you know…”

“Hmm?”

“Know… know that I was ready?”

“Ready?”

Yao Yuan’s smile instantly dropped: “Stop playing dumb! Didn’t ‘ready’ refer to you preparing before?” I can’t believe you’re like this, Xing Kong! Joking at a time like this! Her pouting expression was reflected in the devil’s pupils.

“Heh, haha.” Xing Kong suddenly laughed out loud: “You didn’t mistake last night for some kind of contact between humans, did you?” Her eyes were full of playful mockery.

“No, I didn’t mistake it; it definitely was, right? Even though you’re not human.” Yao Yuan was startled by Xing Kong’s ridicule at first, but the professional knowledge brought by the computer and other social media instantly restored her confidence. If that zero-distance contact last night didn’t count, then nothing could!

“True, given your lack of knowledge as a human.” The devil displayed absolute arrogance.

“Sorry for being human, then? I think it’s a certain overly confident creature that lacks basic common sense.” Yao Yuan countered, touching her forehead against Xing Kong’s: “By the way~ someone’s performance was quite poor, you know?”

“Hmph. I’ve only performed the God-Power transfer procedure once, indeed.” Xing Kong didn’t doubt anything else: “That I succeeded is proof of my ability.”

“Ah, whatever you say. I’m going to make breakfast first.” Further arguing would only lead the conversation down a strange path due to cognitive differences. Yao Yuan flipped out of bed, stepped into her slippers, and ran off.

“Oh, right, Xing Kong, you said you were taking me somewhere today?” Yao Yuan poked her head back into the room immediately after stepping out: “Where exactly are we going? Be a little more specific.”

“…It’s hard to explain.” Xing Kong’s tone was drawn out this time: “First, you must be clear on one thing: devils don’t have blood relations because we are all born from pure energy.”

“Mhm, mhm.” Yao Yuan nodded vigorously, even though this was the first time she had learned this information.

“I am preparing to ask a certain deeply hated creature for help.”

“Ah, that must be difficult…” She looked at Xing Kong sympathetically, imagining how unwilling the arrogant devil must be.

“That creature, from a human perspective, would be considered my direct kin.”

“Mhm… Wait, what?!”