The Devil's Contract Lover - Chapter 9

“You, you…” Yao Yuan stammered, backing away, but her back was gently cradled, and even if she struggled free, she would only hit the dessert stand counter.

“I’m back. Here, ah~” Xing Kong took the ice cream and offered it to Yao Yuan’s mouth, happily smearing a layer of cream on her pursed lips.

“I won’t eat it,” she couldn’t even speak clearly, swallowing almost half of the ice cream scoop in one go. She really wanted to refuse, ideally spitting it out, but the sweet blend of vanilla and chocolate was simply too fragrant!

Gulp, she swallowed it down, the sweet liquid prompting a large secretion of happy factors.

Before her consciousness could react, she was already led by the hand to a long bench and sat down.

“Eat your ice cream!” Yao Yuan angrily shoved the more expensive ice cream cone back to the devil and snatched the simpler one for herself.

Upon closer inspection, her face instantly flushed: the ice cream in Xing Kong’s hand had a large bite taken out of it by her—wasn’t this in-indirect kiss?!

“Ah~” The devil deliberately opened their mouth, aiming to bite the spot she had just bitten.

“Switch back!” She wailed, exchanging the cold treats again, and moved to the other side of the bench, licking her ice cream to herself.

It’s so delicious… Wuwuwu.

“This is good.” The shade cast a shadow over Xing Kong’s cheek. “Are you very happy?”

“No, I’m not,” Yao Yuan muttered, continuing to shuffle towards the edge until half her butt was almost off the bench, supporting herself stubbornly with her feet outside.

“Why are you unhappy, because I ignored your will?”

“Not really, that degree can’t be called ignoring.”

“Right, I think I’m still very restrained, so—” The devil pivoted their body in the middle of the bench, looking intently at her. “What are you wary of?”

It was as if at this moment, the chirping of insects and birds was blocked out, and the surrounding pedestrians faded into the background. All she could see were the devil’s surging, dark eyes.

Are they angry? Did they find out I’m resisting the contract? Or do they simply dislike my impolite behavior?

Her saliva still carried the sweetness of cream, but her hand unconsciously clenched her skirt hem.

Her heart leaped fiercely, and a sentence blurted out: “I just… felt like you were playing a trick on me.”

“Playing a trick on you?”

“Are you… angry?” Yao Yuan looked up, her eyes full of caution.

The pendulum stopped in the center, and time started flowing again.

The devil’s expressionless face suddenly became animated, the corner of their eye relaxing, and the dark red color instantly receded.

“How could I be? No need to worry.”

“…”

The distance she had just pulled away was dragged back. Xing Kong cupped Yao Yuan’s cheeks. “The way you struggle is cute.” A forefinger lightly traced her earlobe.

Her pupils contracted violently. Before she could push the devil away, Xing Kong let go first. The strange declaration just now felt like a complete illusion.

Because she had confessed certain things, her heartbeat gradually calmed, and the stored tension quietly vanished, like an elastic band suddenly losing its tautness.

Yao Yuan gripped the ice cream and licked it vigorously, determined to finish it before she died.

“By the way, want to try a card draw?”

“Card draw? What kind of card draw?” Her eyes lit up. She loved card draws the most. Whether it was fortune-telling or mobile games, the enjoyment of randomness was indescribable.

Is it good or bad? Can I draw what I want? I can enjoy the fun of risk without getting hurt.

Xing Kong clapped their hands, and a folder appeared next to them, whooshing open. Color-printed house descriptions tumbled onto her lap.

“Here are 22 houses of different sizes, locations, and uses, from various developments.” Halfway through the sentence, all the color printouts folded into the size of regular Tarot cards, finally transforming into a deck of cards that were flipped face down.

“This game doesn’t have a name; let’s call it the House Tarot.” The devil picked up a stack of Tarot cards and pressed them onto the bench one by one. The cards were laid out, connecting end to end, forming an overly dense rectangular array.

“You think after you scared me just now, you can take advantage of me when I’m relaxed?” Yao Yuan crossed her arms. “I’m sorry, I haven’t agreed to choose a house~” “I bet you’ll draw The Devil.”

Continuation >> “Hmph, you can manipulate it with magic and draw whatever you want.”

One of the devil’s pupils suddenly turned crimson: “I promise not to interfere with your drawing result in any way. After all, I also enjoy the beauty of probability.”

“Since it’s a gamble, how do we play?” Yao Yuan sat up straight, looking at the Tarot cards on the seat. The back of every card was identical.

“It’s very simple. There are 22 cards here, and the faces imitate the Tarot cards in your backpack. You draw a card, and the one who correctly guesses the face-up card wins. If neither guesses correctly, the bet is void.” Xing Kong was in high spirits. “Originally, for fairness, we should each choose one card, but since I brought up this game, you can guess five cards.”

“That sounds like a great offer. What’s the stake?”

“The winner can ask the loser to do one thing within their ability, to be fulfilled within 3 days. At the same time, the stakes are also tilted in your favor: if you win, I must first get your consent every time I use money.”

Yao Yuan quickly reviewed the game in her mind. It was too favorable, incredibly favorable.

Legend says devils don’t like to lie. Xing Kong shouldn’t manipulate a small gamble like this. So the probability is: Xing Kong’s winning rate is 1/22, and mine is 5/22. Why hesitate with a 5-fold winning rate!

“Okay, as long as it’s not illegal, I agree.”

“Very good. By the way—when making a deal with me, it’s best to state your demands before saying the words of acceptance.” The devil winked. “The moment you said ‘okay,’ the bet was already established. This time is a special allowance.”

“Thanks~ I choose The Fool, Wheel of Fortune, Lovers, The Moon, and The Chariot!” Yao Yuan immediately selected her 5 cards. Xing Kong chose The Devil, indicating their inclination towards correlation.

Hmm, in this situation, choosing slightly occult cards is probably the way to go.

Her hand reached out towards the bench, hovering uncertainly over the 22 cards.

I should trust my intuition at this moment, just avoid the 1/22 chance of The Devil. The edges give a sense of security, but maybe they were intentionally placed on the edge or in the very center.

No, it’s better to choose the inner ring. Even if they predict I’ll choose a card near the middle, it might not be exactly where I choose.

Yao Yuan took a deep breath and began to move her arm: the devil’s psychological level is definitely higher than hers, so let fate decide.

Her palm finally stopped above the second card in the third row from the left. It looked like a very ordinary position, it should be safe. I’ll choose this one.

Her heart pounded fiercely again, not a nervous acceleration, but a sudden change in speed.

She abruptly covered her chest, looking suspiciously at the devil, but the other party showed no reaction.

Her eyes looked down again, and the more she looked, the less she could make up her mind.

It was as if someone in the darkness was whispering in her ear: [This card is The Devil]

If she left it to fate, she would indeed choose this one. She wanted to flip it over right now, very, very much, unusually much!

Is it fate pushing, or is the devil breaking their promise?

Is the voice bubbling up from the bottom of her heart a helper or a liar?

Her wrist trembled, and her finger pressed down on a card next to it, flipping it up forcefully.

“I… choose this one!”