Chapter 550: The Rose Nourished by Hatred, Never Withers

Chapter 550: The Rose Nourished by Hatred, Never Withers

Jack pushed the door open abruptly. "Yali, the military’s bombing run is here—run!"

Yali sat in front of the monitor, pulling up nothing but footage of Wu Xiuli. Her gaze was fixated on Wu Xiuli obsessively.

She whispered, "Felix, such a useless waste.

He was supposed to blow up Wu Yue, but he got greedy for her powers.

I told him not to harm her and to send her away, yet he started trying to be clever.

He hesitated when he should have killed, and after being exposed, he wouldn’t let go.

A waste—such great cards, such a promising start, all ruined.

If it were Xiuli, she would never have let things come to this."

Jack said, "Yali, now isn’t the time for this."

Yali suddenly turned her head, her eyes cold and turbid, as if bottomless vortices that seemed to drag you in.

"Why can't I say it? Why shouldn’t I say it?!

It was Wu Xiuli who saved me, so why did she escape and leave me trapped in this hellhole, left to rot?!

Why does she have new companions now? Why can she move on from the past and stand under the sunlight?!

Why? So what does that make me? What am I to her?! In her heart, what am I?! Am I not her companion too?

Do I deserve this? Should my life be ruined, become some lowly, filthy, gutter-rat?!

Traitor!! She’s a traitor!!"

Jack said, "Yali... you’re just like Felix, both of you have lost it..."

Yali curled her lip in a smile. "Yes, I’ve gone mad."

No—it should be said, she had already gone mad long ago.

Ever since she fell into their clutches, she had already lost her sanity.

They were all bottom-tier outcasts in the Alliance, just like Felix, driven by intense desires to escape hell and climb upward with all their might. But no matter how hard they struggled, they never broke into the light.

The Dark Order—this place, not a whisper of heaven’s wind ever reached it.

There was only endless darkness and boundless whirlpools, pulling you straight to hell.

Yali said, "Run, Jack, get as far away as possible."

Jack asked, "What about you?"

Yali shook her head. "I don’t want to run anymore. I’ve run enough. I’m tired.

Now, I only wish to rest here forever with the Dark Order—bury myself here.

But before that..."

A slow smile spread across Yali’s lips, tilting her head to reveal a long-absent, almost girlish innocence in her expression.

"I want Wu Xiuli to stay with me, I want her to stay here with me forever, and we will never be separated again."

As she spoke, Yali pressed the self-destruct button for the base. Jack's pupils contracted sharply, and he turned and ran.

...

With the military's bombardment intensifying, the base was completely sealed off, cutting off all communication between those inside and the outside world.

Jiang Huaizhi looked grim. "If this continues, we'll be sitting ducks, and we'll all be killed in the blast."

Wu Yue said, "Sister Yu Hua and Sui Yu will definitely communicate with Qing Xuan and stop the bombardment at the right moment. We need to stay calm and find the person behind all this."

Wu Xiuli lowered her eyes. "I know who it is."

Wu Yue said, "It's Yali."

Wu Xiuli nodded. "Yes."

Wu Xiuli looked at everyone. "I'll go find her. There are some things I need to say to her face to face."

Wu Chong said, "I'm going too."

Wu Yue said, "You can't go. If Yali sees you, she'll completely lose it."

After all, a toxic stan only cracks when facing the real love interest—just look at how Felix acts around Wu Chong.

Wu Chong insisted, "I want to protect Xiuli!"

Shen Que said, "Are you asking for another beating, kid?"

Wu Xiuli said, "None of you need to come with me. This is between Yali and me. I have to face it myself."

Shen Que asked, "Do you know where Yali is?"

In fact, Wu Xiuli didn't even need to look for her—Yali had already appeared before everyone.

The moment Wu Yue saw Yali, a look of understanding crossed her face.

Yali smiled and looked at Wu Yue. "You figured it out a long time ago, didn't you? That's why you asked for my help on the shuttle. You knew I would definitely save you."

Wu Yue shrank into Shen Que's arms, lowering her head without a word. Shen Que held her tightly and glared dangerously at Yali.

Yali said, "I can tell you the evacuation route, but I only have one condition: Xiuli stays."

Xiya said angrily, "Why won't you just leave Xiuli alone?"

Yali tilted her head. "Why should I let her go? Why am I the one who can never clear my name, while she gets to walk away unscathed? It's not just you who likes Xiuli—I like her just as much. I want to be with Xiuli forever. Is that wrong?"

Xiya said, "But Xiuli doesn't want to be with you! You can't force her."

Yali chuckled. "Xiuli doesn't want to be with Wu Chong either, but isn't he forcing the issue too? Why is it that when he forces it, it's called pursuing true love, but when I do it, it's called lowdown? He wants Xiuli to see his sincerity, and so do I. He wants to accompany Xiuli as she moves on from the past—and isn't that what I want? Wu Chong is willing to give his life for Xiuli, and so am I."

Xiya, "Xiuli doesn't want to! Do you understand?! ‘Doesn’t want to’ means it’s harassment!!"

Yali looked at Wu Xiuli with an innocent, beaming face, "Xiuli, is this your new companion? She is just adorable. You must be so happy spending time with someone that pure, right?

Unlike me, my head’s full of nothing but trashy ideas, only wanting to use despicable means to get your attention, desperate for you to look at me.

Xiuli, she says you don't want to, but what does ‘wanting’ even mean?

You want to protect your companions, ready to give up your own life—doesn't that count as ‘wanting’?

Why do choices always need conditions? A choice you’re happy with or one that breaks your heart—aren't they all choices?

Since a choice has been made, why add pointless emotional weight?

True feelings change in a blink; if we don’t keep going, who knows if hearts will change?

Xiuli, haven’t I treated you well?

When Felix wanted to kill you, I stepped in and took the hit for you.

When Felix wanted to humiliate you, I put myself between you and him. I was ready to die for you.

You saved me, and I'm saving you too. Doesn’t that make us meant to be?

Yet you insist on trying to climb out of this hell alone, leaving me behind in this endless, pitch-black dark.

Xiuli, I want you so badly. You are the only light in my life, and I want to be with you forever."

As the underground artillery shells in the entire base were ready, everyone could feel the tremors beneath their feet.

Yali tilted her head, her tone light, like she was talking about the weather, "Xiuli, you have one last minute to decide.

Stay or leave—it's your call."

Seeing Wu Xiuli about to move, Xiya grabbed her hand tightly, "No, Xiuli, no!!"

Wu Xiuli resolutely pulled her hand away from Xiya and walked up to Yali, "I agree. I'll stay. Let them go."

Wu Chong's eyes instantly turned fierce, his gaze toward Yali so dangerous it seemed he wanted to rip her apart.

Yali happily took Wu Xiuli's hand, and a magic circle appeared beneath her feet.

Richard immediately exclaimed, "It's a ritual to become a vampire!!"

Yali smiled at Wu Xiuli, her face full of admiration and longing, "Xiuli can't simply be turned into an ordinary vampire. Only the power of the Vampire Progenitor is worthy of Xiuli.

I like you so much, Xiuli. Once you become a vampire, we will never be apart.

We will forever..."

Yali's expression suddenly darkened, her eyes icy and venomous, "Forever and ever, entangled in endless darkness! Until we can’t stand each other!

More than love, I want you to hate me!

Only hatred can nurture a rose that never withers!"