Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Huo Wuyan was uncharacteristically silent for a moment.

He stared expressionlessly at the books inside the storage pouch—was this the so-called "secret treasure" that vendor claimed could solve all problems?

He felt, for the first time in a long while, a sense of having been deceived.

Huo Wuyan's gaze turned cold as he looked at the blue-covered books lying quietly on the table. A gentle breeze stirred, causing the thin pages to rustle and flutter from time to time. He was silent for a long moment, then casually picked up one of them and began flipping through it with an indifferent air.

He would see for himself just what nonsense those damned swindlers had written.

If they dared fabricate lies, he would surely order Qing Nong to smash their stall.

Among the garish and flashy books, he picked the one that looked the most normal. The story began with the female protagonist encountering danger during a journey, only to be rescued by a passing Senior of the dragon clan.

The young girl, seeing the graceful and peerlessly handsome Yinglong, felt her heart stir. She then followed him like a little shadow.

As time passed, the two spent days and nights together, and a subtle tension grew between them. They cautiously tested each other, shared their first clumsy kiss, and finally, on a pitch-black night, crossed the last line in a lake.

Huo Wuyan narrowed his eyes. Just as he thought the book was about to end on a happy note, a new plot twist emerged: the Yinglong suddenly acquired a scheming and cunning white moonlight lover. For her sake, he repeatedly made the young girl suffer. The once cheerful and lively girl gradually became quiet and withdrawn.

Huo Wuyan frowned slightly, finding it absurd. Since when did he have a white moonlight lover? He continued reading coldly, only to find that the brain-addled Yinglong even dug out the young girl's spiritual root to heal his white moonlight.

In the end, realizing she was pregnant, the young girl, heartbroken and for the sake of her child, fled from that place.

It was only after losing her that the Yinglong realized he loved only the young girl. But when he finally found her after a long search, she had already been set up and killed by the white moonlight, leaving only a child behind.

He didn't even get to see her one last time—only her cold corpse.

Huo Wuyan, "???"

What kind of story was this?

The young girl in this book was fond of laughter and noise, her personality somewhat similar to Lu Yuanyin's. Seeing her end like this stirred an inexplicable irritation within him.

Even though he didn't like Lu Yuanyin, seeing her avatar written so miserably and wronged made his expression darken. She shouldn't have ended up like this—she was meant to be a free, untamed wind, doing as she pleased, bound by nothing.

Huo Wuyan's expression grew even colder. With a look of disgust, he tossed that book aside and picked up another.

After a moment, his face froze. His fingers, turning the pages, went stiff, and his entire body seemed rigid. The story began with a vulgar scene where he forced himself on A Yin—a crude and explicit plot with fiery language.

Huo Wuyan, "?"

Even the names of the protagonists were suspiciously coincidental: A Yin, Huo Yan. For a moment, Huo Wuyan even suspected that someone who knew him and bore a grudge had secretly written this to slander him.

The dialogue was so lewd and the language so coarse that it was almost offensive.

Huo Wuyan's face grew even colder. His long, slender fingers tapped impatiently on the table. As the story progressed, he unconsciously shifted his sitting posture, frowning slightly.

Then he realized that this opening was just the tip of the iceberg. After that, the Huo Yan character acted like a walking reproductive organ—a beast controlled by his libido. His days were spent either forcing himself on A Yin or heading in that direction. He constantly humiliated her with words, often indulging in perverse bedroom antics, even involving things like a Dragon Tail...

As the plot grew more and more absurd, Huo Wuyan could barely maintain his indifferent facade. The tips of his ears, hidden beneath his hair, had quietly turned red. He rubbed his forehead and tossed those blue books aside in disgust. These things were even more ridiculous than those bizarre illusions.

How could he possibly be such a perverted and despicable person?

Huo Wuyan lowered his eyes slightly, his expression dark as he gazed at the bustling street outside the window. He noticed that it had grown completely dark outside. The lake was filled with exquisite flower lanterns, their flickering lights twinkling like stars. He sensed the faint, steady breathing coming from the next room.

After a long while, he silently stood up and walked soundlessly toward the adjacent room. Inside, all was quiet, save for the night breeze that swept through, causing the bead curtains to sway and emit a soft rustling. The dim candlelight flickered.

On the bed, there was a small bulge. Huo Wuyan reached out and slowly lifted the blanket, revealing Lu Yuanyin's small face, flushed red. The corners of her eyes and brows were tinged with a light pink, and her long lashes rested softly. A thin layer of fine sweat glistened on her forehead.

He noticed that Lu Yuanyin seemed to love burying herself completely under the covers.

In her arms, she still clutched that medical book, holding it as if it were a treasure. The heavy tome pressed against her cheek, causing the soft flesh there to indent slightly. As if sensing the cold, she frowned slightly, her red lips pressed tightly together, looking somewhat displeased.

A faint, subtle fragrance lingered around his nose. Huo Wuyan looked at her flushed face, and his gaze darkened. He found these past few days somewhat surreal.

Huo Wuyan casually sat down by the bed. He wasn't sure why he was even here. Whether in the dragon clan or the Spirit Beasts realm, there was a mountain of tasks waiting for him to handle. But then he noticed Lu Yuanyin's breathing growing quicker, as if she were about to wake up.

Huo Wuyan lowered his eyes slightly, his red gaze coldly fixed on her, his expression unreadable.

Her long lashes trembled. Sensing the faint coolness nearby, Lu Yuanyin subconsciously rubbed her eyes. Through her blurry vision, she saw a tall figure sitting quietly by the bed, his shadow almost completely enveloping her.

For a moment, Lu Yuanyin was dazed, thinking she was still dreaming. She slowly rubbed her eyes again, and the figure before her grew clearer. There was Huo Wuyan, slightly lowering his head, his red eyes looking down at her with a superior air. The red demonic marks under his eyes glimmered faintly, and the gnarled dragon horns cast dappled shadows across his face.

The cold moonlight fell upon his brows and eyes, lending him an indifferent, remote air.

Lu Yuanyin stared blankly at the man before her. Then, in the next instant, her eyes widened in shock, and she nearly jumped out of her skin!

She instinctively scooted backward, her heart pounding violently. Looking at the tall figure by the bed, she almost wished there was a ghost sitting in front of her instead!

Lu Yuanyin looked at the expressionless Huo Wuyan, her heart filled with nervousness. Over the past few days, Huo Wuyan had been intentionally avoiding her, and she had no idea what he wanted now. Her slender fingers twisted the corner of the blanket nervously as she whispered, "What do you want from me so late at night?"

Huo Wuyan lifted his eyelids and gave her a cold glance. Then, without warning, he said in a deep voice, "Why me?"

Lu Yuanyin, "?"

She looked at him blankly, not understanding what he meant.

Huo Wuyan gazed into her bright, liquid eyes. Her eyes were beautifully shaped, with light-colored pupils that seemed to hold a thin veil of mist—like the spring waters at the foot of Changyang Mountain. They always seemed innocent, yet the tips of her eyes tilted upward slightly, adding an alluring quality.

Even when her eyes didn't hold the friendliest expression, it was hard to dislike her.

Huo Wuyan reached out, his fingers lightly gripping her delicate chin. His voice was a little hoarse. "Back in the cave, why did you do it with me?"

The moment he spoke, the room fell into dead silence.

Lu Yuanyin's heart trembled. A layer of cold sweat formed on her palms, and her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. Her heartbeat pounded like thunder. This was the question she had feared for so long—it had finally come...

She stared at those red eyes, her throat dry. Lu Yuanyin had no doubt that if she answered wrong, Huo Wuyan would likely kill her on the spot. But if she succeeded, she might achieve everything she wanted.

She had been planning for this moment for a long time.

The rustling shadows of trees swayed gently in the night breeze, casting shifting patterns across his face.

Lu Yuanyin couldn't read the expression in his eyes. Nervously, she touched the strands of hair that fell over her chest. Her eyelashes fluttered, and a faint blush crept up her cheeks. Then, abruptly, she lifted her head, her bright eyes staring directly into those red ones.

She suddenly sat up. In his slightly constricted pupils, she saw her own face rapidly approaching. Her slender fingers nervously gripped the thick robe over his shoulders. The rough dragon horns brushed briefly against her cheek as she kissed his eye, her eyes brimming with unconcealed shyness.

Lu Yuanyin bit her red lips and said softly, "I wanted you to remember me..."

Her expression grew resolute as she kissed the corner of his mouth again and repeated, "Huo Wuyan, I want you to remember me."

Huo Wuyan, "..."

For a long moment, Huo Wuyan was at a loss for words. Looking at the little face so close to his, his mind went blank.

His rough fingers unconsciously stroked the delicate skin beneath his palm. After a moment, he paused, noticing that the fair skin had been rubbed red and left with faint marks. Huo Wuyan pressed his lips together tightly. For once, he didn't know what to say.

He looked down at the young girl who was practically lying in his arms, feeling a tingling numbness running down his spine, as if a feather was gently brushing against his chest, causing an inexplicable itch.

Just as he fell silent, the girl before him reached out her hands and quietly wrapped them around his waist. Her voice was muffled as she said, "Huo Wuyan, the moment I saw you, I knew—I wanted you..."

"There's no reason. I want you so badly, I want to hold you like this, to be the person closest to you. Even if I have to use whatever despicable means necessary, I want you to remember me forever."

"My senior sisters said this is the way to make you like me."

Huo Wuyan never expected to receive such an answer.

Although he had long suspected that Lu Yuanyin liked him, hearing her admit it now still stirred complex, indescribable emotions within him.

His body stiffened. He had intended to push her away, but as he looked at her soft, fluffy hair and her trembling eyelashes, her thin nightgown hung loosely off her slender shoulders, revealing a generous expanse of pale skin, he could almost see the soft curves of her chest.

His throat felt dry. He could hear his own wild heartbeat, growing more intense with each of her shallow breaths.

Wherever she touched him, it felt like blazing flames were erupting.

Before he could speak, Lu Yuanyin lifted her head slightly. Half of her face was buried in his chest, leaving only her glistening, tear-filled eyes visible. There was hurt in her eyes, along with a deep, stubborn obsession. She bit her red lips hard. "Am I being really bad and despicable?"

Huo Wuyan stared at her in silence, his expression dark and unreadable.

After a long moment, he stiffly pushed Lu Yuanyin away, his face growing even colder. His voice was deep. "Come back to the dragon clan with me. I can give you power and status."

"I will never fall for anyone."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuanyin's eyelashes trembled. She wanted to say something more, but before she could speak, tears had already trickled down her pale cheeks. She called out softly, "Huo Wuyan..."

She reached out her small hand and tentatively touched his already aroused manhood. Feeling the almost scalding heat, her slender fingers trembled, and she sought almost obsessively an answer. "You have feelings for me too, don't you?"

Huo Wuyan's body stiffened violently. A crystal tear fell onto the back of his hand, splashing into tiny droplets. It felt as if the back of his hand was being seared by fire. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

Sensing the sudden change in his own body, he glanced at the girl before him, then transformed into a swirl of starlight and vanished into the void, fleeing from this place almost disgracefully.

Lu Yuanyin watched his sudden departure and couldn't help but call out, "Huo Wuyan!"

Feeling somewhat frustrated, she lay back down in bed. Only after the surroundings had completely quieted down did her gaze flicker, and she finally breathed a small sigh of relief.

She had known this moment would come. These past days, she had been thinking of countermeasures almost constantly. Having known Lu Sisi for so long, she hadn’t learned much from her, but she had mastered the art of acting sweet and innocent while scheming.

She had thought about it before: since Huo Wuyan could kill Lu Sisi's patron, the Black Flood Dragon, he could just as easily ignore the protagonist's plot armor and kill Lu Sisi.

What she needed to do was to use him to kill those two beasts, Lu Sisi and Chang Ye.

Lu Yuanyin was gambling that she was a little different in Huo Wuyan's eyes, that time when he fled from the cave and spared her life.

Author's note:

The dragon: So many people, yet she chose to seduce me. She truly loves me Σ(|||▽||| )

I struggled over this chapter for a long time, writing and deleting, writing and deleting. In the end, I settled on this version. Yuanyin does have a bit of a scheming side~

Sending out small red packets tonight to everyone who comments!