Chapter 232
If it weren't for Aivina helping to share some of the burden of the pollution, there was no way that Xia'er could have recovered so quickly. For this, Xia'er was genuinely grateful to Aivina.
Hearing Xia'er's response, Aivina nodded slightly and slowly closed her eyes.
From a young age, Aivina understood one thing: if you want something, you have to fight for it.
A life of abundance had given Aivina plenty of room for trial and error, shaping her into a calm and confident person. Most importantly, this kind of life had granted her a rare quality—she was not afraid of making mistakes.
Because she had the resources to back herself up.
In contrast, Xia'er was the complete opposite.
Though she shared a similar calm demeanor, Xia'er was far too easily frightened by the prospect of making mistakes. For her, a single misstep could mean losing everything.
As a result, Xia'er often bore the weight of everything alone, even distancing herself from those close to her in times of danger, just to ensure that they wouldn’t be dragged down if things went wrong.
During their time together, Aivina had noticed this.
Especially Xia'er's tendency to linger on the fringes of everyone’s lives made Aivina worry.
She feared that one day, if something happened, Xia'er would vanish without a word, retreating to a place where no one could find her.
To prevent such a scenario, Aivina felt she had to do something.
“Xia'er.”
Aivina sat up again, reaching her hand toward Xia'er.
“Hmm?”
Xia'er looked at Aivina's left hand with a hint of confusion.
When she saw Aivina's left hand reaching for her right, Xia'er's pupils constricted. As Aivina's fingertips brushed against her own, she instinctively pulled her hand back.
In Xia'er's view, where Aivina's hand touched, a terrifying crimson tendril writhed from the crack in her hand, starkly contrasting with Aivina's fair skin.
Xia'er only pulled back slightly, but Aivina quickly leaned forward again, placing her hand firmly on the back of Xia'er's.
“Aivina…”
Xia'er looked into Aivina's eyes, puzzled by her intentions.
“I can see what you see, Xia'er.”
Aivina gazed at Xia'er’s right hand, gently grasping her wrist and lifting it slowly.
She pressed Xia'er's palm against her own face and met her gaze.
“After helping your spirit heal, I can see everything you can see.”
Aivina's dark purple eyes locked onto Xia'er's, and she spoke each word with sincerity, “Do you think I would be afraid?”
Xia'er looked into Aivina's eyes, feeling the warmth of her cheek against her palm. For some reason, her heart skipped a beat.
Aivina…
Whether in reality or in simulation, Aivina's unwavering support had fostered immense trust in Xia'er. This only deepened her concern that whatever she faced might also affect Aivina.
But it seemed Aivina didn’t share the same fears.
In those fleeting seconds, Xia'er reevaluated her own heart.
She realized she had been somewhat closed off, unable to open up to anyone, even her own sister.
Could this way of being truly protect those around her?
This question now lingered in Xia'er’s mind, marked with doubt.
This approach might end up hurting those who genuinely cared for her…
Xia'er understood that Aivina's feelings for her were quite special, yet she herself had been deliberately avoiding emotional connections.
In the past, she might have used the excuse of “the crisis isn’t over” to convince herself.
But now, it seemed that excuse had run dry. She had to confront her own heart and respond.
Just as Aivina was beginning to feel disheartened in her silence, preparing to release Xiaer's hand, Xia'er looked up, meeting Aivina's gaze, and slowly spoke:
“Can you promise that no matter what I become, you will never be afraid of me?”
“Even if I turn into something else, even if I become a monster…?”
The “something else” referred to her ability to transform, a power that Xia'er would inevitably reveal in the future—something she could not hide.
The other, of course, was the pollution from the Otherworld.
Xia'er didn’t know how long her human body could endure continuous contact with the Otherworld or the absorption of “uniqueness,” but she was aware that as she accumulated more “uniqueness,” she was gradually straying from the path of being “human.”
Xia'er’s question was serious, but it caught Aivina slightly off guard.
A lifetime?
Why had it suddenly escalated to a lifetime?
Yet, looking into Xia'er’s earnest eyes, which didn’t seem to be lying, Aivina took a deep breath and nodded slowly.
From the moment she first laid eyes on the red-haired girl at the police station, a seed had quietly sprouted in Aivina’s heart.
And when this girl named Xia'er had torn open her collar and bitten into her neck, Aivina knew she would never forget her.
So, at this moment, faced with Xia'er’s question, Aivina had only one answer.
“I promise.”
The flickering candlelight danced on the table, casting the reflections of the two girls onto the curtains. Aivina gazed into Xia'er’s beautiful dark red eyes, unable to tear her gaze away.
For reasons unknown, Aivina leaned slightly forward, perhaps testing the waters or perhaps just by accident.
But this small gesture caused the somewhat weakened red-haired girl to instinctively lean back, only for her to quickly lean forward again, her long hair cascading down her shoulders, gently swaying.
The girls slowly moved closer to each other, unaware of what they were doing or what they were about to do. When their noses nearly touched, they could even feel each other's breath. It was then that Aivina snapped back to reality.
What am I doing…?
Aivina felt a rush of heat rise to her cheeks, realizing that the distance between them was too close. She leaned back slightly—at the last moment, she hesitated.
But Aivina's small resistance didn’t deter the beautiful red-haired girl. Instead, she turned and climbed onto the bed, closing the distance to Aivina.
“Eep…!”
The sudden closeness took Aivina by surprise, and she fell back onto the bed, letting out a sound she never thought would escape her lips.
Now, this position… was quite similar to the one they had in the bathroom.
Aivina's heart raced, and she instinctively wanted to close her eyes, but worried that the sensitive Xia'er might take it as a signal of rejection, she could only squint, watching as that stunning face drew closer.
The girls' lips brushed against each other.
In that moment, whispers, the sound of the wind, and even their breaths faded away in Aivina's mind. It felt as if a steam train had raced through her brain, releasing steam right above her head.
**Chapter 139: Contrast.**
The cool night breeze gently blew as Niya leaned against the chimney on the rooftop, gazing up at the night sky.
Earlier in the afternoon, dark clouds had rolled in, but now the rain clouds had drifted away, revealing the bright moon above.
Through the faint haze, she could still see some stars in the sky. If only the street didn’t smell so pungent, it would have been a pleasant night.
Suddenly, Niya lowered her head, her gaze drawn to a faint light. She looked toward the opposite window and, through the curtains, saw a flicker of candlelight.
In the candlelight, a figure holding another person appeared in the reflection on the curtains.
Is that… oh, has Miss Xia'er woken up? The young lady has fallen asleep instead…
It made sense; the young lady had recently seen hope for promotion and had been working almost around the clock to complete the replication ritual. It was only natural that she would fall asleep while watching over Miss Xia'er.
After seeing Miss Xia'er gently lay the young lady down and tuck her in, Niya shifted her gaze away from the window, scanning the surroundings for anything unusual before looking back up at the bright moon in the sky.
But a few minutes later, Niya seemed to hear something and, surprised, looked down toward the curtains.
In her line of sight, the two figures inside the curtains were sitting opposite each other, and then one figure gradually leaned forward, pushing the other down onto the bed.
What the…
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