Rita’s words, like an enchantment laced with magic, fell into Ange’s heart and instantly ignited a raging fire.
Every word was imprinted clearly in her mind—take responsibility, solve the Magic Mark problem, it’s already safe…
A rush of indescribable heat surged to the top of her head, staining her entire face and even her neck a deep crimson, so red it seemed as if blood might drip from it.
What nonsense was she talking about?!
Ange’s mind went completely blank, and her only thought was to flee this unbearably embarrassing and bewildering scene at once.
She turned around almost instinctively, wanting to bury herself in the darkness of the corridor like an ostrich.
However, her wrist was caught by a slightly cool, faintly trembling hand.
Ange’s body stiffened, and she jerked her head back.
The one who grabbed her was Huayin, but right now, Huayin was nothing like her usual proud Phoenix self.
She hung her head low, her fiery red hair cascading down like a waterfall, hiding all her expressions, leaving only the crown of her head visible.
The grip she held on Ange’s wrist was firm and unyielding, yet within it was an undeniable stubbornness and… a trace of vulnerability.
“You…” Ange’s voice was a little hoarse as she tried to pull away, only to find that Huayin’s grip was incredibly tight.
“Tonight…” Huayin’s muffled voice drifted out from beneath her hair.
“…Stay.”
That sentence crashed into Ange like thunder, striking her once again.
Her pupils shrank, and it took all her strength to wrench her wrist from Huayin’s grasp, staggering half a step backward uncontrollably.
“Are you crazy?!” Ange’s voice trembled with incredulity, her violet eyes full of panic and resistance.
“I… I have to go!”
She turned to leave, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, as if trying to burst free. To share a bed with Huayin…?
Just imagining that scene was enough to set the Beelzebub blood and that damned Magic Mark inside her quietly stirring.
Just as her fingertips were about to touch the doorknob, Huayin’s voice sounded again—this time with a calmness bordering on despair, cutting deeper than any wail.
“That Egg…” Huayin still didn’t look up, her voice as light as a feather, yet landing heavily on Ange’s heart.
“…The probability that it’s nurturing our child is very high, not low at all… Otherwise, I wouldn’t… be this worried.”
Ange’s outstretched hand froze in midair.
The probability… is very high?
She slowly turned around to face the red-haired girl, still hanging her head.
All this time, Ange had subconsciously clung to a sliver of hope, wishing it was just an accident, hoping that the infinitesimal probability would never come to pass.
But Huayin’s words at this moment were like an icy chisel, shattering the last illusion she clung to.
If… If life was already stirring within that Egg, if it truly contained the beginnings of a being who shared her and Huayin’s blood…
Then everything was different.
This was no longer just an accident to take responsibility for, or a potential Marriage Contract to face.
This was a life about to be born, tied by blood, the Phoenix Family’s stance, her own responsibility, and…
That twisted but unbreakable bond between herself and Huayin would be forever sealed by this small probability.
A Wedding truly seemed to be approaching, leaving her with no room to escape.
Her gaze involuntarily landed on Huayin. Gone was the sharpness of battle or her daily arrogance; now, with her head bowed, Huayin revealed a fragile and delicate side unique to young girls.
Her somewhat disheveled red dress traced her graceful curves, giving off a raw and enticing aura under the light.
Ange felt her throat go dry.
There was a secret she had never told anyone—about the Magic Mark. If…
If she could find another “partner” to “share” that burning desire with, the effect would be far more complete and long-lasting than dealing with it herself using the cold White Gun.
That would mean she might be able to escape the torment of desire every day, regaining some control over her own body.
And Rita’s words, that Huayin’s special period was over, meant that at this moment, she was indeed theoretically the safest choice nearby…
After all, they knew each other inside and out by now.
This thought circled in her mind like a devil’s whisper, and within her, the Magic Mark’s agitation for a new day seemed to burn even hotter and more unbearable with its appearance, like countless tiny flames darting through her veins.
But… was she really going to start like this?
To begin an intimacy that should have sprung from affection and mutual understanding, simply because of a Marriage Contract, a potential child?
She had never even experienced a proper romance, and now she was about to leap straight into the grave of marriage… and…
Ange stood frozen, torn by the struggle of desire and duty raging within her like two wild beasts. She looked at Huayin, wavering.
The ever-bowed Huayin’s pointed ears were already bright red, and she clutched her dress so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
She was a maiden in her prime! With Phoenix blood blazing within her, how could she not have her own stirrings and longings?
The decadent, powerful air about Ange, and the occasional hint of that roguishness from her past self, all drew her in, unseen. But it had all happened so fast, so absurdly, leaving her at a loss.
At this point, even Huayin felt like giving up—fine, let’s just get married.
Silence spread between the two, leaving only their uneven breathing, thickening the air like honey.
In the end, as if exhausting all her strength, Huayin added in a voice so tiny it was nearly swallowed by the pounding of her own heart—whispering the final straw that broke the camel’s back.
“It’s already a new day. Do you want another Magic Mark accident tomorrow?”
Ange’s toes curled inside her boots, and she slowly closed the door…
Then, with a burst of speed even Huayin’s eyes couldn’t catch, she flung the door open again and darted back to her own room.
Huayin stared in a daze, blinking, then couldn’t help but curse.
“Coward…”
“Forget it, I was the one who lost my cool. I can’t keep making the same mistake. Looks like the last person’s coming tomorrow… Sleep…”