"Hush now, don't cry."
His voice was exceedingly gentle as he kissed away the crystalline tears.
She clutched Bi Lian's collar with all her might, her fingertips turning white. "Did you kill someone? Did you lie to me?"
Bi Lian felt Shen Yue's rage and breakdown, and a low chuckle escaped him, his chest vibrating slightly. "Yueyue."
He was filled with love and obsession.
"Yueyue."
The gentler his voice became, the more Shen Yue trembled, her face as pale as a white rose.
Bi Lian had truly gone mad.
The palace was silent, no sound could be heard. Listening carefully, only her own breathing could be detected.
All the maids had been taken away. The vast hall was empty, like a chasm of despair.
Her frost-white eyelashes fluttered. She bit her ruby-red lips fiercely, her expression one of neurotic confusion. Her fingers tightened and loosened on the man's collar, finally falling limp.
She felt as if something very important was being slowly destroyed, and the culprit was the man before her.
Bi Lian embraced Shen Yue, forcing a smile from his throat. He bit her collarbone, drawing blood, then licked it clean with affection.
"Why has Yueyue become so prone to crying today?"
Shen Yue closed her eyes. Apart from her beautiful lips, the rest of her was just pale.
Fragile as a bubble.
The mark on her collarbone was quite deep, bloody against her jade-like skin, making Bi Lian's heart ache.
Bi Lian gently stroked her back, soothing her anger.
He asked softly, "Does it hurt?"
Shen Yue kept her eyes tightly shut, remaining silent. Her clear, bright eyes appeared otherworldly.
Bi Lian disliked this look in Shen Yue. He hated being ignored by her.
"I hurt too, Yueyue," Bi Lian said, a hint of grievance in his voice. "Can't you just let me hurt alone? You have no heart, do you know pain?"
And he couldn't be the only one going mad.
Shen Yue refused to speak. Tears slid from the corners of her eyes, so pitiful that one would wish to dig out their own heart to win a smile from her.
Bi Lian's hand, which was stroking her face, became wet. The corners of his eyes were terribly red, and he bit Shen Yue's red lips fiercely.
"You're just trying to make me pity you, aren't you?"
"How can you be so wicked?"
He hugged Shen Yue tightly, pressing his forehead against her cool one. His dark, deep eyes stared intently at Shen Yue. They were so close, clinging to each other like lovers entwined in affection. 138 Reading Network
"What do you want? I'll agree to anything, alright?"
"Don't cry, don't cry…"
Shen Yue slowly opened her eyes. They were like a lake rippled by mist, quietly reflecting the moonlight, so pure and devoid of color.
She said, "Where is Xiaodie buried?"
Bi Lian frowned, a little displeased, but remained silent.
He certainly wouldn't pay much attention to that maid. She was already dead; where she was buried mattered little. However, he had underestimated Xiaodie's place in Shen Yue's heart.
Since Bi Lian didn't speak, Shen Yue had already guessed most of it.
Shen Yue tilted her head, her expression of fragility like that of a delicate porcelain doll without a soul.
"How many more will you kill before you are content?"
Bi Lian's heart skipped a beat. Thinking Shen Yue had regained her memory, his throat felt dry, and his eyes turned crimson.
"Are you trying to force me to die?"
Was she threatening him?
Threatening him with death!
And Bi Lian hated threats and deception the most.
"How could I force you to die? I love you too much."
Despite all the lessons, his Yueyue still hadn't learned.
The man let out a soft laugh, his eyes dark and violent, yet his voice remained gentle. "Haven't I treated you well enough? You treated me like that before… and I'm treating you well without holding grudges, yet you're still so excessive?"
He had been killed by Shen Yue twice. Each time, it was bone-stripping, muscle-cutting. Did he not feel hatred? Did he not feel pain?
Fragmented images flashed through Shen Yue's mind, slowly piecing together a past.
She felt her heart sinking, sinking to the very bottom of the abyss.
But Shen Yue couldn't dwell on anything else for long.
Bi Lian kissed Shen Yue's cheeks, dripping down like someone falling into water.
His breath was scorching hot, and his heart pounded violently.
The tall, exquisite man laughed, sweet and loving. His eyes were dark enough to devour everything.
"It's alright, it's because I love you, so I won't argue with you."
"But you must compensate me properly, mustn't you?"
The thin white gauze curtains stirred in the wind. Her slender arms were like drooping lily flowers, pale and swaying precariously.
Her soft fingertips were like tender, blooming petals, unbelievably beautiful.
That day was wild. Someone kept whispering in her ear, pouring out deep affection, every word tinged with joy, every sentence filled with love.
She understood, but she didn't feel it.
Yet, in her daze, she felt a drop of moisture land on her cheek. The tears were scalding, making her heart ache.
—
The Soul Extermination Palace was as desolate as a tomb.
The gates and windows were tightly shut, not allowing a sliver of light to enter.
A gentle breeze blew, rustling the verdant branches. Delicate, pale pink petals fell like rain, creating a dreamlike illusion.
Shen Yue grew anxious. She couldn't afford not to be. Bi Lian hadn't visited for two days. Her only guess was that he was likely at Qingyun Sect.
By all accounts, Bi Lian intended to level Qingmen this time, but he was killed at a critical juncture.
The most important factor was the alliance between the male and female protagonists.
However, Shen Yue recalled that Xuan Cheng didn't seem to have much interest in Yin Jing.
She had been imprisoned for so long that she had no idea what was happening outside.
So, she asked the system.
[How are the male and female protagonists progressing? Will the great villain succeed this time? I don't think it's possible, after all, the male and female protagonists have a halo.]
The system fell into an eerie silence: […Qingyun Sect has been half-leveled and is still struggling to hold on. It probably won't last another day…]
Shen Yue was utterly shocked: [What about the male and female protagonists?]
The system: [The female protagonist is currently living in the mortal realm, away from these disputes. As for the male protagonist… you understand, they need the male and female protagonists to join forces.]
Shen Yue laughed in anger: [What happens if the male protagonist dies?]
The system: [Reset the save and start over.]
Shen Yue felt dizzy with anger. She had worked so hard. If she had to reset and start over, wouldn't all her efforts be in vain?
It would waste hundreds of years. Shen Yue felt her patience wasn't that great.