Chapter 74: Jie Luo? Who?
Although Qin Chu had already taken Angelica’s first kiss, this time was different.
Outside the window, the night wind rustled the curtains, her black stockings outlining the curves of her legs.
Shaye, floating in mid-air, smiled faintly at the scene before discreetly leaving the room. She could stay when it was Ekaterina, but not this time. She could sense that Angelica held a special place in Qin Chu’s heart, a significance that surpassed the others.
…
Downstairs, Shaye found Ekaterina, still awake.
The Valkyrie’s expression was a mixture of pain and confusion, her willpower crumbling.
Ekaterina didn’t understand what was happening to her. When she had first learned of Qin Chu’s existence, she had felt only disgust. And when they met, her revulsion had intensified.
But now, his image dominated her thoughts.
She yearned for his touch, his embrace, his kiss… She wanted him to treat her with the same affection, the same tenderness he showed Angelica.
She felt as if she were falling for him. Every moment spent away from him was filled with anxiety and a restless yearning. Only his presence brought her peace.
She clutched a small wooden token, two characters carved into its surface:
Jie Luo!
Jie Luo… the man she loved.
But she couldn’t remember their shared experiences, couldn’t recall why she had fallen for him.
She clung to this token, a desperate attempt to anchor herself, to prevent his memory from fading completely. If she forgot him, she would lose herself.
But even as she stared at the token, his face remained elusive, his name a hollow echo in her heart. Her thoughts, her desires, were consumed by Qin Chu. Whether her eyes were open or closed, whether she was awake or asleep, his image haunted her.
She saw Angelica enter his room…
She envied her. She wished it were her, wished she could experience even a fraction of his affection…
She heard him praising Angelica, and she yearned for his approval, for his touch, for his love.
But he was cold, distant.
She tried to bridge the gap between them, but she didn’t know how. Her body, her only weapon, was met with rejection.
She was losing herself. She needed to regain control.
She entered the mansion’s ice room, grabbing a bottle of chilled water, gulping down half of it in a single breath. But the turmoil within her remained.
Shaye, observing her, smiled. Ekaterina was on the verge of succumbing to the potion’s influence.
Her modified Stunning Love was truly potent. A single dose was worth three of the original…
But perhaps a little reinforcement wouldn’t hurt.
The icy water provided only a moment of respite. The burning within her returned, consuming her.
She shook her head, grabbing another bottle, then another, gulping down the icy liquid.
Suddenly, her movements ceased, her body stiffening, her expression vacant.
The wooden token slipped from her grasp, clattering to the floor.
…
Upstairs, in the master bedroom, Angelica slept peacefully, a faint blush on her cheeks, a sweet smile gracing her lips. She was dreaming, a happy dream, her soft giggles echoing through the room.
Qin Chu, looking at her black stockings, now riddled with holes, felt a twinge of guilt. Had he been too rough?
He hadn’t been able to control himself.
He wanted a cigarette but remembered that they didn’t exist in this world.
He looked at her, his expression softening.
He wasn’t completely immune to her charms. He was a man, after all. And she was beautiful, devoted, her presence a constant source of… temptation… He had almost given in to his desires on several occasions.
But he couldn’t. He was afraid.
Angelica was different from Ekaterina and Loseweisse. He didn’t even consider them human. They were merely targets of his revenge.
But Angelica… her loyalty, her willingness to sacrifice herself for him, she was precious. She had proven her devotion, her willingness to die for him. She was different from those he had saved, those he had helped, only to be betrayed.
And because he cherished her, he was afraid.
He was afraid of hurting her, of causing her pain, of violating her trust.
And he was afraid of being betrayed, of experiencing the same pain, the same heartbreak…
His fear, his uncertainty, had held him back.
But when she had confessed her feelings, her voice trembling with courage, he had finally understood. And he had responded.
He brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek, a smile touching his lips.
What the future held for them… well, he would worry about that later.
He didn’t see Shaye in the room.
He stepped out, the night air cool against his skin.
The tenderness in his eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating gaze. He smiled, his usual mask firmly in place.
He heard a noise downstairs, assuming it was Shaye. But as he descended the stairs, he saw Ekaterina.
She stood motionless, her expression vacant.
To his surprise, she seemed to have regained her composure. Her face, no longer pale and drawn, glowed in the moonlight.
Her hair, previously disheveled, was now neatly tied in a ponytail, the crimson strands gleaming with a healthy sheen.
Red… it was her color. No other hue suited her so well.
She wore a different dress, even more revealing than the previous one, its fabric clinging to her curves, her long legs accentuated by the high slit in her skirt.
She had even donned a pair of red, high-heeled shoes, clearly uncomfortable in them.
She had been about to ascend the stairs when she saw him. She flinched, instinctively taking a step back.
But her eyes, those crimson orbs, were filled with a burning intensity, a raw, primal hunger.
Her breathing quickened, her cheeks flushed, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Her eyes, beautiful and alluring, glistened with unshed tears. She looked as if she wanted to throw herself at him, to melt into his embrace.
It was almost disturbing.
He felt a shiver run down his spine.
“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice cold.
“I came to see you…”
“Why?”
Her breath hitched, her voice husky with desire. “I want you to to treat me… the way you treat Angelica.”
Qin Chu leaned back, his voice calm, his gaze unwavering.
“What about Jie Luo?”
She tilted her head, a broken smile twisting her lips. “Jie Luo?”
“Who?”
…
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