Chapter 65: The Devil’s Sacrifice (15)
Yu Jiao recognized Nie Hongshen at once.
Nie Hongshen’s attire was completely different from before. He had shed his usual, sanctimonious formal wear and was now dressed in a loose robe. A silver mask covered most of his face, revealing only a pair of slightly curved, thin lips and a handsome chin.
His silver-grey hair was not slicked back, but was casually loose, making Nie Hongshen look very relaxed.
Nie Hongshen was holding a flower in one hand, his head slightly tilted up as he looked at her. He truly looked like a dashing, worldly young master.
Not the all-powerful, popular councilor of the Divine Kingdom; not the polite, proper brother-in-law; nor the forceful yet heartless underground lover.
But the mysterious Mr. Moth, here for pleasure.
—But his scholarly-scoundrel aura had not changed at all.
Of course, Yu Jiao did not miss the fact that the moment their eyes met, the composed Mr. Moth’s body had tensed for a moment, his dark purple hawk eyes fixed on her.
After a long moment, Nie Hongshen said slowly, “This young lady, are you willing to have a chat with me?”
The invited person had not yet reacted, but the manager of the Wind and Moon Pavilion was taken aback.
As a distinguished guest, Mr. Moth naturally had a private VIP room here. But although Nie Hongshen often came to sit for a while, he had never invited anyone in.
The manager’s mind immediately began to spin as he looked at the woman who was being treated so specially by the big shot.
The woman was leaning against the float, her figure slender and graceful, her pale white, lotus-root-like arms resting lightly on the railing. A light gauze scarf was fluttering, and her half-hidden face had a soul-stealing attraction, like a flying goddess.
The goddess shot Nie Hongshen a glance, her eyes curving. “The famous Mr. Moth’s invitation, how could I not accept?”
“…”
Yu Jiao and Chow Chow had originally planned to sneak into the Wind and Moon Pavilion through the float parade, disguise themselves as serving girls, and find an opportunity to get close to Nie Hongshen, to secretly collect his biological information.
But they had not expected such a blunder, which had, by a strange coincidence, attracted Nie Hongshen’s special attention. It was unclear if this was a good or bad thing.
Yu Jiao got off the float. As she passed Chow Chow, his broad, cold, hard, mechanical hand quietly squeezed her palm, as if in comfort.
“Stay in touch. Be careful.”
…
“What is the young lady’s name?”
Nie Hongshen poured a cup of tea and, amidst the curling white steam, asked, as if by chance.
Yu Jiao was sitting upright across from him, in the ambiguous, dim light and the sweet scent of aromatherapy. Her bare skin was glistening and delectable.
Hearing this, Yu Jiao tilted her head, and the crystal beads in her hair and on her face jingled. “In Yaoguang City, we only seek romance, not the truth. Tonight—”
Yu Jiao winked playfully. “I won’t tell you my real name, sir.”
Nie Hongshen sipped his tea, unmovable, his fingers tapping the side of the cup with an unreadable meaning.
Tsk.
Although they had not had much contact, Yu Jiao was already familiar with this guy’s little habits and knew that this was a sign of his impatience.
What an unpredictable guy.
Though Yu Jiao was disdainful in her heart, on her face, she feigned a coquettish look. She trotted over to Nie Hongshen’s side, tugged at his sleeve, and said in a simpering, spoiled voice:
“Why don’t you give me a name, sir?”
Yu Jiao tilted her head, looking up at him with a look of longing, like a naive little deer.
—A superior like Nie Hongshen was most susceptible to the simple, fangirl persona.
Even if Yu Jiao acted a little more foolish, he would only, while being contemptuous, give her a sliver of his attention, as if he were giving alms.
Just as she’d expected, Nie Hongshen let out a very light laugh.
It was unclear if Nie Hongshen was pleased by this romantic suggestion, or if he was sneering at her naivety—the things he, Nie Hongshen, wanted to know, it was only a matter of time.
But at this moment, Nie Hongshen just said, as if indulging her:
“Alright.”
With that, Nie Hongshen put down his teacup and, as if by chance, raised his hand and slowly and deliberately pulled his sleeve from Yu Jiao’s grasp. A faint smile was still on his lips, but his movements were distant and cold.
Yu Jiao, as if oblivious.
Yu Jiao secretly twisted her fingers and held the silver-grey strand of hair in her palm, a smile on her lips.
—Hair, get.
…
Her mission this time was to obtain Nie Hongshen’s various biological information, including his hair, fingerprints, eye prints, etc.
At the time, when the operation meeting had reached this point, Yu Jiao had seriously confirmed, “Is that all?”
But that bastard Chow Chow had paused and said in a strange voice, “Don’t you know? That guy surnamed Nie has a perverted obsession with cleanliness. I’m not even asking you to collect his sweat, saliva, and—”
At this, Chow Chow let out a muffled laugh and uttered two words: “Semen.”
“…”
“Ahem.”
Chow Chow said seriously, “If you can stay within a foot of him for more than three minutes, I’ll be impressed. I’ll take off my head and let you kick it like a ball.”
—Yu Jiao really did want to kick a ball today.
“…”
Over there, Nie Hongshen was lost in thought for a moment.
“Since you call me Mr. Moth, then in return, I will call you Miss Butterfly.”
Nie Hongshen’s deep, violet eyes curved, as deep as a warm spring pond.
It had to be said, this person had a face and a voice that had been blessed by the heavens. Even an ordinary chat sounded like a love confession.
“How about it? Miss Butterfly?”
Nie Hongshen was smiling as he looked at Yu Jiao, a string of old beads turning between his broad knuckles, which were hidden in his sleeves.
Based on Yu Jiao’s experience, this kind of ambitious person, who looked like a benevolent bodhisattva on the outside, was the most ruthless on the inside.
And she, Yu Jiao, hated this kind of person the most.
With that thought, Yu Jiao gave a sweet smile. “Thank you, Mr. Moth. I love this name.”
Her smile was bright, and the shining beads reflected a dark light, dazzling Nie Hongshen’s eyes.
Her clothes and veil were flying. She was like a butterfly, and she gracefully landed, sitting sideways on Nie Hongshen’s lap, her pale white, lotus-root-like arms wrapped around his neck.
—As Nie Hongshen’s subordinate, Yu Jiao, she would never have dared to be so presumptuous. But as Miss Butterfly, a fleeting affair in the Wind and Moon Pavilion, she could.
Yu Jiao smiled and pressed herself against the unmovable man, her breath like an orchid. “Tonight, little butterfly is all yours, sir.”
The light sound of the prayer beads, clinking, paused.
Nie Hongshen’s gaze was deep.
Their breaths mingled, their gazes met, like two snakes, locked in a deadly embrace.
But it was as if there were a hazy, flickering veil between them, and they could not break through the final distance.
A fine, colorful powder, from an unknown source, drifted between them, casting a brilliant glow on the lower half of Nie Hongshen’s chiseled face.
“…”
After a long moment of staring.
—Eye print, get.
Yu Jiao blinked, confirming that the crystal chip on her pupil had successfully recorded Nie Hongshen’s eye print.
Her blink was as if it had finally pierced the fragile veil between them.
“Miss Butterfly,” Nie Hongshen said suddenly.
“I have to admit, you are very cute.”
His breath had a cool, pleasant, agarwood scent.
Yu Jiao’s heart sank. A strange sense of foreboding rose.
The light sound of the turning prayer beads came to her ears again.
Click, clack, click, clack. As regular as some ominous countdown.
“But sometimes,” Nie Hongshen looked up, his pupils a deep purple, like a dense spiderweb, “an overly purposeful action can diminish one’s cuteness.”
“You…”
Yu Jiao’s vision blurred.
As if all her support had been instantly taken away, she fell limply onto the thick carpet.
The crystal powder scattered.
Like the scales of an insect’s wings.
“Of course, you are very smart. You didn’t show a single flaw.”
Nie Hongshen dusted off his robe and, slowly and deliberately, wiped the skin she had touched with a silk scarf.
“It’s just… your cuteness and your cleverness cannot hide the—”
Nie Hongshen paused, and his rich, gentle voice had a hint of disgust.
“—Disgusting smell on you.”
Yu Jiao: “…?”
If he had said a familiar smell, Yu Jiao could have understood. It would just mean that her identity had been recognized.
But… he said disgusting??
“A bedbug smell.”
Nie Hongshen added.
As he spoke, his wide robe moved without any wind, as if some huge, strange creature were about to burst out—
His clothes surged like waves, and a few long, slender legs emerged from the edge of his robe.
The carapace reflected a gorgeous, glistening, colorful light, as beautiful as the aurora. The shadows were stretched by the dim light, like the ghostly figures of wolves, and they caught Yu Jiao.
The terrifying tarsus, with its sharp claws, reached for her.
The hidden communicator in her ear sounded with Chow Chow’s slightly anxious voice, intermittently, “…I’ll be there soon… he… don’t be afraid… wait…”
…Wait for you to collect my body?
The beautiful, fierce insect’s leg retracted its sharp claws and, with its smooth shell, lifted Yu Jiao’s chin.
So that Yu Jiao could show her face to him.
Nie Hongshen was in a wheelchair, but he did not seem weak at all because of his disability. The wheelchair was like his personal throne.
Nie Hongshen propped his head on his hand and looked down at her with a superior, cold gaze.
“And, I don’t like to collect fakes.”
Another cold, sharp leg caressed her cheek and neck, a threat, about to strike.
Like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, the leg was raised high—
Yu Jiao closed her eyes.
The next moment, a huge, explosive sound, like thunder, erupted!
Neither of them had expected this turn of events.
Amidst the flying wood chips, dust, and torn cloth, an agile figure, accompanied by the light of the sky, broke through the window.
“City Patrol enforcement!”
A familiar, arrogant voice sounded. “You’re under arrest.”
The newcomer grabbed Yu Jiao and, with a neat move, pinned her hands behind her back and pressed her against the wall.
A scorching heat washed over her.
His long, sharp nails tapped Yu Jiao’s face, and a rough voice sounded, very improper.
“Ma’am, I have reason to believe that you are engaging in illegal sex work here, which is having a negative impact on society.”
Yu Jiao: “?”
What the hell?
Yu Jiao struggled to look back, and sure enough, she met a pair of black-sclera, white-pupil, almond eyes.
A whistle.
Yuan Cang: “Ma’am, you’re damn beautiful!”
“…”
“No wonder you could get that… what’s the word? Oh, oh! That arrogant Mr. Bug to have a transaction with you.”
Yuan Cang teased her with a composed air. At the same time, a few pairs of bone wings suddenly shot out from his back, like charred, withered arms, or mutated, twisted shins, and blocked the unceremonious attack from “Mr. Bug.”
Between the attack and the defense, a harsh sound of clashing blades was heard, and sparks almost flew.
Nie Hongshen was supported by several long, slender legs. He rose from his wheelchair, his wide sleeves hanging down, like a forgotten deity in the mountains.
Nie Hongshen let out a very short, cold laugh. “Stink… bug.”
Yuan Cang was shocked. “Even if you’ve aberrated into a non-human, you can’t just give up and curse yourself like that, Mr. Nie!”
“…”
His only response was an even more ferocious attack.
Now, Yuan Cang was no longer at ease. He let go of Yu Jiao and turned to face the enraged Nie Hongshen.
For a moment, the two insects were fighting fiercely, almost demolishing the expensive private room of the Wind and Moon Pavilion.
Fortunately, they were still holding back a little, with a strange, tacit understanding. Though the commotion was loud, they did not break the walls of the room and let people see this terrifying, inhuman scene.
In a corner of the room, Yu Jiao was gradually regaining control of her body. She looked up at the fight, but then she suddenly paused.
There, Chow Chow had, at some point, slipped in. He was like he was watching a show, hanging upside down from a high beam with his arms crossed, his figure like a faint ink painting. It seemed that besides Yu Jiao, no one else could see him. In any case, he had not attracted the attention of the two insects.
A thought stirred in Yu Jiao’s mind. She glanced at the two who were locked in a fierce battle and quickly said to Chow Chow, “Cover for me.”
“Huh?”
But to her surprise, Yuan Cang paused, pointed to himself, and said with a puzzled expression, “Me?”
Before Yu Jiao could answer, the next moment, Yuan Cang beamed and said cheerfully, “Alright!”
As his words fell, he, with the most ferocious attack, just managed to suppress Nie Hongshen’s terrifying legs.
Yu Jiao was taken aback, but she quickly seized the opportunity. Her figure was nimble as she leaped between the two who were in a stalemate.
“…”
Nie Hongshen’s mask had already been knocked off. His deep, handsome face was expressionless, looking indifferent and strange.
On his once-smooth forehead, several thick purple compound eyes had cracked open. At this moment, they were giving a sliver of their attention, staring at Yu Jiao coldly, as if she were an insignificant ant.
Yu Jiao was fearless.
In a flash of lightning, Yu Jiao wrapped a gauze strip around his neck, leaped up, cupped the back of his head with one hand, and resolutely pressed her lips against his heartless ones.
“!”
Nie Hongshen’s several pairs of eyes all widened.
For the first time, Nie Hongshen lost control of his expression. He was no longer composed, but was extremely shocked.
A retaliatory pleasure rose in Yu Jiao’s eyes.
—Hmph, aren’t you a widow for your white moonlight? You think I’m disgusting? Let’s see if I can disgust you to death!
Yu Jiao quickly swept her tongue around, then bit down hard.
—Saliva, get.
—Blood, get.
“…”
“…”
In fact, the moment his lips and teeth were pressed against hers, a violent, murderous intent had risen in Nie Hongshen’s eyes. His sharp legs were already ready to strike. If it weren’t for Yuan Cang’s suppression, he would have already pierced this arrogant woman through.
However, the next moment—
After her soft tongue had wreaked havoc, she bit down hard and then gracefully pulled away.
“…”
Nie Hongshen’s pupils constricted. He felt the [sub-insect] that had been dormant in his body for many years awaken, trembling with excitement.
It uncontrollably pointed to her, to the [mother-insect].
…No one knew that eleven years ago, Nie Hongshen had willingly entered into a contract that was unfavorable to him with Jiao Hongyue, just so that in a few years, he could be the first to find her in a sea of people.
This day had finally come… The [sub-insect] was restlessly trying to break free from its physical bonds, extremely eager to return to the embrace of the [mother-insect].
Several pairs of dark purple insect eyes all reflected that light, delicate figure.
Nie Hongshen was stunned into silence:
“Hongyue?”
“…”
But there was no response.
She didn’t look back. She was in the arms of a masked man who had appeared from nowhere and had disappeared in an instant.
Nie Hongshen, almost losing his composure, reached out, trying to grab a corner of her fluttering clothes—however, a sharp bone wing, which had been waiting for an opportunity, suddenly pierced his body, pinning him to the ground.
Nie Hongshen seemed to have lost all sense of pain, only murmuring in a daze, “Hongyue… you’re back… finally… back.”
His gnarled, noble hand was stained with blood, but it was still reaching towards the void, as if to grasp something unattainable.