Xie Shuci stared blankly at the young man beside the bed, her lips trembling slightly, tears sliding down her cheeks.

Cold chains bound Xie Shuci's body, his eyes filled with panic and helplessness.

"You...you..." Xie Shuci murmured something, but couldn't utter a complete sentence.

The mental and physical discomfort caused Xie Shuci to tremble uncontrollably. Cold sweat rolled down his cheeks, and fear clung to him like a leech. What should he do? What should he do? He would kill him, he would definitely kill him…

The boy looked at him quietly, his deep black eyes like bottomless pools, filled with a cold aura. Under the gaze of those eyes, Xie Shuci couldn't help but recall the scene he felt when he was connected with the boy's spirit. He didn't know if it was because of sadness or fear, but he finally couldn't suppress the sobs in his throat and cried out softly.

He turned his head away, closed his eyes tightly, and refused to look at the boy on the bed any longer.

It was all a lie! Everything was a lie! The side effects of the pills, the Xiaoyao Sect, the blindness, the little blind man, the liking—it was all a lie. He could clearly see it; he clearly wanted to kill himself!

"You liar...you're a liar..."

"You're going to kill me? Then come and kill me!"

"Liar! Liar!"

Xie An pursed his lips, raised his hand hanging by his side, and beckoned to Xie Shuci with his finger. Xie Shuci felt the chains binding him tighten instantly. He whimpered and his limbs became uncontrollable. Like a puppet on strings, he was led step by step to Xie An.

Throughout this process, Xie An remained silent and made no other movements. He simply stared quietly at Xie Shuci. His unfamiliar and unreadable gaze made Xie Shuci's scalp tingle, and she couldn't control her tears. Yet, at this moment, her fear of him was overshadowed by anger and resentment.

Xie Shuci wanted to unleash a torrent of curses, but he was also afraid that the man might actually hurt him. He valued his life; he hadn't lived enough yet. So, with tears blurring his vision, he muttered under his breath, "Liar! Dead liar! You dead liar who cheated me out of my body, my heart, and my money!"

"You can see it...you can see it..."

"I'm telling you, I'm not afraid of you! At worst, I'll die by your hand, and I'll still be a hero eighteen years from now! You damn liar!"

He was led to Xie An, and no matter how much Xie An cursed him, Xie An remained expressionless.

Xie Shuci's eyes inevitably fell on that familiar face, and as she cursed, she burst into tears, "You don't like me at all, you liar! You want to kill me! You and Sikong Ye are a couple, you're both liars, big liars!"

Xie An's deep eyes revealed no emotion, yet he finally spoke the first sentence, "And what about you?"

"I...you fucking disgusted me while you slept with me, and then you ask me where I am?"

Xie An tightened his lips, waved his hand, and removed the chains from Xie Shuci's body. Xie Shuci, already in unbearable pain, could not stand on his own two legs and fell directly into Xie An's arms, where he caught her firmly in his arms.

But now, pressed against this familiar body, Xie Shuci felt a chilling cold. He almost reflexively tried to break free from his embrace, but Xie An pressed down on his waist with one hand. Xie Shuci hissed and gasped in pain, forced to remain still for the time being.

"You once said that you didn't care about my identity or my past." Xie An rested his chin on Xie Shuci's shoulder, carefully feeling the warmth of Xie Shuci's body. He had said long ago that even if Xie Shuci was afraid of him, he could not leave him.

He will not let Xie Shuci leave, no matter what.

No matter if he's afraid or not, whether he wants to leave or not, Xie An will not let go.

He naturally hoped that Xie Shuci would stay by his side willingly. If Xie Shuci was unwilling, he would not let Xie Shuci escape from his side, even if it meant using force.

"But I didn't know you were Xiao Xun!" Xie Shuci choked out.

Xie An lowered his eyes and asked, "Do you not know, or do you not want to know?"

"I..." Xie Shuci choked up, but couldn't say anything.

Xie An didn't force him to say anything. Perhaps sensing Xie Shuci's stiff body in his arms, he loosened his grip on Xie Shuci's waist, gently rubbing his lower back a couple of times, and asked softly, "Does your back still hurt?"

His gentle tone, just like his coaxing words during their intimate moments, brought a lump to Xie Shuci's throat. Aside from his fear of Xiao Xun, he also felt a dependence on Xie An. Hearing him speak to him as usual, Xie Shuci pouted and burst out, "Bastard! Beast! What do you say?"

"Then why are you running?"

Xie An placed his long, slender fingers on Xie Shuci's waist, kneading it from top to bottom, trying to make Xie Shuci feel more comfortable.

"You're Xiao Xun, aren't you? You even wanted to kill me! How could I not run? Would I just wait to die?" Xie Shuci wailed. "You even lied to me that you couldn't see, and made me teach you everything. Shameless!"

"You're a liar! A murderer! I'll die by your hand sooner or later, I definitely will! I definitely will!"

Xie An listened to his accusations in silence.

When Xie Shuci realized that scolding was ineffective, Xie An remained silent and simply massaged his waist and abdomen repeatedly until his crying gradually subsided.

He didn't know what Xie An wanted to do, what he wanted to do by staying by his side, what he wanted to do by keeping him alive, or why he was doing these things with him. After clearly sensing the murderous intent Xie An harbored in his heart, he didn't even understand what Xie An was trying to do at this moment.

He thought that perhaps Xie An didn't want to kill him yet.

Xie Shuci lifted her head from his embrace, her eyes blurry with tears, and looked at his silent face. Her voice trembled as she said, "Xiao Xun, please let me go. For the sake of all these days we've spent together, sharing a bed, please let me go. I'm just an ordinary person. I don't have anything you need. I can promise I'll never appear before you again. No one will know what happened last night, not even Sikong Ye… Please let me go…"

When the truth was laid bare before Xie Shuci, his already limited courage almost completely crumbled. He didn't even have time to figure out whether he felt more fear or sadness after learning the truth. His mind was a jumbled mess, and he needed time to sort it out. He had to distance himself from Xiao Xun. All he wanted now was to leave and go to a safe place to slowly come to terms with everything.

Even as he spoke these words, seeing the boy's eyes gradually turn cold, his heart felt as if it had been pierced by a thousand arrows, the pain making it hard for him to breathe.

As he finished speaking, his voice weakened, even taking on a pleading tone.

The boy's kneading motion on his waist and abdomen froze. His dark eyes lowered and fixed on Xie Shuci's tear-streaked face, clearly seeing the fear and helplessness written in his eyes.

The surging anger within him almost extinguished his reason, and the excruciating pain from his heart felt as if it were tearing his body to shreds.

But he couldn't lose his mind. Even in his sleep, he needed to suppress his bloodthirsty nature. How could he lose control in front of Xie Shuci?

But Xie Shuci wanted to leave. He was afraid of himself and begged him to let him go. He wanted to leave him forever.

How could he allow such a thing to happen?

From the moment he failed to sacrifice Xie Shuci in the Dragon Fang Secret Realm, he had already decided that Xie Shuci could only be his, could only stay by his side. How could he let this person leave?

Impossible, he wouldn't do that.

Even though he told himself this in his heart, he couldn't ignore the panic caused by Xie Shuci's words.

What if he really leaves? What if he really never shows up again in this lifetime?

Even knowing it was impossible, that Xie Shuci would never leave, he couldn't help but think the worst.

A blood-red glint flashed in his eyes. Xie Shuci seemed to see something terrifying, and he held his breath nervously, his body involuntarily taking a few steps back.

Xie Shuci had barely moved when his chin was gripped tightly. Xie Shuci frowned, feeling as if the hand on his chin was about to crush his bones. He struggled in pain, but the boy tightened his grip, his fingers digging into Xie Shuci's skin until the fingertips turned white.

His eyes were fixed on Xie Shuci's face, like those of a ferocious beast suppressing its hunger, making Xie Shuci tremble with fear. He didn't want to face Xie An like this, and in a panic, he turned his head away, "Let...let me go...don't do this..."

"Let go?" the boy murmured, his fingers suddenly tightening, gripping Xie Shuci's chin and lifting it upwards, forcing him to look him in the eye. "Don't you like me? Don't you not care about my past? Don't you want to be with me forever?"

His pupils gradually turned bloodshot, and he stared at Xie Shuci with a vicious look, as if he were about to open his blood-red maw and swallow Xie Shuci whole.

Xie Shuci was stunned. He had never seen Xie An like this before, like a wild beast on the verge of exploding. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. He pushed against the boy's chest with all his might, murmuring, "You're not Xie An... not my little blind boy... you're Xiao Xun... you're not Xie An..."

"I am." The boy grabbed the hand that was pressed against him, his tone becoming more forceful. "I am Xie An, and I am also Xiao Xun. Didn't you want to know? Weren't you curious? Now that you know, what? Are you scared after seeing my true appearance?"

"No……"

Xie Shuci pouted, tears wetting the boy's fingertips. "You're not Xie An...you're not Xie An! You're a demon! Give him back to me!"

The boy looked at him and suddenly chuckled, but there was no joy in his laughter, only anger. "Fine, I'll give it back to you."

After saying that, he leaned down and bit Xie Shuci's trembling lips hard.

"Ugh!" Xie Shuci whimpered as the boy's long arms encircled his waist and he leaned down to press him into the bed.

This kiss was unlike any before; it was like a storm crashing down on Xie Shuci, giving him no room to breathe.

Xie Shuci's body suddenly fell onto the bed. The sharp pain from below made him clench his lips and teeth instantly. He bit down hard on the soft flesh where the boy had penetrated him, and blood instantly spread in his mouth. The heavy taste of blood added a touch of death to this crazy kiss.

"Hmm..."

Xie Shuci struggled to say something, but the boy seemed oblivious to the pain, deepening the kiss to its extreme.

Xie Shuci could not bear his anger. Tears mixed with blood slid down her cheeks and rolled down her clothes.

Xie Shuci let out a low whimper, but it did not stop the boy's crazy behavior. His clothes were scattered all over the ground, and pills rolled around everywhere. Xie Shuci felt a chill in his chest, but the occasional warmth made him shiver uncontrollably.

"Ugh!" Xie Shuci suddenly groaned, his face turning deathly pale. He bit down hard on the corner of the blanket, trying to crush the excruciating pain and swallow it.

He pounded on the boy's shoulder, but the boy was unmoved. He pulled the blanket off his mouth and bit down on it again.

"I was wrong...I was wrong...Please, please let me go..." Xie Shuci pleaded intermittently, looking at the faint light of dawn outside the window, his nerves instantly on edge. "They'll hear us!"

"No, I won't let anyone hear your voice."

Xie Shuci sobbed, "It hurts so much! It hurts so much!"

The boy placed his hands on either side of Xie Shuci's head, looking down at him. His face was even paler than Xie Shuci's, yet he exuded an arrogant air. "Remember this feeling. If you leave me, I'll make you hurt even more next time."

"Waaah..."

Xie Shuci couldn't stop sobbing. His arms had little strength left, but he still tried to push the boy away. "You're not Xie An! You're Xiao Xun! You're going to kill me! I don't want to die... Waaah... I don't want to die..."

The boy stopped moving.

Hearing Xie Shuci's desperate cries, he couldn't help but gently place his hand on Xie Shuci's cheek, stroking his skin in a comforting manner, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Xie Shuci, have I ever hurt you?"

Is the person you see the same as the one you imagined?

Xie Shuci shook his head vigorously. It was different. He was completely different from the Xiao Xun that Xie Shuci had imagined. That was why he had never believed that Xie An would be that pervert before. But when the facts were presented to him, when he learned that Xie An harbored murderous intent towards him, he suddenly realized that perhaps he had never seen his true self. He had only deceived Xie Shuci with his appearance.

Xie An looked at his sweat-dampened temples and gently wiped away the beads of sweat with his hand. "Is your affection... fake?"

Xie Shuci's eyes welled up with tears. He raised his hand and slapped Xie An across the face. The crisp sound rang out in the quiet room.

When the numb pain shot through his fingers, Xie Shuci froze. He saw a trickle of blood escape Xie An's lips and slide down his chin. Xie Shuci's heart clenched with pain, and his expression turned panicked. "You..."

Xie An stared calmly at Xie Shuci, but Xie Shuci dared not meet his gaze, as if his eyes and the trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth were exceptionally glaring.

Xie An stared at him silently for a moment, then pulled away and sat up from him.

Xie Shuci breathed a heavy sigh of relief, but before he could get up, he felt a cold dagger being shoved into his hand.

"What are you doing?!" Xie Shuci was startled and tried to throw the dagger in his palm away.

Xie An, however, wrapped his five fingers around his and pulled him up from the bed.

Xie An held his hand, pressed the tip of the knife against his chest, and silently looked at Xie Shuci.

The sharp tip of the knife cut through his skin, and blood instantly slid down.

Xie Shuci's arm trembled uncontrollably as he tried to pull his hand back forcefully. "What are you doing? Let go of me."

Xie An simply stared at him without moving, his eyes calm and deep, like a bottomless lake.

"Xie Shuci, I'm giving you a chance. You have two choices today: kill me and walk out of here, or don't kill me and accept me."

Xie Shuci looked into his determined eyes, her arms trembling even more violently. "Are you crazy? Are you insane?"

Xie An chuckled, "Don't you know perfectly well whether I'm crazy or not?"

Xie Shuci looked at his reddened eyes and shook her head violently, "Let go! Let me go!"

His palms, gripping the hilt of the knife, were sweating profusely. His gaze fell upon the blood seeping from Xie An's chest, which felt like a needle piercing his heart.

Xie Shuci dared not look into his eyes. His whole body felt weak. He could not face those eyes that seemed to nail him into his bones. He just wanted to leave, to leave immediately, to escape from those eyes.

Xie An, however, refused to let him go. He wrapped his large hand around the back of Xie Shuci's hand and forcefully stabbed the knife into his chest. With a "plop," the sharp tip of the knife pierced his chest, and blood flowed down the blade into Xie Shuci's fingers.

Xie Shuci opened his eyes wide in terror, the thick blood making him feel as if he were drowning. "No..."

Xie Shuci's eyes were filled with panic and helplessness, "Let me go..."

Xie An seemed oblivious to the pain. He stared intently at Xie Shuci, his eyes bloodshot. Xie Shuci had bitten his tongue, and the blood stained his lips and teeth, creating a stark contrast with his pale face.

"Do you want me to choose for you?" He tempted Xie Shuci like a ghost.

No! Let go!

Xie Shuci could feel Xie An pressing against the back of his hand, pushing the knife tip a little further in. Looking at the bloody wound, Xie Shuci felt as if his heart was being ripped out. "No, let me go... no!"

"You're bleeding...you're going to die!" Xie Shuci almost cried out.

"Do you care if I live or die?" Xie An just stared at him without blinking, the deep and complex emotions in his eyes making Xie Shuci's scalp tingle.

"How could I not care?" Xie Shuci cried and cursed, completely breaking down. "Why the hell didn't you tell me who you were earlier? If I had known you were Xiao Xun, I would have run away long ago and never cared whether you lived or died! You knew I couldn't bear to part with you, yet you forced me to choose! What am I supposed to choose... you bastard!"

Xie Shuci cried so hard he could barely breathe. His body ached, and his heart was filled with pain. All his emotions piled up on him, making it impossible for him to think. He was already in a state of utter chaos, and this person was forcing him to kill him. Was this something a human being could do?

"What did I do wrong? Why are you doing this to me..."

Xie Shuci burst into tears, his face streaked with sobs that Xie An could hardly breathe.

He looked at Xie Shuci in silence. After a moment, he closed his eyes tightly, took a deep breath, and released Xie Shuci's hand.

Xie Shuci immediately threw away the dagger in her hand, sat on the bed wiping away tears as she dressed, enduring the physical pain.

Xie An braced himself on the bed with one hand and clutched his chest with the other as an overwhelming pain surged through him. His face was deathly pale. He leaned against the headboard and stopped looking at Xie Shuci.

Blood gushed from his mouth and flowed down his chin.

He probably had no strength left; he leaned against the headboard, motionless, his breathing barely perceptible.

Xie Shuci hurriedly put on her clothes and was about to get out of bed when she found that Xie An was holding the corner of her clothes in his hand. Xie Shuci lowered her eyes, feeling a sharp pain in her heart, but she still gritted her teeth and pulled the corner of her clothes out of his hand.

Xiao Xun will kill him... Xiao Xun lied to him... The person he should love is Sikong Ye, not him...

Xie Shuci sniffed. He was afraid that Xiao Xun would change his mind, and he was also afraid that Xiao Xun would kill him in a fit of anger. He endured the pain and stepped off the bed. He didn't even have time to put on his shoes and took two steps forward in slippers.

The almost imperceptible presence behind him felt like countless needles pricking him, making it impossible for him to take a step. He couldn't help but turn around and glance back. Xie An was as pale as paper, and blood kept gushing from his mouth, a truly shocking sight.

Xie Shuci's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly remembered the devastating pain he had felt when his spirits were connected with his. As if possessed, Xie Shuci lost control of his body.

He couldn't take another step forward, as if if he did, the person behind him would die.

"What's wrong with you?"

Xie Shuci gritted her teeth, turned around, and looked at him from a distance of a few steps.

The person on the bed slowly opened his eyes, a hint of confusion in his expression. He looked at Xie Shuci, trying to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, but no matter what he did, he couldn't muster any strength. Xie Shuci had never seen him so vulnerable, and he couldn't imagine that this person who couldn't even lift his arm was the twisted protagonist in the book.

Xie An stared at him quietly for a long time, seemingly trying to discern something from Xie Shuci's expression. It was unclear whether he had figured anything out in the end, but Xie Shuci suddenly coughed up blood, which soaked the bedding. Xie Shuci's heart tightened at the sight.

Xie An tried to sit up, bracing himself against the edge of the bed, but he couldn't muster the strength no matter how many times he tried. Xie Shuci clenched his fists at his sides, forcefully restraining himself from going forward to help him.

"Aren't you leaving?" Xie An gave up and just stared at Xie Shuci without moving.

"I..." Xie Shuci murmured, but couldn't say anything more.

"Aren't you going to leave now that I'm too weak?" Xie An said calmly.

"Aren't you afraid I'll hurt you? Aren't you afraid I'll lie to you? I've done so many bad things, you don't like me, you're afraid of me, you say I lied to you. If I didn't lie to you, would you like me?"

His eyes were fixed on Xie Shuci, not allowing Xie Shuci any chance to escape.

"Go away. Who knows, one day I might kill you, kill that dog, and kill the people around you."

Xie Shuci felt as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat, unable to utter a single word.

Throughout all the time she had known Xie An, he had never actually harmed her; perhaps, without her knowledge, he had helped her.

Just like in the Dragon Fang Secret Realm, he obtained the Qiankun Mirror but lacked the strength to activate it. In the end, it was Xie An who activated the Qiankun Mirror, saving them all. He could have simply taken the Qiankun Mirror and left, but he didn't. He saved Xie Shuci, saved the King, and saved everyone around Xie Shuci.

If he wanted to kill them, why did he save them in the first place?

Xie Shuci couldn't understand it, but he clearly sensed Xie An's intense killing intent towards him, or perhaps the destructive rage within him.

Looking at the hesitant Xie Shuci, Xie An even had a fleeting moment where he wanted to tell Xie Shuci about his demonic possession and why he harbored murderous intent towards him, hoping to use these things to persuade Xie Shuci to stay.

But he couldn't do that. He had his pride. He was Xiao Xun, and he couldn't bring himself to use such a humble way to keep Xie Shuci.

So he's gambling.

I wonder if Xie Shuci's affection for him will outweigh her fear.

But there was no sound in the room for a long time. Xie Shuci stood there, tears streaming down her face.

"It's almost dawn, you should go."

Xie Shuci took a deep breath, as if waking from a dream, gave Xie An a long look, and turned to walk towards the door.

As Xie An watched his retreating figure, a shadow of despair unconsciously settled over his eyes.

"Aren't you going to take the bell with you?" He stared intently at Xie Shuci's thin back, his voice so weak it was almost inaudible.

Xie Shuci was startled. For some reason, he seemed to understand the meaning of Xie An's words.

He wasn't talking about the bell; he was talking about himself.

He wanted Xie Shuci to take away not the bell, but himself.

He lowered himself so much that it almost sounded like he was begging.

Xie Shuci turned her head to the side, her eyes blurry with tears, and looked at the two strings of bells and a peach blossom quietly placed on the table.

His heart was gripped tightly.