Dark Night Pinky

Rainbow Cat was sitting cross-legged on the ground regulating his breathing. Blue Rabbit pushed the door open and walked in, walking slowly, afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the room.

Hongmao slowly finished his training. When he opened his eyes, a mixture of fatigue and worry filled them. He stood up and moved to the table, his voice low and hoarse, "How is it?"

Lan Tu's gaze swept over the two figures on the couch, a flicker of pain in her eyes. She sat down gently, her tone grave. "I just asked Mu Jin about this. The Qing Nang Book doesn't even mention a method for restoring life span after being devoured by the Quilt Gu." Her fingertips trembled slightly, and she took a breath before continuing, "Only a forbidden technique, exchanging one's life for another, can restore life."

"Doudou said," Hongmao frowned, his voice heavy, "if it hadn't been a huge mental shock, this wouldn't have happened." He looked at Tiaotiao's pale profile, his Adam's apple rolling with difficulty. "It seems that Miss Su had already made up her mind to die that day, and then after what happened with Sally, she was exhausted and lost control of her training. And Tiaotiao is like this today..." His voice choked, "He must have... already known."

"Chi Lian!" Lan Tu clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white, her eyes burning with anger, "I will never forgive him! How unfair is the way of heaven, why are good people always sacrificed and evil people rampant!" Her heart was filled with rage, but she had nowhere to vent it, and it eventually turned into a deep powerlessness that entangled her layer by layer.

"Rainbow Cat," she choked with sobs, "I feel sorry for them... I'm so heartbroken that I don't know what to do." She raised her hand and gently pressed her heart, as if the pain was real and tangible, "Tiaotiao has been undercover in the Demon Cult for ten years, walking on thin ice; Miss Su has been shackled for twelve years, never seeing the sun... As the dawn was about to come, they had just come to terms with each other, but they have to face such a cruel farewell." Her eyes were blurred with tears, and she looked out the window, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Hongmao reached out and gently wiped away the tears on her cheek with his fingertips, but his voice was trembling: "Tiaotiao... there are still more than two months. We will never give up. Even if there is only a glimmer of hope, we must find a way for them to have the best of both worlds." His tone was firm, but a trace of confusion flashed in the depths of his eyes.

Lan Tu leaned gently into his arms, tears silently soaking his clothes. The two of them hugged each other tightly, as if they wanted to draw strength from this embrace to hold on, and as if in this vast world, each other was the only support for each other.

Behind them, Su Baiwei, lying on the couch, felt her eyelashes tremble as tears streamed down her cheeks and into her hair. The warm, loving presence of their companions seemed so close, yet so far away that she and Tiao Tiao could hardly reach them.

The night was deep, dark clouds engulfing the waning moon. The candles in the house had gone out, leaving only darkness.

Lan Tu lay on the makeshift mat with her clothes on, breathing lightly and maintaining the alertness of a martial artist.

A very soft whisper suddenly broke the silence.

"Wei..."

The sound was so faint it seemed like an illusion, yet it was like the sharpest needle, suddenly piercing Su Baiwei's heart. She shuddered, suddenly turning sideways, fumbling anxiously in the dim light until she finally touched his cold fingers. She wrapped her hands tightly around them, lacing her fingers tightly between his, as if to transfer all her warmth and vitality to him.

"I'm here," she choked in her throat, hot tears welled up in her eyes, her voice trembling, "Tiaotiao, I'm here..."

He seemed to have fallen into a deeper nightmare, his brows knitted in pain, his head tossing restlessly, pleading over and over again, "Don't... don't leave me..."

Every word weighed heavily on her heart. Su Baiwei closed her eyes deeply, her long eyelashes soaked, and forced them open a moment later. She tried to make her voice sound cheerful, even though her throat was already clogged with bitterness. "Okay, I won't leave you. And you can't leave me either, do you hear me?" The forced smile, the deliberately raised tone at the end, was more heartbreaking than any cry.

She felt his cold fingers curl faintly in her palm. This subtle response, like a spark in the dark night, instantly lit up her eyes. She carefully hooked his pinky finger and solemnly intertwined it with her own.

"We've made a promise," she said softly but firmly, as if she were swearing the most solemn oath in the world. "Tiaotiao, do you hear me? We've made a promise, and we won't change it for a hundred years. Whether it's thirty years, three months, or even just three days, three hours... you will never leave me. And I will never leave you."

A tear slipped from the corner of his tightly closed eyes. His Adam's apple rolled with difficulty, as if swallowing the sudden surge of bitterness.

Lying on the floor, Lan Tu, who had been dozing with her eyes closed, quietly opened them. She gazed out the window at the cloud-covered sky, tears welling in her eyes, yet not a single starlight reflected. Only the faint whispers of the unfortunate couple in the darkness echoed repeatedly in her heart, stirring up waves of emotion. She quietly clenched her fingers, suppressing a sigh deep within her heart.

The next morning, light began to shine.

There was a soft knock on the door. Lan Tu woke up, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and got up to open the door.

Hongmao stood outside the door and immediately noticed the pale blue under her eyes. He couldn't help but lower his voice: "Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Lan Tu nodded gently, stepping aside to let him in, her eyes unconsciously darting towards the bed. She saw Su Baiwei, who had woken up at some point, sitting quietly in lotus position, regulating her breathing. Her breathing was much steadier than the previous night, but her face was still startlingly pale, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch.

"Miss Su is awake?"

Su Baiwei slowly gathered her breath and opened her eyes. Her gaze swept across Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit at the door. The emotions in her eyes had been properly suppressed, leaving only a deep and deep silence.

"Thank you for your care."

"You're not to thank me." Hongmao closed the door, his eyes swept over Tiao Tiao who was still sleeping on the couch, and he lowered his voice, "Miss Su, may I have a moment to talk?"

Su Baiwei glanced at Tiao Tiao one last time and nodded slightly.

Lan Tu supported Su Baiwei, and the three of them quietly moved to the clinic. The morning light filtered through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows on the pervasive aroma of medicine.

Before Hongmao could speak, Su Baiwei asked softly, "Are you asking about the backlash from yesterday's training?"

Hongmao and Lantu looked at each other with serious expressions: "Yes."

The corners of her lips curled up into a wry smile, and a hint of fatigue flowed from her eyes: "You guessed right yesterday, that's exactly what happened."

"Miss Su," Lan Tu said earnestly, "There's always a way out. Perhaps... we can still find a way to have the best of both worlds."

"Both?" Su Baiwei shook her head gently, a bitter smile on her face. "There's no such thing as changing one's fate by defying fate. You must pay for what you desire; that's the way of heaven." She was silent for a moment, then looked up again, her eyes filled with gentle determination. "I've made up my mind. I'll give him half of my remaining life. If I could spend thirty years with him, that would be more than enough."

Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit were both stunned when they heard this.

After a moment of silence, Hongmao stepped forward and said in a steady voice, "If this technique works, I will give him my twenty years."

Su Baiwei's heart trembled, and she suddenly looked up at him.

Before she could speak, Lan Tu's eyes were clear and her tone was equally firm: "I will give him my twenty years as well."

Su Baiwei stared at them blankly, her lips trembling slightly before finally yielding a wry smile. "No... absolutely not." She shook her head repeatedly, a deep pain in her eyes. "Don't you know what kind of person he is? If he knew that the price of his life was yours, with his proud and sentimental nature, he would spend every moment of the rest of his life tormented by guilt. This would be even more cruel than killing him."

Lan Tu said anxiously, "We can try to hide it from him and make a long-term plan..."

"We can't keep it secret." Su Baiwei interrupted her, a hint of sadness in her smile. "He's so smart, and he's been immersed in conspiracy for many years. No clue can escape his eyes. We can't keep this secret."

Hongmao frowned and advised, "Survival is the most important thing. Only by surviving first can you slowly find relief later."

Su Baiwei slowly shook her head, her gaze lost in thought, as if she saw those familiar eyes again. "Yesterday, I told him that if he were in my shoes, he would definitely make the same choice as me." Her voice softened, becoming increasingly gentle. "He agreed... But what I felt wasn't a compromise, but rather his respect and understanding for my choice. These are the things he desires and cherishes most in his life."

She looked away, at Hongmao and Lantu, her eyes misty. "So, even though it breaks his heart and he has to watch me die, he will force himself to play out this play with me. Simply because it's my choice. And I also know that if he knew the truth, the pain he would have to endure would be a hundred times greater than if he died himself."

"What you consider 'for his own good' may not necessarily be what he wants." Her tone was gentle, with a hint of self-mockery in it. "Just like me before, I insisted on my own way and never asked if he was willing to bear all this." She took a deep breath, suppressing her surging emotions. "There's no need to discuss this matter anymore. I will respect his wishes, just as he respects me. Even if there's a dead end ahead, I will stay with him until the end."

Hongmao's hands clenched silently at his sides, then finally loosened helplessly. Lantu's lips moved slightly, and her unspoken words of persuasion finally turned into a long sigh.

The morning light filtered through the window paper, quietly casting mottled shadows, stretching the silent figures of the three people.