Chapter 150: A Bitter Revelation in the Alley

“…Xia?”

Su Mian instinctively froze, her gaze locked on the reflection in the bookstore window across the street.

It was indeed Shen Zhixia.

Despite the distance between them, her beige trench coat, though not particularly eye-catching, concealed part of her profile.

Still, her tall figure and the radiant contours of her face when she turned were unmistakable. Su Mian would never mistake her.

Yet, a strange young man stood beside her.

His hair was meticulously styled, and his profile was rather handsome. He leaned in slightly, whispering something into Shen Zhixia’s ear.

Shen Zhixia tilted her head and offered a small smile. The man, seizing the opportunity, naturally raised his hand and embraced her shoulder, his posture intimate.

Sunlight bathed them, painting a picture of harmony and suitability.

Su Mian’s heart was gripped by an invisible hand, clenching tight.

She couldn’t quite articulate what she felt in that moment. Was it shock?

Confusion?

Or perhaps… a belated, dull ache, like overnight lemonade—not sharp, but slowly seeping through her chest?

Shen Zhixia… had a boyfriend.

The figure that had once dominated her entire youth, the one she had cautiously admired and tried to approach as her ‘white moonlight,’ was now being embraced, laughing, and chatting by another man.

All the shared memories between them, gilded with the soft glow of time—the afternoons spent doing homework side-by-side in the library, the evenings sharing earphones on the sports field, and her countless innocent fantasies about the future that she’d swallowed back before voicing them—all seemed to be covered by a thin layer of dust, named ‘reality,’ in this moment.

Yes, she should have known.

From the moment she was no longer ‘Su Mian,’ from the moment she unveiled her gender, from the moment she, by a twist of fate, entered Xiao Moyuan’s company… their life paths had long since diverged, heading in completely different, perhaps even opposing, dark directions.

What right did she have to feel lost or upset?

Yet, the heavy, suffocating feeling in her chest was undeniably real. It wasn’t merely the wistful regret of ‘the person I once liked has found someone new.’

It was more like watching someone who was once profoundly important to her slowly slip into an abyss she couldn’t reach or comprehend, utterly powerless to stop it.

She didn’t even know how much of the smile on Shen Zhixia’s face at that moment was genuine, and how much was a mask she was forced to wear.

Suddenly, a warm hand enveloped her cool fingers.

The hand was broad and strong, carrying a steady grip, as if to anchor her wavering heart. Su Mian snapped back to reality, turning her head.

Unbeknownst to her, he had moved closer, shielding her from potential glances from across the street. His gaze held no blame or scrutiny, only a calm presence.

Now, he spoke, his voice low, but clear in her ears.

“Don’t you have me?”

The words were unremarkable, yet they weren’t a comfort. They were more like a steadfast affirmation.

It was as if he was saying: Look, the past is over, regardless of its scenery or regrets. Now, in this very moment, the one standing beside you, holding your hand, is me.

It was as if by magic.

The sudden cloud that had shrouded Su Mian’s heart was pried open by this single sentence, creating a crack.

The churning bitterness, the loss, and all those pointless recollections of the past were largely dispelled by the solid, present light streaming through that crack.

That was right.

He offered no deliberate gentleness. It was a statement, an unequivocal confirmation.

She had Xiao Moyuan now. This man, who had once been her adversary, now offered protection, tolerance, and… love.

They shared a trust forged in peril, an attraction that transcended gender and identity, and a budding intimacy and commitment that was profound enough to shake her entire world.

Shen Zhixia was her past, a beautiful yet illusory shadow cast during her youthful ignorance.

Xiao Moyuan, however, was her present—a tangible presence, walking beside her in the sunlight.

Su Mian took a deep breath. When she looked across the street again, her eyes still held a flicker of pain.

She even gently squeezed Xiao Moyuan’s hand, murmuring, “Mm.”

She attempted a smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Instead, she sighed softly, “I… I never thought… Zhixia would have someone she likes now.”

A faint trace of loss lingered in her voice. It was a complete farewell to a pure time, a loss she hadn’t even fully registered herself.

Xiao Moyuan’s gaze had already fallen upon Shen Zhixia and the man. His observation was far more meticulous than Su Mian’s.

“I don’t think so.”

He retracted his gaze, his voice grave as he analyzed. Xiao Moyuan’s eyes once again swept across the crowd, precisely landing on Shen Zhixia’s expression.

“When that man put his arm around her shoulder, Shen Zhixia’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment. Although she maintained a smile, a flicker of… aversion, quickly crossed her lips.”

Su Mian froze, then quickly looked again with renewed scrutiny. Prompted by Xiao Moyuan, she noticed that while Shen Zhixia appeared to be smiling, the mirth didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Her back was held a little too straight, and her shoulders seemed tense beneath the man’s hand. When the man leaned closer, attempting to speak near her cheek, her eyelashes fluttered rapidly—a subconscious reaction of repulsion.

“Moreover,” Xiao Moyuan continued, his voice even lower, “notice Shen Zhixia’s current state.”

“Although she’s wearing makeup, compared to the dazzling, vibrant, and radiant school beauty she once was, her complexion is considerably duller. There are dark circles under her eyes, her skin seems… dry, and she even looks… several years older. This isn’t normal.”

He paused, carefully choosing his words. “It’s as if her vitality has been drained. For a high-level bloodkin, especially one who has undergone a first embrace, she should be glowing, yet she’s lost some of her luster and appears withered… almost lifeless.”

She looked utterly different from the vibrant person Su Mian remembered.

“And one more thing,” Xiao Moyuan’s eyes darkened, “I sense that the blood energy in her body is fluctuating, much weaker and more chaotic than when we last encountered her.

It’s not the weakness of an injury, but more like… her source has been significantly diminished.”

Su Mian suddenly remembered something, looking up at Xiao Moyuan. “Are you saying…”

“I speculate,” Xiao Moyuan interjected, his tone firm, “it’s highly likely that after Xia commanded her to approach and control us, Xia’s control over everything completely failed on the night of the First Embrace.

Xia would undoubtedly be extremely displeased with such a failure. As punishment, he likely forcefully withdrew a portion of the source blood he had bestowed upon Shen Zhixia.”

“This directly caused Shen Zhixia’s bloodkin rank to plummet, her power to weaken, and she might even… be trapped in a state where she requires lower-grade blood to sustain her existence.”

He cast a cold gaze at the man across the street, who was being overly familiar with Shen Zhixia and had a frivolous expression. “That man is probably not just a temporary… blood meal source she found.”

Su Mian was stunned. The heart-wrenching and embarrassing night flashed through her mind—the night she thought Xiao Moyuan and Shen Zhixia were being intimate, and she almost lost control in her anger and sorrow.

‘Are you saying… I misunderstood you that night?’

“Mm.”

Xiao Moyuan nodded. “It was that night. Her failure of the mission led to her current consequences.”

He didn’t say anything like, “What if you had…” He merely stated the facts, yet a complex array of emotions swirled in Su Mian’s heart.

There was lingering fear and a hint of relief, but mostly a profound sense of alarm and heaviness for Shen Zhixia’s current predicament.

If Xiao Moyuan’s conjecture was true… then was Shen Zhixia not existing under Xia’s absolute control, forced into such… predatory, sacrificial acts?

Was her aversion and physical resistance because, deep down, a remnant of ‘Shen Zhixia’s pride and defiance’ still remained?

Su Mian’s earlier momentary sadness over ‘Shen Zhixia having a new lover’ was now completely drowned out by the much larger, cruel reality of life and death, of enslavement and struggle.

She suddenly felt that her earlier petty concerns seemed so insignificant, even a little ridiculous, in the face of the abyss Shen Zhixia might be confronting.

“It’s getting late,” Xiao Moyuan observed, glancing at the slowly setting sun. He suggested in a low voice, “Let’s follow them and see.

If she really is working for Xia, or forced to maintain herself this way, we might find some clues about Xia’s recent movements or whereabouts.”

“But remember,” he cautioned, “only observe. Without my permission, you must not act rashly, and under no circumstances should you expose yourself.”

Su Mian immediately nodded, her eyes resolute. “I understand.” Her worry and curiosity now outweighed all other emotions. She wanted to see what Shen Zhixia was truly doing, and what kind of life she was living.

Keeping their distance, concealed by the street shops and foot traffic, the two followed Shen Zhixia and the man.

The man seemed quite familiar with the area. He led Shen Zhixia, with practiced ease, into a Western restaurant that was stylishly decorated and, though not exorbitantly priced, clearly upscale.

Xiao Moyuan led Su Mian to a window seat on the second floor of a coffee shop on the opposite street. From there, they had a clear, albeit angled, view of the couple in the restaurant’s window booth.

The restaurant’s lighting was dim and intimate. The man ordered wine and assiduously poured it for Shen Zhixia.

Separated by glass and distance, they couldn’t hear the specific conversation, but the man’s expressions and actions were entirely visible.

His words carried an obvious flirtatious tone and suggestive undertones.

His body constantly leaned towards Shen Zhixia, and his hand ‘accidentally’ brushed her back, shoulder, and even attempted to encircle her waist once, only for Shen Zhixia to subtly shift away.

Throughout, Shen Zhixia maintained an almost programmed smile, raising her glass to sip the dark red liquid. She didn’t overtly resist the man’s encroaching gestures, but her facial expressions betrayed her.

Each time she was touched, her brows would furrow almost imperceptibly before relaxing. The curve of her lips would become stiff, and her gaze would occasionally drift towards the window, revealing a hint of hard-to-conceal annoyance and… numbness.

This wasn’t the shyness of someone in love, nor was it playful coyness. It was more like a performance, endured to achieve a certain objective.

Xiao Moyuan watched, his gaze icy. When had the Shen Zhixia he remembered ever needed to placate such an obviously ill-intentioned man?

The dinner lasted nearly two hours. The man seemed to have drunk quite a bit, becoming even more audacious and unrestrained.

Finally, he leaned in and whispered something into Shen Zhixia’s ear, his face revealing an undisguised, lustful smirk.

Shen Zhixia’s body trembled almost imperceptibly. Then, she raised her head and offered a smile that was even ‘brighter’ than before.

Her red lips moved slightly, uttering a few words. The man, initially startled, then broke into an even more excited, lewd expression that seemed to say, ‘I understand.’

He nodded repeatedly, impatiently getting up to pay the bill. Leaving the restaurant, the man eagerly tried to pull Shen Zhixia towards a nearby upscale hotel.

However, Shen Zhixia quietly pulled free. She pointed towards a dimly lit, secluded alley leading to the old city, in the opposite direction from the hotel, and then whispered a few words into the man’s ear.

A flicker of surprise crossed the man’s face, but it was quickly replaced by a stronger sense of thrill and conquest. Rubbing his hands, he nodded repeatedly, embraced Shen Zhixia’s waist, and enthusiastically followed her into the alley.

This time, Shen Zhixia didn’t visibly avoid him. Su Mian looked on, bewildered. “Where are they going? What are they doing? That alley looks deserted and unsafe; it’s certainly not a place for a date.”

“Follow them, carefully.”

Xiao Moyuan offered no further explanation. He quickly paid the bill and, pulling Su Mian, silently crossed the street.

They used the cover of night and the shadows of buildings to trail the couple, keeping several dozen meters behind.

The alley was winding and deep. Streetlights were sparse, some even broken. Only the moonlight and faint light seeping from the main street in the distance barely illuminated the uneven cobblestones.

The air was thick with the smell of old dampness and a faint, sour odor of garbage. The man’s footsteps and slightly excited panting echoed through the alley, interspersed with his slurred, teasing remarks.

Shen Zhixia, however, remained almost silent, merely leaning into him, or rather, being half-dragged, half-pulled forward.

Finally, they stopped in a dark corner, where discarded construction materials and trash bags were piled. Here, furthest from the alley’s entrance, the light was weakest, and the silence was broken only by the distant hum of cars and the man’s heavy breathing.

“Alright, darling, isn’t this place exciting enough?”

The man impatiently pressed Shen Zhixia against the mottled wall, his wine-scented mouth about to descend upon hers. “Shouldn’t we start now? Big brother here can’t wait any longer…”

His words abruptly cut off.

Because Shen Zhixia, pinned against the wall, slowly lifted her head.

A few stray moonbeams, stingy with their light, happened to illuminate half of her face. All the hidden endurance, the numb tolerance she had displayed earlier, vanished in an instant.

In its place was an expression of extreme coldness, mixed with profound disgust, humiliated rage, and… a raw, naked hunger.

Her once beautiful almond eyes had instantly transformed into a terrifying crimson, like two drops of thick fresh blood! Her pupils were vertical, emitting an inhuman cold glint!

Her red lips parted, revealing two terrifyingly sharp, bone-white fangs!

“Uh… you… you…”

The man was terrified, his drunkenness instantly evaporating.

He wanted to scream, to run, but extreme fear seized his throat and limbs, leaving him frozen like a lamb to the slaughter, watching as Shen Zhixia’s fangs rapidly elongated and sharpened.

Shen Zhixia didn’t hesitate for a moment. She gave him no time to react.

She lunged forward, her movements swift as a ghost. Her hands, like iron clamps, fixed the man’s struggling shoulders.

Her crimson eyes locked onto the pulsating veins in the man’s neck. Then, she lowered her head and bit down hard.

“Pfft—”

The dull thud of fangs piercing flesh echoed clearly in the silent alley, making one’s scalp prickle!

“Hoh… hoh hoh…”

The man emitted broken gasps from his throat, his eyes bulging. His body convulsed violently, but his strength was rapidly being drained by the succubus beside him.

Shen Zhixia drank greedily, a low, guttural moan escaping her throat.

In the moonlight, one could clearly see the dark red liquid tracing a path from the corners of her mouth, dripping onto the man’s shirt.

Her eyes were closed, her face showing not only the brief tremor of satiation but also a deep, profound despair.

All of this was witnessed by Su Mian and Xiao Moyuan, who were secretly observing, taking it all in.

Su Mian clamped her hand over her mouth, stifling a scream.

Her eyes widened, her pupils trembling uncontrollably from the shock. Despite being mentally prepared, witnessing someone she once knew so intimately ‘feeding’ in such a primitive, bloody manner had an impact far beyond imagination.

It wasn’t a movie effect; it was real. Real fangs, real piercing, real life draining away before her eyes.

A chill surged through her bones, from her feet to the top of her head.

Xiao Moyuan’s reaction was far calmer. He had already half-shielded Su Mian, one hand gently pressing on her shoulder, offering support.

The other hand quietly formed a hidden detection spell, his gaze sharp as an eagle’s, fixed on the bloody scene deep in the alley, not missing any detail, while also wary of any other potential dangers around them.

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