Chapter 123: The Price of Cowardly Love

Beneath the moon, the slender silhouette of the silver-haired girl cast a long shadow, her wine-red eyes reflecting a sharp, piercing intent.

“What do you mean by ‘snatching a woman’?”

“How would I know such a thing… No, why should I even answer you?”

Luo Huayin cut herself off, speaking no further. Magic coalesced in her hands, forming a pair of elegant daggers, yet her movements were far from gentle.

Each thrust was imbued with immense force, aiming to breach Gu Xuanyu’s defenses. ‘A mere silver-haired girl, still wet behind the ears, shouldn’t act so high and mighty, pointing fingers. Once I catch you, I have hundreds of ways to make you fall!’

But Gu Xuanyu’s blocks were impenetrable, and she even continued her interrogation with effortless ease.

“Violet, she came for Ye Qing, didn’t she? Tell me!”

With that, Gu Xuanyu shifted from defense to offense, bringing her blade down with a heavy chop. It struck Luo Huayin precisely as her old strength waned and new power had yet to surge.

The impact sent a jolt of numbness through Luo Huayin’s blocking arms. Magic clashed, erupting in searing sparks that splattered across her face, burning her skin.

“So what if she did!”

Luo Huayin paid no mind to the pain. At this point, she too was fueled by anger, wanting only to provoke the silver-haired girl before her as much as possible.

But a moment later, astonishment began to creep in.

“Then get out of my way!”

The cold glint of Gu Xuanyu’s saber flared brightly, dimming even the luminous moonlight. She didn’t just chop; she gripped the blade with both hands in an utterly domineering posture, plunging it downwards towards Luo Huayin.

The unstoppable momentum forced Luo Huayin to retreat. Gu Xuanyu surged past her, charging towards Ye Qing’s bedroom, only to collide with the purple-haired woman who was preparing to leave with Ye Qing in her arms.

Just as when they first met, An Yueying snatched Ye Qing from her grasp, holding the petite black-haired girl horizontally in the same manner, with the unfinished cake box still dangling from her pinky finger.

Even solely by the fluctuations of magic and that signature fiery red hair, the identity of the red-haired girl behind An Yueying could be clearly discerned.

However, Gu Xuanyu was oblivious to all but Ye Qing. Yet, just as she was about to lunge before An Yueying, her body suddenly went limp.

An overwhelming numbness seized her, rendering her unable to wield her magic. She could barely maintain her grip on the saber.

“It’s quite surprising that you managed to overcome the obstacles to intercept me, Miss Gu. But unfortunately, you’re too late.”

The black-haired girl now lay docilely curled in An Yueying’s embrace, her hands resting softly on the other woman’s gentle shoulders. Her eyelids were closed, her sleeping face serene, like an adorable black cat.

“You’ve improved since last time, but only marginally. This time, she still chose me.”

Gu Xuanyu’s eyes widened, a bloody killing intent brewing within them, yet her body felt as if it had fallen asleep, utterly refusing to move. She could only watch helplessly as An Yueying carried Ye Qing away.

She understood the meaning behind An Yueying’s words. Last time, blinded by Silver Moon, she had harmed Ye Qing and could only watch as Ye Qing was taken away. But this time, she should have been able to seize her.

“You’re forcing her!”

An Yueying neither confirmed nor denied, her expression one of sinister charm and unbridled arrogance.

“You had ample opportunity to slowly make her fall in love with you, but I didn’t have that many choices. That’s why I seized every possible opportunity without hesitation… If I may be so blunt, Miss Gu, your love is too cowardly.”

Having spoken, An Yueying said no more. She lightly tapped her toes in the air, vanishing into the night like a raven. The red-haired girl behind her looked at Gu Xuanyu, hesitant to speak, and quietly reached out to gently tap the rigid shoulder of the silver-haired girl with her knuckle before also departing with An Yueying.

A surge of fiery magic began to flush away the potion clogging Gu Xuanyu’s meridians, gradually restoring her ability to move. Yet, she felt something already slipping from her grasp.

She merely stood in a daze, her right hand slowly relaxing, letting her saber fall.

‘She couldn’t protect anything…’

Just as An Yueying had mockingly stated, her love was indeed too cowardly. At this moment, Gu Xuanyu only regretted her lack of sufficient power.

Even with two conduits, she was too frail before An Yueying to even resist. ‘If only I were strong enough, strong enough to protect Ye Qing from any harm…’

***

The magic that had kept her airborne gradually dissipated. Gu Xuanyu did not resist the earth’s pull, allowing herself to be dragged towards the surface until the hard ground slammed against her back.

She didn’t even utter a muffled groan, only feeling the coppery taste of blood rising in her throat.

She didn’t activate any healing abilities, nor did she use magic to resist the impact. Even a Magical Girl would be injured falling from such a height.

Her body was a mess, aching all over. The stone bricks beneath her were cold as ice, chilling her to the bone, yet Gu Xuanyu lay there silently, staring blankly at the crescent moon in the night sky.

‘So cold.’

‘So painful.’

The biting cold seemed to freeze her blood, and the pain in her heart threatened to tear open her chest, to burst forth.

Like someone enduring hardship with a determined spirit, Gu Xuanyu quietly embraced the agony, her gaze gradually growing dim.

‘I’ll be there soon, Ye Qing, don’t worry.’

‘This time, I will never lose you again.’

***

Ye Qing had a very long dream.

In her dream, she was pinned down by a silver-haired girl and couldn’t escape.

She tried to resist, but as soon as she was attacked in her vulnerable spots, she completely lost the ability to fight back, lying soft and pliant in the girl’s arms.

Kissing, and then intimacy…

Since she couldn’t break free, Ye Qing could only enjoy it. ‘Little Qing, you’re about to be persecuted…’

‘Eh, where’s my Little Qing?’

Unable to feel what should have been there, Ye Qing abruptly sat up in bed, her hands fumbling aimlessly over her body. After a moment, she finally remembered.

‘Oh, Little Qing was gone a long time ago.’

A glass of water was offered to her lips, and Ye Qing instinctively drank. Immediately, she detected something amiss.

“Pfft—”

Ye Qing spat out the horribly bitter liquid, then burst into a violent fit of coughing.

“What… is… this… *cough, cough*, it tastes awful…”

An Yueying reluctantly put away the medicine bottle, using magic to clean up the mess on the bed.

“Mascot Qing, you really should exercise more.”

Hearing the detested nickname, Ye Qing’s almond eyes widened, glaring at the purple-haired woman by the bed.

“Don’t call me that! And my body is perfectly fine, you don’t need to worry!”

Listening to Ye Qing’s still somewhat muddled, kitten-like words, An Yueying smiled, touching Ye Qing’s forehead with her palm.

“You’re still burning up. Go back to sleep for a while.”

‘Eh?’

Only then did Ye Qing notice the throbbing pain in her head, causing her to frown deeply and clutch her reeling head.

At this moment, she finally recalled everything.

‘Oh, I’ve already arrived in Mozhou, and I’ve inexplicably developed a fever. But I’m a Magical Girl, how can I be so delicate?’

An Yueying observed Ye Qing’s reaction, once again pondering the potion’s formula.

‘Alas, to barely become a Magical Girl, yet still fulfill a wish that drains her completely… it seems to have left behind quite the formidable sequela…’

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