Chapter 11: A Deadly Debt and a Dying Wish

“Initially, I had no intention of meddling, but why did you insist on blocking my path and prevent me from leaving?”

Xia Zhiquiu clicked her tongue, saying, Even though Huaguo (TL Note: A fictional country, likely China) explicitly forbade ability users from attacking ordinary people or engaging in battles amongst themselves.

From the looks of what this fellow intended to do tonight, he had already earned himself a death sentence.

However, as the other party hadn’t yet acted, and judgment wasn’t Xia Zhiquiu’s place to mete out.

Yet, the thought of simply letting him go left Xia Zhiquiu feeling utterly displeased; after all, she was hardly a magnanimous person—quite the opposite, in fact, as she was known for her vengeful nature.

Just as Xia Zhiquiu found herself in a dilemma, Liu Hai’s eyes flickered, a hint of murderous intent glinting within them.

The next moment, a sharp demonic vine burst forth from his body, shooting straight towards Xia Zhiquiu.

This sudden assault caught Xia Zhiquiu completely off guard, causing her to freeze for an instant; she had never imagined this fellow could harbor such a demonic vine within his own body.

Due to that brief moment of stunned inaction, the demonic vine was already upon her, poised to pierce Xia Zhiquiu’s chest.

Thwack!

As the sound of flesh being pierced echoed, a coppery scent permeated the air, yet the anticipated searing pain never materialized.

Xia Zhiquiu gazed at the young figure shielding her, her entire being frozen in shock.

She had never conceived that, in this critical moment, the young man would recklessly throw himself in front of her.

“Bai Hao…”

Bai Hao looked at his pierced chest, yet felt absolutely nothing; this level of injury was no different from a mere scratch to him.

In truth, saving this foolish woman just now would have been effortless, but he had chosen not to, opting instead to use his own body as a shield.

Firstly, he didn’t want to expose his true nature as a ‘Guimu’ (TL Note: A creature or object with supernatural, often malevolent, powers, often referring to a ghost or monstrous entity), and secondly, he had no desire to squander this perfect opportunity to gain favor with her.

With this thought, the young man’s face instantly paled, yet he feigned enduring the pain as he turned to Xia Zhiquiu.

“Sis, don’t worry, I’ll protect you…”

Xia Zhiquiu gazed at the young man’s faint smile, and in that moment, all she wanted was to kill that scoundrel Liu Hai!

Liu Hai, on the other hand, watched his trump card attack miss its mark, a flicker of disappointment crossing his eyes; he had forgotten about this troublesome fellow.

What angered him even more was that his surprise attack had failed to eliminate the ability user woman, making it considerably harder to kill her now.

Thus, in the very next instant, Xia Zhiquiu lunged towards Liu Hai, seething with irritation and anger, desperately needing an outlet for her fury.

In response, Liu Hai hastily manipulated his demonic vines, attempting to ensnare Xia Zhiquiu or at least impede her progress.

However, his technique was far too crude, appearing riddled with flaws in Xia Zhiquiu’s discerning eyes.

Before the demonic vines could even touch her, she had already closed the distance, standing directly before Liu Hai.

“Uh… you, you can’t kill me, I’m an ability user…”

It wasn’t until Xia Zhiquiu’s fingers closed around Liu Hai’s throat that he finally snapped out of his paranoid frenzy, beginning to feel genuine fear and dread.

Xia Zhiquiu merely let out a cold scoff.

“An ability user? Huaguo has countless ability users; for a lunatic like you, killing you would actually stabilize social order.”

As she spoke, Xia Zhiquiu’s grip tightened.

The young man’s breathing grew labored; he struggled weakly, his eyes fixed on Xia Zhiquiu with venomous hatred, until his breath slowly faded away.

Xia Zhiquiu stared at the corpse on the ground; this was her first time taking a life, and even though the man deserved to die, a ripple of unease still stirred within her.

However, at the thought of the young man whose fate hung in the balance, Xia Zhiquiu quickly composed herself, rushing to Bai Hao’s side and dialing 120 (TL Note: The emergency number in China, equivalent to 911).

“Bai Hao, hold on! The ambulance will be here any moment!”

As she spoke, she gently cradled the young man in her arms.

At this moment, the ‘movie’ finally drew to a close; the surveillance cameras in the projection hall had, in fact, been destroyed long before.

Listening to the urgent tone in the mature beauty’s voice, Bai Hao immediately felt that his ‘bitter ploy’ (TL Note: A strategy where one harms oneself to gain sympathy or an advantage) had been well worth the effort.

Especially now, nestled in the woman’s embrace, feeling the soft, proud swell of her chest and inhaling her intoxicating fragrance, he couldn’t help but feel an urge to remain there indefinitely.

In response, Bai Hao feigned weakness.

“Sister, am I… going to die?”

Hearing this, Xia Zhiquiu shook her head, quickly reassuring him.

“Don’t speak. You’ll definitely be fine. Just hold on a little longer…”

Although she had intensely disliked the young man before today, after what had just transpired, she felt that her previous judgment of him had been biased.

At the very least, he had stepped forward in a moment of danger, proving that no matter how flawed his character might be, it couldn’t be entirely wicked.

However, Bai Hao possessed no mind-reading abilities; his thoughts were racing, and he continued to speak weakly.

“Sister, I feel like I can’t hold on much longer. Before I die, could you, could you grant me two small wishes?”

Xia Zhiquiu watched the blood steadily seep from the young man’s chest, her heart sinking; without a second thought, she agreed.

“Tell me. If it’s within my power, I will certainly grant it.”

Upon hearing the woman’s assent, a flicker of cunning crossed Bai Hao’s eyes, and he then feigned regret.

“I’ve lived this long, yet I’ve never known what it feels like to kiss. Sister, before I die, could you help me fulfill this wish?”

Xia Zhiquiu froze at his words, immediately hesitating.

She truly hadn’t expected that the young man, on the brink of death, would still be thinking of such a thing.

The thought of kissing a mere boy, at any other time, would have been unthinkable; having once been a man herself, she would have found it utterly repulsive.

But in this moment…

Xia Zhiquiu watched as the expectation in the young man’s eyes slowly morphed into disappointment, and she gritted her teeth.

‘So be it,’ she thought. ‘He’s clinging to life because he saved me. If he truly doesn’t make it, I have no reason not to grant his final wish.’

With that thought, Xia Zhiquiu’s crimson lips parted slightly, her voice tinged with awkwardness.

“A-actually, I haven’t kissed anyone either. If this is truly your wish, then I’ll help you this once.”

As she spoke, she slowly lowered her head, drawing closer to the young man, until finally, Xia Zhiquiu simply closed her beautiful eyes and pressed her luscious red lips against his, though nothing more.

Instantly, a soft, fragrant sensation enveloped him, carrying the unique scent of a mature woman’s lips, making Bai Hao feel utterly lightheaded. ‘Is this what kissing is like?’ he wondered.

However, he found himself somewhat unsatisfied, and immediately took the initiative to ‘conquer the territory’.

“Mmmph…”

Xia Zhiquiu hadn’t expected the young man to… but remembering that this might be his final wish, she suppressed the deep-seated repulsion and refrained from pushing him away.

Xia Zhiquiu had anticipated the moment would feel interminably long, yet gradually, she found herself swept up in the young man’s lead, slowly growing accustomed to it and even finding herself enjoying the experience.

Bai Hao gazed at the woman, her beautiful eyes closed, her eyelashes trembling slightly, a triumphant smile flashing in his eyes. He then continued to deepen the kiss, savoring the taste of this alluring, mature woman.