Chapter 137: The Dragon’s Bargain

Dim light filled the bar as jazz music hummed softly.

Zhou Xuan held a decanter and poured half a cup of amber whiskey into each highball glass before them. The liquid shimmered with tiny sparks.

Qin Liang stroked the spot where Tang Yunle had been sitting. His fingertips still retained the soft warmth from moments ago. His throat tightened, and he lowered his head to twist the stem of his glass.

Tang Yunke sat on the other side, her cheeks still flushed. She stole a glance at Qin Liang, then quickly looked down and started fiddling with her phone.

Tang Yunle, however, was at ease. She leaned closer to Qin Liang, swirling her glass so the ice cubes clinked against the sides.

Zhou Xuan sat in the single sofa across from them, crossing his long legs. He swirled his own drink, the amber liquid leaving winding trails on the glass.

He swept his gaze over the three, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips as he broke the silence. “Is there anything you want to ask? Ask quickly.”

As soon as he finished, Tang Yunle immediately responded, “Professor Zhou, how can we solve A Liang’s ‘predestined death’?”

Zhou Xuan smiled. “Very simple.”

He pulled a contract from his bag and pushed it forward. “Sign this, and I can cure him.”

Three pairs of eyes immediately focused on the document. The core clause under the title read: Party A is responsible for curing Party B, Qin Liang’s illness. Party B must agree to live in Party A’s ‘Female Pet World’ for at least three months each year, and during that period must fully abide by local customs, every word and action conforming to the local rules.

Tang Yunke frowned at the terms and muttered, “Female pet world… As expected, only a twisted black dragon like you could create such a perverted world.”

Zhou Xuan swirled his drink, the ice making a crisp sound. He looked up at Tang Yunke, his tone a bit corrective. “To be precise, I didn’t create that world. I merely influenced and catalyzed a few key moments in its timeline, allowing it to evolve its current female pet culture on its own.”

He took a sip of whiskey, turned his gaze to Qin Liang, and a playful smile curled at the corner of his lips. “And… as a man, don’t you think such a girlfriend is actually quite worry-free?”

“Obedient, submissive, easy to train, provides ample emotional value, and loves you deeply.”

Zhou Xuan’s fingertip traced the rim of his glass, his sharp eyes landing on Qin Liang. “Mr. Qin, what is your view on love?”

Qin Liang looked up and took Tang Yunle’s hand. Her fingertips were cool but carried a reassuring warmth. He said seriously, “It’s companionship, tolerance, and mutual belonging. And…”

He looked down at their clasped hands, his voice softening. “I hope we can be happy forever.”

Tang Yunle’s cheeks instantly flushed. She lowered her head and whispered, “I feel the same.”

Zhou Xuan watched their joined hands, then let out a low laugh. He tilted his head back and drained the rest of his drink, spinning the empty glass in his palm. He pointed to himself, a hint of undisguised malice flickering in his eyes. “Want to hear my view on love?”

Without waiting for an answer, he continued, “Loving her means possessing her, dominating her, controlling her, making her completely mine, unable to escape a single bit.”

He paused and sighed, a rare touch of melancholy seeping into his voice. “Unfortunately, for now, I only possess her future.”

Those cryptic words fell like a stone into the hearts of the three. Zhou Xuan didn’t explain. He just pushed the contract forward again, the bottom of the glass tapping softly against the table, breaking the brief stillness.

“So, what do you think?” He raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over them. “Sign or not?”

Qin Liang’s fingertips hovered above the contract, his brow furrowed but he didn’t move. He hesitated.

After all, from this exchange, it was clear that Professor Zhou was… quite ‘human-like.’

But Tang Yunle suddenly pressed his hand down, looked up at Zhou Xuan, and said in a clear voice, “Sign!”

She grabbed the pen, wrote her name in the Party B space, then shoved the contract back into Qin Liang’s hands. Her fingertip tapped the signature line, her eyes bright as if lit by fire. “Sign, A Liang. No matter the cost, we’ll bear it together as long as you can live.”

Qin Liang looked at her red-rimmed eyes and signed his name beside hers.

Zhou Xuan picked up the contract, scanned it, and suddenly let out a scoff. He tapped the paper with his fingertip. The two names slowly faded as if soaked in water, eventually disappearing without a trace.

“Wrong format.” He pushed the contract back, his thumb pressing on the original signature spots—where two bold annotations had appeared: ‘Master’ and ‘Female Pet.’

“Re-sign.” He leaned back into the sofa, water droplets from the glass trickling between his fingers. “According to the world’s culture.”

Qin Liang and Tang Yunle signed again.

Zhou Xuan didn’t take back the contract. Instead, he turned to Tang Yunke, who was scrolling on her phone, and said casually, as if commenting on the weather, “You sign one too.”

Tang Yunke’s head shot up, nearly dropping her phone. “Why should I?”

Zhou Xuan swirled his empty glass, its reflection revealing the mischief in his eyes. “Because I’m a troublemaker. I just like persuading prostitutes to be virtuous and then forcing good women into brothels—how interesting.”

Tang Yunke was so angry her molars ached, her fingers turning white as she gripped the phone. But meeting Tang Yunle’s pleading gaze and remembering that damn ‘predestined death,’ she finally bit her lip and reached for the pen.

“Sign under the Female Pet column.” Zhou Xuan’s voice came at the right moment.

Tang Yunke’s hand froze mid-air, her cheeks instantly burning red as if on fire.

She shot Zhou Xuan a fierce glare but ultimately signed her name beside the ‘Female Pet’ label, the pen tip almost piercing the paper.

Zhou Xuan smiled in satisfaction. His gaze returned to Qin Liang, his tone dripping with even more mockery. “A pure love advocate, huh?”

“Kid, I’m looking forward to the day you have both sisters. When you get married, I’ll send you a big gift.”

With that, he put away the contract and pulled out a small glass vial containing a single drop of emerald liquid that emitted a soft glow.

He pushed the vial toward Qin Liang. “This is the water of life I got from that vine monster next door. I usually use it for tea. Drink it to cure your ‘predestined death.'”

Tang Yunle’s eyes lit up. She quickly grabbed the vial, twisted off the cap, and moved it toward Qin Liang’s mouth.

“However—” Zhou Xuan deliberately drew out the word, his gaze leisurely sweeping over the three faces, his malicious amusement impossible to hide. “This has a ninety percent chance of curing him. But if paired with ‘sisters sharing a meal’…”

He paused meaningfully, watching Qin Liang and Tang Yunke’s instantly stiff expressions, then slowly added the second half, “…then the probability becomes one hundred percent.”

“Damn it! You’re deliberately messing with me! And according to the contract, you must cure my brother-in-law’s illness!” Tang Yunke slammed the table.

Zhou Xuan let out a hearty laugh, tinged with arrogance and defiance. “As everyone knows, I am a dragon. A noble dragon does not keep promises!”

With those words, he stood up, turned, and walked toward the back of the bar, his figure quickly melting into the flickering shadows.

“Hey, stop right there!” Tang Yunke, furious, was about to chase after him, but Tang Yunle tightly grabbed her wrist.

“Yunke, don’t get excited. At least… at least he left something that can cure A Liang, right?” Tang Yunle said earnestly.

Tang Yunke froze. She turned to look at her sister, recalling her strange tastes and her unusual way of perceiving emotions, and stomped her foot in frustration.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Odd Eyes of the Shining Knight

#MistakenIdentityBLBL Romance

Read Now →
Not interested