Chapter 47: A Moment of Clarity

Though Bai Hao claimed he wouldn’t do anything, could it be that he truly wouldn’t? Naturally, that was impossible.

However, Xia Zhiquiu was utterly exhausted, and despite the young man’s restlessness, she had no choice but to endure it…

In the early morning hours, Xia Zhiquiu drifted in and out of sleep, her thirst overwhelming. She opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling for a moment before realizing she was being held by the young man.

At this moment, the young man slept soundly, and as Xia Zhiquiu gazed at him, a terrifying thought crossed her mind. She couldn’t defeat the young man before her, but what if she launched a surprise attack? Could she kill this bastard?

Once the seed of evil sprouted, it began to take root and grow…

Xia Zhiquiu looked at the young man, recalling the humiliation she had endured in recent times. A glint of murderous intent flickered in her eyes. If she killed the man before her, everything would end!

Thinking this, Xia Zhiquiu slowly reached out, her hand hovering over the young man’s throat, ready to twist at any moment.

Time ticked by, and the room was utterly silent. Beneath the soft, warm yellow light, the mature and beautiful woman’s hair was disheveled, obscuring the complex emotions in her eyes.

After a long while, Xia Zhiquiu bit her lip and finally withdrew her hand. Frustrated, she pushed the young man’s arm away and reached for the water.

Perhaps she drank too hastily, as water spilled from the cup, trickling down her red lips and onto her thin nightgown, dampening her chest…

Xia Zhiquiu’s mind was a whirl. She couldn’t understand why she couldn’t bring herself to kill Bai Hao, the bastard. She hated him, yearned for his death!

Could it be that she couldn’t go through with it because…

Xia Zhiquiu wouldn’t let herself dwell on the thought, but she quickly devised an excuse. ‘This bastard is an ability user too, so I shouldn’t kill him, at least not by my hand…’

Thinking this, Xia Zhiquiu felt a pang of hunger and decided to head downstairs to the 24-hour convenience store for something to eat.

However, she couldn’t leave in her current state, so she wrapped herself in a coat before stepping out of the room.

But she didn’t know that the moment she left, the young man in the bed opened his eyes, a hint of disappointment in his expression. ‘Xia Aunty is really hard to figure out,’ he thought.

Bai Hao had been watching Xia Zhiquiu’s every move. If she had truly intended to kill him, he would have had a reason to continue bullying her mercilessly. But he never expected Xia Zhiquiu to back down. This puzzled him.

He knew full well that Xia Zhiquiu couldn’t possibly like him and thus be reluctant to kill him. With this thought, the young man also rose and followed her out the door.

It was the middle of the night, and Xia Zhiquiu was alone. What if she encountered something strange?

***

Meanwhile, since their hotel room was on the sixteenth floor, Xia Zhiquiu naturally took the elevator down.

But halfway through the descent, the elevator suddenly jolted, and the overhead lights began to flicker, alternating between bright and dim!

Xia Zhiquiu braced herself against the elevator wall just in time to avoid falling. She looked at the scene before her, feeling a headache coming on. ‘Seriously? I’m that unlucky? An elevator malfunction happens to me too?’

Just then, the elevator began to plummet rapidly, and the numbers on the display screen started jumping, eventually settling on -18. During this time, the elevator’s lights turned a dark, eerie red, reminiscent of blood!

As an ability user, Xia Zhiquiu finally realized this wasn’t a malfunction, but something strange had occurred. The elevator doors slowly opened, and Xia Zhiquiu’s eyes narrowed in alert.

She expected to see a gruesome scene, but instead, she was greeted by a tranquil lake surrounded by lush green bamboo, with lotus flowers in full bloom, emitting a faint, sweet fragrance.

In the center of the lake stood a pavilion, where a graceful figure sat painting. The figure captured a beautiful woman, alluring and sensual, but the face was left unfinished.

Xia Zhiquiu frowned, mustering her courage to approach. As she drew near, she realized the woman was painting a portrait of herself, and the figure in the painting resembled someone she knew intimately. The painter herself also felt familiar.

‘Who are you?’ Xia Zhiquiu asked. The woman, hearing her question, slowly put down her brush and turned to face her.

Xia Zhiquiu was taken aback, for the woman was none other than Yingluo, the beautiful shop manager she had met earlier that day.

Only now, Yingluo was dressed in ancient attire, no wonder Xia Zhiquiu had thought her silhouette was familiar!

‘Know Autumn, it’s nice to see you again,’ Yingluo said with a sly smile, her eyes gleaming with a hint of greed, making Xia Zhiquiu uneasy.

‘Yingluo, what are you doing here?’ Xia Zhiquiu asked, her guard rising.

Yingluo simply smiled enigmatically. ‘Know Autumn, did you know? When I first saw you, I felt an instant connection, as if you and I were one and the same.’

Xia Zhiquiu was puzzled by these strange words and took a step back. ‘I don’t understand what you mean. And what is this place?’

It couldn’t be a dream. It was too real. Yingluo didn’t answer directly but spoke softly. ‘I know you have many questions, but let me finish this painting first. Can I have your permission?’

Xia Zhiquiu looked at the painting, a sense of unease growing. She was almost certain that Yingluo was an anomaly. Her intentions couldn’t be good.

In a fight, Xia Zhiquiu could hold her own, but lately, she had been encountering these strange and peculiar anomalies, leaving her frustrated.

If only Bai Hao, that jerk, was here. He was strong, capable, and knew a lot of odd and ancient things. For a moment, Xia Zhiquiu hoped, against her will, that Bai Hao would appear before her…

‘Know Autumn, if you don’t respond, I’ll take that as a yes,’ Yingluo said, gazing at the exquisite beauty before her and continuing her painting. Her brush finally touched the last part of the painting, the face of the woman…

As the alluring eyes were meticulously painted, Xia Zhiquiu was stunned. The woman in the painting seemed to be herself! Yingluo had almost finished the painting, leaving only the lips uncolored.

She turned to Xia Zhiquiu with a mysterious smile. ‘Know Autumn, I seem to have forgotten my red ink. It looks like I’ll have to borrow a little of your blood to complete this masterpiece.’

Xia Zhiquiu’s mind raced, and a single thought emerged: she couldn’t agree. She focused her eyes and kicked a nearby stone with force, aiming it at Yingluo. Without looking back, she turned and ran!