Chapter 48: The Price of Possession

The game of Ludo finally came to an abrupt end amidst the still-wet water stain and Xia Yue’s forcibly maintained, yet even more strained, calm.

Lin Wan, laughing it off, pulled the still somewhat bewildered Yu Niannian and left first. Before departing, she gave Jin a meaningful glance, her gaze seeming to say, ‘Fend for yourself.’

The moment the door closed, only Xia Yue and Jin remained in the apartment once more.

The air was even more stagnant than before.

Xia Yue did not leave immediately. She stood in the center of the living room, her back to Jin, her figure casting a long, solitary shadow under the lights. She said nothing, merely stood there, as if struggling to compose herself, or perhaps waiting for something.

Jin huddled in the corner of the sofa. Her breaths were barely perceptible, fearing that even the slightest sound might shatter the fragile peace, reigniting an invisible fuse.

As she watched Xia Yue’s back, her mind uncontrollably replayed the scene on the sofa: the nearly alien fury that had surged within Xia Yue’s ice-blue eyes, the kiss imbued with a sense of punishment and predation, and the lingering, phantom ache on her wrist and waist.

Fear.

This emotion clearly gripped her heart. She feared Xia Yue’s uncontrolled, icy rage, the overwhelming dominance that brooked no defiance, and the suffocating sensation of being devoured, of being torn apart and consumed.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Xia Yue finally turned around slowly. All emotion had vanished from her face; she had regained her usual composure, as if cloaked in a layer of permafrost. Yet, when her gaze fell upon Jin’s body, which instinctively recoiled, it paused for a barely perceptible moment.

“…I’m leaving.” Her voice was flat, devoid of any discernible emotion.

She walked towards the door, her steps steady, without the slightest hesitation.

Just as her hand touched the doorknob, Jin, who had been silent, found a faint surge of courage from somewhere within her. Her voice, laced with an almost imperceptible tremor, spoke softly:

“Xia Yue…”

Xia Yue’s movements froze, but she did not turn back.

Jin looked at her rigid back, gathering her courage. She voiced the confusion that had long swirled in her heart, along with a hint of imperceptible hope: “What… what exactly do you… want me to do?”

She didn’t understand.

Xia Yue would sometimes protect her, yet at other times ‘punish’ her with such coldness. She tacitly allowed, even participated in, Lin Wan and Yu Niannian’s intimate gestures, yet when Jin showed even a slight closeness to Yu Niannian, Xia Yue would display such intense, almost uncontrollable emotions.

She felt like a blind person walking through a dense fog, cautiously groping her way forward, uncertain if her next step would land on solid ground or plunge her into an abyss.

Xia Yue’s back stiffened for a moment.

‘What did she want her to do?’

The question was like a needle, unexpectedly piercing her turbulent thoughts.

‘She wished she would only look at herself? Wished she would stay away from Lin Wan and Yu Niannian? Wished she… belonged entirely to herself?’

The moment this thought arose, she forcibly suppressed it. ‘Absurd! How could such a notion even cross her mind? She merely… merely wasn’t accustomed to their established relationship being disrupted. She simply disliked seeing what belonged to “them” being so readily shared, especially by Yu Niannian, who seemed the most harmless, yet always effortlessly captured others’ attention…’

‘Yes, that must be it. It was Yu Niannian’s interference that upset the balance. It was Jin’s “improper” behavior, her readiness to accept intimacy from others.’

A wave of irritation surged uncontrollably within her once more. It was accompanied by a hint of vexation, born from her inability to clearly define her own emotions—a vexation she herself hadn’t even recognized.

She spun around abruptly, her ice-blue eyes fixed on Jin. Her gaze was as sharp as a blade, as if intending to dissect and see through her.

“I expect you to remember your place,” her voice was frigid, carrying a condescending warning, yet it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself. “Remember who ‘took you in,’ who is ‘protecting’ you. Stay in your lane, don’t harbor any unrealistic fantasies, and certainly don’t… try to test my patience.”

With that, she gave Jin no further chance to speak. She yanked the door open, and her figure swiftly vanished outside, as if in flight.

“Click.”

The sound of the lock clicking into place was like a final verdict, extinguishing the last flicker of hope in Jin’s heart.

‘So… it was merely “taking her in” and “protecting” her? Was it simply because her “ownership” had been challenged?’

Jin slumped weakly against the sofa, burying her face deep into her knees.

She sensed Xia Yue’s loss of control. She also sensed that Xia Yue herself seemed unable, or perhaps refused, to comprehend the true reason behind that loss of control—a scorching, twisted emotion named ‘jealousy.’

And this emotion, unrecognized by its owner, had transformed into icy rage and punishment, falling upon her.

She didn’t know what to do.

‘Should she tell Lin Wan? Though Lin Wan appeared flippant, she was perceptive and might discern something. However, her penchant for watching drama unfold made Jin uncertain if she would take it seriously, or merely complicate matters further.’

‘What about Yu Niannian? That child, as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, would likely be utterly incapable of understanding such complex and subtle emotions. Instead, she might act impulsively out of worry, escalating the conflict.’

She had no one to confide in.

She was merely a weak, powerless witch, accidentally caught in a maelstrom, forced to navigate between three powerful magical girls, each with wildly different personalities.

She strove to survive, to find a modicum of peace, yet she found herself entangled in an even more perilous web, woven from emotions.

Xia Yue’s uncontrolled state, born of jealousy, was like a thorn, piercing deep into her heart, bringing with it a stark sense of fear and helplessness.

She didn’t know when next this thorn would wound her again, or in what manner.

****

Meanwhile, Xia Yue walked alone on her way back to base. The night wind brushed against her cold cheeks, yet it could not dispel the irritation and confusion swirling within her.

She recalled Jin’s eyes, filled with fear and bewilderment. She remembered her own actions just now, almost a panicked escape. An inexplicable frustration clogged her chest.

She didn’t know why she was like this.

Just seeing Jin close to others felt like a sharp jab.

Just hearing Jin softly call someone ‘Big Sister’ caused her displeasure.

Just sensing that Jin might be drifting further away, she couldn’t help but want to seize her tightly, to confirm her presence and declare her ownership in the most direct, even brutal, way.

This unfamiliar, intense emotion, utterly at odds with her usual calm and rational demeanor, made her feel an unprecedented loss of control and… a faint, hidden panic.

She hated this feeling.

Yet she was powerless to escape it.

She could only attribute it all to Jin’s ‘restlessness,’ and to the interference of external factors.

As if only by doing so, could she barely maintain the crumbling fortress of ‘calm’ within her heart.

Beneath that fortress, however, the magma named ‘jealousy’ silently surged in the unnoticed depths, awaiting its next eruption.

And next time, would it still be suppressed by this fragile layer of ice?

****

A few days later, the awkwardness and tension from the Ludo night seemed to have subtly faded with time on the surface, but the undercurrents lurking beneath the calm surface were known only to those involved.

To break the delicate stalemate, Lin Wan volunteered to organize a small ‘snack and movie night.’ The location was still Jin’s modest apartment.

She brought a mountain of potato chips, chocolates, and fizzy drinks, attempting to dilute the faint, lingering chill with noise and sugar.

The movie was a lighthearted comedy. Yu Niannian was doubled over with laughter, occasionally grabbing Jin’s arm and shaking it, sharing the humorous moments.

Jin also tried to play along, a faint smile gracing her lips. Yet her gaze would occasionally, inadvertently, drift towards Xia Yue, who sat on the single sofa, as quiet as a statue. Xia Yue remained upright, her eyes fixed on the screen, but everyone knew her attention wasn’t entirely focused on it.

Halfway through the movie, as it entered a slightly dull transitional plot, Lin Wan’s eyes darted, seemingly finding the atmosphere not ‘lively’ enough. She remembered something else, a familiar, mischievous, cunning smile spreading across her face. She nudged Jin beside her with an elbow, and deliberately, in a voice neither too loud nor too soft—just enough for everyone in the room to hear—teased:

“Hey, Jin~ Speaking of which, didn’t our dear Niannian-mei ‘generously’ transfer a ‘small fortune’ to you last time?” She winked, her tone exaggerated. “So, how does it feel to ‘sell yourself’ to a rich girl? What do you plan to do with your ‘commission’? Are you going to give us a cut, or maybe buy our silence?”

Her original intention was merely to tease Jin and Yu Niannian’s overly ‘direct’ financial arrangement with this joke, and to lighten the mood.

However, these words, to Jin’s ears, were like lighting a powder keg!

“Lin Wan!” Jin’s face instantly flushed crimson, furious and exasperated, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her voice rose several octaves. “What nonsense are you spouting! ‘Selling myself’! That—that was Niannian… she insisted on giving it to me! And I didn’t… didn’t…”

She desperately wanted to explain, to deny the utterly disgraceful terms. But shame and anger tied her tongue, making her seem all the more guilty. She instinctively glanced at Yu Niannian, hoping for her help in explaining. Instead, Yu Niannian merely blushed, shyly lowered her head, and mumbled softly, “Sister Wanwan, don’t talk nonsense…” Her reaction only seemed to confirm some sort of ‘sugar baby’ arrangement.

Meanwhile, Xia Yue, seated on the single sofa, upon hearing Lin Wan’s words ‘selling herself’ and ‘commission,’ her fingers tightened imperceptibly around the water glass. The condensation on the glass slid down due to the sudden pressure.

Her face remained expressionless; her gaze did not waver from the screen for even an inch. But only she knew that something had sharply stung her chest. An intensely uncomfortable feeling, a blend of disdain and a deeper emotion, subtly spread within her.

‘With money?’

These two words were like a stone thrown into a stagnant pool, stirring ripples of coldness and… a subtle calculation in her frigid heart.

She recalled the enormous allowance Yu Niannian could effortlessly produce, recalled Jin’s struggling living expenses due to her and Lin Wan’s frequent ‘visits,’ and recalled Jin’s occasional, unconcealable embarrassment and envy when facing money…

‘So… this method works?’

A cold, clear thought, like a vine, began to take root and sprout in the soil of her reason.

‘If… even Yu Niannian’s straightforward and naive “sugar baby” arrangement could sway her, could make her accept those intimate gestures… then what about a more… “fair,” a more “decent” way?’

‘Not a gift imbued with charity, nor the vulgar “selling herself” that Lin Wan spoke of, but a… transaction? A contract? Using the far grander, more stable resources that she, Xia Yue, could provide—far surpassing Yu Niannian’s paltry allowance—to exchange for a more… complete sense of “belonging” and “control”?’

This thought, carrying a frigid allure, quietly settled in her mind.

She didn’t need to crack jokes like Lin Wan, nor did she need to act spoiled like Yu Niannian. What she possessed was tangible, quantifiable power and resources. If even Yu Niannian could use such a low-level method as money to create a rift between her and Jin, then why couldn’t she use a more advanced, more irresistible method to completely weld this rift shut, or even… transform it into a passage belonging solely to her?

The laughter from the movie continued. Lin Wan was still relentlessly teasing the blushing Jin, and Yu Niannian chimed in softly beside them.

But Xia Yue merely sat there quietly. In the depths of her ice-blue eyes, however, ice seemed to be condensing, taking shape. A cold and effective plan, based on ‘money’ and ‘transaction,’ was quietly forming.

She didn’t even realize that the genesis of this thought was, in itself, that ‘jealousy’ she refused to acknowledge, finding a seemingly rational, yet utterly possessive, outlet on the most extreme and twisted path.

‘With money?’

‘Yes, perhaps… this really would be a good method.’

‘A good method to forever confine that butterfly, which always wanted to flutter towards others, within the magnificent yet cold amber she herself would craft.’