Chapter 89: A Web of Deception and a Fated Encounter

Sitting by the window, Shen Zhixia’s fingertips idly scrolled across her phone screen.

The campus network and various forums were teeming with posts about Xiao Moyuan carrying his mysterious girlfriend away from the campus festival yesterday.

Each accompanying photo was clearer than the last, and the discussion remained fervid.

The girl in the pictures was held securely in Xiao Moyuan’s embrace, her delicate profile radiating an astonishing beauty and an innate elegance that was palpable even through the screen.

Her long eyelashes were slightly lowered, and her posture, nestled against him, conveyed a profound sense of reliance. In the moment Xiao Moyuan looked down, his profile surprisingly softened.

It was her.

Shen Zhixia recognized her at once—the very same girl with whom Xiao Moyuan had shared an intimate dinner at the upscale restaurant previously.

A surge of inexplicable bitterness, mingled with a cold sense of ‘I knew it,’ welled within her.

The last vestiges of her unrealistic fantasies about Xiao Moyuan were extinguished in that instant.

‘He truly… had been toying with her all along.’

‘Despite already having someone in his heart, he had strung her along, reveling in her admiration and pursuit.’

Today, however, marked Xia’s final deadline for her.

***

Xiao Moyuan was uncharacteristically absent from class today.

As Su Mian entered the classroom, her gaze immediately fell upon the empty seat, and an inexplicable hollowness settled in her chest.

After a moment of hesitation, she deliberately sat beside Shen Zhixia, cautiously observing her expression. Her voice was faint as she began, “Zhixia… about, well, Xiao Moyuan’s matter…”

“No need to speak of it.”

Shen Zhixia cut her off, her tone unusually calm, though her eyes remained fixed on her phone. “I already know everything.”

Su Mian’s guilt intensified, her voice barely a whisper. “Then… what about us?”

She was referring to Shen Zhixia’s past promise: that if Xiao Moyuan had a partner, she would consider accepting Su Mian.

Shen Zhixia finally lifted her head, meeting Su Mian’s gaze. She forced a gentle yet distant smile onto her face. “A’Mian, I trust Moyuan.”

‘Now is not the time to openly break with Xiao Moyuan.’

‘Tonight, she must complete Xia’s task and absorb Xiao Moyuan’s blood.’

‘Before that, she needed to maintain her persona as a ‘devoted lover’ to facilitate her plan.’

Su Mian was stunned, utterly unable to comprehend.

“Zhixia, but… he was holding another girl like that? The photos have spread everywhere!”

Shen Zhixia lowered her eyelids, her voice still steady. “A’Mian, seeing isn’t always believing. Perhaps… the girl was unwell, or there was some other reason? Besides, having spent so much time with Moyuan, I understand what kind of person he is. It’s highly unlikely he would… deliberately flirt with other girls when he’s already in a committed relationship.”

Su Mian was speechless.

‘This was clearly an undeniable fact! Xiao Moyuan was indeed dating ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow’!’

‘But why had he never explicitly rejected Shen Zhixia’s advances and affections?’

A chilling thought, one that made her heart sink, uncontrollably surfaced.

‘Could all of Xiao Moyuan’s kindness, tenderness, and indulgence towards ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow’ merely be a superficial facade?’

‘Was he… simultaneously enjoying the affections of two girls?’

This possibility made Su Mian’s heart feel as though it had been plunged into ice water, sending shivers through her.

***

Throughout the entire class, Su Mian remained in a daze, her mind wandering.

Not a single word from her textbook registered. Instead, Shen Zhixia’s words echoed repeatedly in her mind:

‘I trust him.’

Shen Zhixia glanced at the distracted Su Mian beside her, then pursed her lips.

She naturally remembered her previous promise and could discern that Su Mian’s current disappointment largely stemmed from her ‘going back on her word.’

This sparked a faint flicker of guilt within her.

However, she was acutely aware that she had never harbored romantic feelings for Su Mian, neither in the past nor certainly now.

In her heart, Su Mian remained the neighbor’s kid, lacking masculinity, who always needed protection.

Moreover, with Su Mian now noticed by Xia, she needed to find a way to get Su Mian out of Xia’s sight, making a relationship with Su Mian even more impossible.

Each lost in their own thoughts, silence permeated the air.

Shen Zhixia picked up her phone and opened the chat window with Xiao Moyuan.

Her fingertip hovered over the screen for a moment before finally typing out a series of carefully crafted messages.

[Xiaxia: Moyuan, about what happened on the campus network yesterday… I saw it all.]

[Xiaxia: But I trust you. The relationship between you and that girl definitely isn’t what everyone imagines… perhaps she encountered some difficulty, and you were just helping her, right?]

She first played the role of the understanding partner, lowering his guard.

[Xiaxia: It’s just… seeing those photos and discussions still makes me feel so sad and insecure…]

[Xiaxia: Moyuan, tonight… could you spend some time with me? Just the two of us.]

After sending the messages, Shen Zhixia clutched her phone, awaiting a response.

This would determine whether her actions tonight could proceed smoothly.

****

Meanwhile, at the municipal police station’s criminal investigation unit.

Xiao Moyuan stood before the case analysis whiteboard, his brows deeply furrowed.

The whiteboard displayed several photos from recent murder scenes. All the victims were young women, and their cause of death was shocking: severe blood loss, with tiny yet fatal wounds on their necks or wrists.

The police chief in charge of the case had a grim expression, his voice laced with suppressed fury.

“Consultant Xiao, we finally managed to quell those cases involving young men a while ago, and things settled down for a bit. I thought you had solved the root of the problem!

But what happened? Now there are so many vicious murders happening consecutively! These young girls… you are a Class A demon hunter from the Demon Exorcism Bureau.”

Xiao Moyuan uncharacteristically offered no rebuttal.

His deep-set eyes swept over the photos, and the answer in his heart grew increasingly clear.

All clues pointed to Xia, the one disguised as a transfer student.

The haunted house incident was the critical turning point.

At that time, he had sensed a faint trace of demonic energy. Immediately after, Su Mian’s protective spiritual artifact was triggered, and Xia had ‘coincidentally’ disappeared since then.

Now, these murder cases, where the victims desperately needed blood to recover from their injuries, had conveniently occurred… the logical chain was now complete.

Xia was the special-grade blood kin lurking behind Shen Zhixia, the one he had been tracking all along.

And Shen Zhixia had already been turned by him, becoming a pawn under his control.

“The grand performance, it seems, is about to end.”

Xiao Moyuan murmured softly, then turned, ignoring Chief Zhang’s displeased gaze, and walked straight out of the police station.

He didn’t immediately start his car.

The lingering glow of the setting sun filtered through the car window, falling upon his stern profile.

He raised a hand to rub his brow, and a few faint, squirming dark blue blood vessel traces were vaguely visible beneath his skin.

The curse’s feedback was stirring again.

This time, it was fiercer than ever, on the verge of eruption.

He needed to quickly consume demonic blood to suppress the pain and frenzy originating from deep within his bloodline.

He picked up his phone, the screen displaying multiple unread messages.

He instinctively tapped open the chat window with ‘Sweetheart Marshmallow.’

However, it contained only those few hurried exchanges from yesterday evening.

That little fox hadn’t contacted him since running off last night.

A flicker of imperceptible disappointment crossed his heart. He exited the chat and opened Shen Zhixia’s unread messages.

After reading the content, a knowing curve appeared on Xiao Moyuan’s lips.

‘It’s as if someone sends a pillow when you’re sleepy.’

He was just wondering where to find a suitable ‘prey’ tonight to suppress the curse, and Shen Zhixia had conveniently presented herself.

Furthermore, the big fish behind her had surfaced, so he no longer needed to continue this boring ‘emotional game.’

[Yuan: What time?]

He replied succinctly.

It was almost an instant reply.

[Xiaxia: Eleven o’clock, I suppose… By then, there shouldn’t be many people in the school.]

For Shen Zhixia, late night, when all was quiet, was the optimal time to strike and absorb blood.

And this time was equally suitable for Xiao Moyuan to conduct some ‘cleanup’ work.

[Yuan: Location?]

[Xiaxia: How about… in the classroom where we usually have class? It’s… quieter there, and the classroom at night has a lot of ‘atmosphere.’]

Shen Zhixia, afraid Xiao Moyuan might refuse, even deliberately added an ambiguous hint, attempting to unsettle him.

“So eager to meet me, and choosing a secluded classroom…”

Xiao Moyuan looked at the screen and sneered. “It seems their intentions are not simple either.”

This was for the best.

It saved him the trouble of searching and gave him a legitimate reason to… deal with the other party.

[Yuan: Okay.]

He replied with a single, decisive word.

***

At nine in the evening, the familiar barbecue stall outside N University was bustling with noise.

Lu Yang, Su Mian, and Qin Xuan were seated at their usual spot.

At the barbecue table, Lu Yang, while munching on skewers, couldn’t suppress his curiosity. He lowered his voice and asked Su Mian:

“Mianzi, what exactly happened with Campus Belle Shen today?”

“Xiao Moyuan’s matter caused such a stir, she must know by now, right? Did she… agree to date you?”

Su Mian lowered her head, unconsciously biting the rim of her disposable paper cup, distorting its opening.

She sullenly put down the cup and shook her head. “No…”

Lu Yang looked incredulous, his voice rising slightly. “Why?! Didn’t your plan succeed? Now the whole school knows Xiao Moyuan is ‘taken’!”

Su Mian sighed, her tone filled with frustration and confusion.

“Zhixia said… she trusts Xiao Moyuan. She said unless Xiao Moyuan personally admits and publicly announces he has a partner on the spot, she won’t give up.”

Lu Yang was stunned, smacking his lips. “Oh! I didn’t realize Campus Belle Shen was such a devoted lover?”

Su Mian remained silent, her mood exceptionally heavy.

She looked at the chilled beer on the table, then suddenly reached for a bottle, about to pour it into her cup.

Seeing this, Lu Yang was scared out of his wits and quickly reached out to stop her.

“No, no, no! Mianzi! My dear Mianzi! Consider it your brother begging you! You absolutely cannot touch this alcohol!”

Su Mian puffed out her cheeks, a mix of grievance and stubbornness in her voice. “Just one bottle… I really feel terribly upset today…”

She looked up, her eyes slightly red. “I’ve clearly given my all, so why…”

‘Why… why did I give so much, yet Zhixia is still so devoted to Xiao Moyuan… Why?’

Her heart ached with bitterness.

On one hand, Shen Zhixia’s unconditional trust in Xiao Moyuan made all her efforts feel like a joke.

On the other hand, this unreserved trust inexplicably reminded her of how Xiao Moyuan had chosen to believe her yesterday after seeing her tears.

These two emotions intertwined, leaving her mind in a chaotic, mixed state.

Lu Yang looked at her pitiful appearance, recalling how she had gone as far as cross-dressing and online dating for the ‘anti-conquest plan,’ only to still not secure her ‘white moonlight.’

A wave of sympathy washed over him. He sighed and released her hand. “Alright, just one bottle! You promised, just one bottle! Absolutely no more!”

‘One bottle of beer, surely… she wouldn’t collapse on the spot, right?’

He thought with a sliver of hope.

***

The supper lasted a long time.

Mainly because Su Mian, aided by that single bottle of beer, seemed to have found an outlet for her emotions.

Even though Lu Yang and Qin Xuan already knew part of the ‘truth,’ she didn’t lower her psychological guard at all, and began intermittently pouring out her inner grievances and frustrations.

“Why… why won’t Zhixia choose me? It’s all that Xiao Moyuan’s fault! If it weren’t for him… things wouldn’t have turned out this way…”

“Hateful Xiao Moyuan… he’s so mean… why was he so good to me… why did he cook for me… why did he always appear when I was most helpless… why did he let me lean on him… why did he let me sleep in the same bed as him!!!”

At first, Lu Yang merely chimed in with agreement, but as he listened further, his eyes widened, and he forgot to chew the barbecue in his mouth.

‘Wait, this isn’t right!’

‘This roommate of his, this tone… how was it like accusing a love rival?’

‘This was clearly a sulky complaint with more grievance and dependence revealed between the lines?!’

‘And… they even slept in the same bed?!!’

‘Could he have truly ‘immersed himself’ in the situation, sacrificing himself to win back Shen Zhixia?’

Lu Yang felt as though he had stumbled upon some shocking truth. Frightened, he quickly buried his head in his barbecue, learning from Qin Xuan to be a qualified listener, not daring to utter a single word for fear of drawing trouble upon himself.

After one bottle of beer, Su Mian was indeed drunk.

Fortunately, she didn’t pass out or lose control of her behavior as she had before.

She simply vented her emotions, then slumped onto the table and drifted off to sleep in a daze.

An hour later, she slowly awoke, her head still feeling heavy.

Seeing her awake, Lu Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, “Mianzi, you’re awake? It’s almost eleven, let’s go. Everyone back to their own homes, to their own mothers!”

He was truly terrified; he dared not let Su Mian stay any longer, nor did he dare call Xiao Moyuan.

‘Wouldn’t that be like leading a lamb to the tiger’s mouth?’

The three settled the bill and left the barbecue stall.

The cool night breeze dispelled some of Su Mian’s drunkenness.

They walked a short distance along the street, arriving at the entrance of N University, ready to hail a taxi.

Just as Su Mian pulled open the car door, preparing to get in, her gaze inadvertently swept across the street. She froze instantly.

A familiar black sedan slowly pulled to the curb. A tall, slender figure stepped out from the driver’s seat—it was Xiao Moyuan!

He locked the car and walked with a calm yet purposeful stride towards the N University campus.

‘So late… what was he doing at school?’

“Driver, I’m sorry, I have something urgent, I won’t be going!”

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