For a moment, Sonia even forgot what Weise's right hand was holding. The malice in her heart was suppressed, replaced instead by intense curiosity. Diya was the same, pressing her ear against the crack of the wardrobe door to listen to Weise and Yaxiu's intimate conversation.
Among the four operators, if Sonia and Diya were close friends, then Weise was akin to a familiar stranger to them, while Weixi was a villain who needed strict surveillance. Back in the Distant Sky Realm, because the Sword Princess and the Witch had become romantic rivals, the new operator, Weise, naturally became their mutual friend; both of them had been quite fond of her. But ever since learning that Weise was the Silver Lantern, and with Weise having been offline for nearly half a year, their relationship with her had cooled considerably.
After reuniting, because Weise also loved Yaxiu, it was naturally impossible for them to open their hearts to a romantic rival. What was more, during their time in the Distant Sky Realm, Weise had never spoken with them with complete sincerity. Thinking back, Sonia and Diya realized that they actually knew nothing about her at all.
Other than to Yaxiu, Weise had never bared her soul to anyone. All they knew was that Weise was practically obedient to Yaxiu in every way, and unlike Weixi and Daidalos, she submitted to Yaxiu's will unconditionally from the bottom of her heart. Yet they had no idea why Weise would be so... humble.
Perhaps tonight, they would finally step into the inner world of the Silver Lantern.
"I've always wondered why I fell for you. After all, I spent so many years alone in the past, never having any emotional needs." Weise lowered her eyelids, appearing to reminisce. "Thinking about it carefully, it was probably because of the mysterious ability you displayed. You could team up with me in the Void Realm across vast distances, yet you had no idea of my true identity. You were simply a Lalafell clutching a mountain of treasure—hardly anyone could resist harboring ill intent toward you.
"I dare say the Sword Princess and the Witch also wanted to seize your secrets at the beginning... Don't misunderstand, I'm not speaking ill of them, but any normal person would certainly have had such thoughts." She giggled. "The weird one was actually you, Yaxiu. Clearly it was our first meeting, and you didn't know my background, yet you were willing to trust me unconditionally... as if you were utterly convinced we wouldn't harm you."
"You can't blame me for that," Yaxiu said with a smile. "Your persona in the Void Realm was so quiet and gentle, it was hard not to feel fondness toward you. Besides, you were so brilliant, so immensely gifted... I've always felt fortunate to have you."
Weise gently bit her lower lip, her gaze so alluring it could melt one's heart. "Are you giving praise, or flirting?"
"In the past, it was just praise," Yaxiu tilted his head, "now, it's both."
"Thinking back, becoming curious about you was already a sign of danger... You were the first man to ever pique my curiosity." Weise took a sip of pineapple juice, then continued feeding it to Yaxiu. "Later, I felt you were someone who could understand me, so I began wanting to get closer to you.
"Yet the turning point that truly made me fall in love with you... was probably seeing how happy the Sword Princess and the Witch looked."
Sonia and Diya froze in surprise.
"Back then, they had clearly become romantic rivals, yet whenever they were with you, smiles would naturally surface on their faces," Weise said. "You once said during the Divine Fire Trial that you admired my determination, but I actually admired your ability to love others... Right then, I knew that being loved by you was something wonderfully happy.
"In the River of Flowing Gold during the Divine Fire Trial, we narrowly escaped death several times. Had you given up on me, I would have died without question. Yet back then, I felt so at ease, not frightened in the least." Weise flashed a radiant smile. "Because I could feel that you already liked me.
"You knew I gave my true heart, and so you were willing to respond with a roaring blaze... Truly a man like a Veela. Give you a ray of sunlight and you shine; give you a spark and you ignite."
With an awkward expression, Yaxiu bit down on the straw. "I'd rather you call me a trash can..."
"The moment you fell for me, my suffering began," Weise said softly. "I wanted to destroy Senluo, while you couldn't stand by and watch such a catastrophe unfold. I had committed countless evils and stopped at nothing, while you could hardly accept my deeds. Earlier on, I wanted you to understand me, but later, I couldn't bear to drag you into that quagmire of despair. I hoped you would leave Senluo and go to Stars to find your favorite Sword Princess.
"I became sentimental, depressed, conflicted, full of self-pity. That surge of love, mingled with anguish, would ebb away only to flood back again, repeating over and over, rising and falling." Weise laughed self-deprecatingly. "I even cried... crying over being trapped in a dilemma, crying over having spine yet lacking courage, crying over being so clever yet making myself suffer so much grievance.
"Isn't that ridiculous? All my life, I committed countless evil deeds with an easy conscience, yet you alone tormented me into tossing and turning through the night."
She took a deep breath, averting her eyes from Yaxiu's gaze, and spoke in as breezy a tone as she could muster. "I thought dying would put an end to this torment, but you ended up waking me again... I truly wasn't afraid of the dark Senluo; being imprisoned for thousands or tens of thousands of years didn't frighten me either. But when I learned you were taking risks for someone else in the Prison of Stars, I felt as if my heart were being clutched tightly. A sensation hovering between pain and exhaustion spread through my entire body... every second, every minute... That was the first time I ever tasted fear."
Yaxiu gazed blankly at Weise, then took the initiative to pull her close and kiss her deeply. Weise responded as passionately as ever; she never went against Yaxiu's will.
"From that moment on, I understood that you were the instrument of torture chosen by fate to punish me." The god's warm breath brushed against the sorcerer's lips. "I have committed unforgivable sins, sins not even death could atone for. For the rest of my life, I am doomed to be tormented by you, immersed in agonizing pain and full of regrets.
"The person I love most is you, but the person you love most isn't me.
"I want to have a child with you, yet that will forever be impossible. The Sword Princess, the Witch, and every girl you know can bear the fruits of your love, but not me.
"Never getting what I desire, within reach yet worlds apart—this is my destiny." Weise said placidly, "No matter how you treat me, Yaxiu, I will accept it willingly. Even if you despise me, disdain me, want nothing to do with me, or use me like a discarded rag, I won't care in the least.
"When a flower falls, it isn't dead yet. The wind picks it up and casts it down again—only then does the flower die." Nestling into Yaxiu's embrace, she murmured softly, "As long as you don't cast me aside, no matter how you punish me, it is only what I deserve."
The tent suddenly fell silent. A moment later came a clink—the sound of the drink glass being set down on the nightstand.
Then came the overburdened creak of the bed frame.
Weise and Yaxiu's positions instantly reversed. The god was pinned beneath the sorcerer, subjected to the torrential punishment of a tempest. The temperature in the tent began to climb, and the silver-lit crystals in the eight corners seemed to shine even brighter.
Sonia and Diya watched, dumbfounded. This was no threat, nor even mere passivity; this was a beastly offensive—had Yaxiu forgotten they were still in the wardrobe?!
Yet they felt it was only natural. Even if Yaxiu had a heart of glass and blood of iron, he would have been melted by Weise's unreserved love.
Suddenly, Diya's faint, hushed voice sounded in Sonia's mind: "Look at the Silver Lantern."
Peering through the gap in the wardrobe doors at Weise lying back on the bed, Sonia felt rage flare up inside her instantly. She saw clearly that the divine Silver Lantern, Youlan Weise, who had just been wallowing in self-pity, now had the corners of her mouth curved in a triumphant smirk, her eyes sparkling with sly amusement.
Chapter 1121