A Couple Like Scissors

Yaxiu skillfully gathered the Sword Princess's long hair together. He didn't dislike the task in the least. While he didn't have a hair fetish, her long tresses were as smooth as silk, and helping her tie it up brought him an inexplicable joy. The nape of her neck, revealed once her hair was pulled back, was also lovely to behold. First, he tied off a small ponytail with the front portion, leaving an opening in the middle, and then looped the larger ponytail through it. That way, the hairline wouldn't be pulled too tight, and the main ponytail wouldn't sag since it was propped up by the smaller one. "Nothing is going to change," Sonia said suddenly. "I'll still hate you, but I still won't want to leave you." Yaxiu paused for a moment before finishing tying her hair. Sonia turned to look at him, phrasing her question with the tone of a flat statement. "You apologized, but you're not going to change your ways, are you?" "Right," Yaxiu almost forced himself to utter the word. "Then let's leave it at that," Sonia murmured softly. "It's the only thing we can do." "No." "Hmm?" "We can't leave it at that," Yaxiu said, enunciating every word. "Anyone else in this world is free to hate me, but I will never allow you to... That's the one price I can't bear." Sonia stared at him blankly, her lips trembling slightly. She bit her lower lip, looking thoroughly aggrieved. "It's not even my fault..." "And I'm not blaming you," Yaxiu said immediately. "Now isn't the time to assign blame—solving the problem is what matters!" "Since when did you become so unreasonable?" Sonia was fuming with indignation, yet found herself on the verge of laughing. "This is entirely your fault!" Then a thought struck her: *Wait, why does Yaxiu's way of thinking sound so much like—* "Did you forget? We're still in the Bond Level 5 state. Your personality and mine have overlapped," Yaxiu said with a curved smile in his eyes. "I learned all this unreasonableness from you." Unable to hold back, Sonia punched him in the chest. "You're the one who's a shameless hypocrite, and you have the nerve to blame me?!" "Maybe what I learned wasn't your stubbornness, but how to face my own heart," Yaxiu said softly. "The truth is, that's really how I feel... I want you to love me, I want you to tolerate all my flaws, and I won't let you hate me... Is that a bit excessive?" "Just 'a bit'?" Sonia challenged. "If you don't agree, I'll pester you every night before bed. If you don't give me a goodnight kiss, I'll assume you're angry, and I won't let you sleep while I try everything to please you. Neither of us needs to sleep anyway. I refuse to let your resentment linger into the next day—it has to be vented right then and there." Sonia stared at him, caught between tears and laughter. She pursed her lips and murmured faintly, "I can't even hate you? Do you really have to bully me like this?" "I am bullying you—bullying you for loving me, bullying you for the rest of your life," Yaxiu said. "But whenever you dislike me, it'll be your turn to bully me. The rest of the time, I get to bully you... Have you ever studied a pair of scissors? Look at the two blades: every day they clash and slash against each other, yet neither can ever hurt the other. After three hundred rounds of fierce combat, they still close together in seamless harmony." "We might not be able to be the happiest couple," Yaxiu said, "but at the very least, we can be a couple like scissors." Sonia had actually harbored a bit of a vengeful streak this time... She knew Yaxiu wouldn't change, but she had expected him to feel ashamed, sad, and wishing the ground would swallow him up. Who would have thought he'd turn around and make such unreasonable excuses? In the past, he might have been an emotional trash can, but at least he was a trash can with a conscience... Perhaps he wasn't wrong. Bond Level 5 didn't just allow him to share her feelings; it had also taught him her way of thinking. That mindset of fiercely clinging to what was hers and never letting go. Sonia took a deep breath, gripping Yaxiu's shoulders with both hands as a watery sheen gathered in her eyes. "What is a six-wing trial compared to this... You're the greatest trial of my life." Yaxiu pulled her into his embrace and said softly, "All of you are my six-wing trial, but it will take me a lifetime to complete it." Sonia retorted sharply, "So you know it's 'all of you'? Don't you think you have a few too many trials?" Perhaps because of Bond Level 5, Yaxiu understood perfectly what Sonia wanted. He lowered his head and kissed her. Unlike the kiss from earlier that had been laden with shame, sorrow, and bitterness, this kiss was exquisitely tender, sweet, and yet brimming with fierce passion. The two demanded each other with frantic intensity, like a pair of scissors clashing and ringing true. When their lips finally parted, they stayed huddled in each other's arms to rest for a moment. Yaxiu suddenly asked, "So that's that?" "What else can it be?" Sonia replied softly. Only now did Yaxiu find the time to admire the scenery before them. The sunlight was just right, and a faint rainbow arced across the distant clouds. The virgin forest stretched out like a sea, countless treetops swaying in the wind to form undulating emerald waves. The air after the heavy rain was crisp and cool, expansive and invigorating. "...Should we head back?" Sonia asked. "Silver Lantern and the others must be waiting for word from you. But before we go back, I should let my mother know..." "Yeah," Yaxiu said. "Though even if we stay here and watch the scenery for a little longer, the world probably won't end, right?" *Is the scenery here really that great? It's just an undeveloped mountain forest near a remote town...* Even as she thought such unromantic thoughts, a faint smile curved Sonia's lips. She leaned lazily into Yaxiu's chest, quietly savoring this rare moment of peace after the great battle. *** Half a month later. The Fourth Hell, Fantasy Hell. The moment Yaxiu descended, he visualized a snowy landscape in his mind. When he opened his eyes, the surroundings had indeed transformed into a realm of snow. The defining trait of Fantasy Hell was that 'I am the world'—the reality perceived by anyone was entirely subjective. Because Yaxiu's spiritual perception was so exceptionally high, he could see into the divine realm with a single glance, forcing him to envision concrete scenes just to lower his spirit vision. "You still dare to come here?" Yaxiu turned his head to see Dead Frenzy leaning against a withered tree, smoking a cigarette. She happened to be dressed in winter attire as well, wearing a fluffy fur-trimmed coat on top paired with a short skirt and tall boots. She seemed to switch styles every single time, each outfit fresh and striking enough to catch his eye, prompting him to mentally note it down so he could recommend it to Sonia later. Seeing her glare at him with an unfriendly expression, Yaxiu walked over without hesitation. He held out both open palms before her, wearing a look of resolute resignation that said, *Go ahead and burn me as you please.* Dead Frenzy raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "Oh? What makes you think I'm going to teach you a lesson?" "Is it because you made Sonia so miserable? Or because you forced Sonia to swallow her pride and accept that unequal treaty? Or could it be... because you stole a kiss from me before you left last time?" Yaxiu's eyes darted around. "Whatever you want!" Hearing his tone, one might have thought he was a righteous hero facing execution with calm nobility. Dead Frenzy sneered coldly. She extended her cigarette over his palms and tapped off a bit of ash. "Let's go," she said. "If we're lucky, we might just make it in time for your two friends' funeral."