stonecrandall Page 97
Page 97
When the morning light shines through the pure white sea of red spider lilies,
Chen Xiao slowly opened his eyes.
In his arms, Yuriko was curled up and sleeping soundly, her long, silver-black hair intertwined with Suzuna and Mizuna's hair, shimmering like pearls in the morning light.
[Ding! System notification]
[Complete the hidden achievement: Redemption Across a Century]
[Reward Obtained: Eternal Contract (Shares life with the bound partner)]
[Special Skill Unlocked: Four Symbols Resonance (Can simultaneously draw upon the spiritual power of four individuals)]
Chen Xiao gently stroked Yuriko's delicate body.
A warm, soft light emanated from there.
She unconsciously rubbed her hand against his palm, a satisfied smile curving her lips.
"Awake?" Mizuna's voice came from behind.
She wore Chen Xiao's coat and brewed tea for him.
The morning light bathed her long, blue-purple hair and exquisite face in a gentle glow.
"Yuriko-neechan is sleeping very soundly."
Suzuna snorted and threw the hot towel at Chen Xiao's face: "Someone was too reckless last night."
Yuriko was startled awake by the noise and blinked in confusion.
When she saw Chen Xiao clearly, she suddenly panicked: "I...I'm not dreaming, am I?" Her trembling fingers carefully touched Chen Xiao's face.
“It’s not a dream.” Chen Xiao held her hand and pressed it against his heart. “Listen, this is the sound of my heart beating 200 times for you.”
Yuriko's tears instantly burst forth.
After a century of solitude and waiting, it has finally found its home.
Suzuna awkwardly handed over a handkerchief: "Why are you crying? You look awful." But Yuriko hugged her tightly.
Thank you... for accepting me as I am...
Mizuna smiled and joined in the hug: "From now on, we are family."
A morning breeze blows, and the pure white red spider lilies sway gracefully.
Looking at the three women in his arms, each with a distinct personality yet all deeply in love with him, Chen Xiao suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, the camellias at the shrine..."
“It’s gone.” Mizuna pointed into the distance. “I went to check this morning, and the curse on the entire shrine has been lifted.”
Suzuna suddenly grabbed Chen Xiao's ear: "So, when do you plan to officially marry us?"
Next, Chen Xiao, Suzuna, Mizuna, and Yuriko formally entered into a ceremonial marriage and had relations with the three beauties at the shrine.
Afterwards, Chen Xiao took the three beauties back to his villa, which was part of his harem. The harem members were all very happy and welcomed Suzuna's family.
Chen Xiao let out a long sigh; the rural hunting expedition was finally coming to an end.
Chen Xiao returned to her usual high school life.
As morning light filtered through the gaps in the cherry blossom trees, Chen Xiao strolled leisurely along the slope leading to Zongwu High School.
As the spring breeze blows, pink and white petals flutter down like snow.
He enjoyed the long-lost tranquility—rural life was nice, the mountain environment was good, and shouldn't one occasionally enjoy campus life too?
"It's not so bad to take a walk sometimes..." he murmured to himself, his fingertips brushing against the newly sprouted leaves by the roadside.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept through the treetops. Chen Xiao instinctively raised his hand and precisely caught a white beret that was falling from above.
A faint citrus scent lingered on the brim of the hat.
"Excuse me..."
A sound as clear as a spring came from above.
Chen Xiao looked up and saw a girl standing under the cherry blossom tree at the end of the slope.
The spring breeze playfully tousled her long black hair.
She pressed down on her wind-blown hair with one hand, and reached out to him with the other.
"Could you give me back my beret?" The girl tilted her head slightly.
Chen Xiao noticed the Zongwu High School badge on her chest—it turned out to be a classmate from her school.
"Of course." Chen Xiao hurried up the slope and handed the hat back to her. "It's a bit windy, be careful not to let it blow away again."
Chapter 104 A Saint's Favor? I'll Get You!
The girl took Chen Xiao's beret and put it on casually. Chen Xiao found it unbelievable—his succubus system and charm aura had no effect on her. Was it an act, or was she truly immune?
"My name is Kato Megumi." The girl sighed, her black hair swaying gently in the spring breeze. "Chen Xiao, really, we're in the same class but you don't remember me. What a coincidence."
Chen Xiao sensed the subtle sarcasm in her words, but he wasn't offended. Instead, he laughed and said, "There's nothing I can do. I know too many girls. Sometimes I'm face-blind when I see pretty ones, but I pay less attention to ordinary girls like you."
To his surprise, Kato Megumi, upon hearing this, not only didn't get angry, but calmly nodded: "Yes, Chen Xiao is right." She adjusted the position of her beret and turned to leave.
Chen Xiao deliberately stepped forward, blocking her way: "However, we can start getting to know each other from now on."
Kato Megumi frowned slightly, feeling that Chen Xiao's actions were somewhat abrupt. Chen Xiao suddenly grasped her hand, his fingertips gently caressing the inside of her wrist—this was his usual teasing technique, a gesture that had previously been enough to make any girl blush and her heart race.
"Sometimes, there's nothing wrong with liking ordinary girls."
Kato Megumi's reaction was unexpected. She decisively pulled her hand back, even taking a half step back to create distance: "Please don't do this." Her voice remained calm, but with a hint of coldness, "Don't think that by treating me like this, I will develop feelings for you like other girls do."
What shocked Chen Xiao even more was the next sentence: "And, actually, Chen Xiao is quite lonely, isn't she?"
These words were like a sharp sword, piercing Chen Xiao's heart. His smile froze on his face, and the succubus system emitted its first erratic notification sound.
Kato Megumi didn't wait for his response, turned and left on her own, her back view standing out clearly in the cherry blossom rain.
Chen Xiao put his index finger to his lips, watching the receding figure. This was the first time he had been rejected since gaining his abilities, the first time someone had seen through his carefully crafted facade.
“Interesting,” he murmured to himself.
The next morning, Chen Xiao arrived at school half an hour earlier than usual. He leaned against the corridor outside the classroom, his gaze fixed on the stairwell.
At 7:40, Kato Megumi appeared on time. She walked almost silently, like a quiet shadow.
"Good morning, Kato-kun," Chen Xiao greeted him, keeping his voice just loud enough for the girls around him to hear. Normally, these girls would immediately notice him and gather around him.
But something was strange today. The girls merely glanced in his direction before continuing their conversations, as if Kato Megumi didn't exist. Even more bizarrely, when Kato Megumi walked past him, she didn't even look at him.
Chen Xiao reached out to grab her, but grasped only air. Kato Megumi slipped through his fingers like a gust of wind, heading straight for her seat—the one in the far corner of the classroom, a seat almost forgotten by everyone.
After the school bell rang, Chen Xiao observed Kato Megumi. When the teacher called roll, she skipped her name entirely, and none of the students, including Kato Megumi herself, reacted at all, as if it were perfectly normal.
During lunch break, Chen Xiao carried a bento box to Kato Megumi's table: "Want to have lunch together?"
Kato Megumi looked up, a hint of helplessness in her eyes: "You don't have to do this. I have no interest in your harem plans."
"A harem?" Chen Xiao raised an eyebrow. "Who said I had any plans to build a harem?"
Kato Megumi gently closed the bento box, her eyes as calm as an autumn lake: "Although I don't have much of a presence, I'm just habitually observing you from afar." She raised her head and looked directly into Chen Xiao's eyes, "But who doesn't know your reputation, Chen Xiao? The number one male god in Chiba Prefecture, the dream lover of all the girls in school."
She paused for a moment, a barely perceptible smile appearing at the corner of her lips: "But to me, you're just an ordinary person who's very promiscuous."
These words were like a slap in the face to Chen Xiao. His succubus system emitted a warning buzz, and the data showed that Kato Megumi's favorability towards him remained at 30%—just reaching the level of friendly interaction with strangers, far lower than the values of other girls that were often above 80%.
"Are you playing hard to get?" Chen Xiao suddenly leaned closer, placing his hands on either side of Kato Megumi's desk, trapping her between himself and the wall.
Unlike other girls, Kato Megumi didn't blush or have her heart race; she simply leaned back slightly and said, "Please don't get so close."
Chen Xiao gazed into her pale brown pupils, where there was no familiar infatuation or longing, only a clear, unwavering gaze. This unprecedented experience made his heart race, a strange impulse swelling in his chest. The next second, he did something he hadn't expected—he suddenly kissed Kato Megumi's lips.
The touch was softer than he had imagined. Kato Megumi's body stiffened instantly, then began to tremble slightly. Chen Xiao could feel her heartbeat quickening and her body temperature rising, but when he tried to deepen the kiss, Kato Megumi pushed him away forcefully.
"Chen Xiao, you've gone too far!" Her voice remained calm, but her breathing was clearly disordered. "You can't do this."
Chen Xiao clearly saw the anger flashing in Kato Megumi's eyes. Her body did show signs of being awakened, but her reason and willpower firmly controlled the situation. This was unlike any girl Chen Xiao had ever met before—they either completely resisted or completely indulged, and he had never seen such a state of split between body and will.
"Sorry." Chen Xiao took a step back and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I crossed the line."
Kato Megumi straightened her disheveled collar, her face slightly flushed but her expression resolute: "I'm not talking to you anymore." She picked up her lunchbox and left the classroom without looking back.
Chen Xiao watched her departing figure, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips. The more unattainable something was, the more he desired it—it was his nature. But this time seemed different. Kato Megumi's words, "You are lonely," were like a thorn, deeply embedded in his heart. Indeed, he had many women, but few truly understood his loneliness, despite his many women. Therefore, he could only vent his loneliness by constantly engaging in relationships with women, resorting to any means necessary.
When the school bell rang, Chen Xiao noticed that Kato Megumi's seat was empty. He walked to her desk and gently ran his fingers across the surface—it showed almost no signs of use, as unremarkable as its owner.
A notebook lay in the desk drawer. Chen Xiao hesitated for a moment, then picked it up and flipped through it. Inside were neat class notes, with occasional small doodles in the margins: a cloud, a bird, or a leaf. In the corner of the latest page, there was a blurry profile—though just a few simple strokes, Chen Xiao recognized it as himself.
"So you were observing me too..." Chen Xiao muttered to himself, putting the notebook back in its place.
For the next few days, Kato Megumi, just as she had predicted, completely ignored Chen Xiao's existence. Even when they brushed past each other, her gaze would pass right through him, as if he were nothing more than air. This feeling of being utterly ignored was incredibly new to Chen Xiao, who was used to being the center of attention.
During Friday's PE class, the girls were practicing volleyball. Yui Hama was waving at Chen Xiao.
Miura Yumiko looked at Chen Xiao helplessly, "Chen Xiao is at it again! Is he targeting Kato Megumi this time?"
Yui Yuigahama couldn't believe it. "Kato Megumi is very beautiful, but if you don't look closely, it's hard to notice her. Chen Xiaojun actually wants Kato Megumi... Why does he ignore me?" Yui Yuigahama became even more dejected.
Chen Xiao leaned against the wall of the gymnasium, her gaze following Kato Megumi on the court. Her athletic ability wasn't outstanding, but every movement she made was filled with earnestness. When the ball flew towards her, she always tried her best to catch it, even knowing she couldn't, she still panted heavily with exhaustion.
"Looking at Kato-san?" Miura Yumiko, a classmate, followed his gaze. "It's rare to see Chen Xiaojun interested in an ordinary girl like that."
Chen Xiao didn't answer. Kato Megumi on the court failed to save the ball, scraping her knee. She silently walked to the sidelines, took out a band-aid from her bag, and treated her wound herself, without attracting anyone's attention—except for Chen Xiao.
“I’ll go take a look.” Chen Xiao took the key to the infirmary and walked towards Kato Megumi.
When Kato Megumi saw him approaching, she immediately turned to leave.
"Your knee is bleeding." Chen Xiao stopped her, shaking the keys in his hand. "There's no one in the infirmary, let me take care of it for you."
"No need," Kato Megumi said softly but firmly. "I can manage on my own."
Chen Xiao crouched down and, ignoring her protests, examined the wound: "Sand has gotten into the wound; it will get infected if it's not properly disinfected." He looked up at Kato Megumi, "Consider this an apology for what happened last time, okay?"
Perhaps it was because the wound was really painful, or perhaps it was because the sincerity in Chen Xiao's eyes was rare and genuine, but Kato Megumi finally nodded.
In the infirmary, Chen Xiao skillfully used tweezers to remove the sand from the wound. Kato Megumi sat on the edge of the bed, her brows furrowing slightly in pain, but she remained silent.
"If it hurts, you can hold my hand," Chen Xiao said.
Kato Megumi shook her head: "No need."