The red candle had burned out, and the bedchamber was silent.
Xi Yao hadn't slept a wink all night.
Her eyes remained open, fixed on the sandalwood carvings of the bed canopy, her mind scorched blank and chaotic.
"Crazy, crazy… He's truly gone mad… And I'm about to lose my mind too…"
She tilted her head slightly to glance at the Demon God beside her.
Qi Yan lay beside her at some point, his eyes closed, his breathing slow and even. Yet even in sleep, an oppressive aura radiated from him, as if he could snap her neck at any moment—or kiss her.
"Don't think I'm not scared just because you're asleep… Even your sleep-talking is terrifying…" she muttered under her breath.
Last night, he had nearly kissed her for real. She had shrunk into the corner of the bed, pretending to be a sealed statue, barely escaping the ordeal.
Now, if she didn't run, she feared the next target of his lips wouldn't just be her cheek!
---
Early morning.
Xi Yao tiptoed off the bed, silently snatched her red outer robe, and draped it over herself, preparing for Round Two of her great escape.
But the moment her fingers brushed the doorframe, a low, husky chuckle exploded in her ears.
"My wife was so excited running away last night, and now she wants an encore this morning?"
"Aahhh—!" Xi Yao shrieked like a startled cat, clinging to the door. "Don't scare people like that! How are you awake so fast?!"
Qi Yan lounged lazily against the bedside, his crimson hair half-loose, his robes slightly open, his eyes still heavy with sleep. "This lord did not get what he wanted last night, so naturally, sleep eluded him."
"Y-you—don't push your luck!" Xi Yao slammed her palm against the door. "I'm sick today! There's something wrong with me—don't kiss me!"
Qi Yan smirked. "Where are you sick?"
"Everywhere! It's serious! Fever, chills, full-body allergies! Especially when you get close—I go insane!"
He stepped forward, his gaze tender. "That's not an illness. It's the divine mark reacting."
"Lies!"
Qi Yan raised a hand and pointed at her forehead. "That mark is the remnant of the seal you once cast upon me—a heart-mark you personally branded ten thousand years ago. You may not remember, but your body instinctively responds to it."
Xi Yao's eyes widened. She rushed to the mirror—sure enough, a faint crimson divine pattern had surfaced on her forehead, pulsing faintly like a living thing.
"I—I don't want this mark!" she yelled. "Pull it out! Cut it off! Burn it!"
Qi Yan chuckled softly, leaning in to whisper by her ear, "This mark… you can't remove it even if you try. You might as well behave. When it burns, I'll kiss you once to cool you down."
"Try kissing me and see what happens!"
"Didn't you not dare last night?"
"Last night I played dead—have you forgotten?!"
"Then what about this morning?"
Before Xi Yao could react, Qi Yan closed the distance. She stumbled back in panic, only to trip and fall straight into his arms.
He caught her effortlessly, his nose brushing her forehead. "Is it burning now?"
"No!"
"Then shall I kiss you?"
"You dare!! I'm really sick—you want me to die on the spot?!"
Qi Yan paused, then slowly lowered his head—but instead of kissing her, his lips hovered by her ear, his voice dreamily soft.
"If you die, this lord will follow you to the grave."
Xi Yao: "…"
A full-body shudder wracked her, her skin flushing from her ears down to her heels. "Y-you… do you realize you're getting crazier by the second?!"
Qi Yan laughed low. "Not too crazy. Just enough to match you."
He reached out, tapping the mark on her forehead. It immediately flared brighter, scorching her until she yelped and ducked away, spinning in place like a frantic kitten.
"Stop touching it—ahhh! I'm burning up!"
"That's why you need a kiss."
"Shut up!!"