Chapter 20

She still didn't understand what he was going to do. She saw a faint glow emanating from the tree trunk, and the things attached to the tree gradually took shape—a countless number of thin white threads extended and entwined from the branches, forming a tightly attached bell shape. Several shallow golden flower buds trembled in the wind, releasing a faint fragrance, like an elegant and beautiful lady, lazily looking at the two people who disturbed her sleep.

Sarah looked at the huge thread-like flower in surprise, "'Yiqi Tower' flower!" Yiqi Tower, also known as the "Tree of Eternity" in the language of fairies. She had read descriptions of the flower in a book and recognized it at a glance. "Why is it here?"

"Because this world is dirty, filled with human evil thoughts, which is suitable for its survival. The fairies sent it here for Nangong Jing to take care of." Seeing that she wanted to touch the flower, he grabbed her hand, "Don't touch it."

"Why?"

He didn't let go and asked, "Why do you want to touch it?"

"Because it's rare to see."

"Also because it's beautiful and fascinates you, right? It looks so clean and beautiful on the outside despite being filled with filth and garbage inside. Don't you think there's something off about it? It sounds nice to say that it purifies, like a tree sacrificing itself for humans, taking care of the kind and eradicating the evil, like a noble and sacred god. But is it really like that? After all, with the Great Demon King suppressing the area, where would the little demons dare to cause trouble?"

She was stunned for a moment, and finally understood his analogy. She frowned, "Are you saying that the Tree of Eternity itself is a more terrifying demon?"

"Not necessarily. I just think that absolute goodness is impossible, and everything must have two sides, good and evil coexisting. Even sages occasionally tell small lies; those who always do dirty things can also have redeeming qualities."

She seemed to have realized something, "Then what redeeming qualities do you have?"

"Aren't you indirectly insulting me for doing bad things? I love your quick reactions, always coming at me from unexpected angles. So, according to your observation, what redeeming qualities do I have? Oh, at least I'm very confident in one thing—my skills in bed are top-notch, right?"

She had become immune to his shamelessness, but still rolled her eyes at him, "That's just a man's self-righteous thought, thinking that a partner values sexual performance. In daily life, it's the gentleness, thoughtfulness, and tenderness that are the most moving. For example, the clothes you gave me are more touching than your performance in bed—" She suddenly stopped talking. Did she just say "touching"? Did she say it?

"So, I serve Miss wholeheartedly, but I can't compare to a piece of clothing, huh?" He heard it, but cleverly pretended not to, sighing with a pretended sadness, "Then, what should I do to be considerate? Should I give you more clothes?"

"Since this move was taught by me, it won't work on me." She wanted to leave his embrace without leaving any trace, but his arm stubbornly wrapped around her waist, intimately trapping her. She felt a little flustered, and her cheeks became hot.

"You're really hard to please." He chuckled and held her tightly, using his other hand to grab onto a tree branch, holding onto a petal-like thread.

She noticed that he was infusing a large amount of magic into the flower and frowned to remind him, "You better let go, it will drain your power. Vampires are considered the most evil creatures, and they are excellent nutrients for the Tree of Eternity."

"I'm just supplying it with a small portion to accelerate its transformation." He lightly bit her fair earlobe, "I'll be careful."

"Suit yourself." She heard a faint hint of relief in his tone and responded stiffly.

For the two words she accidentally blurted out earlier, he was happy, but she was confused and afraid to think about what she was really thinking when she said those two words...

Suddenly, the thread-like flowers on the tree emitted a soft and bright light, the golden flower buds elongated, and red and yellow pollen scattered, creating a delicate and intoxicating fragrance.

She exclaimed in surprise and momentarily forgot her confusion, mesmerized by the golden and red mist floating in the air. Her head naturally leaned against his shoulder.

"The flowers of the Tree of Eternity are hermaphroditic, reproducing through self-pollination. During pollination, the pollen flies with the wind and spreads to the bottom of the flower." He explained, gazing at her astonished face. "It is said that there is a tiny fairy hidden in the pollen, and whoever finds her will become the happiest person in the world."

She had never heard of this before and curiously searched for the figure of the fairy in the pollen mist. "What does it mean to become the happiest person? What can you get?"

"Who knows? Maybe you can see the Tree of Eternity with your own eyes."

"Don't you want it?" He didn't seem interested.

"What happiness do I still need?" He held her slender waist, his fingers tracing along her waist, enveloping the curve on her left side. She reflexively tensed up, but he didn't make any further advances, only pressing his palm against her erratic heartbeat, kissing her gently and without desire.

They had done many more intimate things than just kissing, but it was this simple kiss that made her tremble lightly and awakened a familiar feeling. It made her body feel hot. In an instant, she had the thought of escaping, no longer wanting to consider responsibilities or old grudges, only wanting to indulge in his tender embrace...

"Are you cold? You're trembling." Reluctantly leaving her lips, he saw her dazed expression, as beautiful as every time they entwined. He affectionately caressed her flushed face with his finger, his voice hoarse, "Your expression is like tempting me to take you to bed."

Her desperate attempt to draw a clear line annoyed him. She clearly had feelings for him, but she stubbornly refused him?

He cruelly tightened his grip on the left side of her chest, blackmailing her frantic heartbeat, "Can't it change anything? Or maybe you sensed the influence I have on you and became scared, so you self-hypnotized and pretended not to care?"

"Did I say something wrong?" His words hit her biggest fear, and she panicked, retorting without thinking, "The pleasure of the body is just a physiological reaction, something that can be experienced with any man. What makes you think you're different from them—"