A Little First Love Shock for the Demon Lord - Chapter 13

Some words, only when directed at oneself, do you realize—should never be said lightly. Because they’re too humiliating.

Minglou’s face darkened as he glared at Ying Ning. His voice, squeezed out from between clenched teeth, was low and menacing:

“Don’t ever say that again.”

Ying Ning blinked in confusion. “Say what?”

Minglou’s lips moved slightly, but he couldn’t bring himself to repeat the phrase. After a beat, he glanced at the sun sinking low on the horizon and said coldly,

“Forget it. Right now, getting you back to the Demon Realm is the priority. I won’t argue with you for now.”

With that, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Realizing that he was about to take her away, Ying Ning hurriedly asked, “But what about Xiao Bao? If we leave now, what will happen to him?”

“That’s his problem. It has nothing to do with me,” Minglou replied icily.

“Can I bring Xiao Bao with me to the Demon Realm?”

“No.” His answer was firm and absolute.

Ying Ning frowned slightly. After a moment of thought, she said, “Then I want to send Xiao Bao home first. I can’t just abandon him.”

Minglou looked at her with irritation. “Absolutely not.”

Just then, Xiao Bao stomped his hind legs angrily, clearly trying to kick Minglou in protest.

Minglou’s gaze instantly turned sinister. He lifted his hand in annoyance, fingers shrouded in a mist of killing intent.

This annoying donkey… Might as well kill it and be done with it.

He was just about to cast a spell when Ying Ning suddenly reached up and grabbed his hand.

Startled, Minglou turned to look at her.

But she turned to scold Xiao Bao first. “Xiao Bao, stop it. No more mischief!”

Hearing her voice, Xiao Bao stopped reluctantly.

Ying Ning then looked at Minglou, her expression serious. “If Xiao Bao can’t be properly taken care of, I won’t go with you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a cold, suffocating aura gripped her throat like a vice.

Minglou’s crimson eyes glowed with fury. “Are you threatening me?”

Whenever she saw this cruel side of him, Ying Ning was reminded that the man before her was a demon—not a human.

She swallowed nervously but forced herself to speak. “It’s not a threat. Xiao Bao is important to me. If I can’t make sure he’s safe, I won’t be at ease.”

But her explanation didn’t soothe Minglou’s anger. “You really think I can’t do anything to you…”

Ying Ning, frightened, shut her eyes tight. But she still mustered the courage to say, “Xiao Bao is family. No matter what happens, I won’t abandon him.”

Her tone was so resolute that Minglou was suddenly reminded of that nightmare—where Ying Ning had said the same thing.

That she would never leave him.

Something began to stir and twist inside him.

After a long silence, the crimson in his eyes gradually faded. His face returned to its usual cold indifference. Looking ahead, he said in a low voice,

“Fine. You can’t escape from my grasp anyway.”

Realizing this was his way of agreeing, Ying Ning beamed and called out, “Xiao Bao, let’s go. I’ll take you home.”

Xiao Bao wagged his tail and turned back to shoot a smug look at Minglou—flashing a wide grin that showed two rows of gleaming white teeth, as if gloating that Ying Ning was defending him.

Minglou ignored the donkey and turned his indifferent gaze toward the shadowy mountains in the distance.

The struggle in his heart just now had tipped in one direction.

But it was a side of himself that felt… unfamiliar.

Night began to fall, and just before the sun fully disappeared, they returned to Ying Ning’s home.

Minglou stood in the middle of the courtyard, coldly watching her every move.

Ying Ning, with a slight limp, removed Xiao Bao’s saddle and patted him gently. “Good boy. There should be enough feed to last until I’m back. Be good and guard the house for me, okay?”

As soon as she finished, Xiao Bao bit onto her sleeve, clearly not wanting her to leave.

Xiao Bao thought Ying Ning was being foolish—treating Minglou like a good man. But in his eyes, Minglou was nothing but bad news.

Ying Ning sighed helplessly. She glanced back at Minglou, who already looked impatient.

She cupped Xiao Bao’s face, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, “There’s something I need to figure out. Don’t worry. I’m carrying a divine talisman. It can’t block demons anymore, but he said that if it breaks, my brother will sense it. I don’t think he was lying. I’ll be fine.”

Then she stepped back a little, smiling faintly as she pinched Xiao Bao’s ear. “I trust he won’t hurt me. But I’m not naive. I’ll stay alert.”

Xiao Bao, unable to change her mind, drooped his head in resignation.

Minglou’s voice sounded from behind: “How much longer do you plan to whisper sweet nothings to that donkey?”

“All done,” Ying Ning replied brightly, limping toward him.

Because of her injury, every step had to be broken into two—slow and arduous.

Minglou stood opposite her, waiting. His expression was as cold and expressionless as ever.

She noticed the tip of his left shoe tapping the ground—clearly irritated by how slow she was.

With his temper, he was probably about to scold her again.

Thinking that, Ying Ning gave him a sheepish smile.

But to her surprise, Minglou suddenly strode over and raised his arm.

She looked at him, puzzled.

“Didn’t you say you were afraid of falling?” he said gruffly. “Hold on.”

Ying Ning blinked, then smiled softly.

She was beginning to understand him.

Grumpy face. Sharp tongue. Short temper.

But soft-hearted.

Just as she was about to rest her hand on his arm, she suddenly paused. “Wait. We’ll be gone for seven days. I need to pack a few changes of clothes.”

“You—!” Minglou instantly dropped his arm, face full of displeasure.

Ying Ning quickly clasped her hands, gazing at him with pleading eyes. “Just a little longer, okay?”

Her voice was like a gentle stream, soothing away his anger.

Minglou, face still cold, raised his arm again. “Fine. Hold on.”

Ying Ning smiled, placed her hand on his arm, and walked toward the house.

At the door, noticing that Minglou intended to follow her inside, she stopped abruptly.

“What now?” he asked with a frown.

“My clothes are dirty. I need to change.”

He looked at her blankly.

Ying Ning had no choice but to spell it out. “You’re not planning to come in and watch me change, are you?”

At her words, a flush crept up his ears, though his face remained cold as he grumbled stiffly,

“Don’t flatter yourself. I have no interest in watching you change.”

With that, he turned away from the door with a stony expression.

Ying Ning glanced at his awkward posture and couldn’t help but smile before stepping into the house.

It wasn’t smooth, but at least their journey had begun.

Once he retrieved his powers, eliminated Yu Qianxun, and confronted Shen Xuanyi, everything would be resolved.

As for Ying Ning…

He thought, maybe he should erase her memories. That way, she wouldn’t hate him.

Then again, maybe he should leave them intact—so she’d remember everything and hate him forever.

But both options felt… wrong. Both made him uncomfortable.

Still, whether she remembered or not, she would be sent back to the human realm. From then on, he’d have nothing more to do with this troublesome woman.

Night fell, and his expression dimmed along with the sky.

He didn’t even realize he was frowning.

The door opened. Ying Ning stepped out in a moon-white gown with a tattered cloak over her shoulders and a satchel on her back.

“We can go now,” she said with a smile.

Minglou silently turned around.

With just one look, Ying Ning noticed the shadow in his eyes. She asked, concerned, “What’s wrong?”

He didn’t answer. “Let’s go,” he said flatly.

She nodded hesitantly.

Minglou took a step forward. The moonlight broke through the clouds and fell on him, and a sharp pain instantly tore through his chest.

He instinctively pressed a hand to his heart. It felt like something was being ripped apart inside him.

Minglou forced himself to look up. The full moon hung in the night sky like a disk of jade.

Tonight was the night of the full moon.

Ying Ning limped up beside him. “Are you—”

She was going to ask if he was feeling unwell, but the moment she saw how pale he was, her voice caught in her throat.

He clearly wasn’t okay.

An excruciating pain gnawed at his body. The world around him spun violently. Even breathing was torment.

Then he collapsed.

Ying Ning panicked. She crouched down. “Where does it hurt?”

No response.

All Minglou could feel was pain—deep, endless pain.

His forehead throbbed, sweat soaked through his robes, and groans of agony spilled from his throat. Something was clawing at his chest, threatening to burst out.

“Minglou…”

He heard someone call him. A voice he recognized.

It was Chen Wuxiu.

The hallucination disgusted him. He hated that even in pain, that face lingered in his mind.

Seeing him in such agony, Ying Ning’s palms began to sweat. Forcing herself to stay calm, she said, “Let’s get you inside.”

She called out to Xiao Bao. The donkey trotted over obediently.

Minglou was too heavy for Ying Ning to move alone, so she had Xiao Bao bite his collar and drag him.

But even the slightest movement deepened Minglou’s pain.

Ying Ning quickly had Xiao Bao stop. She cupped his face gently. “Did I hurt you?”

Still no answer.

But her touch chased away the hallucination. In its place came a strange, addictive pleasure—and Minglou began to sink into it.

Ying Ning didn’t dare move him again. “Wait here. I’ll fetch the village doctor.”

She was about to leave when Minglou suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled hard.

She didn’t even have time to react. The world spun around her.

And when she came back to her senses—Minglou was already on top of her…

His eyes once again glowed with a strange scarlet hue—but this time, something was different. Behind the light, there was a hollow emptiness, a lifeless numbness that clouded his gaze.

Ying Ning felt a chill spread through her heart as a wave of fear washed over her. Minglou—he had lost control.

“Minglou, let me go!” she cried, her voice trembling.

But he couldn’t hear her anymore.

All that remained in his world was the sensation—this fleeting comfort that touching Ying Ning seemed to bring. He clung to it instinctively, as if it were the only thing keeping the pain at bay.

His cold hand brushed against her soft cheek, then slowly moved downward, exploring with unsettling care, as if committing each inch of her skin to memory.

Watching in horror, Xiao Bao sprang forward in fury—but before he could reach them, Minglou raised a single finger without even looking. A pulse of force sent Xiao Bao flying, collapsing to the ground unconscious.

Ying Ning gasped, staring at Xiao Bao’s motionless body in terror. But Minglou seized her chin with sudden force, turning her head back to face him.

He leaned in close, his breath cold against her ear. His voice was low, rough, and laced with something dark.

“You are mine.”