The Crazy Fox Demon Devours My Heart - Chapter 8

Qingyu turned her head away, unwilling to look any longer.

Clutching her drenched body, her tone was indifferent.

“You’re a demon?”

Hu Yan seemed somewhat uneasy, droplets sliding down his face from his lashes.

His golden pupils trembled slightly, and he answered so softly it was almost inaudible:

“Mm.”

The sound was like a needle falling onto stone—sharp in the silence.

After a long pause, Hu Yan slowly lifted his head, his gaze meeting Qingyu’s, carefully watching her reaction.

“I never meant to deceive you.”

A flash of disgust crossed her delicate face—fleeting, yet Hu Yan caught it with painful clarity.

The hand he wanted to extend toward her froze mid-air.

The wind by the pool carried dampness and a bone-deep chill.

Qingyu couldn’t help covering her nose as she sneezed.

Hu Yan snapped back to his senses. He held out one palm, upward. A cluster of blue flames flickered to life, leaping in his hand.

With a flick of his wrist, it flew out and landed on a pile of deadwood not far away.

A fire instantly roared up, crackling, sending warmth into the air.

Once the blaze was stable, another wisp of pale blue fire ignited in his palm.

He approached her.

The movement startled Qingyu, and she pushed herself back, eyes wary.

“What are you doing?!”

Her look of fear, as though he were a monstrous flood, stabbed through his chest.

Earlier on the cliff, he hadn’t steadied his heart. Now, his control was slipping.

Hu Yan gripped his head with both hands, veins bulging as he fought to restrain himself. Pain twisted his expression; his gaze blurred.

Qingyu couldn’t understand what was happening to him.

But instinct told her he was dangerous. She needed to leave—fast.

She edged backward, slowly.

Sensing her intent to flee, Hu Yan suddenly lifted his head, his inhuman pupils locking onto her.

“A’Yu… are you afraid of me?”

Qingyu didn’t dare retreat further. She felt like prey under the eyes of a predator—one wrong move and she’d be torn to pieces like the monsters on the cliff.

Hearing him ask if she was afraid nearly made her laugh.

Demonic creatures were frightening by nature. And this one looked utterly mad.

She gave no reply, only tightened her grip on a stone in her hand, quickly scanning the area for an escape route.

Not far away was a dense patch of shrubs.

She was agile, but even so, she doubted she could outrun a beast like him.

The handsome face before her was now veined with dark markings, terrifying to behold.

He drew nearer, like a predator ready to spring.

Terrified, Qingyu stumbled back, then hurled the stone in her hand.

But Hu Yan caught it easily between his slender fingers.

When he closed his palm, the stone crumbled into powder, slipping away like sand.

Qingyu’s face paled. She bolted toward the shrubs—only to freeze when glowing eyes appeared in the darkness ahead.

Wolves.

She was finished.

Trapped between wolves in front and a fox behind, there was no escape.

She bit her lip. If she was going to die anyway, she might as well fight.

Gathering all her strength, she lunged in another direction.

The wolves burst out of the brush, chasing after her with snarls.

“Danger!”

Just as they leapt to tear into her, Hu Yan shot forward, dispatching them in a single sweep.

Gripping her arms in an iron hold, his eyes blazed with fury.

“Are you so afraid of me? You’d rather die than look at me?”

His strength was crushing; Qingyu was certain her arms would bruise.

“If you want to kill me, then kill me. Why pretend otherwise?”

Her words shattered him completely.

Like a puppet with its strings cut, Hu Yan collapsed onto the ground, drained.

The bright moonlight bathed him, making his face look ghastly pale.

Pain wracked his body, making him tremble uncontrollably. His fingers dug into the dirt, twisting from the effort.

Seeing him release her and fall, Qingyu quickly put distance between them, keeping watch.

But Hu Yan’s eyes never left her. They were filled with an intensity that made her deeply uncomfortable.

She only wanted to leave. Without hesitation, she turned her back on him.

“A’Yu, don’t go. It’s dangerous here—stay by my side.”

The greatest danger is you.

She didn’t stop walking. But after only two steps, something coiled around her leg.

Looking down, she found a fluffy fox tail wound tightly around her. No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t break free.

Her voice turned cold.

“Let go.”

“A’Yu, don’t go.”

Her patience snapped. She strode toward him, looming over his fallen form.

Whatever his reasons for approaching her, they couldn’t be good. Better to kill him now, while he was weak.

Her hand pressed against his neck, killing intent sharp in her eyes as she tightened her grip.

Hu Yan’s gaze lit up as she neared.

But when her hand squeezed, his expression softened.

He went slack under her chokehold, a sigh of strange relief slipping past his lips.

The pain on his face vanished, replaced by a peaceful calm, as though her attempt to kill him brought him comfort.

His golden eyes locked onto hers, unyielding, and with a broken breath, he whispered:

“A’Yu… I have never… harmed you…”

Her hand faltered.

After a few long seconds, she withdrew it, reaching instead for the fox tail bound around her leg.

She tugged hard, but it wouldn’t release.

The injured tail bled from her pulling, but Hu Yan uttered not a sound—his gaze remained fixed on her alone.

“I’ve already spared your life. Why won’t you let me go? Even now, you cling on—stubborn to the extreme.”

Exhausted, Qingyu finally sat beside him. Her hand brushed against the furry tail encircling her.

By now, Hu Yan seemed to be improving. The bulging veins on his face slowly faded away.

Tilting her head, Qingyu studied the changes in his features.

Tentatively, she poked his cheek with her finger.

Sure enough, the frightening purple-black markings dissipated further.

She frowned. Was her touch the reason?

Could it be that this was his goal in approaching her?

But why her?

She scrutinized his face. She was certain they had never met before.

She couldn’t figure it out. But at least for now, it was clear—she was useful to him, and he wouldn’t hurt her.

Just then, a dozen wolves slunk out from the darkness, circling them.

Qingyu realized that if she had recklessly entered the thickets earlier, she would already be torn apart.

The wolves didn’t attack, though. They seemed to be waiting—for the chance to strike decisively.

Hu Yan suddenly pulled her into his arms.

Against his tall frame, Qingyu was small, swallowed whole in his embrace.

“Don’t be afraid.”

His eyes shifted between her and the wolves, tenderness hardening into ice.

When had such lowly beasts dared to show their teeth before him? Clearly, someone was emboldening them.

Qingyu tried to pull away, but his strength left her no room to move. Each time she raised her head, he pressed her back against his chest.

“Stay still. As long as you’re in my arms, they won’t attack. Leave me, and they’ll tear you apart.”

Qingyu stopped resisting, leaning against him obediently.

The faint scent of lotus mixed with bl00d filled her nose.

Was he really strong enough, in this weakened state, to handle all these wolves?

The standoff stretched.

Hu Yan held her close, his tail idly tapping the ground, as though enjoying himself rather than worrying.

Time crawled by.

The wolves grew restless, their throats rumbling with snarls.

Finally, a sharp whistle pierced the air from deep in the forest—a command.

At once, the wolves lunged.

Hu Yan’s eyes turned deadly cold. His tail lashed out, slicing through them effortlessly.

In a blink, the wolves fell lifelessly to the ground, their bodies thudding heavily.

Qingyu stared, dumbstruck.

So powerful… yet he had acted all this time as though he were weak.

When she turned to glare at him, Hu Yan immediately coughed twice, his lashes trembling, lips stained with bl00d.

His voice was weak, pitiful

“I really was injured earlier… I just hadn’t recovered.”

As if I’d believe your nonsense!