The Sickly Beauty and Her Guide Leopard - Chapter 18

“System, she’s almost dead! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“She’s not dead. This isn’t related to the plot, which means we haven’t deviated from the storyline. She’ll survive.”

When Jian Li first met Yan Qingshuang, her suffering might have been unrelated to Jian Li. Yet Yan Qingshuang had always treated her kindly, even indulging her every whim.

Even the most callous person would feel a pang of sympathy, let alone Jian Li, who was fundamentally kind-hearted.

“What’s wrong with her now?” Jian Li asked anxiously. “With your System’s capabilities, can’t you give me an explanation?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure, Host. Could it be menstrual cramps?”

Jian Li stared in disbelief.

This isn’t funny at all! You’re cracking jokes at a time like this? This System must be brain-dead.

Just then, the white veil covering Yan Qingshuang’s eyes slipped off, and she began tearing at her clothes like a madwoman.

The poor garments were reduced to pitiful, tattered strips.

Yan Qingshuang’s ragged breathing grew even more labored.

Jian Li’s eyes widened, and the phrase “Do not look upon what is improper” flashed through her mind.

With the last layer of fabric about to vanish completely, Jian Li hastily grabbed a blanket and pressed it over Yan Qingshuang.

Yan Qingshuang paused momentarily, then raised her arm with such force that she sent Jian Li and the blanket tumbling to the ground.

Now Jian Li dared not approach at all, yet she remained deeply worried about Yan Qingshuang’s torment. What if something goes wrong?

She could only turn her head away, occasionally glancing back.

The moonlight illuminated Yan Qingshuang’s fair, smooth skin, the beads of sweat glistening like crystal. Her long, raven-black hair cascaded down, partially obscuring her delicate, butterfly-wing-like shoulder blades. The sight was breathtaking, making it impossible to look away.

Jian Li’s heart suddenly raced, and forbidden images flashed through her mind.

In the next instant, Yan Qingshuang’s gaze locked with Jian Li’s in mid-air, plunging Jian Li into an icy dread.

Yan Qingshuang’s eyes had transformed, now resembling those of the final boss in the game.

It was difficult to describe the sensation. It wasn’t merely that Yan Qingshuang’s eyes had turned pitch-black, devoid of any other color. Rather, they radiated an irresistible, mind-numbing power, a gaze that promised utter despair and the sensation of being swallowed whole.

Jian Li didn’t realize this was the overwhelming pressure of a supreme being, allowing no room for resistance.

“So fragrant…” Yan Qingshuang murmured to herself.

Jian Li’s lips trembled. “Huh? Me? Fragrant?”

“N-no, no, no! Don’t eat me! I won’t taste good!”

Yan Qingshuang’s graceful form gradually drew closer, her eyes, darker than the deepest abyss, held Jian Li captive. Jian Li found herself staring back, utterly paralyzed.

“You smell so good…”

As she spoke, Yan Qingshuang abruptly seized Jian Li’s slender forelimb with astonishing force.

Yan Qingshuang’s skin was burning hot, radiating a scorching heat that sent a jolt through Jian Li.

Jian Li found herself dangling upside down before Yan Qingshuang, feeling like a mere plaything in her grasp.

She trembled violently, completely oblivious to Yan Qingshuang’s nakedness.

Just moments ago, I was fantasizing about her, and now karma’s biting back!

“System, System! She’s transformed! She’s the Archdemon!”

At this critical moment, the System was her only hope. But to her dismay, it proved even more useless than she’d imagined.

“Just let her take a bite?” the System retorted.

What a worthless System!

Jian Li closed her eyes and decisively shut down the System.

Yan Qingshuang swallowed hard, her breathing growing heavier. She parted her lips, her soft tongue darting out as she slowly leaned closer.

The peerlessly beautiful face loomed larger, the fine down on her fair skin shimmering faintly.

Under normal circumstances, Jian Li would have snuggled into the beauty’s arms, showering her with affection and flattery. But with her life hanging in the balance, such frivolous thoughts were out of the question.

Summoning every ounce of wit from both her past and present lives, Jian Li frantically fumbled for a fruit.

Before Yan Qingshuang’s mouth could touch her, the fruit took her place as the target of her torment.

The fruit’s icy chill startled Yan Qingshuang, her expression shifting to one of bewilderment.

She took a bite, her contemplative gaze deepening.

The grip on Jian Li loosened, and Jian Li scrambled free, crawling under the bed. She spent the night with her eyes wide open, alert and wary.

Dawn was just beginning to break.

Jian Li rubbed her sore eyes. Last night had been nothing short of terrifying.

She wondered if Yan Qingshuang was feeling any better now. Just as she was about to crawl out from under the bed, the System made a surprised noise.

“Host, Yan Qingshuang’s favorability rating has appeared on my interface.”

Jian Li had just poked her head out when she heard about the favorability rating. She quickly ducked back under the bed. “What’s going on?”

“The events of last night likely triggered an immediate update to the System.”

“That’s strange,” Jian Li said. “Never mind, just tell me straight: what’s her current favorability rating?”

“100! Congratulations, Host! You’ve achieved the highest possible favorability rating! As a special reward, you’ve been granted 30,000 Spirit Stones!”

Jian Li jumped up in excitement, only to slam her head against the bed frame with a loud thud.

She barely registered the pain in her poor head.

“Say that again?!” Jian Li’s eyes widened. “30,000? Not 3,000? Not 300?”

“Yes, Host,” the System confirmed. “Would you like to exchange them for items or withdraw them?”

The System found it odd that Yan Qingshuang’s favorability rating toward Jian Li had reached the maximum, but it couldn’t determine the reason. Deciding to congratulate her first, it simply proceeded with the announcement.

Jian Li quickly calmed down. “I’ll save it for now and exchange it later.”

This sudden windfall significantly boosted Jian Li’s affection for Yan Qingshuang, while also reducing her fear by more than half.

Yan Qingshuang, who had eaten her fruit at dawn, remained silent and still. The bed escaped further shaking.

However, Jian Li had heard a soft moan when she bumped into the bed earlier. She crawled out from under the bed and whispered cautiously, “You’re awake. Are you feeling better?”

Yan Qingshuang’s violet eyes were streaked with bl00d, their usual inky darkness faded, making her normally listless gaze eerily intense.

She pressed her lips together, a faint metallic scent lingering around her nose.

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” Yan Qingshuang said weakly.

Even though Yan Qingshuang couldn’t see, Jian Li still avoided her direct gaze.

Summoning her courage, Jian Li approached and tossed the blanket over Yan Qingshuang. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have made you wait so long yesterday.”

“I broke my promise. Please don’t be angry, okay?” Anger would lower her affection points, and Jian Li desperately wanted to maintain 100.

Yan Qingshuang smiled bitterly. “I’m not angry.”

“But… you said I smelled delicious and almost ate me!” Jian Li wasn’t truly afraid, but she still pouted, her voice tinged with aggrieved accusation.

“I didn’t mean to eat you…”

“You lied to me,” Jian Li said, her eyes darting around the bed like tiny radar dishes. “You didn’t even leave the fruit pit. And you said you didn’t want to eat me.”

“The fruit was delicious. I fell asleep right after eating it.”

“It has that effect too? That’s wonderful!”

Yan Qingshuang found it difficult to explain.

Last night, under the fruit’s mysterious influence, she had fainted and miraculously dreamed of Jian Li, who appeared as a slender, graceful young woman.

The girl lay beneath her, smiling radiantly.

Yet she still acted like a little beast, her delicate arms wrapping around Yan Qingshuang’s neck, her cheek nuzzling against hers in a tender, affectionate gesture.

“Qingshuang-jie, do you want me?” In the dream, Jian Li whispered seductively in her ear, her warm breath tickling her skin. A strange sensation spread from her ear downward.

Yan Qingshuang’s mind swam in confusion, hallucinations swirling around her.

She even felt an inappropriate desire for the girl.

Biting her lip, Yan Qingshuang snapped back to reality, the food in her mouth now tasteless.

She was too ashamed to meet Jian Li’s clear, lively blue eyes in the daylight, unsure what excuse would sound plausible.

Even more impossible was confiding in the Little Spiritual Beast about her shameful desires.

It would scare her away.