Fortune Across the World

Chapter 151: The Unpredictable Exchange of Hearts Under the Moon (Part 2)

Le Zhuyi's lower lip was bitten through, blood at the corners of her mouth. In the throes of pain, tears she couldn't contain fell freely. Unable to endure the agony, she pressed one hand against Ding Qiyu's chest while the other retrieved a small, jagged wooden spike from her waist, driving it forcefully into her leg as she did on every Moonwatcher night.

Seeing this, Ding Qiyu was alarmed. The wooden spike, specially crafted with a rough surface, would bruise the skin while just piercing it, causing sharp pain without damaging the muscles or bones beneath.

Blood seeped from the wound, already bruising, soaking into Le Zhuyi's crimson dress and blending in seamlessly, hiding the injury.

To use the pain from a wound to lessen the excruciating, tearing pain throughout her body, Yi Girl, just how much pain are you in? What torment are you enduring? Ding Qiyu couldn't fathom it, but watched as Yi Girl withdrew the spike, preparing to stab it into her leg again before Ding Qiyu could react.

"Stop!" Ding Qiyu shouted urgently, but it was too late. The spike had already pierced the same spot, reopening the wound.

Le Zhuyi's face was streaked with tears—not from choice, but because the pain triggered her tear ducts uncontrollably. Despite this, she continued to bite down hard, relentlessly stabbing her leg.

"Stop! Don't! Don't do this!" Ding Qiyu finally caught her wrist, gently rubbing her back with her other hand, desperate to alleviate her suffering. "If you can't hold on, you can bite me instead. Don't—ow—" Before she could finish, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder as Yi Girl obeyed and bit down.

Le Zhuyi's teeth sank into Ding Qiyu's bare shoulder, tasting the metallic tang of blood. Her tears flowed even more fiercely, not just from pain this time...

Blood mixed with Yi Girl's tears soaked Ding Qiyu's shoulder. She gasped, clenching her hand into a fist on Le Zhuyi's back, biting her lip to stifle any sound, sharing the pain with her.

Whether it was because the moon had slipped behind clouds or some other reason, Le Zhuyi found solace in this silent endurance and acceptance. Her tears fell on Ding Qiyu's shoulder and into her heart, melting into warmth that seemed to ease the cold and pain. Reluctantly, she released her bite, seeing the gruesome wound she had inflicted. She closed her eyes, letting her tears fall, resting her forehead against Ding Qiyu's chest. The hand Ding Qiyu held released the spike, slipping free to wrap around Ding Qiyu's waist, seeking warmth and comfort despite the persistent internal pain.

Ding Qiyu's shoulder was so numb she couldn't feel it anymore, thankful that Yi Girl had finally spared it by curling into her embrace. Before she could react to her freed wrist, she felt a cool arm wrap around her waist, causing her body to stiffen with an unexpected rush of adrenaline, quickening her heartbeat. Taking deep breaths to calm herself, she held the trembling figure tightly, ignoring her own injury to cover the bleeding wound on her leg with a gentle hand.

The two clung to each other silently, Le Zhuyi swallowing her cries, relying on the warmth surrounding her to fend off the cold and pain within. The room was eerily quiet, punctuated only by Ding Qiyu's breath and Le Zhuyi's occasional gasps, neither of them sleeping through the night.

As the sun rose, the moon faded, and with it, Le Zhuyi's piercing pain and chilling cold gradually subsided, replaced by a deep fatigue. Yet she had no desire to rest, tilting her head to steal a glance at Ding Qiyu, who appeared to be asleep. Mistakenly thinking she was unnoticed, Le Zhuyi studied Ding Qiyu's serene features, her mind churning with unfamiliar emotions, finding her increasingly attractive...