In the desolate expanse of the high sky, a voice as cold as ice suddenly resonated, echoing through the silent and lifeless space with a majesty reminiscent of a deity.
(Oh? Be quiet? Heh heh... young human, this is the first time in quite a while that you've commanded me to silence. What's the matter? Have I struck a nerve? Feeling wounded? Hahaha... this is what you call reaping what you sow!! Hahahaha...)
(You initially intended to leverage the peculiar trait of your devilish curse, which allows you to go for extended periods without sustenance, combined with your recent enigmatic behavior to pique the curiosity of that little girl named Annie, correct? You knew that given her tender age and nature, once her curiosity was ignited, she would inevitably seek to unravel the mystery. And since you, the one shrouded in secrecy, refused to divulge the truth, the only path left for her was to investigate on her own.)
(As fate would have it, the little girl is a seventh-tier mage, undoubtedly possessing the "Dream Stealing" technique. Given her youthful disposition, there is a ninety-nine percent chance she would stealthily employ this skill to glimpse into your memories. Once she cast her "Dream Stealing" spell upon you, you could, by virtue of your ninth-tier status, construct a false memory in the realm of consciousness, leading her to mistakenly believe that this fabricated memory was indeed your genuine experience.)
(As for the nature of the memory you intended to create, while I am not privy to the specific details, I presume it would merely depict a narrative of your past misfortunes, detailing how wretchedly you once lived—perhaps tales of deceased parents or a tragic family history. By evoking such memories, you would elicit the sympathy of the little girl, allowing you to keep her by your side under the guise of righteousness, and she would willingly follow you, heh heh...)
(To be frank, you are quite the cunning schemer! If successful, you would gain the heart of an exceptionally gifted girl from an affluent background without any cost, and in the future, you could exploit this connection to uncover clues about the Soul Locking Jade. Truly a profitable endeavor.)
(Alas, despite all your scheming, you never anticipated that this seemingly seventh-tier girl possessed a mental strength rivaling that of a ninth-tier mage—she is nothing short of a prodigy! Hahaha... Consequently, your deliberate act of opening your heart for her to easily infiltrate your mind inadvertently aided her, allowing her to directly glimpse the deepest, most concealed memory within you.)
(Your mental prowess as a martial artist pales in comparison to the vastness of a ninth-tier archmage. Faced with the little girl's mental invasion, you were unable even to muster a struggle, and the false memory you created failed to capture her attention before being shattered by her overwhelming mental force.)
(Hahahahaha... this is what you call shooting yourself in the foot, reaping what you sow! Hahahahaha... Well, in terms of results, you achieved your goal, and even more perfectly than your original plan, for the caster of "Dream Stealing" experiences emotions within the dream space almost identically to the recipient. That little girl felt your profound despair and sorrow, and given her sensitive and compassionate nature, I suspect her perception of you has multiplied several times over.)
(However... Hahahahaha... that memory you buried deep within your consciousness, one you wished to avoid revisiting, has now been resurrected by the little girl's "Dream Stealing" spell, allowing you to relive it momentarily. How does it feel? Quite exhilarating, isn't it? Hahahahaha...)
"..." Ignoring the demon's mockery, Xiao Muyu had learned from years of interaction that the best way to deal with this loquacious demon's scornful taunts was to disregard it entirely, for the more he reprimanded it, the more exhilarated it became.
Its incessant meddling was its delight.
Its cruel, bloodthirsty nature was its essence.
From the day he first glimpsed its true form, Xiao Muyu understood the evil of this creature.
Seated in the lonely void, the man gently lowered his hand from his face, slightly raising his head to gaze directly at the resplendent starry river above.
The cold moonlight bathed his face, imparting a sense of sanctity that seemed out of place in this world.
And in that fleeting moment, this seemingly perpetually indifferent, cruel, and dark demon emperor exhibited a glimmer of the vitality that a living being ought to possess.
Coldly seated in this desolate void, thousands of meters above the vertical ground, he felt the disorienting sensation of the universe's stars surrounding him, as if he were entangled in the fabric of time and space. The indifferent man's gaze, cold and distant, fixated on the depths of the cosmic river, as if he sought to uncover a cerulean planet hidden within the profound darkness.
...
As Xiao Muyu stepped onto the cold floor and entered the hospital corridor, he discovered the little girl asleep against the icy floor by the ward's door.
Her tiny, delicate hands were weakly clasped before her, and on this night, as winter neared its end yet the chill lingered, the little girl had curled up and succumbed to sleep at the threshold of the ward.
Bathed in the faint moonlight, Xiao Muyu could still discern the traces of dried tears on her adorable face, suggesting that since his departure, the little girl had cried herself to sleep.
(Ah dear!! Tsk tsk tsk... Look, young human, what did I tell you? Hahaha... That little girl has indeed been moved by your tragic memories; she is likely filled with self-reproach for stirring those deep-seated recollections within you. Hence, she refuses to return to the warmth of her bed, choosing instead to wait for you in the cold corridor, fearing that this "kind-hearted and pitiful" older brother of hers might vanish because of her actions.)
(Hahahaha... Your plan has succeeded—success rate at ninety percent! Hahahaha... From this day forth, you may need a new title; no longer should you be known as the "Lord of Winter's Embrace," for such a juvenile moniker is out of vogue. Henceforth, we shall call you "The Despicable Lolita Connoisseur," Xiao Muyu! Hahahaha...)
"..." Approaching the sleeping girl, Xiao Muyu stood quietly, his cold gaze fixed upon her small face, which remained furrowed even in slumber, observing the fresh tear stains upon her cheeks.
In a fleeting moment, he envisioned the little girl sitting alone in the frigid hospital corridor, softly weeping while wiping her adorable face with her tender hands, her tear-filled eyes yearning for a familiar figure to return through the hospital's entrance...
In the cold corridor, beneath the pale moonlight filtering through the ward's window, he bent down, gently opening his arms to embrace the little girl's fragile form.
"Hmm?" As she felt the warmth of his embrace, the little girl's tightly shut eyes fluttered open slightly. Once she discerned the familiar cold face before her in the dim light, she drowsily rubbed her eyes and murmured, "Is it... Big Brother... ah..."
In the next moment, her eyes closed once more, and her previously restless breaths finally steadied.
The little girl, who had worried and felt guilty throughout the night, finally found solace. Her hazy consciousness was swiftly engulfed by the depths of slumber.
The little girl had a fever...