Time passed by, and a light rain began to fall outside the window, its drops pattering against the glass with a crisp, clear sound.
Yin Xiu stared intently at the contents of the book. Since it was almost entirely text, he only understood a little. It wasn't until he was halfway through that he realized it was a romance novel, but it wasn't just about romance; it also included the process of falling in love. This was the first time he had ever explored a completely new area of knowledge, so he could only memorize the contents for now.
By the time I was halfway through reading the book, the town had fallen silent. The rain had intensified, and the only sound in the world was the gentle, soothing rain, which calmed my emotions.
Yin Xiu got up and drew the curtains in the room, placed the book face down on the table, and looked up at Li Mo, "Come to the bathroom with me."
Li Mo nodded blankly and obediently followed her boyfriend into the bathroom. When she saw him pull out a knife and clean the bathtub, Li Mo roughly understood what her boyfriend was going to do. "Exchange blood in the bathtub to complete the contract between the god and the high priest?"
Yin Xiu nodded. The bathtub could accommodate both of them, as well as their flowing blood. In the narrow space, there was no need to worry about any accidents causing danger. Li Mo was more than enough to protect him from excessive blood loss.
Moreover... because he lacked the ability to resist due to blood loss, he could generally make Li Mo do some things he wanted to do smoothly, and he could also suppress his urge to draw his sword when he felt uncomfortable.
Solving both troublesome issues at once is a good thing for him.
Yin Xiu raised his hand to turn on the shower, tested the water temperature, and then turned to look at Li Mo, who was standing there awkwardly. "Come and take a shower?"
"Okay." Compared to the excitement Yin Xiu had imagined, Li Mo was more reserved and at a loss, which Yin Xiu found quite amusing.
Li Mo went to test the water temperature, while Yin Xiu removed the knife belt, took off his clothes, and prepared to bleed the patient.
First, take a bath together, then bleed each other in the bathtub, thus completing the contract in one step.
The entire bathroom was quiet except for the sound of running water and the rustling of Yin Xiu taking off his clothes. It was very quiet, even Li Mo was so quiet that Yin Xiu felt a little uncomfortable. He thought that this monster would stare at him excitedly as usual, taking in everything about him without any restraint.
But he just sat there, glancing at Yin Xiu every now and then, deep in thought, probably trying to recall the contents of the book, afraid that he might make a mistake and displease his boyfriend.
Excitement was present, but so was nervousness; in fact, at this moment, Li Mo felt far more nervous than excited.
Steam rose up, making the entire bathroom hazy and ambiguous.
Two figures entered the bathtub. A blade sliced through Yin Xiu's body, drawing out bright red blood, while black liquid overflowed from Li Mo's arm, trickling down. The colors of the human and the non-human merged and blended in the bathtub, establishing a new contract: a contract between a god and a high priest.
They entrusted their lives to each other, measured each other's lifespans, and allowed their parallel lives to overlap, to run side by side thereafter, never to be separated again.
Blood dripped continuously, and Yin Xiu's body temperature gradually decreased, becoming as cold as Li Mo's.
He lay amidst the swirling mist, in a liquid where black and red mingled. His slightly pale face was stained with specks of blood, yet it still possessed a chilling, corpse-like beauty. His eyes, however, were deep and fixed on Li Mo, unblinking.
"Aren't you going to kiss me?" Yin Xiu's tone softened, a result of the weakness caused by blood loss, and also a sign of his current relaxed state, where he had let down his guard and was powerless to resist.
Although his eyes still looked dark and cold, this was his most vulnerable state compared to his usual indifferent attitude.
"May I, boyfriend?" Li Mo slowly lowered her head and placed a fragrant kiss on Yin Xiu's lips, a light peck mixed with moisture, before pulling away and asking, "May I take advantage of this?"
Yin Xiu's eyes drooped, and he said wearily, "Okay, I allow it."
A dark shadow silently appeared around Li Mo, constantly climbing up Yin Xiu's body along with his blood. "Is this okay?"
"...Can."
He wrapped Yin Xiu tightly around him, pulling him into his arms, his presence carrying a hint of ambiguous danger as he intruded, "Is this even allowed?"
Yin Xiu sighed silently and closed his eyes. "No need to ask anymore. Tonight, it's up to you."
The process of the covenant between God and the High Priest involves the exchange and reintegration of blood into each other's bodies, linking their lives together. This process dictates that humanity entrusts its life to God's hands.
How could he resist having Yin Xiu, who was so gentle and submissive, placed right in front of Li Mo?
Although Yin Xiu had made full mental preparations, he was still silent for a long time when he saw Li Mo reveal a part of his true form without any hesitation, and the part of the monster wrapped around him. The book did not say how to deal with monsters.
He could only take deep breaths and be patient with Li Mo, his heart and body alike, until he could fully accept him.
"Your boyfriend's breathing is very rapid. Is he not feeling well? I need to get your blood back into your body now, otherwise you will soon faint from blood loss."
"Hmm... After the blood exchange, the ritual of the contract is complete, right?"
"Yes."
"Then... let's go back to bed. It's uncomfortable to bump into things in the bathtub."
"OK."
In the dead of night, the rain intensified, drowning out the sticky, intimate sounds of their intertwined bodies during the contract signing.
The lonely soul, sealed away and wandering in the darkness, has finally taken root in the depths of another soul.
Like newborn flowers, they intertwine and grow, breathing and pulling each other, merging in the darkness, and breaking through the soil at dawn, no longer afraid of loneliness, no longer afraid of the darkness.
Embrace each other and sleep together.
By daybreak, the rain had stopped, and the ground, soaked all night, had become muddy.
Yin Xiu lay on the bed and fell into a deep sleep, while Li Mo got up and watered the flowers by the door.
The sky after the rain became vast and bright, and the light from the horizon enveloped the entire town. At this moment, there was no sound of people, which made people feel peaceful and comfortable.
Li Mo squatted in front of the bright flowerpot, gazing at the distant sky. Seeing such a bright landscape again through these eyes, it seemed as if the sealed time that had been locked in darkness for so many years had been erased.
He has found the light he longed for, and he is carefully guarding it so that he will not lose it again.
So what if he's been called a monster in another world? He's living a much better life than the gods of that world, at least for now.
He turned around and looked into the house, where he could see the people he wanted to protect, and he felt very happy.