This was probably the quietest night in Chernobog.
There are no drunkards and snoring, no shady conspiracies and secret wars. Bathed in the silver moonlight are lush trees and night elves. The intertwining of greenery and ruins presents a different kind of beauty, like a doomsday land that has been washed away by countless time and then regenerated with life.
Only the sound of wind passed through the trees and stirred up the fire burning on the grass in the center.
After a simple exchange, Jiao Zhengyu successfully retained Raphael and Xing Yihuang, allowing them to sit on the grass and continue to listen to him telling Valentine's story, while also receiving some psychological counseling.
Three girls (real) were sitting around a bonfire in the middle of the grass, playing with branches with animal meat in their hands. They looked like female college students out for a picnic.
The Valentine statue was also thoughtfully placed on the edge of the fire, as if they were worried that the little dragon would catch a cold at night.
Although it was impossible for him to feel the changes in warmth and cold as he was wrapped in thick Origin Stone at this moment.
"Um……"
The flames and blackened skin did not obscure the Wendigo girl's magic eyes, and she could clearly see the changes inside the barbecue. After making sure that the meat in her hand had been grilled to the optimal temperature, she took it out of the fire and placed it under the tip of her nose.
The aroma of burnt meat floated into Jiao Zhengyu's nose, like a pair of soft, boneless hands grabbing her heart.
"good."
If you take it out early, it will look tender, but if you take it out late, the meat will look old. This is the best time.
"Take out your meat. It's roasted and ready to eat."
Jiao Zhengyu reminded the two girls, put the meat to his mouth, and opened his red lips lightly.
Then he bit it down hard.
A mellow and pure meaty fragrance instantly filled the Wendigo girl's mouth, causing the corners of her mouth to curl up involuntarily. A stream of meat juice flowed from the corner of her mouth and dripped into the grass beside the girl's legs, bringing the smell of meat to the earth.
If this piece of land is also conscious, it may...not like the juice flowing from the corner of Jiao Zhengyu's mouth.
Because the barbecue in her and the other two hands was created by Valentine, and to some extent has the same roots as this land...
Unlike Jiao Zhengyu who ate with gusto, Xing Yihuang and Raphael were not very interested in the barbecue in front of them.
The two girls wanted to know more about their fiancés at the moment, rather than having a picnic here with a "girl" who looked only sixteen years old but actually didn't know how old she was.
But Jiao Zhengyu made a condition that he would accompany her to camp here if she wanted to know what happened. Raphael and Xing Yihuang had no choice but to pack up and start the most boring dinner in their lives.
"If you don't like the smell, I have seasoning here."
In the blink of an eye, Jiao Zhengyu solved his share. She glanced at the girls who were staring at the barbecue, and took out a few bottles and cans as if by magic.
Salt, pepper, paprika, cumin…
Everything you need.
In order to take care of their possible tastes, Jiao Zhengyu even conjured up a sealed jar of sauce and placed it next to Raphael.
Sister Angel glanced at the thing beside her legs, turned her head and cast a questioning look at Xing Yihuang.
Sister Long shook her head and put the roasted meat into her mouth. Raphael didn't use any of these seasonings. He bit off a piece of natural barbecue and started chewing it.
Sister Wendigo watched with interest as the two sisters in front of her feasted.
The harmony is like the male protagonist's harem that only appears in fantasy works.
Just like what Jiao Zhengyu felt, Xing Yihuang and Raphael also tasted the pure natural aroma of meat. There was no influence of seasonings, only the essential taste of meat filled their mouths, causing a carnival of taste buds.
Very delicious.
…
But even so, Raphael's desire to make the Wendigo girl extremely happy did not disappear.
This kind of appetizing bad girl should be "punished".
She didn't know why she had such strange thoughts. But when Raphael looked into those purple eyes, this idea would pop up involuntarily, and even generate a series of deeper images to vent the remaining hatred.
"You must be full, right?"
Raphael and Xing Yihuang nodded slightly.
The meat was large, like a complete steak, enough to fill an adult woman's stomach.
"Wipe your mouth with a handkerchief."
As soon as Jiao Zhengyu finished speaking, two square handkerchiefs appeared on their laps.
"By the way, let me tell you about Valentine's 'last words'."
Raphael's hand stopped in mid-air and trembled slightly, and she held the handkerchief tightly.
"It's not really his last words. After all, this guy is not dead yet."
The small movements of the Sakota girl were caught by Jiao Zhengyu. She smiled apologetically and stretched out her hand to scratch the side of her hair.
The night wind no longer had the coldness of winter and was very refreshing, like herbal tea that dissolved the greasiness the three girls felt. Jiao Zhengyu played with the bonfire in front of him and told the story of Valentine before he left.
"You should be able to feel the change in Valentine's mood. Although this guy looks like a blockhead, he is actually very clear about the love you are showing, and he is not very good at pretending."
As the girl narrated, Xing Yihuang and Raphael also fell into memories.
Xing Yihuang is an introverted girl. Unlike Raphael, she can express her emotions as easily as Raphael. She can only bury this passion in small daily things and pass it on to Valentine.
Their daily lives are harmonious, especially when they are in Longmen. Except for not sleeping in the same bed at night, the two lived like a real couple.
Xing Yihuang stays at home, cooks and does housework, occasionally goes out to buy daily necessities, and takes care of the naughty child Ansuo.
Valentine goes out to work every day, and there is a dragon girl boss above his head whose appearance is inversely proportional to his temper. He gets scolded almost every day, but he is well paid.
The two lived comfortably in a two-story building and had a pet witch cat. Their life was as ordinary as water.
This is how she and Valentine express their love for each other. There are no pink "accidents", no sweet words, only unreserved trust.
During that period, as long as Valentine could be a little tougher, even just a little bit, such as saying let's sleep together at night, Xing Yihuang might not be able to control his heart even if the two of them tried to make sure they didn't affect each other. Holding his hand allowed the relationship between the two to deepen.
It's a pity that guy didn't say anything similar.
"...He may not be a good partner, but he does love you in his heart, and he knows himself very clearly."
These words resonated with Raphael.
As one of the Lateran saints, Raphael felt that he would never fall in love with anyone else in his life, because thousands of years of saint history have proven this.
As a result, the spell was broken in Chernobog, and Raphael experienced for the first time what it felt like to fall in love with someone of the opposite sex.
She clearly felt that her liking for Valentine was completely different from her liking for Gabriel.
Because this feeling made her have uncontrollable negative emotions for the first time, especially after hearing that Valentin and Xing Yihuang lived together.
Raphael felt a fire burning in his heart.
That's why she went to find Valentine in the middle of winter, moved into the villa forcefully, and confronted Xing Yihuang.
He just hopes that he can replace Xing Yihuang's position in the boy's heart and tie him into his hands step by step.
Raphael did exactly that.
After coming to Rhodes Island, Valentine's feelings for Raphael were obviously deeper, and he was more willing to stay with his angel sister.
But the naturalness that this boy had when getting along with Xing Yihuang was never brought into his life with Raphael.
It was as if Valentin and Xing Yihuang were a couple who had been married for many years, while they and Rafael were a couple who had just fallen in love.
Which of the two relationships is more profound is self-evident.
But at this time, Raphael was no longer angry, and she had gradually become accustomed to living with Valentin Xing Yihuang.
The two people who were supposed to be love rivals somehow became best friends, and they became increasingly indifferent to Valentine's feelings.
Maybe this is...
Tolerance of love?
Raphael didn't know. She didn't even know how she fell in love with Valentine.
She no longer takes the initiative to attack, just like Xing Yihuang, waiting for the boy to take the initiative.
Because both Raphael and Xing Yihuang knew that forcing him to accept himself before he was ready would only make things worse.
And when Valentine took the initiative to reach out to them, the boy was already mentally prepared to go on together and would not be separated until death.
…
The atmosphere between the three of them was a bit dull. Apart from the occasional crackling sound on the quiet grass, there was only Jiao Zhengyu's lonely narration. Xing Yihuang and Raphael both fell into memories, staring blankly at the bonfire in front of them, feeling their hearts filled with love.
Sweet, but more sour.
"...When I told him that I couldn't save you, Valentine wasn't sad or angry. He just sighed softly."
"I thought Valentine was just bemoaning his tragic fate, but when I glanced at his heart, I found that I was wrong."
Jiao Zhengyu looked up at the sky, looking at the bright moon in the night sky.
"He's lamenting that he can't fulfill his promise, lamenting that he can't hold your hands and go on together."
Raphael hugged his legs and lowered his head to rest on his knees.
Xing Yihuang closed his eyes.
"I asked him, 'Don't you want to see them one last time?'"
"He said he didn't want to see you."
"Why?"
Jiao Zhengyu's face was solemn, and the demonic aura on his body disappeared without a trace. Just like the two girls next to me, they let sadness cover themselves.
"Because no matter how sad you cry after meeting each other, you will always return to normal life in the end."
"If that's the case, 'Why would you let them come over and see me like this and be in pain?'"
"Valentine likes to see you smile, not cry."
The Wendigo girl lowered her head and looked at Raphael by the campfire with a sad smile.
"The words I said to anger you not long ago are all true."
After the words fell, the grass fell into silence. Raphael's body trembled slightly, as if he was crying again.
Jiao Zhengyu raised his head and continued to talk.
"Later, Originium crystals crawled all over Valentin's body. He realized that he was about to die and put forward a few final conditions to me."
"He wants me to protect you all for a safe life, no disasters, no pain, no illness and no worries."
"I asked him, what if you fell in love with someone else?"
Xing Yihuang opened his eyes and stared at Jiao Zhengyu, his gaze as cold as ice.
But Jiao Zhengyu continued talking as if he didn't feel it.
"He didn't hesitate and told me: 'As long as they truly love each other and they feel happy, so what?'"
Tiny sobs surrounded the campfire, and Raphael's body couldn't stop shaking. Xing Yihuang sat over and patted her back gently, wanting to say some words of comfort, but found that he could hardly control the turbulent emotions in his heart.
"Being able to say such things proves that you have fallen in love with a man who is most worthy of your affection in the world."
This is Jiao Zhengyu's true words.
"In addition, he also asked me to erase all information related to him in the world, including the memories in your minds."
"Just so you don't feel the pain of his death."
"After all, he no longer exists in this world, so you won't feel uncomfortable."
"However... as a human being, he still failed to achieve the ultimate goal. When he was about to 'die', he asked me for two more things."
Jiao Zhengyu took out a pistol and placed it next to Raphael's leg.
"A handgun from Valentine's world. He bought it from me not long ago. It's called 'Spotted Viper' and I'm going to give it to you as a birthday present."
"He thinks your guardian gun is too big and bulky, so he wants to choose a suitable self-defense weapon for you."
Raphael didn't respond.
"He wants me to give you this gun, and at the same time erase the memory of Valentine in your mind and make some modifications so that you will not be confused about the appearance of this gun."
"Oh, Valentine has another message for you, Xing Yihuang."
Xing Yihuang raised his head and met Shang Jiao Zhengyu's eyes.
"sorry."
Jiao Zhengyu's voice was very soft, but it fell as heavy as mountains and rivers in Xing Yihuang's ears, crushing the dam that suppressed emotions. The girl gritted her teeth hard, but tears still seeped out from the corners of her eyes and flowed into her mouth.
Very sweet, very astringent.
"And that's all."
After roughly recounting what Valentine had said, Jiao Zhengyu suddenly felt relaxed, as if an invisible burden he was carrying on his back had disappeared.
"Calm down and I won't disturb you anymore."
After saying that, the Wendigo girl disappeared, leaving Xing Yihuang and Raphael alone by the bonfire.
There is also Valentine who turned into a statue of the Origin Stone.
Finally, Raphael couldn't bear it anymore. She raised her head and hugged Xing Yihuang beside her, crying like a child.
…
"What a *Rutland expletive*..."
After an unknown amount of time, the bonfire was no longer as strong as it was at the beginning, and Raphael also stopped crying. Her eyes were red, the corners of her mouth were slightly raised, and she gently rubbed the Viper pistol in her hand.
Raphael's foul language did not surprise Xing Yihuang. The introverted girl nodded slightly, agreeing with her best friend.
"So, you guys want to save this 'Rutland Swearer'?"
The girls in Valentine had adjusted their mentality, and Jiao Zhengyu appeared in front of them at the right time.
"Of course."
Raphael wiped the corners of his eyes and put the pistol into the weapon ring behind the Weapon Angel.
"There are so many bad guys still alive in this world, how could Xiao Wa die so quickly?"
"I want to get him back."
Lock yourself with yourself and never separate.
"And you?"
Jiao Zhengyu looked at Xing Yihuang and responded to her with only a cold look.
As if to say "What do you think?".
"good."
The Wendigo girl clapped her hands, and the smile on her face grew wider.
"Then, the husband-finding plan starts now!"
