Chapter 17 – The Devil Hesitates
The room grew quiet after Xueran whispered,
"Scared… tonight."
Han Zixuan's hand stilled mid-motion. His dark eyes, usually sharp and merciless, softened in a way even he didn't recognize.
He studied her face — the innocence in her wide eyes, the faint tremble in her voice. She looked fragile, like one wrong move would shatter her completely.
A long silence stretched.
Finally, he spoke low, his voice hoarse:
"You… want me to stay?"
Xueran nodded quickly, hugging her blanket.
"Stay. Hug."
Han's chest tightened. The word hug had become her magic command, the one thing he couldn't refuse.
He slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, his posture stiff, as though fighting some invisible war within himself.
"Fine. I'll stay."
From the hallway came the sound of muffled sobbing. Fang Ye.
"I can't take this… he actually agreed… ten years I begged him to let me stay in the same room during missions, but nooo, too dangerous, Fang Ye. And now? Now he's just climbing into bed with a girl—ugh, betrayal!!"
Han's voice cut like a knife:
"Fang Ye."
A squeak. Silence.
Han turned back to Xueran. She had scooted closer, her small hand reaching for the sleeve of his shirt. Her fingers curled around the fabric, holding it tightly like a lifeline.
Her voice was soft, barely audible.
"Don't go."
Han's heart gave a single, heavy thud. For a man who had seen countless battles, shed blood without blinking, this — this simple plea — unsettled him more than a thousand guns pointed at his head.
He leaned back against the headboard, pulling her gently into his arms. Her warmth seeped into him, disarming every wall he had built over the years.
For the first time in his life, the Devil King closed his eyes not in vigilance, but in uneasy peace.
Xueran nestled against his chest, her lips curving slightly. The act of a fool, yes — but in that moment, the revenge-driven girl inside whispered to herself:
Han Zixuan… you will be mine to control. Until the day I decide to destroy you.