【Interstellar Contract Magician】Ruyuanke

Chapter 276 [Empire] People like me will never have a partner or children.

The most important thing right now was not to let Wen Ya discover the problem with my eyes. I felt a little frantic, my heartbeat accelerating, as if the pressure in my chest was suffocating me. I knew if he noticed, he'd press for details, and I... wasn't prepared to answer any questions about it.

I lowered my head, pretending to adjust my collar, trying to keep my hair down to cover my eyes. I kept praying in my heart: Don't come closer, don't look up... But I could clearly hear his footsteps, getting closer and closer.

"Are you okay?" Wen Ya's voice sounded in her ears, with a hint of concern.

I suddenly raised my hand to cover my forehead, trying to make the movement look more natural: "It's okay, I just suddenly felt a little dizzy."

"Dizzy?" His tone suddenly became serious. "Is it the scent of those plants just now that affected me? Or is it those things I brought back earlier—"

"I'm really fine!" I interrupted him, my voice a little hurried. I quickly turned my back to him and pretended to observe the trees in the distance. "Maybe I haven't eaten in a long time. I have a little low blood sugar."

He didn't ask any further questions, but I could feel his gaze lingering on me, as if trying to confirm my condition. I took a deep breath and tried to control my tone. "Let's continue. Didn't you say there are some plants in this area that can move on their own?"

This sentence seemed to divert his attention. He was silent for a while, and finally just sighed softly: "Okay, if you really feel uncomfortable, you must tell me." His tone was still a little worried.

I responded softly and breathed a sigh of relief, but still didn't dare to look back.

The faint red in my vision made me feel very uncomfortable, as if the world before me was covered with a blood-colored veil, blurry and eerie. I couldn't help but blink several times, trying to make the color fade away, but it was like it was engraved in my pupils, lingering.

I lowered my head, following Wen Ya closely, pretending to observe the blades of grass. Inwardly, I kept reassuring myself: In this state, I shouldn't be "sucked" by the seedling again, right? After all, the last time I entered this state, I felt completely sealed off, as if cut off from the outside world. Perhaps this state was a barrier, allowing me to temporarily escape its influence.

As I pondered this, I unconsciously quickened my pace, attempting to suppress the unease within me. The faintly reddish world before me made me feel incredibly oppressive; even the sound of the wind and the rustling of leaves around me became piercing. I knew it was my fault, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Wen Ya walked ahead, briskly, seemingly oblivious to my anomaly. He'd occasionally tilt his head to point at a plant, explaining its characteristics, but I didn't hear a word. My mind was filled with the image of that green seedling and the feeling of it devouring me.

"It's okay," I said to myself, repeating over and over again, "I shouldn't be sucked into it again at this level." Though my words lacked conviction, they became my only hope. This was the only way I could comfort myself.

I suddenly realized one thing, that I am now considered a gentle child.

I joked, "Wenya, after raising a child like me, will you be afraid of having children in the future?"

It was meant to be a lighthearted joke, hoping he'd retaliate for my "naughtiness." Unexpectedly, his expression suddenly darkened, and his tone deepened: "People like me won't have a partner or children."

Those words blew like a cold wind, catching me off guard. I froze in my tracks, staring blankly at his eyes, which had lost their luster in an instant. The look was so complex, a mixture of exhaustion, helplessness, and even a hint of self-mockery. He spoke calmly, as if stating some absolutely unchangeable fact, as if there wasn't even the possibility of struggle.

"Why?" I blurt out, my voice more urgent than I intended.

Wen Ya didn't answer immediately. Instead, he paused and looked down at the ground, as if trying to form his words or to conceal some emotion. His hands drooped at his sides, clenching slightly before he softly uttered, "Someone like me isn't suited to starting a family, nor should I have children."

"What does this mean?" I continued to ask, my heart full of confusion.

He didn't answer, but just shook his head, a faint, almost invisible smile on his lips, as if he was mocking himself, or avoiding the question. That smile made me feel uneasy for no reason.

Countless possibilities flashed through my mind, but none of them made sense. His words filled me with an inexplicable complex feeling: anger and sadness. I didn't understand his thoughts, let alone why he would say such a thing.

"Wen Ya," I hesitated, trying to break the silence, "Even if you feel you're not suitable, you can't conclude that all this is impossible, right?"

He finally raised his head and looked at me. His eyes were still calm, but they made me feel extremely heavy: "Some things cannot be changed by hard work."

This sentence was like a heavy stone, pressing down on my heart, making it impossible for me to continue. I could only look at him, but he seemed to have ended the topic and continued to move forward, as if the moment of depression just now had never existed.

Why… I couldn't figure it out. It was like a mystery; the more I pondered it, the more confused I became. Why would he have such a thought? Why would he deny his future so decisively? I had no idea.

I hung my head, following him mechanically, my mind filled with his words and that calm, almost indifferent expression. He was always so gentle, so why did he become so cold when it came to me? I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, and the more I thought about it, the more depressed I felt.

When I realized I'd been unconscious for a long time, I suddenly realized that the faint red color in my vision had completely faded. The surrounding scenery became clear and natural, and the rustling of leaves in the wind was no longer harsh. I blinked, finally realizing that the strange state I had just been in had disappeared without a trace.

I looked down at my clenched fists, my nails digging deep into my palms, causing a dull pain.

I don't even know when I relaxed or when I completely got out of that strange state.

However, none of this seemed to matter anymore. There was only one thought in my mind - what happened to Wen Ya?