Chapter 854

Franca was stunned at first, then revealed a clearly shocked expression.

She opened her mouth, subconsciously wanting to say something, but her rosy lips moved uncontrollably.

Her complexion gradually turned pale, and her gaze flickered and then went hollow.

Lu Mian watched Franca quietly, not saying a single word.

After a long while, Franca asked with difficulty and a dry voice:

"Did, did you agree?"

Her voice sounded as if it were squeezed out from her throat, and her eyes seemed to carry a glimmer of hope.

Lu Mian nodded slowly.

The light in Franca's eyes dimmed instantly.

She lowered her head bit by bit, looking at her legs resting on the recliner.

After a few seconds, she whispered as if in a dream:

"I know, Jenna's affection and importance to me were never romantic love; I was just fantasizing, fantasizing that she couldn't find a suitable partner to digest the 'Pleasure' potion for the time being and had to reluctantly choose me, and after long physical entanglement, perhaps our hearts would draw closer...

"I know, Jenna is in a hurry to digest the potion recently because her brother is coming back to Trier soon...

"I know, being a female Witch is a very dangerous path, and Jenna knows this very well...

"I know, her sexual orientation is men...

"I know, she is a very decisive person who is good at going all-in...

"I, I can accept Jenna choosing someone else, can accept, accept her liking someone else; she is free, she is independent, she is not my appendage; it's impossible that just because I like her, she must like me and can't get close to others... I have been building my psychological defenses, preparing myself, and even comforting myself, saying perhaps I can digest the 'Pain' potion through this matter...

"But, but..."

Franca suddenly raised her head, and raging fire burned in her crystal-clear eyes:

"Why is it you? Why the hell is it you?"

Lu Mian felt as if he were being stared at by a beautiful and dangerous leopard, but he still didn't speak.

The answer didn't need to be spoken.

It had already been spoken.

Franca looked at Lu Mian, her eyes turning sad bit by bit.

She mocked herself and asked with unwillingness and anger:

"Why did you agree?"

"Two reasons, one on the surface, one real; which one do you want to hear?" Lu Mian said with a bitter smile.

"I want to hear both!" Franca said without hesitation, firmly.

She stood up, seemingly wanting to make herself appear more imposing.

Lu Mian sighed and said:

"The surface reason is that Jenna has already come to me; whether I refuse or evade, it will hurt her, affect her state, and leave hidden dangers. But if I agree, it will hurt you. I can only choose the one where subsequent compensation is relatively easier between the two choices; you are optimistic and have a good personality, so you should be able to let go slowly..."

"Fuck! So just because I have a good personality, I deserve to be bullied, is that it?" Franca laughed out of extreme anger, interrupting Lu Mian's words.

She walked to the living room window, supported herself on the window frame with both hands, and gazed at the night outside, seemingly wanting to calm her emotions.

Lu Mian came to her side and also cast his gaze toward the deep night.

After more than ten seconds, Franca didn't turn her head and said as if talking to herself:

"What about the real reason?"

Lu Mian was silent for a moment before saying:

"From the moment you were unwilling to lose your image in front of the person you truly love and digest the 'Pleasure' potion like before, from the moment Jenna took the initiative to find you and recommend herself, the relationship between you two entered a vortex, spiraling downward; it would explode sooner or later. The longer it drags on, the more hurt there will be, and the more serious the consequences will be; it's better to have an end sooner.

"For me, the optimal choice for this matter is actually to delay, delay until the preparations for the 'Iron-Blooded Knight' promotion ritual are completed; anyway, if things go smoothly, that's only three or four weeks away. By then, I will have already obtained divinity and become a Sequence 4 demigod. No matter how your emotional problems explode, even if it completely destroys the team's tacit understanding and unity, it won't affect me anymore.

"Even if Sequence 3 also requires a team, I will have enough time to reorganize."

Franca listened quietly, turned her head, and looked at Lu Mian's face:

"What about your emotions?"

Lu Mian looked at the darkness outside, silent and not answering.

Franca followed suit in silence, and only after a while did she say with an expressionless face:

"You go back first; I'm very confused, and I want to be quiet for a while."

Lu Mian looked at Franca, hesitating and not moving.

Seeing this, Franca said with a complex smile:

"Rest assured, I won't leave; I still have a mission.

"Why aren't you leaving yet? Are you trying to make me beat you up!

"Let me tell you, once I figure things out, I might just be like that 'Witch' Morora and cut off your junk! Anyway, you can grow it back, so I'll cut it once a day!

"Hurry up and leave!

"Get lost!"

Seeing Franca's emotions gradually intensifying, grabbing things nearby to throw at him, Lu Mian sighed secretly, walked toward the door, opened it, and entered the stairwell.

Clang!

Behind him, the sound of the door being slammed shut rang out.

Lu Mian walked down the stairs and before long saw Jenna standing silently in the shadows.

She hadn't really gone far; she had been in this building the whole time, lowering her head slightly, waiting quietly.

"How was it?" Jenna raised her head and asked Lu Mian.

Lu Mian recounted the key points of his conversation with Franca and Franca's reaction.

Jenna pursed her lips and said to Lu Mian:

"You go back first; I'll wait outside the door to guard against any accidents."

Lu Mian looked back at the pitch-black stairwell:

"I'll wait here too."

Jenna shook her head:

"I'm enough on my own; if she calms down, she might want to talk to me, and you being here will only stimulate her."

Lu Mian pondered for a moment:

"Okay."

He looked at Jenna's deep eyes, which were overflowing with a bit of pain, and sighed:

"In this world, most people are selfish most of the time.

"For example, you...

Lu Mian paused and pointed at himself:

"And for example, me."

Jenna's gaze softened slightly, and she laughed at herself:

"Sometimes, I really want to drag you down into the abyss with me."

…………

Returning to the apartment he rented, Lu Mian lay on the bed, looking at the dark ceiling, unable to fall asleep no matter what.

He also didn't want to rely on meditation to calm himself down.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he suddenly had a premonition, sat up with a start, and cast his gaze toward the bedroom window.

The window opened with a creak, and Franca, wearing a lady's shirt and slim trousers but a pair of fluffy slippers, jumped in.

Under the crimson moonlight, her eye sockets appeared red, and she held a dagger in her hand.

"Thanks to you, my 'Pain' potion has digested quite a bit!" Franca looked at Lu Mian, who was sitting on the bed, and said through gritted teeth, "Fuck, the more I think about it, the angrier I get!"

Lu Mian stared at Franca's face for a few seconds, his gaze slowly falling onto the dagger in her hand.

He waited for Franca to say the follow-up words.

Franca ground her teeth and said:

"I can accept Jenna making such a choice! Although I will, will be sad, will be sorrowful, will be in pain, I am willing to accept it, and I will even encourage her.

"But you, you actually hurt a brother! You're going to be stabbed three times and have six holes for doing this!

"Do you know how big of a blow this is to me? We three were so close, so in sync, and could think for each other; why, why did you have to break this beautiful state?

"You doing this, you doing this makes me feel like I've been abandoned; you two are intimately together, drawing closer, while I am left in place, distanced, and have become the redundant one...

"I feel betrayed..."

As she spoke, the gritted-teeth feeling in Franca's words diminished a lot, and her voice revealed a bit of confusion.

She paused, threw the dagger with a swish, and let it accurately stick into Lu Mian's bed.

Franca then stepped forward two paces, glaring at Lu Mian:

"You only have two choices now!

"One, I said before, if you dare to touch Jenna, I'll force-feed you the 'Witch' potion and turn you into a woman; now, one of your choices is to switch pathways and promote to 'Despair Witch'!

"Two, I fuck you, or you fuck me!"

Lu Mian had anticipated many developments, but he hadn't expected such a choice.

Seeing him reveal an expression of surprise, astonishment, and confusion, Franca added hatefully:

"I want to join you!"

"This..." Lu Mian finally said the first word, carefully observing Franca's state.

After Franca said those words, she let out a long breath and revealed her habitual smile:

"I ask you, do you, uh, value me?"

"I value you." Lu Mian answered very affirmatively.

Franca nodded with satisfaction:

"Then do you value Jenna?"

"I value her." Lu Mian also didn't have any hesitation.

Franca pursed her lips and asked further:

"Then does Jenna value you?"

"She values me." Lu Mian didn't doubt it at all.

Franca turned to ask:

"Then do you value me?"

"I value you." Lu Mian nodded solemnly.

"Then do you value Jenna?" Franca pressed on.

"I value her very much." Lu Mian added a modifier.

Franca hesitated and asked again:

"Then does Jenna value me?"

"She values you very much; you are her family now, and also her best friend." Lu Mian answered seriously.

Franca then waved her hand:

"Doesn't that settle it? We all value each other, and we don't know if we'll suddenly die one day, so let's just stay together; don't abandon anyone. It's just sleeping together; love is so annoying! Fuck love!"

Lu Mian was left speechless for a moment; looking at Franca like this, he sighed sincerely:

"Your mental state right now is a bit beautiful..."

Franca laughed:

"What else?"

Speaking of this, she suddenly turned her head halfway, looked to the side, and her voice became a bit loud:

"Do you expect me to give up and leave?"

Beside her eyes, drops of crystal-clear liquid that had been brewing for a long time slowly slid down.

Lu Mian was silent for it.

After a few seconds, Franca turned her head back, looking at Lu Mian with deep eyes, and said in a low, hoarse voice:

"Because, in this world, you two are the two people I value most.

"The only two..."

Under the crimson moonlight, her face was already mottled and streaked.

PS: Thanks to 0abab5 for the Witch's support of the Silver Alliance~ Asking for monthly votes on the last day of June~

(End of chapter)