The unexpected encounter with Third Elder Brother Yuan Yong made Yuan Luoyi very nervous. She stood still, unable to move carelessly.
Among the five Yuan brothers, Third Elder Brother Yuan Yong had a delicate and handsome appearance. The tear mole at the corner of his eye gave him a frail and delicate beauty, but in reality, his heart was extremely bloodthirsty.
In his view, lives in the world could be divided into three categories: the first kind could be killed now, the second kind could not be killed for the time being, and the third kind needed to be protected.
Fortunately, Yuan Luoyi belonged to the third kind, and she was the only person Yuan Yong wanted to protect.
In the previous timeline, Yuan Yong's only one died, which was enough to shatter his sanity and send him down an endless path of vengeance and bloodshed.
Now, in the long corridor of the Yuan residence, Yuan Yong stared intently at his sister, confused after the initial surprise.
He knew that he had gone mad, his head aching every day, and he had killed countless people, but he had never experienced hallucinations before. Why was he now seeing his sister from childhood?
This was unreasonable, possibly an exquisite trap tailored for him, as there were many people in this house who wanted him dead.
But in the pure moonlight, Yuan Luoyi was so beautiful and sacred, her limpid lake-like eyes held a strange power that drew Yuan Yong towards her.
It was like a small boat about to be scattered by the raging storm, with the starry sky disappearing and the compass broken.
The dying sailor, unable to find direction, prayed desperately to the gods, when suddenly a ethereal and distant melody arose from the bottom of the sea – the beguiling song of the siren.
Willingly jumping into the water, the sailor was bewitched into stopping his breath, using his own bones to build a throne for her.
And so, step by step, Yuan Yong walked towards Yuan Luoyi.
This was the wrong direction.
But he had suffered so much after losing his sister that even if this illusion would cost him his life, he could not refuse it.
"Drip drop!"
"Drip drop!"
"Drip drop!"
The blood on the blades kept dripping onto the ground, and the sound grew louder as Yuan Yong approached, yet he himself moved with the graceful silence of a feline.
The pure moonlight shone through the carved wooden windows, casting intricate shadows on the ground. Yuan Yong silently stepped on them, the light and shadows intermingling on his body, making his face appear alternately sinister and upright.
He stopped in front of Yuan Luoyi, lowering his head to carefully observe her, his overly focused gaze like countless needles falling.
Yuan Yong murmured to himself, "With so many details, you look like you really exist..."
"May I touch you?"
This was not a question, but a notification.
"Thud!"
Yuan Yong deftly stuck two long swords into the ground.
He tentatively reached out his hand, his bloodstained fingertips lightly touching Yuan Luoyi's forehead.
As if burned, he quickly withdrew his hand in a panic.
After calming down, he took a step back with one leg, took off his hat, and gracefully twirled it in the air before bowing like a gentleman.
He spoke softly, his melodious voice like singing and weeping, "After losing you, I lost my way, but now you've finally come back, and my reason for living has returned."
Yuan Luoyi looked at her brother, ignoring the blood stains on him. Third Elder Brother Yuan Yong seemed just like before – elegant and composed. Compared to the First and Second Elder Brothers, he didn't seem as severely insane and had no intention of harming her.
Yuan Luoyi asked, "Third Brother, why are you here?"
Yuan Yong said, "I needed a quiet place to deal with a small nuisance, and this place is suitable."
Seeing the blood on the long swords, Yuan Luoyi could confirm that the "small nuisance" he referred to was killing people.
However, it was Second Elder Brother Yuan Fa who had been active in the Yuan residence before. The two of them had always been at odds, so it was unlikely they would share the same place to kill people.
Yuan Luoyi asked, "Do you know where Second Brother is?"
In an instant, Yuan Yong's expression became blank, and he gave a low, cold laugh. "I don't know. He's been missing for a while."
"The last time I saw him, he was in quite a bit of pain, always wanting to blow his own brains out to end it all, but stopping at the last moment. He said he had to wait for someone to come back."
"At the time, I thought he was talking nonsense again, but now it seems that, as before, he kept you hidden in his heart and didn't tell me."
"We're all brothers, but every time, I'm the one who gets excluded..."
Yuan Yong leaned closer and gently took Yuan Luoyi's small hand, smiling as he said, "Don't believe what they say. I would never harm you. My mission has always been to protect you."
"Before, I could only hover from afar, never able to get close to you."
"Now, it's so good. I can even hold your hand."
At such close proximity, Yuan Luoyi suddenly noticed the difference in Third Elder Brother Yuan Yong, such as his eyes unnaturally flashing with light, gazing at her with an obsessive focus.
Swallowing nervously, Yuan Luoyi asked, "Third Brother, have you gone insane now?"
Yuan Yong smiled gently, "I haven't gone insane. You've come back, so I'm lucid again."
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he sadly lowered his eyes, his slender figure trembling as he sank into the shadows.
"I'm sorry. As your brother, I failed to protect you. The Yuan residence was clearly not a suitable place for you to live, but I hesitated to take you away."
"Because I'm not normal either. I couldn't understand your emotions. I always made you afraid. My friend told me that if I took you away, you would only be more afraid, just like last time, when you withered and faded away in my hands."
"But that's still better than being strangled in prison... The Yuan family really harmed you too much... They didn't fulfill their duty to protect you... Their deaths are well-deserved..."
Yuan Yong spread his arms wide and declared loudly, "But without them, my life's goal will finally be achieved!"
"The evil Yuan family has become a ruin, and no one can stop me from taking you away! We will go to the most beautiful faraway place, where there will only be the two of us, so no one can harm you anymore!"
"And I will become your only one!"
The memories from when she was six years old surfaced in Yuan Luoyi's mind. Third Elder Brother Yuan Yong had indeed gone insane. He had always loathed the Yuan family and was indifferent to whether others lived or died, only ever caring about Yuan Luoyi.
His obsession with his sister was like a terrifying curse, tightly binding him, making him constantly want to take Yuan Luoyi away.
Before, he still had some rationality to suppress himself, but now he had completely unleashed his true nature.
And this time, no one could save Yuan Luoyi, which was exactly what he wanted.
Without making a sound, Yuan Luoyi began to back away, increasing the distance between herself and Yuan Yong, who was still lost in his beautiful expectations.
"You're still very young, but don't worry, I'll take good care of you!"
"Do you still like fairy tales?"
"Over the years, I've memorized many stories. When the night sky is filled with stars, I'll tell them to you..."
