Npc 144

Jiang Yan woke from a haze, the green glass on the storage room ceiling catching his eye first. Bathed in golden sunlight, it shimmered like a massive, translucent mint ice crystal. 

"Yan Yan?"

The familiar voice sounded again, and the person leaning over him lowered their body, blocking the sunlight on Jiang Yan. His dazed gaze focused, meeting a pair of deep green eyes.

Compared to the green glass in the sunlight, these eyes were as dark and profound as a swamp in a black forest, without a trace of brightness.

So beautiful...  

That was Jiang Yan’s first thought upon seeing the person before him.

So huge...  

That was his second thought as his eyes swept over the upper body of the person in front of him.

The man before him was simply too tall and robust. Jiang Yan lay on a worn walnut desk, the man’s hand resting on his waist, his palm large enough to encircle it entirely. Not to mention the thing still buried in his abdomen...

Jiang Yan shifted his waist slightly, feeling as if his insides were being churned, his stomach nearly lurching out. He let out a muffled groan, his already tear-soaked eyes turning redder.

"Yan Yan!"

The man, worried and heartbroken, lifted Jiang Yan’s chin and ruffled his fluffy hair.

Jiang Yan took a few deep breaths, struggling to adjust. As he looked at the man, his gaze cleared slightly.

"Feeling better, baby?"  

The man’s slender fingers brushed Jiang Yan’s soft, pink lips, a light chuckle accompanying the question.

Jiang Yan nodded faintly.  

His mind had cleared enough to think, so...

"Who are you?" Jiang Yan blinked and asked.  

The man froze for two seconds before saying, "Yan Yan, don’t tell me I broke you?"

As he spoke, he pulled back half a step, and the sudden rush of rough pleasure and pain made Jiang Yan scream.

He collapsed like a doll with its spring removed, instantly going limp.

Something indescribable surged out of his body, soaking the walnut desk beneath him. Clutching his stomach, he curled up, gasping heavily while softly sobbing.

"Yan Yan!"  

The man quickly adjusted his robe and leaned down, concerned for his lover’s condition.

But Jiang Yan, as an elf, wasn’t particularly tall even among humans or elves, and in front of this giant, he seemed even more delicate. The man’s touch was cautious, as if handling a precious piece of porcelain.

"You’re not hurt, are you? Are you really okay?"  

The man held Jiang Yan’s ankle, and though Jiang Yan resisted with a kick, his strength was no match for the giant before him.

In that moment, he truly realized the vast difference in their sizes.

So how had they even managed earlier? How was he not dead?

"It doesn’t look like anything’s wrong on the outside. Could it be internal?" Yu Xiu said with concern.

"No, no!" Jiang Yan, realizing the man’s intent, struggled and protested.

"Yan Yan, be good! Don’t move!" the man coaxed gently. "It’s your first time. Even for an elf, it’s easy to get hurt. If you’re injured, we need to treat it right away, or you could get sick."

"No, no way."  

"Don’t move, be good!"  

"No, don’t!"

In his struggle, Jiang Yan’s foot landed on the giant’s face.

With his strength, the kick was little more than a playful nudge to the giant, but the man stopped.

Chuckling softly, he grasped Jiang Yan’s slender ankle again, kissing the red mole on it. "Alright, I won’t look. I won’t look."

Jiang Yan let out a long breath of relief.

At this moment, he should have been blushing with embarrassment.

Yes, should have.

But he didn’t want to, and Jiang Yan didn’t know why he felt he should be reacting that way.

Or rather, at this moment, he didn’t know who he was or who the man before him was.

They seemed like lovers?

Jiang Yan glanced around. This was likely a storage room.

An ancient storage room. 

The desk he lay on was an abandoned school desk, covered with scribbled names, doodles, and cheat notes for exams.

The content was related to magic.

So, this must be a storage room in something like a magic academy.

The other desks stacked around, along with the walnut shelves behind the handsome, towering man, filled with all sorts of chaotic magic tools, books, and strangely shaped, vividly colored plants, confirmed this.

Moreover, the man’s robe and the large golden leaf poster in the corner, advertising the academy, further proved it.

This was a magic academy, and he and the handsome giant before him were students here, likely lovers.

Lovers who had just tasted the forbidden fruit.

At that thought, Jiang Yan frowned at the mess on and beneath him.

The giant had just said this was their first time.

Their first time in a storage room?

This wasn’t his style.

And...

Jiang Yan looked up, studying the giant again. Handsome enough, the type he’d like.

But there was none of the fluttering excitement of lovers in the heat of passion after their first time.

Besides, he should be a very sensitive, shy person.

Yes, should again.

Even though he didn’t know why he’d lost his memories, his soul wouldn’t deceive him. Jiang Yan could feel he was someone with few emotions.

For instance, suddenly losing his memories and waking to find himself being taken by a giant twice his size, his heart remained unruffled, with barely any curiosity.

But he should be a sensitive, shy person.

That’s what his calm, unruffled heart told him.

As if reading the confusion and doubt in Jiang Yan’s eyes, the man before him began to panic. “You really don’t remember? Still not feeling better? I’m Yu Xiu.”

Yu Xiu.

Those two words were like a command activating a system. In an instant, memories surged through Jiang Yan’s mind like running code.

Yu Xiu, the current heir of the Giant Clan, the student council president of Phyllis Academy, his lover.

And he was Jiang Yan, the youngest prince of the Elf Clan, a student at Phyllis Academy and a member of the student council.

But unlike Yu Xiu, a fellow prince who was admired by all at the academy and had long displayed leadership qualities, Jiang Yan was someone everyone at school despised and avoided.

Despised wasn’t quite the right word.

He was beautiful, captivating enough to draw the gaze of everyone, male or female, regardless of orientation. Whenever he appeared, all eyes would instinctively fall on him.

But being avoided was a fact.

His allure to those around him was unnatural, and people recognized this abnormality, so they steered clear of him, including his own Elf Clan.

No, it could be said that much of the school’s avoidance of him was influenced by his own clan.

Because the entire Elf Clan knew he wasn’t a pure elf.

As a being blessed by the gods, the most sacred creature in the three realms aside from angels, an elf, the little prince had lost his pure soul and body. It was unimaginable.

Jiang Yan’s impurity stemmed from an accidental intrusion.

Back then, he was still hanging on the Elf Mother Tree, an immature, tender elf fruit.

Then, for reasons unknown, a snake, an incarnation of an evil god, slipped into the Elf Forest.

It silently climbed the Elf Mother Tree, wrapping its dark, tentacle-like body around Jiang Yan’s elf fruit for seven whole days.

By the time the guards stationed by the Mother Tree discovered it and reported to the Elf Queen, it was too late.

The impure, tainted darkness had already seeped through the shell of Jiang Yan’s elf fruit, corrupting his once flawless soul and body.

On the eighth day, the snake was driven away, and Jiang Yan was born.

His black hair, a symbol of defilement, caused the entire Elf Clan to wail.

Black, the color of impurity and corruption.

The little elf prince, who should have been the most sacred and flawless, bore the hue of demons.

Despite having eyes that could rival the clearest sapphires in the world, porcelain-like flawless skin, and translucent golden-amber wings, his glossy black hair and beauty that could captivate any creature in the world couldn’t change the fact:

He was no longer pure.

From then on, Jiang Yan’s status in the Elf Clan became deeply awkward.

He was a prince, meant to be a noble figure in the clan.

Moreover, his mother, the great Elf Queen, and his sister, the current heir and future queen, never abandoned him or loved him any less because of his impurity.

This prevented the clan from mistreating him materially or subjecting him to outright abuse or bullying.

On the surface, Jiang Yan remained the noble prince of the Elf Clan.

But verbal and material comfort couldn’t offset the clan’s instinctive rejection of him.

From the time Jiang Yan could remember, he knew that aside from his mother and sister, no other elf liked him.

Because he was impure.

As a child, he didn’t understand why he was impure, as he bathed daily and kept himself clean.

Later, he learned that this impurity was of the soul.

Though he didn’t feel his soul was any different from others, he was as kind, as friendly, and as devoted to light and faith in the gods as any other elf, his glossy black hair reminded him, and everyone else, that he was impure.

From then on, Jiang Yan’s personality became sensitive and self-conscious.

He had no friends growing up.

His mother and sister had tried using their authority to make other noble elf children befriend him, but power only brought superficial respect and compliance.

Even when Jiang Yan set aside his princely status and carefully tried to please his peers, all he received was surface-level kindness and behind-the-back mockery.

At ten years old, hiding beneath a wisteria waterfall in the palace gardens, Jiang Yan overheard his two “friends” loudly ridiculing his black hair, openly mocking his soul.

He got angry.

When a robin gets angry, it fights back with its sharp beak; when a deer gets angry, it vents with its strong antlers. Anger is a natural reaction for any creature created by the gods when humiliated. It’s no big deal.

But Jiang Yan’s anger plunged both him and the entire Elf Clan into a deeper shadow.

A hideous black tentacle emerged from beneath the beautiful little prince’s robe, its petal-like mouth lined with sharp teeth, letting out a warning shriek at the two young elves.

Their terrified screams shattered the tranquility of the Elf Forest.

“He should be executed!”

That evening, the elders of the Elf Clan’s council came before the Elf Queen with their demand.

“The gods do not allow it,” the queen replied calmly. 

A heated dispute followed, culminating in a pilgrimage to the great Mother Tree to seek the gods’ guidance.

Jiang Yan didn’t know what divine oracle was given. He only knew he wasn’t executed, exiled, or punished. He remained the noble little prince of the Elf Clan.

But what followed was even more extreme rejection and isolation.

From then on, the black tentacle that had inexplicably appeared, parasitic in his body, became his only friend.

Gradually, Jiang Yan learned to calmly accept it all.

As time passed, at sixteen, he excelled academically and was admitted to the continent’s most prestigious magic academy, Phyllis Academy.

On his first day, his unique and captivating appearance caused a school-wide sensation.

The entire academy was abuzz, talking about “the beautiful little elf prince who just enrolled.”

For the first time, Jiang Yan experienced the goodwill of so many people.

But within a week, the fact that he was a product defiled by an evil god spread across the school. Some even claimed his ability to attract any race was the mark of a succubus.

In an instant, goodwill turned back into indifference, isolation, and exclusion, with occasional outright bullying.

Because he was only the little prince of the Elf Clan, not of any other race.

And so, Jiang Yan became increasingly sensitive and withdrawn, until one afternoon when he hid in a rose grove behind the academy to escape the persistent bullying of the Beast Clan’s heir.

“I always thought only spider webs could catch butterflies. Who knew roses could too?”

Jiang Yan looked up, startled, as petals drifted down. He saw the black-haired, green-eyed giant clan boy before him.

The smiling face from his memory merged with the one in reality.

As realization dawned, Jiang Yan couldn’t help but frown slightly.

After that encounter, he and Yu Xiu fell in love at first sight and began secretly dating, defying school rules.

From then on, everyone at the academy knew that wherever the little elf prince was, the giant clan heir would be nearby.

Though indifference, isolation, and exclusion persisted, physical bullying stopped, and Jiang Yan was no longer alone.

Today, he had obtained a love herb and lured Yu Xiu to this remote, ancient storage room to taste the forbidden fruit.

The more Jiang Yan thought, the deeper his frown grew.

That was the memory, but.

He was sensitive and self-conscious? He was saved by Yu Xiu? He had no friends at this school besides Yu Xiu? Yu Xiu was his everything? He had seduced Yu Xiu?

A sense of absurdity welled up in Jiang Yan.

He didn’t understand why, though these were facts, they felt utterly absurd.

For instance, he felt no ripples in his heart toward the bullying, indifference, and exclusion around him.

Or, despite this being his and Yu Xiu’s first time, he felt no shyness. Looking at Yu Xiu now, he didn’t feel the passion lovers in love should have. Instead, seeing the inexplicable smugness in Yu Xiu’s eyes gave him an urge to punch him.

Why?

Was this a side effect of the love herb, like how he briefly lost his memory?

“Feeling better, baby?” Yu Xiu leaned down, pulling him into an embrace, kissing his face messily with affection and excitement.

Jiang Yan met those incomparably beautiful green eyes, his brow twitching. “No way.”

Yu Xiu froze, pouting. “I didn’t even say anything.”

“That look in your eyes says you want more,” Jiang Yan said, patting Yu Xiu’s face and shifting his hips to move away.

In the process, his thigh brushed against that reawakened heat, and Jiang Yan shot Yu Xiu a fierce glare.

He knew it!

“Yan Yan!”

The man on top of him didn’t give up, pressing closer and nuzzling his face like a big, clingy dog.

“No way!” Jiang Yan held Yu Xiu’s face, firmly refusing. “It’s too much. One more time, and I’ll die.”

“How could that be? Yan Yan’s so soft right now,” Yu Xiu teased playfully.

“Oh, really?” Jiang Yan looked at him coldly. “Then you should be very mature, very composed, like an elegant, dignified heir who’s received years of elite training.”

As soon as he spoke, both he and Yu Xiu froze.

Should. Why should again?

Yu Xiu was indeed the mature, composed heir of the Giant Clan, trained for years in elite education.

Jiang Yan’s frown deepened. Something felt off.

“Yan Yan?” Yu Xiu called softly. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Jiang Yan said, closing his eyes. “Probably a side effect of the love herb.”

“Love herb?” Yu Xiu didn’t get off him, still leaning over, gently nuzzling his face. “It was a love herb? I thought Yan Yan was using succubus powers to seduce me.”

Jiang Yan’s expression remained blank, his eyelid twitching fiercely.

Him, a succubus, seducing Yu Xiu?

“I don’t have succubus blood,” Jiang Yan managed to say after a long pause.

“Yeah, such a pity!” Yu Xiu said lazily. “If I’d known.”

Yu Xiu stopped mid-sentence.

Jiang Yan froze, as if grasping a thread leading to light in the fog. “If you’d known what?”

Before he could get an answer, a clamor of footsteps came from outside the storage room door, followed by the sound of two people talking.

“Teacher, really, they’re not here! I’m not lying to you.”

“Move aside.”

“Please believe me! Why would Jiang Yan and Yu Xiu be in the storage room?”

“If they’re not here, I’ll take a look and leave. Step aside.”

“No, Teacher…”

The footsteps and voices grew closer. Jiang Yan panicked instantly, all thoughts of something feeling off forgotten. He kicked and shoved at Yu Xiu, who was still leaning over him, peppering his neck with soft kisses.

“Teacher! The teacher’s looking for us!”

“Don’t worry, Yan Yan. He won’t find us.” Yu Xiu didn’t get up. On the contrary, Jiang Yan’s kicks seemed to excite him more, and he kissed even more fervently.

“Teacher! Teacher! They’re really not inside! Please believe me!”

“If they’re not inside, I’ll just take a look and leave.”

“Quick, hide!” The footsteps were getting closer, and Jiang Yan was truly panicked.

A muffled sound escaped him.

Jiang Yan went silent, unable to even scream.

Yu Xiu chuckled, his voice tinged with excitement. “One more time.”

The rough sensation made Jiang Yan’s body and soul collapse simultaneously. Sweat beaded on his smooth forehead again, and his eyes, clearer than the purest sapphires in the world, were now tinged with the red of roses.

“Beast… beast…” Jiang Yan gasped heavily, tears welling in his eyes.

At that moment, the footsteps in the corridor stopped at the door.

“Teacher! They’re really…”

“I’m just going to look. Why are you so nervous?”

Jiang Yan writhed, pounding on the person above him, sobbing softly. “They’re coming in! They’re coming in!”

“Don’t be afraid, Yan Yan,” Yu Xiu said with a light chuckle.

As soon as he spoke, with a click, the storage room door was pushed open.

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