“Hmph…”

Lazer’s chest heaved up and down violently. He immediately turned and squatted next to the girl. When he got close to her face, he noticed that she had been moaning; she used her hand to press against the wound on her neck tremblingly.

“What happened back there?” He leaned forward to help her up, sounding hasty.

“I pushed his hand away with my tail…” Now relaxed, she leaned weakly in his arms, immobilized. “I remembered… what you had taught me.”

He was not relieved one bit and said coarsely, “I never taught you to get yourself stabbed.”

“He would not have dropped his guard had I not bled a little,” she panted, looking at Lazer’s twisted facial expression in confusion. “I will be fine… Did I… do well, teacher?”

Upon hearing her calling him using this familiar, intimate name, he let out a long sigh and dropped his shoulders, as though he had collapsed.

He did not expect to be saved by her again.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? It is I who should be sorry…”

He shook his head and grabbed her waist to hug her tight in his arms, fearing that she would disappear before his very eyes again. “I am sorry,” he kept repeating this phrase, his voice revealing deep pain. “I am sorry…”

She did not know why he had to apologize. She bit her lip silently and found tears coming down her face, again. The reason why she cried was not because of herself but because of him; he sounded so sad that it moved her.

She pressed one side of her face against his chest and looked up to see his frowning eyebrows, pale lips, trembling eyelashes, and wildly beating heart—he was more scared of her death than she was—she finally recognized this and extended her small, blood-stained palm to hug him gently in return.

His deep breath of surprise gradually subsided, after which he held onto her tightly and greedily, wishing to get more warmth from her. The two stayed still, reveling in the long-lasting embrace.

She still did not know and could not totally trust this man. However, the way they hugged each other felt strangely familiar, which prevented her from pushing his arms away and even making her want to trust him.

She did not know why she was feeling this way.

She knew full well that she may have crossed a line.

Under most situations, she would not have extended her arm to hug him back… But at this particular moment, she saw a fragile, severely wounded soul. She closed her eyes and felt the warmth that their bodies produced.

The two continued to hug each other for a long time. During this time, she almost forgot where she was. The world they were in seemed to have disappeared, leaving two souls who warmed each other’s heart calmly and peacefully, allowing them to enjoy a short-lived eternity.

She did nothing wrong; she did what she was supposed to do. This was the only miracle that the Snake God and Goddess had ever bestowed upon them.

At least, that was what she believed.