Freya turned her head and saw Lucifer smiling as he walked in, handing her a cup of warm water.
"I just saw Miss Freya heating milk, and I know Miss Freya doesn't have experience. Warm water can be used to relieve the scalding of milk."
Lucifer placed the warm water on the bedside table, went to the window to close it and draw the curtains, then wiped down the dressing table, turned on the exhaust fan, and adjusted the thermostat to the appropriate temperature.
"There's a change-of-clothes bracelet in the lady's room with pajamas. Touching it will change your clothes." After adjusting the thermostat, Lucifer turned back but found Freya staring at him with wide, curious eyes. He had no choice but to remind her, "Could I trouble Miss Freya for a moment?"
"Huh? Oh, okay." Freya came back to her senses, fiddled with Bai Cha's wrist, and suddenly Bai Cha's tight-fitting clothes and coat transformed into loose white pajamas, startling Freya.
"Alright, I wish you a pleasant rest." Lucifer smiled and bowed slightly. His etiquette was always impeccable; from his voice to his demeanor, nothing could be faulted. Except for his subtle probing and intimacy with Bai Cha, Lucifer was gentle yet distant with everyone else.
His emotions were unreadable.
Lucifer pushed open the door and left. As soon as he stepped out, the smile vanished from his face. His silence and calmness bore a striking resemblance to Bai Cha, his eyes deep, lost in thought.
A soft sound came from behind him. Lucifer turned back and saw Freya tiptoeing out from inside.
She seemed a bit anxious, not even wearing shoes. Her jade-like feet were crystal clear under the moonlight, as beautiful as Cinderella's glass slippers left on the palace steps.
"Miss Freya, the floor is cold. If the lady knew you were so reckless, she would be heartbroken." Lucifer paused before picking up his smile and saying, "Don't pretend. I know you don't want to smile." Without the cooing tone of affectation, Freya's voice was as calm as a clear spring under the moon, beautiful and cool: "You don't like me."
"You jest. It's enough that my master likes you," Lucifer said with a smile.
"Don't play dumb. You know I don't mean that kind of liking," Freya snorted, crossing her arms and pouting. "If you have an opinion about me, and if I really end up with Bai Cha in the future, you'll be extremely annoyed, won't you? You're Tea Tea's personal attendant."
Her tone was somewhat flippant, as if joking but also probing, which confused Lucifer.
"I won't dislike anything my master likes. If you and my master are together, I will naturally take care of you both," Lucifer replied truthfully. "I prefer to do as I please, and I don't dislike it."
This was the truth. Even if he liked her, Bai Cha was not the type to pursue love regardless of consequences.
He stayed with Bai Cha not only because he liked her but also because Bai Cha gave him ample respect and never mistreated him. Bai Cha was a good boss, and Lucifer didn't believe he would find a better place elsewhere.
He enjoyed his current life, peaceful and heartwarming.
"Then, are you truly content? The one who silently contributes has done everything a knight should, but the princess still runs off with the prince... uh, or rather, another princess." Seemingly realizing the word "prince" was inaccurate, Freya corrected herself. "Tea Tea is a rather dense person. If you always remain silent like this, she'll hardly notice."
"I know. Everyone has their own way. I don't want to change my original rhythm and state of mind for her, even if I like her." Lucifer hooked the corner of his lips, smiling a little dangerously, appearing impatient.
He had always been like this; he had little patience for anyone other than Bai Cha, especially when it came to topics that displeased him.
He was displeased, but Lucifer knew Freya was not wrong about anything.
"Besides, you haven't contributed any less to her than I have, so I have no right to complain." Lucifer took a deep breath, the smile on his face no longer sustainable. He didn't understand why Freya had specifically sought him out to discuss this topic.
If it was to show off, there was no need.
"She will die."
Sensing Lucifer's impatience, Freya revealed a triumphant smile and lightly uttered a statement that made Lucifer incredulous.
"What?" Lucifer suspected he had misheard.
"She will die, and Cang Liu cannot save her." Freya gently raised her left hand, stroking her left eye. Within her pink almond-shaped eyes, a discordant blue mark flickered faintly.
"Is that... a dragon mark?" Lucifer's expression darkened.
"You cannot protect her, Cang Liu cannot save her, and I cannot save her either. Fate's curse cannot be shaken by a single person." Freya blinked, and the dragon mark gradually disappeared. Freya raised her head, her gaze towards Lucifer filled with a hint of smugness. "Shall we cooperate?"
Cooperate.
Lucifer pursed his lips, not understanding what Freya was saying. He was still in a state of shock and uncertainty, not grasping what was happening at all.
"You have been to the seabed, so you should already know that Cang Liu is someone who has crossed time and space from the future. How about it, shall we go to the rooftop to have a good talk?"
"..."
The rooftop.
It wasn't yet evening; the sun had just begun to tint red and had not yet set. Pink and black figures sat at a small table on the rooftop. The thermostat system of the parasol maintained the temperature at a comfortable level.
"So, you're saying the person who was supposed to die in that explosion was you," Lucifer said, his brow furrowed. "But she will encounter more than one disaster. If that's the case, even with me, it would only be three people."
More importantly, the price was too high.
A life exchanged for a tribulation?
Let alone that they weren't enough to die, Bai Cha would likely collapse first. From Lucifer's understanding of Bai Cha, someone with such a strong sense of responsibility would surely blame herself and go mad.
"Should this be considered effective resource utilization? Lucifer, I hope Tea Tea hasn't taught you in vain." Freya took a sip of her drink and said leisurely, "While this might sound a bit boastful, I must say, Cang Liu and I have different weights and identities, and our importance in Tea Tea's heart is also different. My death would directly escalate the conflict. If I had sacrificed myself earlier, it would have been ill-timed, too soon."
"Cang Liu told me everything. In the previous life, he was just an ordinary member of the masses, an ordinary shadow operative. Even though his efforts in this life have quickly made him Tea Tea's right-hand man, his influence is still limited," Freya spread her hands. "As I said, girls like Tea Tea need their feelings to be stated directly, otherwise, she'll just give you a friend-zone card."
Lucifer pursed his lips, unable to refute her.
"That accident was unexpected for everyone. If I had sacrificed myself then, not only would the conflict have escalated too early, but I also wouldn't have been fully prepared." Freya chuckled lightly. "I can read the stars, and with the future Cang Liu told me, we have the upper hand this time. Do you understand what I mean now?"
Going head-to-head with fate was indeed a thrilling decision, but now that they had the upper hand, they had to utilize it well.
Thinking of this, Freya felt surprisingly good.
"Yes, if you need anything, please tell me. I am willing to give my life." Lucifer nodded calmly, wanting to say more, but saw Freya shake a finger in front of him.
"Wrong, wrong, wrong. You must live, and you must live until the end." Freya crossed her arms and smiled softly. "As for the plan, I cannot disclose too much, as telling you would reveal it, but you must live."
"She is too lonely. At least someone should accompany her, right?" Freya chuckled lightly, stood up, and said, "So, this will be our relay race."
Since this heavenly fate had to be this way, they would deliberately defy fate. If one person couldn't, then two, then three. She refused to believe they couldn't overturn this fate.
"Miss Freya." Seeing Freya about to leave, Lucifer called out to her. "What humans call love, no, are you willing to sacrifice everything so easily?"
"You mean, does human love really have such a strong power that it's worth sacrificing oneself, right?" Freya glanced at Lucifer and turned around with a stretch.
"Of course not. If it were just romantic love, it would be too superficial. Humans are never impulsive about just one thing. I'm doing so much for her simply because my initial intention was love."
"Just like you, you transformed from a soul-peeping demon dragon to willingly giving everything. It couldn't possibly be just because of a superficial attraction, could it?"
Just as Bai Cha was Cang Liu's salvation, Bai Cha was such a person, weaving through the destinies of many and unintentionally influencing everything for so many.
Back then, when Freya was attracted to Bai Cha at first glance and threw herself at her, she never expected to give everything.
When did it change?
Was it when Bai Cha saved her from a tiger's mouth during wilderness survival? Was it when Bai Cha stayed awake for three days and nights, taking care of her with a high fever on a deserted island?
Or was Bai Cha simply a very strange person? On the surface, she was cold, but as long as someone was kind to her, she would pour her heart out to that person.
Freya clearly remembered that after she had been training and eating sweets with Bai Cha, the very next day, when she was secretly deployed to a deserted island for training, she had seen Bai Cha in her makeshift camp.
"Tea Tea!"
Freya was overjoyed then. Although she was recognized as exceptionally talented, a five or six-year-old child couldn't possibly overturn the world. Her perception of the outside world was vague and muddled. The moment she saw a companion, Freya finally felt a bit more at ease.
"Shh, keep your voice down. I snuck out."
Bai Cha was still young then. After getting close to Freya, she would occasionally shed her cool and indifferent facade. Her small face, still round with baby fat, was full of pride. "I already completed the gene hyper-mutation surgery the day before yesterday. With the power of the God of Hope, I can protect you on the deserted island."
"Huh? So, Tea Tea underwent surgery so early for me?" Freya blinked her big eyes, very pleased with Bai Cha's unintentional honesty. "So, your parents are so capable, they didn't notice you snuck out?"
"Who said it was for you? I'm here for training," Bai Cha pouted, haughtily refuting. "Of course, they noticed. But I had my brother cover for me. I was already on the aircraft before they could catch up."
Actually, Bai Cha hadn't told the whole story. Bai Ze had indeed covered for Bai Cha, but Bai Ze had no idea Bai Cha was heading to such a dangerous deserted island. Although Bai Cha's combat ability was mediocre, her knowledge of survival and the flora and fauna of the island was only theoretical.
Thus, Bai Ze was unknowingly implicated by Bai Cha. Bai Cha might only get a scolding upon their return, but Bai Ze would definitely receive a beating.
What could a five or six-year-old child understand? It was merely the fearlessness of a newborn calf. When their second child was born a daughter, Ye Feng and his wife were happy for half a month and doted on Bai Tea even more.
As expected, for the next month, Bai Cha and Freya were in constant peril. Many plants on the island looked nothing like those in books. After walking a few steps, they would find many plants that looked remarkably similar. To test if a plant was poisonous, Bai Cha even caught a mouse and fed it.
As for Ye Feng and his wife, the day after thrashing their son, they came to the control room monitoring the Balance Beam Island and, dragging Asteria along, watched the surveillance cameras twenty-four hours a day.