Vivian's scarlet eyes remained fixed on Hoshimi Miyabi's retreating figure, the intense possessiveness in them twisting wildly.
Her lips tightened into a straight line, and her fingertips trembled beyond her control. A low murmur lingered in the air, filled with morbid stubbornness:
"He's mine, he's mine. Brother Yingheng can only be mine! He promised Vivian he'd never leave her for the rest of his life!"
In her world, Lu Yingheng had never been the Dragon Emperor whom everyone looked up to. He was a possession belonging to her alone!
Anyone's desire for him, any hint of change, was an unforgivable betrayal.
Beside her, Alice anxiously stamped her feet. Her eyes were filled with what looked like genuine panic, and her soft voice held confusion:
"Didn't you two always get along so well? How did things suddenly turn out like this?"
Vivian withdrew her icy gaze from Hoshimi Miyabi's retreating figure and turned to look at Alice beside her.
Her clear scarlet eyes reflected the girl's panicked, helpless face. Some of the hostility in them faded, though a chilling coldness remained.
Her tone softened slightly, carrying a hint of persuasion and, even more, a warning:
"Alice, be good and stay on the sidelines. Don't interfere in any of the fighting between her and me.
As long as I win, I promise you that Brother Yingheng will always be your Brother Dragon Emperor. That will never change."
The cold obsession she had shown moments ago had faded, leaving her looking rather like her usual charming, gentle self, as though she simply didn't want to drag her friend into it.
Alice immediately nodded hard. Her eyelashes trembled lightly, and her gaze was sincere:
"You're both my best friends, and Brother Dragon Emperor saved my father's life. I owe him an immense debt of gratitude.
I won't get involved in your fight, but please don't go too far, all right?"
Her expression was open and pure, and her obedient manner showed she knew her place, completely dispelling Vivian's wariness.
Seeing how completely Alice trusted her, Vivian's scarlet eyes flashed with satisfaction.
"Then I'll be going. I'll have the Dragon Emperor Bureau hack into all the surveillance cameras here.
I'd like to see just where this shameless, overconfident homewrecking cat came from, daring to covet my Brother Yingheng.
Alice, you should head back early too. Treat everything that happened today as though it never happened."
With that, Vivian stayed no longer. She turned and walked out of the bustling clothing store.
Long Er, who had been waiting outside, hurried forward, holding medical alcohol and bandages steadily in his hands. His expression was worried.
"Young miss, your hand..."
Vivian lowered her eyes to her palm. Bloody marks crisscrossed her fair, delicate skin.
When she had broken down earlier, her nails had dug into her flesh so hard they had nearly pierced her palm. Dark red blood had congealed deep in the wounds, making them look especially gruesome.
Her face was expressionless, showing no sign of pain, as though the injured hand were not her own.
She snatched the alcohol from Long Er, unscrewed the cap, and poured it all over the wounds without hesitation.
"Sizzle-"
A stinging pain instantly swept through her entire palm, but Vivian did not even frown. Her scarlet eyes remained cold and lifeless, without the slightest ripple.
To her, the pain was nothing compared to even a fraction of the panic and hatred she felt at the possibility of Lu Yingheng being taken away.
She let the alcohol run between her fingers and drip onto the ground, mingling with the blood that had yet to dry. Her voice was cold as ice, every word vicious:
"Have the Dragon Emperor Bureau hack into every surveillance device in this area immediately. Check the footage frame by frame, and don't miss a single detail.
Once you're done, destroy all the original recordings on the spot. The Hoshimi Family must not be allowed to find any clues.
Find the person who dared approach Brother Yingheng. Compile all her personal information, movements, and connections, and bring everything to me."
Long Er bowed. "I obey. I'll carry it out immediately."
Vivian's fingers curled slightly. The sting of her wounds made the obsession in her eyes grow stronger, and the order she added was filled with a determination to get what she wanted:
"Pass down the order. Tell Long Yi to come out of retirement immediately. Long Yi swore to follow the Dragon Emperor alone. Now that Brother Yingheng has returned to the world, it's time for him to resume his post.
I want him to help me take my Brother Yingheng back, whole and unharmed, no matter the cost."
Whether her opponent was Hoshimi Miyabi or the homewrecking cat hidden in the shadows, anyone who dared touch the object of her obsession would face her ruthless efforts to clear away every obstacle.
Meanwhile, in a neglected, gloomy corner of the city, amid the shadows of a dilapidated building, a figure shrouded in a black robe huddled tightly in a corner.
The fingers holding her phone were slender and pale, and the small patch of skin exposed beneath her black robe was white as jade. Her voice was calm and gentle, concealing an ambition to overturn everything:
"Everyone, move out. We've lain low long enough. There's no need to hide anymore."
After a brief pause, she gently amended the order, her soft voice concealing cold calculation:
"Remember, this operation isn't for killing. We're only here to take someone. Follow the Dragon Emperor Guard and the Hoshimi Family's teams, and wait for an opportunity to act.
Whichever side gets close to the Dragon Emperor in the end, snatch the fruits of their victory. What I want is to seize the advantage for myself."
After giving the brief instructions, she slowly hung up. Her head dipped beneath the black robe, and an almost inaudible murmur faded into the evening breeze, filled with endless resentment and obsession:
"Who wants to be his little sister forever? Why does everyone just assume I can only be family to him?
Why can't I stand by his side as his one and only lover? I might not lose this game."
As for Alice, who had agreed and left earlier, looking innocent and harmless, she was already far from Vivian's sight.
She walked slowly down the street, the evening breeze lifting her soft hair. The innocent smile had completely vanished from her face.
Her clear eyes had darkened, filled with a calm, calculation, and indifference utterly at odds with her age. There was no trace left of her earlier soft, innocent manner.
From beginning to end, she had never truly intended to stay out of it.
Her earlier show of neutrality had only been meant to placate the obsessive, unhinged Vivian, making her drop her guard and focus on dealing with Hoshimi Miyabi and that damned homewrecking cat.
She knew Vivian's personality all too well. Obsessive and quick-tempered, Vivian acted in extremes. Once an all-out fight began, she would inevitably throw everything into chaos, conveniently clearing the obstacles from Alice's path.
She never took part in fights only because she was used to reaping the benefits while others fought.
Vivian was fixated on vying for affection and obsessed with possession. She fought everyone with all her might, but in the end, she would only be left brimming with hostility and regarded with wariness.
Alice, meanwhile, lay hidden in the shadows, using her image as a gentle, kind, neutral, and innocent girl to win everyone's trust. Without fighting or competing, she could quietly control the whole situation.
Alice raised her eyes slightly and looked in the direction where Lu Yingheng might appear. A faint, icy smile curved her lips, and the darkness beneath her gentle exterior was fully exposed.
Vivian's madness was brazen, her obsession glaring. Everyone could see her possessiveness.
But Alice was in no hurry. She could wait patiently.
Once Vivian and Hoshimi Miyabi had both been hurt in their struggle, and all the others who coveted him had fought one another and withdrawn, she could stand firmly at Lu Yingheng's side, looking the purest and most innocent of all, and become the final winner.
Alice let out a barely audible chuckle.
When that time comes, Brother Dragon Emperor will remember only me. I'll be the only pure, kind Xiaobai standing at his side.
The evening breeze brushed the girl's delicate profile. All the gentleness had vanished from her eyes, leaving only a deep, unfathomable stillness.
After all, a true hunter was always skilled at disguising fangs with docility and devouring every opponent behind a facade of innocence.