Nalan Yanran jolted in fright at the sudden figure that appeared before her. When she looked up and recognized the familiar face, she let out a sigh of relief.
It was Xiao Yan.
Yet the moment she saw his current state, her heart sank.
Xiao Yan's expression was terrifyingly twisted. Veins bulged across his forehead, large beads of sweat rolled down his flushed face, and his eyes burned with a frightening mix of fanaticism, confusion, and raw, uncontrollable impulse.
"Xiao Yan… what's wrong with you?" she asked, voice laced with worry.
Xiao Yan gave no answer.
Instead, he stepped toward her, one heavy footfall after another.
With every step he took, an invisible pressure pressed down on Nalan Yanran, making it hard to breathe.
She finally understood—he had lost his mind.
A flash of anxiety crossed her eyes. She clenched her fists tightly, secretly raising her guard.
As Xiao Yan drew closer and closer, her heartbeat thundered in her ears and an inexplicable unease spread through her chest.
He advanced. She retreated.
Step by step, until her back pressed against the cold stone wall. There was nowhere left to go.
"Xiao Yan, wake up!" she shouted desperately, trying to snap him out of it.
But it was useless.
"Roar!"
A low, beast-like growl tore from Xiao Yan's throat. He waved his hand, and a burst of emerald-green flame shot out, instantly wrapping around Nalan Yanran in strange, intricate bindings that left her completely immobilized.
"No… no! Xiao Yan, wake up, please!" Nalan Yanran's face paled with panic. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks.
Xiao Yan paid no heed to her cries.
The sight of her bound and helpless only seemed to intensify the crimson madness in his eyes.
Tearing sounds, pained cries, and heavy breathing echoed through the vast, empty underground magma world for what felt like an eternity.
…
On the black stone platform surrounded by bubbling lava.
Two figures sat in silence.
Both were dressed in skirts—an extremely bizarre sight.
The one sitting wore a full set of women's robes. The one standing wore only a short skirt, his upper body completely bare.
As the scene came into focus, their identities became clear.
Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanran.
Ten minutes earlier, when Xiao Yan had finally regained his senses, he found Nalan Yanran lying beside him, her beautiful face streaked with tears and exhaustion.
Both of them had been completely naked.
Although he had lost control earlier, his memories had not vanished. The moment clarity returned, Xiao Yan remembered everything he had done.
He had never imagined that absorbing the Heavenly Flame this time would cause him to completely lose his sanity and go berserk.
Even less had he expected that, in his madness, he would take Nalan Yanran's virginity.
After the engagement was annulled, he had once harbored deep resentment toward her. But after spending time with her while she disguised herself as "Lan Na," he had slowly come to understand the true nature of this girl.
Deep in his heart, feelings for her had long since taken root—he had simply refused to acknowledge them.
Now, standing there, Xiao Yan looked at Nalan Yanran, who sat hugging her knees on the ground, his expression incredibly complicated.
The two of them had remained silent like this for over ten minutes.
Because his storage ring had melted in the lava, Nalan Yanran had eventually given him one of her spare skirts to cover himself.
"Haah…"
Countless thoughts swirled in Xiao Yan's mind, finally condensing into a long sigh.
The situation had already reached this point. There was only one path left.
His gaze gradually shifted from conflicted to resolute.
Perhaps it was at this very moment that Xiao Yan truly grew up and understood the weight of responsibility.
"What happened earlier… was my fault. I'm sorry."
Xiao Yan lowered his head, his voice soft but filled with sincere apology.
Nalan Yanran's body trembled when she heard those words. Memories of what had just transpired flooded back, and she lowered her head even further, unable to meet his eyes.
She had never thought she would lose her innocence in such a sudden, chaotic way.
Although she had long harbored complicated feelings for Xiao Yan, everything had happened too fast. Her heart simply could not accept it so quickly.
She bit her red lips hard, trying to hold back her emotions, but tears still poured down uncontrollably, dripping onto the stone floor.
Xiao Yan watched her trembling shoulders, his own heart twisting with pain. He continued gently,
"Even though it was an accident… what's done is done. I will take responsibility. I want to continue our engagement."
Nalan Yanran lifted her tear-filled eyes and looked at him, her voice choked with sobs.
"You don't have to force yourself. The engagement ended the day I lost to you. You said yourself it was just an accident… I'm willing to treat it as one."
Xiao Yan stared at the girl crying silently in front of him and felt completely at a loss. He hurriedly explained,
"No, that's not what I meant. I… I…"
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I don't mind. Let's just pretend none of this ever happened. After we leave here, we'll never see each other again."
As soon as those words left her mouth, Nalan Yanran recalled how, after her initial resistance, she had eventually… stopped struggling.
The moment that thought surfaced, she immediately pushed it away, scolding herself inwardly for having such strange thoughts. It must have been an illusion.
"Do you even know what you're saying?" Xiao Yan frowned, his voice turning deep.
"Of course I know. This is better for both of us, isn't it?"
Nalan Yanran's expression was stubborn as she stared straight at him. Yet because of their positions, her gaze accidentally landed somewhere she shouldn't have, causing a strange heat to surge through her body and a sharp ache to follow.
Xiao Yan noticed her gaze. After a brief moment of eye contact, he immediately squatted down and pulled her into his arms.
Nalan Yanran was startled by the sudden embrace. She struggled lightly a few times, but soon realized she couldn't break free. In the end, she buried her face against his shoulder.
Tears flowed freely as her small fists pounded weakly against his chest. Her voice was hoarse and broken.
"You scoundrel… you big, brutal scoundrel…"
With that, she opened her mouth and bit down hard on Xiao Yan's shoulder.
Xiao Yan sucked in a sharp breath from the pain, but he did not push her away. He simply endured it in silence.
"Once we get out of here, I will go to your clan to propose marriage and settle everything properly."
Xiao Yan stroked her hair, his tone gentle yet filled with unshakeable determination.
This time, he was truly serious—not out of guilt, but from genuine recognition, affection, and the desire to take responsibility.
Nalan Yanran was completely stunned by his words. She released his shoulder and stared blankly at him. After a long moment, she finally regained her senses and asked…