harleyscars Page 290
Page 290
On the left is Rias with her long, crimson hair, and on the right is Akeno with her long, jet-black hair.
The two girls were exhausted, with dark circles under their eyes, but they were both trying to stay awake. As soon as they noticed Zhou Ye's movement, they tightened their arms around each other.
"Ye..." Rias's voice was hoarse and tired, as if she had a hangover. Her cheek was pressed against Zhou Ye's chest as she whispered, "One more time..."
"Hehehe... Rias is really full of energy." Himejima Akeno let out a weak chuckle, but her fingers were mischievously drawing circles on Zhou Ye's abs. "However, you were the one who screamed the loudest last night."
"Mind your own business!" Rias retorted, embarrassed and annoyed. "You're the same! You look like you want to devour Ye!"
Zhou Ye was both amused and exasperated.
He patted the two girls on the back.
"Alright, you two can save your energy."
"Wasn't last night crazy enough?"
Last night, after Vinilana's shocking "baby-urging declaration," the two girls seemed to have had some strange switch flipped.
Especially after his mother-in-law left, the madness fueled by a mixture of shame and a sense of crisis was almost too much for Zhou Ye to handle.
They are serious.
She was truly fighting with the resolve that "she must get pregnant tonight."
"no!"
Rias suddenly raised her head, her crimson eyes filled with stubbornness and anxiety.
“I didn’t forget what my mother said all night.”
"My brother sealed off the waters of the Mother-Child River, so we have to rely on ourselves."
Her words silenced Himejima Akeno, whose previously alluring expression now held a hint of seriousness.
Yes.
Sense of crisis.
This kind of thing didn't exist for Rias Gremory, the darling of heaven, before.
But now, it's like a Damocles' sword hanging over our heads.
Zhou Ye sat up, pulled the two girls up as well, and wrapped them in the blanket.
"One child cannot determine your place in my heart."
"I said, your happiness is up to me."
“But!” Rias wanted to argue.
"No buts," Zhou Ye interrupted her. "Listen to me."
His tone wasn't harsh, but it instantly silenced Rias and Akeno.
This is Zhou Ye's unquestionable authority.
……
The atmosphere in the Gilmore family's dining room was somewhat strange.
At the long dining table, Zhou Ye and his group were enjoying breakfast.
Nami rested her chin on one hand, while the other hand swiped rapidly across the virtual screen, muttering to herself: "New Generation Demon Meetup, the list of attendees is tentatively finalized... Hmph, a bunch of ugly ducklings. The only potential investment target is the prince of the Stoker family... Unfortunately, he's a mama's boy, not worth holding long-term."
Saeko Busujima slowly sliced a piece of grilled meat, seemingly oblivious to everything around her.
Her attention was entirely focused on the guards exercising outside the window.
"Her footwork is unsteady, her aura scattered. That woman named Vinilana from last night exuded more killing intent than all these guards combined. Although she wore a smile, it seems her nickname wasn't unfounded."
Kasumigaoka Utaha, holding a cup of black tea, scanned back and forth between Rias and Himejima Akeno with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Oh dear, this is really tough."
Her words were barbed.
"In one night, she went from an innocent young lady to a resentful woman with a lot of worries. If this script were written as a light novel, I would already have a title in mind: 'About My Tsundere Girlfriend Being Forced to Join the Intense Competition Because of Her Mother's Pressure to Have a Baby.'"
"Shiwa!" Rias was both embarrassed and angry.
Himejima Akeno chuckled and replied, "Hehehe, Kasumigaoka-san's observation skills are still as sharp as ever. But, competition is also a kind of fun, isn't it?"
Just then, the door of the restaurant was pushed open.
Vinilana entered, carrying a silver tray and beaming.
On the tray were two bowls of rich soup, radiating a vibrant life force and clearly incredibly nourishing.
"Rias, Akeno, my dear daughters."
She placed two bowls of soup precisely in front of the two of them, her smile both kind and suggestive.
"You must be exhausted last night, right? Quick, drink this to replenish your energy."
Rias's face flushed red instantly, all the way to the roots of her neck.
That’s what I said!
It's as if the two of them did something earth-shattering last night!
Although... it was indeed earth-shattering.
"Mother!" Rias whispered, her voice pleading, "Please don't do this!"
"What's wrong with me?" Vinilana asked innocently. "I was just concerned about my daughter, is that wrong?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Duke Geotix strode in, his face beaming with barely suppressed elation and triumph.
Hahaha! Good morning, everyone!
His powerful greeting made everyone stop what they were doing.
“Darling, you look so happy. Is there some great news?” Vinilana asked playfully.
"Of course it's a joyous occasion! A truly joyous occasion!"
Geoticus walked over to Zhou Ye, patted him warmly on the shoulder, and then turned to Rias, saying loudly in a declarative tone:
"Just now, the Phoenix family officially sent a letter!"
"Their family's only princess, Rachel's sister, Miss Rebel Phoenix, wishes to come to our Gremory family and serve Lord Ye!"
boom!
The news came like a thunderbolt, exploding in the restaurant.
Rias's body stiffened abruptly.
Himejima Akeno's charming smile froze on her face.
Rebel Phoenix?
That little princess, the only pure-blooded female demon in the Phoenix family.
Is she coming... to serve Zhou Ye?
"Father!" Liya abandoned all restraint and stood up excitedly. "How could you agree to such a thing! Did you even ask Ye's opinion?"
“Why can’t I agree?” Geoticus retorted confidently. “It’s an immense honor!”
"All the pure-blooded nobles in the underworld will see this! The once arrogant Phoenix is now offering his princess to us, just to beg for our son-in-law's forgiveness and protection!"
"This is the face of the Gremory family!"
He looked at his pale-faced daughter, his tone softening slightly, but the words he spoke were even more cruel...
“Rias, you need to learn to see things from the family’s perspective. Rebel’s arrival will not only not shake your position, but will also become your best foil, highlighting your status as the rightful wife. This is a smart move.”
"I don't need this kind of embellishment!" Rias trembled with anger.
At that moment, Vinilana spoke softly.
She looked at her daughter and sighed softly.
"Silly child, don't you understand?"
"This is just the beginning."
“The Phoenix family sent Rebel, and soon the Agares family will send Sigurds. Perhaps even that Canna from the Siddi family will change her mind.”
"Not to mention those winged beings in the heavens..."
"Your opponent is never just the devil."
Vinellana's words were like cold knives, piercing the hearts of Rias and Akeno.
They sensed it.
An invisible net is tightening.
The battle for Zhou Ye, this "hot commodity," has begun, involving all forces in the supernatural world.
And they were at the very center of the storm.
The restaurant was deathly silent.
All eyes were focused on the man who had remained silent throughout.
Zhou Ye slowly finished the last bite of his breakfast and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
He looked up and glanced around.
4.5 He saw his father-in-law's smugness, his mother-in-law's scheming, Rias's panic, Akeno's solemnity, and the amused expressions of his own family members.
He smiled.
"Father-in-law."
Zhou Ye spoke, his tone eerily calm.
"You seem to have misunderstood something."
Geotix was taken aback: "What is it?"
"If the Phoenix family wants to send their daughter over, that's their business."
Zhou Ye stood up, walked to Rias, whose face was pale, and pulled her into his arms.