In Romania, the so-called devil was holding a sullen woman in his arms. The woman was beautiful even though she had a displeased expression on her face. If Hu Lei was on the scene, she would recognise the lady as the one in the strange pod in the basement.

The two people were on a comfortable chair in front of the beautiful fireplace in the bedroom, even though it was the middle of the day. The brooding woman was leaning completely against the man holding her on his lap, but her head was turned from him.

This former sleeping beauty was Jiang Yinuo.

She was angry and frustrated. So, she looked at the flames and enjoyed the hypnotising flickers, ignoring the man despite the closeness. The arms around her body tightened in dissatisfaction at the attitude, but she did not turn to look at him.

She refused to capitulate to his will. This time, he had gone too far. She knew if she decided to speak, she would end up forgiving him. Therefore, she was giving him the silent treatment.

"What can I say, Nuonuo?" Yuan Haoran asked helplessly.

Jiang Yinuo refused to respond.

Realising that talk was not going to change anything, the man behind her decided to change his strategy. He nuzzled her neck with affection and caressed her ears gently with his lips. The shell of the ears turned a little pink, and she shrunk her neck back.

She was a little ticklish, so the soft attack made her helpless. She could not bear this type of coercion.

"You are not even sorry for what you did." She finally blurted out.

Yuan Haoran stopped his actions after getting her to talk to him. He felt triumphant after getting her to say something for the first time since he awoke her three days ago. He had never seen her this angry with him.

If she was in a good state, she would have probably thrashed him physically. She liked solving problems with her fists. Regrettably, she was weak due to the animated suspension of her body for the last five years. Therefore, she could not fight him.

However, she still showed her anger by refusing to say a single word to him. It was frustrating for Yuan Haoran, but he could not force her. When it came to the little lady, he was always at a disadvantage because he could not harm even a hair on her head.

"How can I be sorry for trying to save your life?" He asked.

"You took advantage of my trust. You put me into a coma without my approval or knowledge." She said with annoyance.

Yuan Haoran pulled her body closer to his own. Even though he was holding her in his arms, he did not feel like she was close enough. He wanted to be completely inseparable from her. Over the past few years, he had missed her desperately.

He could see her every day when he was in the castle, but it could not compare to the warmth and intimacy of physical contact.

"I know you would not have accepted my plan." He said with a hoarse voice, close to her ears.

Jiang Yinuo capitulated and turned to look at him. She was still angry at him for his actions, but she also understood where he was coming from. She would have probably done the same thing if she were in his position.

Yuan Haoran loosened the arms around her a little, allowing her to look at him fully. She lifted a hand and touched his face. Her hand was warm, and his skin was a little cool. She stared at him for a long moment before sighing.

"I already told you it was hopeless." She said with a heavy voice. "There is nothing we can do about my condition. I know my body well enough. Instead of freezing me, we could have spent those days enjoying ourselves."

Yuan Haoran placed his forehead against hers. His throat choked with emotion, and he closed his eyes. He did not want to surrender to the bitterness within him. But he had tried everything. He had looked at every possibility for a cure, and he had finally accepted that their end was near.

Jiang Yinuo lifted her weak arms and placed them on his shoulders. Then, she hugged him as tightly as she could. A small part had hoped that he had found a solution, but when she looked into his eyes, she knew there was no future. She was still going to die.

"We already knew the end was coming. My body was already too damaged when we left that place." She said with a strained voice. "I will be gone, but you have to keep living well."

Yuan Haoran pulled back and looked at her with his red eyes. The dissatisfaction in his eyes was obvious to Yinuo. However, she did not feel like she had said anything wrong.

"Do you remember our promise? We said we will live and die together." He said with a strange intensity.

"We were just children at the time. And the situation was different. How can we die together?" Jiang Yinuo looked a little wistful.

"If I say we will, we will." He responded domineeringly.

Jiang Yinuo smiled at the strange statement. Despite his somewhat stiff nature, Haoran was a deep romantic. Otherwise, he would not have done something like putting her in suspended animation for five years so that he could have time to look for a cure.

However, it was odd that he was willing to give up at this point. Knowing him, he would not give up if there was even a one per cent chance of finding a cure for her. And there was always a little hope with the new medical advances happening every day.

She shifted and pushed him back so that she could look into his eyes.

"Haoran, what happened? Why did you wake me up?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

"I thought you were mad I put you to sleep in the first place. I thought you were happy to be awake." He chuckled a little.

"I am serious, Haoran. I know you. There is something wrong if you are willing to give up." She said with a tough tone. "Please don't lie to me."

Yuan Haoran looked at the eyes of the woman before him, and his heart clenched in indescribable pain. He had failed her. He could not save her or himself. But at least, they would be together even to the last dying moment.

He wanted to hide the truth from her, but he could not bear to do it when he saw her pleading eyes.

"I also have one year left." He said. "I know it is selfish for me to wake you when you might have a chance in the future. But I want to spend my final days with you. I could not bear the thought of dying before I kissed you even once."

The words sounded cheesy, but Jiang Haoran was moved. She leaned forward and pressed her pink lips to his pale, almost bloodless ones. The gesture was a little awkward, but it was the sweetest moment for the two of them.

"You did the right thing." She said with pink cheeks.

She was not a bold person. But when it came to Yuan Haoran, she was willing to give him the best parts of herself and more. She only wished they had the good fortune to have a good childhood and blissful adulthood.

Unfortunately, they were born under unlucky stars.

Yuan Haoran pulled her close again and kissed her. A small taste was not enough for him, especially when he remembered their days were numbered. He wanted to stick to her to their last dying breath. And he would.

"Are you sure you cannot be cured?" Yinuo asked a little breathlessly once the kiss was over.

The man was still not satisfied, but he still responded. "You know no one survives for long after being in that place. I am lucky enough to have remained stable through all these years. But it seems we cannot fight our destiny."

"Haoran, speak clearly." Yinuo pulled his earlobes.

"I have a few types of cancer." He said lightly. "Skin, blood and a few others. The radiation wreaked havoc on everything as you would expect. I have been taking the rare material to stabilise my body, but it is no longer effective."

Jiang Yinuo nodded bravely. However, after a moment, her lips trembled and she burst into tears. She wanted to accept the facts calmly. But she could not. She had never thought of Haoran dying. She thought she would die first.

But again, it was expected that Haoran would not remain healthy for too long. They lived on a radioactive island for numerous years. Most people who went there died in about three years. Their strong physiques helped them live for longer, but they were still destined to suffer the effects.

Yuan Haoran hugged her while she cried. She cried for a few minutes before composing herself. She had a strong mentality. Usually, she did not cry because she could just work for a solution. However, it was a little hard to accept the news about Haoran's death calmly.

"How are we going to settle the scores with Martial Island? We cannot let those people live in peace. I want to destroy the thing they hold most dear. I want them to suffer and have no chance for recovery." She said while looking at him with calm albeit reddened eyes.

Yuan Haoran smiled and used his hands to wipe the tear streaks from the cheeks. He knew his girl would not let old grudges go. She was as bloodthirsty as he was despite her beautiful and harmless appearance.

"Don't worry." He said. "I have something special planned for Martial Island. After the coming triennial championships, their lives will never be the same."

The red eyes flashed with wicked energy.