Chapter 19: Struggle Within the Coffin

A pale, decayed hand slowly reached out from the coffin, exuding a putrid stench that made one's stomach churn. Chen Jing and Lucifer stood before the coffin, watching as the hand struggled in midair for a few seconds before it was suddenly pulled back inside by an invisible force, vanishing instantly.

"What the hell is going on?" Chen Jing tightened her grip on her peachwood sword, stepping back cautiously as she stared at the coffin. "Shen Lu, don't tell me this is another one of Beelzebub's tricks?"

Lucifer frowned, his eyes darkening with a hint of seriousness. "Its power is converging here, but… why does it have no physical form?" He took a slow step forward, reaching out to test the edge of the coffin.

Suddenly, an overwhelming suction force erupted from within the coffin, instantly pulling both of them inside.

"Ahhh!" Chen Jing screamed as she felt herself being spun around by the vortex. When she finally regained her senses, she realized she was now trapped in an incredibly cramped space. The surroundings were pitch black, filled with a damp chill, and the stone walls emitted a faint phosphorescent glow that barely illuminated the eerie environment.

"This… is the inside of the coffin?" Chen Jing fumbled as she tried to stand up, only to hit her forehead against something hard. "Ouch!"

"Be quiet," Lucifer said coldly, but there was a trace of unease in his voice.

He glanced around. The space was so small that moving was almost impossible, and at that moment, Chen Jing was practically pressed against his chest, her nose nearly brushing against his collar.

"Hey! You're way too close!" Chen Jing lifted her head to glare at him, but as soon as she realized that their faces were nearly touching, her ears turned red in an instant.

"This space is too confined. It is already difficult for me to remain standing," Lucifer replied indifferently. His gaze flicked downward, briefly landing on Chen Jing before showing a trace of impatience—though more than that, there was an odd discomfort.

"Huff… Huff… Ahhh…" Chen Jing panted slightly, frowning as she tried to shift backward, only to find that there was nowhere to move. Frustrated, she blurted out, "You… what is that?"

Lucifer paused for a split second, then his expression darkened as he spoke in a dangerously low voice. "What nonsense are you spouting now?"

"I-I'm not making things up!" Chen Jing's face flushed even redder. She reached down, feeling around in confusion, before gasping. "This is… You scared me to death!"

Lucifer's expression stiffened for a moment, but he quickly let out a cold scoff. "Foolish. Do you think I would bring along any unnecessary things?"

Chen Jing bit her lip, looking up at him with a complicated expression. "I'm just saying… Could you move away a little? Being this close is… weird."

Lucifer glanced at her with unconcealed disdain, the corner of his lips curling into a smirk. "I have yet to complain about your chest constantly pressing against me."

"You—you pervert!" Chen Jing exploded, raising her hands as if to push him away. However, in such a cramped space, any excessive movement only made things worse, and instead of creating distance, she ended up pressing even closer against Lucifer.

Her face was practically burning now, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Without meaning to, she rested her forehead against his chest. Lucifer looked down at her fluttering eyelashes, and for some reason, the sight stung his eyes slightly.

"Ridiculous." Lucifer scolded himself internally, averting his gaze as he forcibly ignored the unexpected softness in the moment.

"As if I could possibly develop any thoughts about a mere human. Absolutely impossible."

And yet, the sensation of Chen Jing's breath against him, the warmth of her proximity, and her subtle movements sent a strange ripple through his mind, disrupting his usual composure.

She shifted slightly, trying to adjust her position, but instead, it only brought them closer. Lucifer's body tensed immediately.

"Hey, can you stop staring at me like that?" Chen Jing noticed his gaze and looked up at him, her expression a mix of embarrassment and frustration. "At a time like this, shouldn't you be thinking about how to get out of here instead of giving me that 'icy king's glare'? What are you trying to do?"

"Shut up," Lucifer's voice was cold enough to freeze, his pride forcing him to maintain his usual aloofness. He raised his chin slightly, shifting his gaze away in a clear attempt to ignore her presence altogether.

"I mean, aren't you even a little nervous?" Chen Jing bit her lip, trying to suppress her own discomfort. "This kind of enclosed space really creeps me out… But you? You don't feel even a little weird?"

Lucifer didn't respond, but for some reason, her words made something stir within him.

"Weird? How absurd. I simply dislike being in such close proximity to others. It has nothing to do with her."

"Hey! What are you spacing out for?" Chen Jing waved her hand in front of his face, accidentally bumping her elbow against his shoulder. "Don't tell me you also have claustrophobia?"

"I fear nothing," Lucifer said, his voice laced with irritation. "It's you who keeps moving too much and disrupting my focus."

"Oh, really?" Chen Jing muttered, shifting slightly before realizing that there was no space left to move. She sighed in resignation. "Fine, fine, I won't move. But seriously, don't just stand there like a statue—think of something!"

Lucifer turned his head slightly, studying her expression—nervous, stubborn, yet filled with an unwavering determination.

"She's just an ordinary human. Why does she always manage to get under my skin?"

He took a deep breath, forcefully shoving aside the strange emotions that were rising within him. He reached out, running his fingers along the coffin's walls, searching for weak points in the sigils embedded there.

"Be quiet for a moment, or I won't be able to concentrate."

"Ugh, fine, whatever," Chen Jing grumbled under her breath. Still, she obeyed, though her gaze lingered on Lucifer's tense profile. "Hmph, for someone who always looks so cold and detached… why does he seem kind of… cute right now?"

For a moment, the two were trapped in their own thoughts, an odd tension filling the cramped space. The sigils on the coffin walls pulsed with an eerie light, as if preparing for another wave of danger. At the same time, the awkward proximity between them only heightened the strange atmosphere further.

"Do you think we'll be stuck in here forever?" Chen Jing asked softly, a trace of worry creeping into her voice.

Lucifer's face remained impassive as he replied, "No. You'll die of starvation first."

"You—!" Chen Jing's eyes widened in anger. "Shen Lu, I'm being serious, and you're making jokes?!"

Lucifer furrowed his brows but didn't argue. He continued focusing on deciphering the sigils' power.

Chen Jing, however, only grew more agitated, her voice taking on a hint of despair. "It's all your fault! If I hadn't followed you here, I wouldn't be trapped in this damn place! Great, just great—now I'm probably going to die in here!"

Lucifer remained silent.

Tears welled up in Chen Jing's eyes as she whimpered, "I'm still young! I haven't even had a boyfriend yet! There's so much food I haven't tried, so many places I haven't visited—my life is just getting started… I don't want to die!"

Hearing her choked sobs, Lucifer's frown deepened. His face remained impassive, yet something within him stirred uncomfortably.

"Humans and their emotions… always so complicated. But why do I feel… something bitter?"

Taking a deep breath, he pulled Chen Jing into his arms. His voice, though impatient, carried a rare softness. "Crying solves nothing. If you have the energy to weep, use it to think of a way out."