Lu Ying left, and Zhou Yitang departed gracefully. Chen Yi glanced around the room and let his gaze fall back onto Yin Tingxue.
What are we waiting for?
Yin Tingxue's breathing quickened slightly. It had been so long that she couldn't help but feel nervous. Just as she was about to say sothing, her small hand was already covered by a larger one.
"Shall we go back?" Chen Yi asked.
Yin Tingxue nodded lightly.
And so, the two walked towards the small building. The closer they got, the more nervous she beca, even though she tried to maintain an air of composure, acting as if nothing was wrong. Yet, the slick sweat in her palm betrayed her.
Whoosh.
As if sensing its master's peril, Huang Niang'er darted out and blocked the doorway to the small building. When Chen Yi moved right, it moved right; when he stepped left, it mirrored him.
At wit's end, Chen Yi stood still, while Huang Niang'er lowered its body, poised to pounce at any mont.
Fearing that Chen Yi might show signs of irritation, Yin Tingxue hurriedly let go of his hand, scooped up Huang Niang'er, and soothed it with gentle whispers:
"It's alright, it's alright. He's a good man now, my husband—no longer the bad person he used to be."
When the last few words reached Chen Yi's ears, he froze for a mont. He couldn't tell whether Yin Tingxue had spoken them intentionally or not, but inevitably, in her view, he had truly been quite awful in the past.
Huang Niang'er listened to her soothing words, let out a couple of low whimpers, and finally stepped aside. Yet as Chen Yi and its mistress entered the building, it still let out an uneasy cry.
Without pause, they walked straight to the bedroom.
Yin Tingxue's palms were soaked with sweat. She glanced uneasily at Chen Yi, carefully disengaged herself, took a few steps back, and perched herself on the edge of the bed.
Chen Yi gazed at her. After a brief mont of contemplation, Yin Tingxue appeared to make a decision and called softly:
"Co..."
Just those brief words,
yet they carried an echo of her forr resolve.
Instantly, the night of falling petals ca vividly to mind. Though ti had eroded much of the emotion, there remained a trace of sorrow lodged deep within Chen Yi's chest. His gaze grew distant for a mont, as if pondering how perhaps the fractious ties between them had been destined from the very beginning.
Yin Tingxue waited for so ti but didn't see Chen Yi make a move. Just as she was starting to wonder whether her husband had turned into a different person, he suddenly smirked and asked, "Want a candied hawthorn?"
She shuddered instantly.
Then, Yin Tingxue's brows furrowed slightly, as if reminiscing about how sweet that candied hawthorn had been on that particular day—sweet for a mont, followed by an unplaceable bitterness.
Chen Yi didn't rush to pin her down or start undoing her clothes. Instead, he sat beside her and asked softly:
"Still holding a grudge?"
Yin Tingxue hesitated for a mont, turning her head to look at him before nodding slightly.
No matter how much ti had passed, the girl still vividly rembered that day. Its imprint sotis haunted her dreams, leaving her fearful even now. Though they were married, she couldn't quite say whether she felt more fear or affection. The power of mory lay in precisely this—Chen Yi understood that even after ti had worn away the edges, that deep wound would remain unforgettable.
Chen Yi didn't know what to say. Any words of comfort seed hollow. He could only choose sothing less empty, smiling as he said, "In the next life, I won't be like this."
Yin Tingxue certainly rembered his promise of ten lifetis. Ever since she'd inadvertently agreed to it, she'd resigned herself, quietly vowing to give all ten lifetis to him, no matter what he might want...
Perhaps soday she'd find this promise pathetic. Yet, in the mont, she felt a flicker of happiness and asked eagerly, "Really?"
Chen Yi wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her halfway into his embrace.
"Really."
Yin Tingxue instinctively grabbed hold of his sleeve and asked:
"How real is it?"
"Real enough that even if you reincarnated as a mouse, I'd still want you."
Yin Tingxue frowned slightly, disliking mice, and shook her head. "I'm not a mouse."
"Then what are you?"
Yin Tingxue blinked: "…A little fox."
Chen Yi laughed. "Alright, if you reincarnate into a little fox, then I'll be the big fox. We'll make a den in a vast forest and raise ten or eight little fox cubs."
With just a few words, he painted what felt like an entirely different world.
A lush, verdant forest, with one big and one small fox nestled together, heads bowed, discussing matters with their vulpine mouths and expressions.
"Having too many might be hard to care for…" Yin Tingxue, who wasn't keen on children to begin with, unexpectedly gave the idea so serious thought.
Chen Yi replied matter-of-factly, "No problem, I'll just charm other foxes to help take care of them."
"Then I wouldn't need to take care of them?"
"You wouldn't."
"I'd be so bored then," Yin Tingxue sighed.
"If you're bored, you can work on cultivating immortality. If you manage to transform one day, then it'll be your turn to take care of ."
Yin Tingxue pictured the image of a fox-ford Chen Yi curled up in her arms, his legs kicking out playfully. The thought made her burst into laughter.
"I wouldn't take care of you," Yin Tingxue said lightly. "If I did, wouldn't you have to call mama?"
"Fine then, dare not take care of —you leave no choice but to deal with you now."
With that, Chen Yi pounced on Yin Tingxue, rolling them both over until he pinned her beneath him.
Yin Tingxue let out a soft cry of protest. Though her fear lingered, she couldn't help but laugh when thinking about the imagery.
After the laughter subsided, she rembered what was to co, and her delicate face visibly paled.
Chen Yi cald his emotions, his expression gentle as he murmured:
"Don't be afraid; we're husband and wife now."
Yin Tingxue's breathing grew rapid; the fear remained.
"Just… be gentle…"
Yet still, she reached out to encircle his neck.
"Gently… I've missed you so much…"
......
After everything was over, Chen Yi held Yin Tingxue tightly, listening to her soft, labored breaths, feeling a peculiar sense of contentnt.
Yin Tingxue, impatient and breathless, felt no great relief despite the intimacy. Fragile as she was, it left her exhausted rather than fulfilled. Her chest felt tight, rising and falling erratically, even though Chen Yi had been as gentle as possible.
A slight movent caused the quilt to gape open, letting in the chill of outside air. Instinctively, Yin Tingxue scooted closer, half-lying on Chen Yi's body. Though the proximity was sticky and uncomfortable, it was undeniably warm.
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