Under the moonlight, the two embraced.
Su Ruoxue had cried herself hoarse again. Ye Ling said nothing, merely holding her and listening to her sobs.
"Where have you been these past six years?" Su Ruoxue asked, her eyes red as she looked at Ye Ling.
"Do you want to hear?" Ye Ling smiled, his eyes filled with endless tenderness, showing no trace of a Demon Lord.
"Yes!" Su Ruoxue smiled sweetly, nestled in Ye Ling's arms like a docile kitten.
"But if it's inconvenient, you don't have to tell me. I know these six years must have been difficult for you, and you might have done things against your will."
"I just want you to be alive, and that's enough."
"Not six years." Ye Ling said softly, surprising Su Ruoxue.
"Sixty thousand years."
As Ye Ling finished speaking, before Su Ruoxue could react, he scooped her up and flew out the window.
"Brother Ye Ling!!!"
"We're flying!!!"
The sudden ascent made Su Ruoxue scream and cling tightly to Ye Ling, afraid of falling. The wind whipped around them, and Su Ruoxue buried her head in Ye Ling's chest, her heart pounding faster. She was both thrilled and amazed, having never experienced flying through the sky without any aid. It was breathtaking!
The buildings on the ground grew smaller and smaller, and Su Ruoxue could only faintly see the city's neon lights. Ye Ling carried her to the clouds, where the bright moon hung high and the stars filled the sky. Without the city lights, a stunning starry panorama unfolded before Su Ruoxue's eyes.
"So beautiful..." Su Ruoxue gazed at the stars above, her eyes sparkling like a pampered princess. She had even forgotten she was thousands of meters in the air!
Seeing Su Ruoxue's excited expression, Ye Ling smiled slightly. He released his grip and conjured an invisible barrier of spiritual energy beneath her feet, allowing her to walk on the clouds. Previously, Ye Ling had believed that completely separating himself from Su Ruoxue and disappearing from her life would help her forget her past pain. However, he now realized that the more he avoided her, the more pain she suffered. Since that was the case, he no longer wished to keep secrets from her.
"It's incredible..." Su Ruoxue stood barefoot in the air, gazing at the stars with an expression of utter disbelief. This was the most magical thing she had encountered in her twenty-plus years.
"Brother Ye Ling, what did you mean by sixty thousand years just now?" Su Ruoxue still pondered Ye Ling's earlier words and asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Come, I'll tell you slowly." Ye Ling pulled Su Ruoxue down to lie on the clouds, and they gazed together at the moon and stars above.
"Are clouds really cotton?" Su Ruoxue exclaimed, lying on the clouds and feeling their soft touch beneath her.
Ye Ling merely smiled at her surprise. "Ruoxue, during these past six years, I actually traveled to another world..."
Hearing this, Su Ruoxue fell silent, looking at Ye Ling blankly.
"That world is called the Eastern Profound Continent. Immortals and gods abound, and dangers lurk everywhere. The strong can move mountains and fill seas with a single finger, while millions of the weak perish daily. It is a world that is both magnificent and repulsive."
"There, you can pursue endless opportunities and glimpse the secrets of the heavens. But in that world of survival of the fittest, everyone is a butcher. Every strong individual standing at the pinnacle of existence has a mountain of corpses beneath their feet."
"And I spent sixty thousand years in that world."
"Treading on the bones of countless people, I reached the apex of that world."
"Brother Ye Ling..." Listening to Ye Ling's story, Su Ruoxue felt nothing but shock and heartache. She had no idea what the Eastern Profound Continent was like, nor could she imagine it. But from Ye Ling's words alone, she could sense the immense bloodshed he had endured! Such experiences were beyond the comprehension of those living in peaceful times. Furthermore, Ye Ling had lived in that world for sixty thousand years! The entire Yan Hua civilization was only five thousand years old; Su Ruoxue had no concept of sixty thousand years.
The more she thought about it, the more her heart ached. Su Ruoxue turned and hugged Ye Ling, resting her head on his chest. "From now on," she whispered, "let Ruoxue accompany you, okay?"
Hearing her words, Ye Ling's lips curved upwards, and he held her tightly. "Mmm."
They spent the night amidst the clouds.
As the sun rose high, the roar of airplane engines jolted Su Ruoxue awake! She had slept on Ye Ling's chest all night! Seeing the drool on his chest, Su Ruoxue's face turned crimson, and she quickly used her sleepwear to wipe it away. It had been the most peaceful night's sleep she'd had in years. She had dreamt a beautiful dream and finally relaxed, and in her carelessness, she had made a fool of herself.
"Awake?" Ye Ling opened his eyes and chuckled as he looked at Su Ruoxue frantically wiping her chin. Ye Ling didn't need sleep, but he had stayed awake with Su Ruoxue last night, foregoing his cultivation for the first time in nearly ten thousand years. He had fallen asleep with her.
"I... I didn't mean to." Seeing Ye Ling awake, Su Ruoxue looked like a kitten caught stealing food, her eyes wide with panic. She quickly explained, "I don't usually drool when I sleep, I swear!"
"You look quite cute like this." Ye Ling gently ruffled Su Ruoxue's hair, then picked her up again. "It's morning now, I'll take you back." With that, Ye Ling and Su Ruoxue vanished from their spot and reappeared in the Su family villa!
"Su Ruoxue, it's already late morning, why are you still sleeping in?" Just as Ye Ling placed Su Ruoxue down in her bedroom, a slightly plump woman with short hair burst through the door, catching sight of Ye Ling and Su Ruoxue in the room.
"Sister-in-law?" Su Ruoxue looked at Qiu Jieting's entrance, and her mind went blank. How could she have barged in?
Qiu Jieting stared at Ye Ling for a moment before letting out a shriek, "You good-for-nothing Su Ruoxue! I knew you didn't want to marry into the Jiang family, even when I sent you back yourself. So this is why you've kept a kept man at home!"
"A man and a woman alone in a room, Su Ruoxue, have you no shame? You've disgraced our Su family!" Qiu Jieting's voice was incredibly loud. Hearing the commotion, other Su family members and maids also rushed over.
Faced with Qiu Jieting's loud accusations, Su Ruoxue became flustered. "Sister-in-law, please let me explain, it's not what you think..."
"Not what I think? I saw it with my own eyes!" Qiu Jieting shouted, "If this kind of behavior gets out, where will our Su family's reputation go? What kind of young master would want a used shoe like you?"
*Slap!*
Before Qiu Jieting could finish speaking, a loud slap echoed through the room. A bright red handprint appeared on Qiu Jieting's face! Ye Ling stepped in front of Su Ruoxue, his gaze chilling as he looked at Qiu Jieting. "Shut your foul mouth."