"Why scare me by saying such serious things? You said yourself there are over a hundred ways to make Lu Yanmo die without a trace. If you're so capable, how could you fear those phantoms and specters? You're a divine general capable of holding back a thousand armies!"
"Yes, I'm worrying about nothing. It's you who scared me. This time, I really thought I'd get a heart condition from you."
Silly Xue Niang, he wasn't afraid of a mere Lu Yanmo. He was afraid of... never mind. After this, he would still be the ordinary hunter, and she would still be his little wife.
"You look unwell. Let's go into town and rest. Tell me what happened."
What happened?
At the inn, Xue Niang could finally vent her grievances.
"Despicable! That scoundrel dared to—" Xiao Shan smashed the table into pieces with one punch, his eyes burning with an all-consuming rage that seemed capable of incinerating everything.
If he hadn't died, he would have torn him limb from limb!
No! He would go back and whip the corpse!
Xue Niang looked at the shattered table and cups on the floor, her wronged expression turning to shock.
"This is someone else's. We'll have to pay if it's broken. You, you're such a brute. Doesn't your hand hurt?"
"Xue Niang, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for letting you suffer. And for wrongly accusing you like that. You can beat me to death!"
Xiao Shan cupped her face, his eyes filled with pain.
She had suffered greatly again, and his first thought wasn't to comfort her but to indulge his own jealousy, making her sad and wronged. He deserved to die.
"How are you feeling? What did the doctor say? Never mind, let's have Qu Linglong examine you when we get back."
"How is Linglong?"
"Why are you worrying about her? If it weren't for her... forget it, forget it, they're all so troublesome!" Xiao Shan said, full of self-reproach. "If I hadn't left, you wouldn't have gone through all this. Xue Niang, from now on—"
"Don't say that. You're not attached to me, so you can't possibly attend to everything. However, it's a good thing my divine power has begun to awaken. I'll have the ability to protect myself from now on."
Divine power, what divine power? Xiao Shan didn't believe it. He pursed his lips. "That was just a coincidence. You were probably hallucinating."
"Xiao Shan, why do you never believe me?" Xue Niang's eyes widened. "You saw how Butcher Zhang died, didn't you? Would a wooden beam break for no reason?"
"Who knows?"
"You this—"
"Even if there is divine power, it comes at the cost of your body. I won't allow you to use it," Xiao Shan said sternly. "Look, if you weren't weak, would you have been taken away? What if you'd encountered human traffickers? Have you considered the consequences?"
Xue Niang fell silent.
She had just suffered, and Xiao Shan had found her again. He couldn't bear to scold her, so he hugged her and kissed her tenderly. "Xue Niang, I can't lose you. It was my fault this time. I won't go far away again. You must take good care of yourself and don't get hurt."
She had escaped from villains, been imprisoned by Lu Yanmo, and was almost violated by street thugs. She had even attempted suicide. The person he cherished was treated like this, and he wished he could kill everyone, but he hated himself even more for not being by her side when she suffered.
He was filled with deep regret.
His tiger-like eyes were bloodshot, brimming with remorse and pain.
"I understand. Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault," Xue Niang kissed him back. "I knew you would come to save me. I was waiting for you all along."
Xiao Shan held her tightly, as if wanting to merge her into his very bones, but he still hadn't come soon enough, not soon enough!
The couple poured out their hearts to each other, embracing and kissing intimately for a long time before falling asleep in each other's arms.
It wasn't until evening that Xiao Shan quietly took Xue Niang out of the city and headed straight for Donglin.
All traces had vanished, leaving only the news of the Ghost King Sect's southward journey.
Regardless of how Lu Yanmo used his connections to pursue them, Xiao Shan and Xue Niang returned home safely that night.
The chickens and dogs at home were in an uproar. Fortunately, Granny Hua heard the commotion and, during the day, tossed a few wild vegetable cakes to Xiao Hu through the wall.
Xue Niang's waist felt like it would break from the bumpy journey. After Xiao Shan dealt with the commotion at home, he heated water, and the two of them took a hot bath before finally lying on their spacious kang, letting out a sigh of relief.
Home was truly comfortable.
It was already past midnight. Xiao Shan held the exhausted person in his arms, his heart finally at ease.
The weather was starting to turn cold, but his body was perpetually warm. Xue Niang gently nuzzled his neck, her soft little hands lightly tracing his palm.
"A Shan, my waist hurts."
"I'll rub it for you."
Xiao Shan's breathing became noticeably unsteady. Xue Niang curved her lips into a smile and licked his pulsing neck with her small tongue.
"Aren't you feeling a bit weak?"
Xiao Shan's body tensed. The skin where they touched was burning hot.
"Don't you miss me?"
Her breath was like a fragrant whisper in his ear, enchanting and alluring. Before he knew it, she had already softened her body.
She missed him, desperately.
In her despair, she recalled their moments together, and she couldn't bring herself to act. If she had possessed the decisiveness she had back then, how could Lu Yanmo have had the chance to save her?
Xiao Shan said he couldn't do without her, but how could she do without him? Just thinking about it was like being pierced by ten thousand arrows, like having her flesh and bones gouged out.
"I do, I miss you madly. But didn't you say you were weak and fainted? Can you? Should we wait for Qu Linglong to examine you first..." Xiao Shan's voice was hoarse as he whispered in her ear, his difficult restraint evident. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his hand on her waist involuntarily tightened.
"I'm tired, but I can't sleep. Will you grant me this one time, please? My body has improved a lot these past few days."
She spoke the truth. The weakness caused by her mental state had come and gone quickly, and she knew her body's condition best.
"Then, I'll be gentle."
Xiao Shan leaned over her and kissed her as if she were a rare treasure.
A moment later, soft moans filled the room.
This night was truly one of warm breezes, gentle rain, and lingering eternal love.
It wasn't until the next day, when Xue Niang went out to sun herself and met Granny Hua, that she realized how engrossed she had been.
"I don't know where the cats came from last night, they cried all night. Xue Niang, you came back yesterday, didn't you hear them?" Granny Hua clicked her teeth, her mouth puckered. Her hair had turned much whiter, and as the autumn wind blew, it felt cold and desolate.
"No!"
After Xue Niang replied, she realized something was wrong. There were no cats crying last night. Could it be... her?
She had clearly been so quiet...
Her face flushed as she fled back into the house. Soon, Xiao Shan brought Qu Linglong over.
Qu Linglong was already five or six months pregnant. She had changed back into women's clothing. Her face was beautiful and gentle, and she seemed to have recovered her spirits. Her complexion was more rosy than during early pregnancy.
"Xue Niang." After taking Xue Niang's pulse, she held her hand and began to speak.
"Thank goodness you're alright. You don't know, after I heard you were in trouble, I suddenly became clear-headed. I'm so useless. Was it just a hooligan? He almost broke me. If it were you, you wouldn't be as weak as me."