What Is Love That It Makes One Pledge Life and Death?

"Zhou Chen, open the door."

Zhu Zhuqing's clear, pleasant voice came from outside. Zhou Chen's eyes instantly lit up.

He knew it. The considerate and affectionate Zhu Zhuqing would never leave him to guard an empty room alone in loneliness.

His heart surging, he sprang from the bed, crossed the living room in one leap, and opened the door.

Under the moonlight, Zhu Zhuqing looked as though she were draped in a thin veil. Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders like silk, while her fair, coolly beautiful face was suffused with hazy moonlight.

In her hand, she carried an exquisite Purple Wood Food Box.

"You look so beautiful tonight."

Zhou Chen stared straight at Zhu Zhuqing and praised her sincerely.

Feeling Zhou Chen's burning gaze, Zhu Zhuqing's pretty face flushed as she said softly, "Don't get any wild ideas. I came to bring you a late-night snack."

You're my late-night snack.

Of course, he did not dare say that aloud. Otherwise, the thin-skinned Zhu Zhuqing would definitely be so embarrassed that she would turn against him.

Stepping inside on her long, slender legs, Zhu Zhuqing walked to the stone table in the living room. As she set down the food box, she said gently, "You didn't eat your fill at dinner, did you? The food at Shrek Academy's cafeteria really is terrible. I was afraid you'd go hungry, so I made you some things you like."

As she spoke, Zhu Zhuqing opened the food box. Inside were a steamer basket, a clay pot, a pair of chopsticks, and several small plates.

Zhu Zhuqing first lifted the lid of the clay pot. The instant it came off, a rich, sweet aroma of meat filled the air.

Zhou Chen looked inside and saw chunks of dark-colored ribs. They had been braised until tender, their golden fat rendered through, looking and smelling utterly delicious.

Next, Zhu Zhuqing lifted the lid of the steamer basket. Inside were six snow-white buns with exquisitely folded pleats.

"I made Sweet and Sour Ribs and Soup Dumplings according to the method you taught me before. The meat is wild boar I bought from the nearby villagers."

"Thank you, wife."

Zhou Chen's eyes crinkled with a smile as he said affectionately.

"Who's your wife?"

Zhu Zhuqing blushed and gave a soft spit, though her heart was sweet as honey.

"Don't just sit there. Hurry up and eat."

Seeing Zhou Chen continue to gaze at her tenderly, Zhu Zhuqing said in a coy tone.

"Yes, yes, as you command."

Zhou Chen teased, taking the chopsticks in one hand and a small plate in the other. He picked up a piece of Sweet and Sour Ribs from the clay pot and took a huge bite.

"Mm~"

Zhou Chen let out a moan. The rib meat was incomparably fragrant and crisp, its fat melting the instant it entered his mouth. Combined with the sweetness of honey, it immediately whetted his appetite.

After finishing the rib in two bites, Zhou Chen picked a Soup Dumpling from the steamer and placed it on his plate. He used his chopsticks to pierce a small hole in the skin, and the rich aroma of broth instantly rushed into his nose.

"Slurp!"

Lifting the plate, Zhou Chen slurped a mouthful of broth. In an instant, his lips and tongue were enveloped by its savory flavor.

His appetite fully aroused, Zhou Chen immediately picked up the thin-skinned, generously filled Soup Dumpling and swallowed it in one bite.

"Wife, what you made is so delicious."

Zhou Chen praised her sincerely, then picked up another bun and stuffed it into his mouth.

"If it's delicious, then eat more."

Receiving the affirmation of the person she loved, Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful eyes instantly curved into crescents. Usually peerlessly cool and aloof, she now looked so charming and adorable that she seemed ready to melt hearts.

Sitting on the stone stool, Zhu Zhuqing propped her chin up with one hand and tilted her head slightly, simply staring blankly at Zhou Chen. An unconscious smile curled at the corners of her lips.

Before he knew it, Zhou Chen had eaten four Soup Dumplings and more than half the ribs. Only then did he suddenly realize that Zhu Zhuqing had not eaten anything yet.

"Zhuqing, you should eat some too."

Zhou Chen picked up a rib and raised his head, only to see Zhu Zhuqing staring blankly at him. Their eyes met, and Zhu Zhuqing's face reddened again.

"Come on, wife, open your mouth."

Hearing Zhou Chen's words, Zhu Zhuqing instinctively opened her little mouth. Then, before she could react, a fragrant rib was stuffed into it.

She could not help rolling her eyes at Zhou Chen, sending a shiver through his entire body...

By the time the two finished their lovey-dovey late-night meal, it was already deep into the night. Even the moon outside the window had hidden its face behind the clouds.

After tidying up the dishes together, Zhou Chen took some tissues from beside the bed and wiped both his and Zhu Zhuqing's mouths, his movements intimate and warm.

"Zhuqing, stay tonight."

Looking straight into Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful, clear black-and-white eyes, Zhou Chen said gently.

"N-No, Xiao Wu and Rong Rong are still waiting for me in the dormitory. And besides..."

After a pause, Zhu Zhuqing's gaze darted about as she blushed and said, "It's not very convenient for me."

The moment Zhou Chen heard that, he understood. Her period had come.

Still, Zhou Chen said, "Stay. I happen to have a treasure to give you."

"What..." Zhu Zhuqing's face turned even redder.

"Don't get the wrong idea."

Zhou Chen glanced at Zhu Zhuqing with some amusement. With a flash of light from his left hand, a purple-black Five-Prism Shaped Gem appeared in his palm.

The moment she saw the gem glimmering with an unusual light, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes filled with confusion.

Was Zhou Chen planning to propose to her?

"This is a gemstone that stores bloodline power. Once you swallow it, it will automatically melt and fuse the bloodline power stored within it into your body."

"Bloodline power?"

Zhu Zhuqing looked utterly bewildered. Wasn't bloodline inherited from one's parents?

Seeing her dazed expression, Zhou Chen smiled and said, "You might not understand if I put it in terms of bloodline power. Then do you know how mortals become gods?"

"Reach level one hundred and become a god."

As a member of a great noble family, Zhu Zhuqing knew that much.

"No. Reaching level one hundred alone isn't enough to become a god. You also need to obtain the divine position passed down by the previous deity."

Zhou Chen's expression suddenly turned solemn. He said seriously, "This gemstone contains the bloodline of the Shadow God King. It is the only divine-position inheritance our family has passed down through the generations! And the only chance at immortality!!"

"Zhuqing, as long as you swallow this gemstone and fuse with the Shadow God King's bloodline, you will have a chance to slowly cultivate your way to godhood!"

"What?"

Though Zhou Chen's tone was calm, the meaning behind his words struck Zhu Zhuqing like a thunderbolt!!

Become a god?

This gemstone held an opportunity to become a god?

And Zhou Chen was willing to give her the only divine position, the only chance to become a deity and live forever!

In an instant, tears streamed down Zhu Zhuqing's face. Her entire heart was filled with the warmth in Zhou Chen's eyes.

What is love, that it makes people pledge their lives to one another? Zhou Chen had left her the hope of immortality while willing to grow old himself... It nearly broke her heart.

"No, I don't want it."

Zhu Zhuqing grasped Zhou Chen's hand and looked straight into his eyes through her tears. "If I can't be with you forever, then I'd rather give up any divine position and grow old slowly by your side."