I Am Willing (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Carrying the majestic aura of a level 73 Spirit Saint and the sharp edge of one who had successfully hunted a seventh spirit ring, Lin Yi returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect branch at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, accompanied by the Bone Douluo and the Sword Douluo.

After a brief stay and an exchange of cultivation insights with the Bone Douluo, who was stationed there, he departed for the Heaven Dou Royal Academy with Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing.

Lin Yi did not intentionally draw attention to his return, but the unique aura belonging to a Spirit Saint, coupled with a temperament that had become increasingly profound and steady after being tempered in the Far North, still caused a stir among the academy's upper echelons.

Meng Shenji and the other chief administrators personally welcomed him, their attitudes becoming increasingly respectful.

Lin Yi still held the title of team leader, and since he had decided to stay for a while, he fulfilled his duties, taking time to guide both the new and old members of the Imperial Fighting Team.

The original members of the Imperial Fighting Team, such as Osler and Yu Feng, had already broken through level 40 and graduated, and the team had been injected with fresh blood.

Lin Yi's guidance was often sharp and hit the mark, pointing directly to the core of their issues, which left the young students greatly benefited and filled them with admiration for him.

Zhu Zhuqing continued to fulfill her duties as a "maid," silently and meticulously managing Lin Yi's daily life at the academy.

Under his occasional guidance and over a year of quiet cultivation, her own cultivation had steadily risen to level 40, and her temperament had become increasingly cold and ethereal, though a trace of imperceptible complexity would occasionally flash in her eyes when she looked at Lin Yi and Xiao Wu.

As for Xiao Wu, having cultivated in a treasure land like the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, combined with the resources Lin Yi tilted toward her from time to time, her spirit power had already reached level 42.

She seemed to have fully adapted to her current life; the initial panic and unease had faded, replaced by a liveliness and girlish charm that only truly surfaced when she was alone with Lin Yi.

The night grew deep, and the academy was silent. Lin Yi's residence was an independent courtyard, quite secluded.

Inside the bedroom, candlelight flickered, casting a warm glow.

Xiao Wu had just finished bathing and was wearing a thin pink nightgown, sitting in front of the vanity, wiping her wet scorpion braid with a soft towel.

Water droplets slid down her fair, slender neck and disappeared into the collar of her nightgown, outlining her increasingly full and moving curves.

She exuded a faint, fresh scent mixed with grass and a girl's natural fragrance; under the hazy candlelight, her already stunning face added a touch of breathtaking allure.

Lin Yi finished dealing with some trivial matters and pushed the door open, only to be greeted by such a vivid and fragrant scene. His gaze froze for a moment, and his breathing quietly deepened.

Over a year of living together, the ambiguous kisses and touches at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had long since planted seeds in his heart.

At this moment, in the quiet night, looking at the defenseless and incredibly alluring Xiao Wu, the emotions suppressed by his reason were like spring buds breaking through the soil, no longer to be contained.

Hearing the movement, Xiao Wu turned her head and saw Lin Yi standing at the door, looking at her with deep eyes. Her face heated up slightly, and she subconsciously tightened the collar of her nightgown, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling: "You... you're back."

Lin Yi did not answer, but slowly walked behind her. Through the vanity mirror, their eyes met.

Xiao Wu could see the burning heat in his eyes that was no longer hidden, along with a light she had never seen before, known as "passion." Her heart began to beat wildly, beyond her control, as if a little deer were bumping around inside.

He reached out, not to touch her, but to take the towel from her hands, and with gentle movements, continued to wipe her long, damp hair.

"Xiao Wu," he called out softly, his voice deeper and hoarser than usual, carrying a magnetic temptation.

"Hmm?" Xiao Wu responded subconsciously, her voice as thin as a mosquito's. She felt her cheeks burning fiercely, almost afraid to look at him in the mirror again.

"How long have we known each other?" Lin Yi asked seemingly casually while meticulously wiping her long hair.

Xiao Wu was stunned and calculated: "Since you appeared at Shrek... it's been almost three or four years."

"Three years..." Lin Yi repeated softly, his hands not stopping. "Time flies. I remember the first time I saw you at Shrek..."

Xiao Wu pursed her lips, thinking of the days when she was first coerced by him, and her heart was filled with a mix of emotions.

"Later, at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well..." Lin Yi's voice grew deeper, carrying the warmth of memory. "From your initial resistance to your later habit, and then to... the occasional response."

He was referring to those day-after-day kisses. Xiao Wu's face turned even redder, so shy she almost wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

"I know that at the beginning, I used less than honorable means to keep you by my side," Lin Yi's tone carried a trace of frank self-reflection. "I threatened you with your secret and forced you to submit."

Xiao Wu remained silent; this was the truth, an beginning that could not be erased.

"However," Lin Yi changed the subject, his hands stopping to press gently on her shoulders, forcing her to look directly into his deep eyes—eyes that seemed capable of absorbing one's soul—through the mirror, "I don't know when it started, but watching you by my side, going from fear to calm, from resistance to habit, and even... to dependence.

Watching your serious profile while you cultivate, watching your occasional sly smiles, watching your peaceful, defenseless appearance when you sleep... I realized that what I wanted was no longer just control and possession."

His gaze was fiery and sincere, every word clearly striking Xiao Wu's heart: "I have grown accustomed to the feeling of having you by my side. I am used to your scent, your warmth, everything about you. If I don't see you, I feel like something is missing. If I see you getting close to others, even if it's just laughing and talking, I feel... uncomfortable."

He leaned down, his warm breath brushing against Xiao Wu's ear, carrying an unquestionable seriousness and unprecedented tenderness: "Xiao Wu, I like you. Not the possession of the strong over the weak, but the liking of a man for a woman who has moved his heart, a woman he wants to cherish for a lifetime."

"Are you... willing to stay by my side like this from now on? Not as a follower or a victim of coercion, but as... my, Lin Yi's, woman."

Boom!

Xiao Wu's mind went blank, and she felt as if she had been stunned by this sudden, direct, and fiery confession.

She had thought that Lin Yi might only ever possess her forcefully, perhaps developing some warmth over time, but she had never dared to hope that this cold, powerful, and deep-thinking man would confess to her so solemnly, setting aside all his airs.

Like? He liked her?

Not coercion, not a transaction, but... liking?

The bits and pieces of the past three years surged into her heart like a tide. The initial fear and humiliation, the overbearing yet clumsily tender moments at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well...

He provided her with protection and cultivation resources, and the occasional indulgence he showed, which perhaps even he hadn't noticed...

Yes, she realized, she had long since lost her initial hatred and fear of him.

What remained in her heart was a complex and indescribable dependence, a closeness that had become second nature, the peace of mind when seeing his powerful back, the shy annoyance when teased by him, and the sourness she didn't even want to admit to herself when seeing him interact with other women, like Zhu Zhuqing...

She had already... fallen for him.

It was only the disparity in their status and the sordid beginning that had made her afraid to face or admit to these feelings that had long since changed.

At this moment, listening to his words—which were not flowery but struck every chord in her heart—and looking at the undisguised affection and expectation in his eyes, all her hesitation, wandering, and inferiority seemed to be shattered in this very instant.

Tears welled up in her eyes without warning, sliding down her smooth cheeks. Yet these were not tears of sorrow, but of relief, of being moved, and of the bittersweet joy that comes after enduring hardship.

She turned around abruptly, no longer looking through the mirror but facing him directly. With tear-blurred eyes, she looked at him and answered in a voice that was choked with emotion, yet incredibly clear: "I... I do!"

These three simple words seemed to have exhausted all her strength, yet they carried the weight of all her feelings.

Lin Yi looked at her tear-streaked yet incredibly resolute expression, and the softest part of his heart was struck deeply.

He reached out, gently wiping the teardrops from her face, and then, without further hesitation, lowered his head and kissed her trembling lips deeply.

This kiss was different from any that had come before.

It was no longer filled with tentative exploration or overbearing demands, but was instead brimming with cherishing, tenderness, and an inseparable, profound affection.

He carefully traced the shape of her lips as if treating them as the most precious treasure in the world, gentle and lingering.

Xiao Wu responded clumsily, her arms wrapping around his neck before she even realized it, her entire body softening into his embrace.

Under the candlelight, their figures were tightly entwined, as if they were about to melt into one.

The night was still long.

Clothes slipped away quietly at some unknown moment, shimmering with an alluring luster under the candlelight.

She shyly squeezed her eyes shut, her long eyelashes trembling like butterfly wings, letting Lin Yi's burning gaze and hands ignite clusters of unfamiliar flames upon her body.

Lin Yi's movements were extremely gentle, as if he feared disturbing this long-awaited beauty. He kissed her brow, her eyes, and the tip of her nose with dense, soft kisses, before finally returning to those already swollen lips and trailing downward.

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water, quietly spilling across the courtyard, witnessing this man and woman who, after enduring so many twists and turns, finally belonged to each other—body and soul.

When everything returned to calm, Xiao Wu curled up in Lin Yi's arms like a lazy kitten, her cheek pressed against his solid chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat and feeling an unprecedented sense of peace and satisfaction.

Lin Yi's arms held her tightly, his chin resting gently against the top of her head. With the faint fragrance of her hair lingering in his nose, his heart was filled with an indescribable sense of fulfillment.

"Lin Yi..." Xiao Wu nuzzled into his chest, her voice husky and languid from their intimacy.

"Hmm?" Lin Yi lowered his head and kissed her hair.

"Will we always be together?" She looked up, her large eyes sparkling with hope in the darkness.

Lin Yi looked at her, his gaze firm and tender, as he gave her a solemn promise: "We will. As long as I, Lin Yi, am still here, I will never let you leave again, nor will I let anyone ever hurt you."

Xiao Wu smiled sweetly, buried her head back into his chest, and closed her eyes in peace.