Carrying the imposing aura of a seventy-three-level Soul Saint and the sharpness of one who had successfully obtained his Seventh Soul Ring, Lin Yi returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's branch at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, accompanied by the Sword and Bone Douluo.
After a brief stay and an exchange of cultivation insights with Bone Douluo, who was stationed there, he set off with Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing to return to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Lin Yi made no effort to draw attention to his return, but the distinctive aura of a Soul Saint and the increasingly profound, steady bearing he had gained after enduring the trials of the Far North still stirred the academy's upper ranks.
Meng Shenji and the other chief officials personally welcomed him, their attitude even more respectful than before.
Lin Yi still held the post of team leader. Since he had decided to stay for a while, he fulfilled his duties as well, taking time to guide both the new and veteran members of the team.
The original members of the Imperial Fighting Team, Osler, Yu Feng, and the others, had now all broken through level forty and graduated. The team had been replenished with fresh blood.
Lin Yi's guidance often hit the nail on the head, pinpointing the heart of the matter. The young students benefited greatly and admired him even more.
Zhu Zhuqing continued to fulfill her duties as his "maid," quietly and meticulously taking care of Lin Yi's daily needs at the academy.
After more than a year of secluded cultivation and occasional guidance from Lin Yi, her cultivation had steadily reached level forty. Her bearing had grown ever colder and more ethereal; only when she looked at Lin Yi and Xiao Wu did a hard-to-detect complexity sometimes flicker in her eyes.
As for Xiao Wu, her cultivation at a treasured place like the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, along with Lin Yi's occasional generosity with resources, had brought her Soul Power to level forty-two.
She seemed to have fully adapted to life as it was now. The fear and unease of the beginning had faded, replaced by a little more of a young girl's liveliness and sweetness. Still, she showed most of that vivacity only when alone with Lin Yi.
Night deepened, and silence settled over the academy. Lin Yi's residence was a secluded, independent courtyard.
Inside the bedroom, candlelight flickered, casting a warm glow.
Xiao Wu had just finished bathing. Wearing a light pink nightdress, she sat at the dressing table, drying her damp scorpion braid with a soft towel.
Droplets slid down her fair, slender neck and disappeared into the collar of her nightdress.
A faint, fresh scent of grass mingled with her youthful fragrance. In the hazy candlelight, her already beautiful face seemed even more captivating.
Lin Yi finished taking care of a few odds and ends and pushed open the door. At the sight before him, his gaze lingered for a moment, and his breathing quietly grew heavier.
After more than a year spent together day and night, the ambiguous kisses and touches at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had long since planted a seed in his heart.
Now, in the stillness of the night, looking at Xiao Wu, so unguarded and alluring, he could no longer suppress the feelings he had kept in check. They were like spring shoots breaking through the soil, impossible to hold back.
Hearing him, Xiao Wu turned around and saw Lin Yi standing in the doorway, gazing at her with a profound look in his eyes. Her face warmed, and she instinctively drew her nightdress collar closer. "Y-you're back," she said, her voice trembling faintly.
Lin Yi didn't answer. He simply walked slowly over to stand behind her. Their eyes met in the dressing-table mirror.
Xiao Wu could see a heat in his eyes that he no longer tried to hide, along with a light she had never seen before—a light called desire. Her heart raced out of control, as if a little deer were leaping around inside it.
He reached out, but didn't touch her. Instead, he took the towel from her hands and gently continued drying her still-damp hair.
"Xiao Wu," he murmured. His voice was lower and huskier than usual, carrying a magnetic allure.
"Mm?" Xiao Wu answered reflexively, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. Her cheeks felt so hot that she could hardly bring herself to look at him in the mirror.
"How long have we known each other?" Lin Yi asked, seeming casual as he carefully dried her hair.
Xiao Wu paused to think. "Since you showed up at Shrek... almost three or four years, I guess."
"Three years..." Lin Yi repeated softly, his hands still moving. "Time really flies. I remember the first time I saw you at Shrek..."
Xiao Wu pressed her lips together, remembering the days when he had first coerced her. Her feelings were tangled.
"Later, at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well..." Lin Yi's voice grew quieter, warmed by the memory. "You went from resisting me at first, to getting used to me, and then... occasionally responding."
He meant the kisses they had shared day after day. Xiao Wu's face grew even redder. She was so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a hole.
"I know that, at the beginning, I used methods that weren't exactly honorable to keep you by my side." Lin Yi's voice carried a note of candid self-reflection. "I used your secret to threaten you and forced you to give in."
Xiao Wu fell silent. That was the truth, an inerasable beginning.
"But..." Lin Yi changed tack. His hands stopped, and he gently placed them on her shoulders, making her meet his gaze in the mirror. His deep eyes seemed capable of drawing in a person's soul. "At some point, watching you by my side, go from fear to calm, from resistance to acceptance, and even... to relying on me, I began to feel something different.
"Watching your focused profile as you cultivated, the sly smile you sometimes let slip, and the peaceful look on your face when you slept... I realized I wanted more than just control and possession."
His gaze was passionate and sincere. Each word landed clearly in Xiao Wu's heart. "I've grown used to having you beside me. I'm used to your scent, your warmth, everything about you. When I can't see you, I feel like something is missing. When I see you getting close to someone else, even if you're only chatting and laughing, it makes me... uncomfortable."
He leaned down, his warm breath brushing Xiao Wu's ear. His words carried undeniable sincerity and a tenderness she had never seen from him before. "Xiao Wu, I like you. Not as a strong man claiming someone weaker, but as a man who's fallen for a woman—someone he wants to cherish for the rest of his life."
"Would you be willing to stay by my side like this from now on? Not as my follower or someone I coerced, but as... my woman, Lin Yi's woman?"
Boom!
Xiao Wu's mind went blank. It was as if this sudden, frank, and passionate confession had left her completely stunned.
She had thought Lin Yi might always simply claim her by force, or that time might stir a little tenderness in him. But she had never dared hope that this cold, powerful, deep-thinking man would make such a solemn confession, setting aside all pretense.
Like her? He liked her?
Not coercion, not a bargain, but... love?
The memories of the past three years surged through her like a tide. The fear and humiliation at the beginning, the overbearing yet clumsy tenderness at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well...
He had given her shelter and resources for cultivation. Now and then, a tenderness slipped through him, perhaps without his even realizing it...
Yes. At some point, the hatred and fear she had felt at first had long since disappeared.
What remained in her heart was a complicated, hard-to-understand reliance; a closeness that had become second nature; the peace she felt when she saw his powerful figure; the embarrassed annoyance she felt when he teased her; and the twinge of jealousy she refused to admit, deep down, when she saw him interacting with other women, like Zhu Zhuqing...
She had fallen for him long ago...
But the disparity between them and the shameful way things had begun had kept her from facing or admitting feelings that had long since changed.
Now, listening to his words—nothing ornate, but each one striking her heart—and looking at the undisguised affection and hope in his eyes, she felt all her hesitation, confusion, and insecurity shatter in an instant.
Tears welled in her eyes without warning and slid down her smooth cheeks. But they weren't tears of sorrow. They were tears of relief and emotion, of the joy and hurt of finally seeing hardship give way to happiness.
She abruptly turned around, no longer facing him through the mirror. Looking straight at him through tear-blurred eyes, she answered in a choked voice, yet with absolute clarity: "I... I'm willing!"
The three simple words seemed to take every bit of strength she had, and to carry every feeling in her heart.
Seeing her tearful yet utterly resolute expression, Lin Yi felt the softest place in his heart stir.
He reached out and tenderly wiped away her tears. Then, without hesitation, he lowered his head and kissed her trembling lips.
This kiss was different from every kiss that had come before.
It no longer carried uncertainty or a domineering desire to take. Instead, it was filled with tenderness, affection, and a deep love that could not be dissolved.
He traced the shape of her lips with great care, as if she were the most precious treasure in the world, his kiss gentle and lingering.
Xiao Wu responded awkwardly, her arms unconsciously winding around his neck as she sank into his embrace.
In the candlelight, their silhouettes held each other close, as if they would melt into one.
The night was still young.
Their clothes slipped away at some point, catching the candlelight with a tempting sheen.
She shyly kept her eyes closed, her long lashes trembling like butterfly wings, and let Lin Yi's gaze and hands awaken unfamiliar feelings within her.
Lin Yi was tender in every movement, as if afraid of disturbing the beautiful dream he had longed for. He kissed her brow, her eyes, and the tip of her nose, then returned to her lips, already tender from their kisses.
Outside, moonlight flowed like water, quietly filling the courtyard and bearing witness as the two who had endured so many twists and turns finally drew close, heart and soul.
When all was still again, Xiao Wu curled up in Lin Yi's arms like a lazy cat, her cheek against his firm chest. She listened to the strong, steady beat of his heart and felt a sense of peace and contentment unlike anything she had known before.
Lin Yi held her tightly, his chin resting lightly against the crown of her head. The fresh fragrance of her hair lingered beneath his nose, and an indescribable fullness filled his heart.
"Lin Yi..." Xiao Wu snuggled against him, her voice husky and soft.
"Mm?" Lin Yi lowered his head and kissed her hair.
"Will we always be together?" She looked up, her big eyes shining with hope in the darkness.
Lin Yi looked at her, his gaze firm and tender, and made a solemn promise. "We will. As long as I, Lin Yi, am here, I won't let you leave again, and I won't let anyone hurt you."
Xiao Wu smiled sweetly, buried her head against his chest again, and closed her eyes in peace.
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