Tonight, You Belong to Me

Yun Jingheng did not answer immediately.

He leaned back in his chair, waves of heat still surging through his body, but his mind was in even more turmoil.

He knew Gu Yuena was waiting, waiting for him to say "no" or "yes".

But the fact that she dared to ask that question meant she didn't need an answer at all; she just wanted him to stop pretending to be stupid.

Yun Jingheng closed his eyes.

Many images flashed by rapidly before his eyes: Shrek's Sea God Lake, the eye contact beneath the ruins... There were too many, so chaotic that even his breathing became heavy.

"Yes," he finally said.

The voice was low and hoarse, without any embellishment or elaboration.

In short, he had to admit something he had been hiding for a long time, something he could no longer conceal.

Gu Yuena looked at him, her expression not changing much, only her eyelashes trembled very slightly.

She already knew the answer, but when she heard him say it aloud, something still stirred within her.

She didn't say anything, but slowly walked up to him and half-squatted down.

Silver hair slipped down her shoulders and fell in front of her old clothes, like a ray of moonlight falling into the shadows.

She looked up at him and said, "Then don't hide anymore."

Yun Jingheng lowered his head, and she knelt half-kneeling in front of him; the position was too close and too soft.

They had never been so quiet together. He reached out and lightly touched her forehead with his fingertips.

She didn't dodge; she even tilted her head slightly, making Yun Jingheng feel as if he'd been burned.

He tried to back down, but Gu Yuena grabbed his wrist first. She said, "I won't compete with Xing Lan, and she won't compete with me. We've both seen life and death. Whether you become a god or stay at Shrek for the rest of your life, we'll both stand behind you."

Yun Jingheng didn't speak; his pulse was pounding rapidly under her fingers. Gu Yuena stood up and touched his face.

Tonight, you belong to me.

The nights in Ming Capital are very quiet.

The moonlight and the dragon's roar intertwined, lingering for Jiujiu.

Chen Xinjie stood in the central room of the North Gate tower, his military uniform changed, and his face still held the stiffness left by Yun Jingheng's scene during the day.

A half-finished map of Ming Capital lay before him, densely marked with red and blue symbols. Several messengers stood by the wall, their legs seemingly rooted to the ground.

Guan Yue sat at the table, arms crossed, eyes closed, as if resting, or perhaps waiting for a signal that could explode at any moment.

"He hasn't come out yet," someone whispered.

Chen Xinjie nodded; he had been hearing those words for almost six hours.

From the moment Yun Jingheng stepped into the Spirit Pagoda, the people from the War God Temple and the Council never stopped, and the city defenses were never withdrawn.

The seventeen Titled Douluo are still scattered in the shadows. On the surface, the Ming Capital is calm, but in reality, it has long been taut like a bowstring.

They were afraid.

They were afraid that Yun Jingheng would suddenly emerge from the Spirit Pagoda, that his "tea-drinking" was just an excuse, and that the moon might turn on them at any moment.

But no one dared to go looking for them.

Gu Yuena's Spirit Pagoda is now even more powerful than the Council.

He went in; he was a guest.

Their going there is tantamount to forcing a resignation. Chen Xinjie rubbed his temples. "What did the council say?"

"Let them wait. They can't stay still, they can't stay still."

Guan Yue still didn't open her eyes, only whispering, "Our new Pavilion Master has a temper that flares up quickly and fades just as fast. If he doesn't act now, he might go back to Shrek by tomorrow morning. If he does act, he might really stay."

Chen Xinjie remained silent.

The word "wait" is the most agonizing.

Tonight, none of the officials in the Ming Capital will be able to sleep.

They stared at the top of the Spirit Pagoda as if it were a moon that might one day fall directly overhead.

The lights on the rooftop never went out.

The person under the lamp still hadn't come out, so they could only continue waiting.

The following afternoon.

Yun Jingheng slowly woke up, feeling the softness in his arms, and gently squeezed it.

Gu Yuena wasn't sleeping deeply; she woke up as soon as Yun Jingheng's hand started to wander.

She didn't open her eyes, but just snuggled closer to him.

Yun Jingheng's silver hair cascaded down his arms, feeling cool to the touch.

Yun Jingheng chuckled softly, resting his chin on the top of her head, but his hands didn't stop.

Gu Yuena finally let out a soft "hmm," her voice slightly nasal from sleep.

He went too far and pinched it again.

Gu Yuena slowly opened her eyes, her purple eyes half-closed in the afternoon sunlight, like a lazy cat.

"I'll cause trouble as soon as I wake up," she said, her voice soft and lazy, completely different from the night before.

Yun Jingheng turned to the side, removed his hand from her waist, but not completely; his fingertips were still resting on her lower back.

He looked at her; all the lingering heat and chaos of last night had faded away, leaving only a soft and quiet warmth.

He suddenly felt a little unreal.

The woman before me is the master of the Spirit Pagoda, the Silver Dragon King.

But now she's lying in his arms.

"Gu Yue," he called out in a hoarse voice.

Gu Yuena blinked, didn't respond, but gently hooked him with the back of her foot.

Yun Jingheng's breathing became erratic. He lowered his head to kiss her, and she didn't dodge.

This wasn't a fierce or serious attack.

Light streamed in through the half-drawn curtains, bathing the entire soft couch in a pale gold hue.

The wind in Ming Capital remained still, and the people below the tower were still waiting.

But none of the people on the tower thought to get up first.

After a long while, Gu Yuena pushed him away a little and propped herself up.

Her silver hair slid down her shoulders, obscuring half of her face.

She reached up and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, saying, "It's time to get up."

Yun Jingheng gave a lazy "hmm" but didn't move.

He buried his head in Gu Yuena's shoulder again, refusing to get out of bed.

Gu Yuena felt itchy from his hair brushing against her, and gently pushed him, but couldn't budge him.

She didn't urge him anymore, but instead ran her fingers through his messy hair, combing it haphazardly.

Yun Jingheng sighed comfortably. Sunlight streamed in from outside the curtains, bathing the two of them in a warm glow.

He suddenly said, "Gu Yue."

"Don't call her Gu Yue, call her Na'er."

"Okay, Na'er, I have an idea." He opened his eyes, his voice still a little sleepy, but his eyes were already clear.

Gu Yuena looked down at him.

Yun Jingheng slowly propped himself up, then casually pulled her hand over and squeezed it in his palm.

He said, "Come with me somewhere in a bit."

Gu Yuena raised an eyebrow. "Where to?"

"The Federal Parliament," Yun Jingheng said.

"Go and overturn the stall?"

"Go get your things." Yun Jingheng slapped him impatiently, then wrapped his long legs around his.

Gu Yuena didn't pull her leg back; instead, she wrapped it even tighter around his waist. She propped herself up, her silver hair sliding down her shoulders, a few strands falling onto Yun Jingheng's chest, Sisi.

She snuggled back into his arms.

Gu Yuena looked at him, a half-smile on her face, "Want something? What do you want? Does the Federation dare not give it to you now?"

Yun Jingheng laughed, "Dare. They seem cowardly on the surface, but they're still scheming deep down. If I don't make things clear, they can keep dragging it out until Shrek City is overgrown with weeds."

As he spoke, his fingers slid down her smooth calves and gently pinched them. "Na'er, get up. If you lie down again, it'll get dark again."

Gu Yuena hummed in agreement, but didn't move.

She even buried her face in the crook of his neck, as if deliberately preventing him from getting up.

Yun Jingheng was both amused and annoyed. He lowered his head and kissed the top of her head. "Fine. Then you can hug me a little longer. When we get to the council, I'll say that the Spirit Pagoda Master's legs went numb and I was held back."

Gu Yuena chuckled softly.

She finally let go of him and sat up.

Her long hair cascaded down her back, and the morning light slanted in from outside the curtains, outlining her silhouette in a very soft way.

Seeing this, Yun Jingheng wanted to stay and go back.

He quickly rolled out of bed to find his clothes; if he didn't leave now, he really wouldn't be able to.