Di Tian didn't dodge.
The pillow smacked him in the face, bounced once, and fell to the floor.
He picked it up without expression, dusted it off, and put it back on the bed.
Gu Yue covered her face, heat burning through the gaps between her fingers.
Yet all sorts of indecent images floated unbidden through her mind.
Her voice grew hesitant and stammering. For a long while, she couldn't manage a complete sentence.
"I'm a pure romantic... How could I do something like that..."
Di Tian silently watched his lord.
Pure romantic?
You're about to get cucked, and you're still talking about being a pure romantic.
The next morning.
Sunlight squeezed through a gap in the curtains, cutting a straight golden line across the floor.
Lin An opened his eyes.
The space beside him was empty.
Shadow Brake had left at some point.
The blanket had been folded neatly at the foot of the bed, the pillow placed just so, and the sheets didn't have a single wrinkle.
He stared at the empty bed for a few seconds, then looked away.
Today was the day they were helping Xie Xie obtain a Space-Time Type Soul Spirit.
He washed up quickly, wolfed down a few bites of breakfast, threw on his coat, and opened the door.
Then he nearly ran into someone.
Gu Yue stood outside his door.
He had no idea how long she'd been there.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, the whites bloodshot, and undried tears still clung to her lashes.
Her lips were pressed tightly together. She just stood there, saying nothing and not moving.
Like a kitten abandoned all night, finally waiting for its owner to open the door.
Lin An paused for a moment.
"You..."
"I'm fine."
Gu Yue spoke first, her voice terribly hoarse.
She shook her head and tried to force a smile, but it looked even worse than crying.
"I'm really fine. It's just... the wind was too strong last night, so I couldn't sleep."
As she spoke, tears spilled down despite her best efforts.
One after another, they ran down her cheeks.
She raised a hand and wiped them away haphazardly, but the more she wiped, the more they came. In the end, she gave up and gazed at Lin An with red, pitiful eyes.
"I'm sorry... About last night, I was too impulsive. I shouldn't have made a scene with you in front of so many people."
Her voice trembled, though she struggled to keep it calm.
"I understand. Men having three wives and four concubines is perfectly normal. I... I don't mind."
She said she didn't mind, but her tears flowed even harder.
Lin An watched her in silence.
The silly dragon had cried all night, her eyes so swollen she could barely open them, and now she was standing here telling him, "I don't mind."
An indefinable pang of guilt welled up inside him.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly spotted a figure huddled at the corner of the hallway.
Xie Xie.
Xie Xie was pressed against the wall, his face deathly pale, his gaze fixed on Gu Yue in terror.
He'd woken up at four in the morning.
He was so nervous about obtaining a Soul Ring that he hadn't been able to sleep all night, so he'd come out to get some air.
But as soon as he reached the stairs, he saw Gu Yue standing outside Lin An's door.
Motionless.
With a sinister expression.
Her tear-swollen violet eyes glimmered eerily in the hallway as she stared fixedly at the shut door, the faintest hint of a smile hanging at the corner of her mouth.
Xie Xie had nearly tumbled down the stairs in fright.
He'd crouched at the corner for three whole hours, his legs gone numb, and hadn't dared to move a muscle.
Now, as soon as Lin An stepped out, Gu Yue switched seamlessly from sinister yandere to a pitiful little thing with tears glistening on her cheeks.
Xie Xie felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to his scalp.
This was a yandere, right?
She was definitely a yandere!
He frantically signaled to Lin An, silently mouthing, "Run! Run! That woman's crazy!"
Lin An caught Xie Xie's signal.
But he only shook his head slightly.
"All right, stop crying."
He raised his hand and gently wiped the tears from Gu Yue's face with his fingers.
His touch was light. His fingertips brushed her cool skin, coming away damp.
"So many people are watching. Anyone who doesn't know better will think I'm bullying you."
Gu Yue's body shuddered violently.
Her swollen violet eyes widened abruptly.
Hubby...
Was he worried about her?
These past few days, even though she'd stuck to Lin An every moment of the day, the young man had always brushed her off with impatient indifference.
He'd given her a cold glance as if she were trash.
It had been utter disgust.
But now, Lin An's fingers were gently wiping her cheek.
His voice was gentler than ever before.
Gu Yue's breathing suddenly quickened.
The dark thoughts in her mind grew wildly, like weeds.
That woman had hugged him last night, eaten his cake, and slept in his bed all night.
She wanted nothing more than to rush in, tear that woman apart, and lock Lin An away somewhere only she could find.
But now, she only gazed at Lin An with tearful, aggrieved eyes.
"You are bullying me."
Her voice was thick with a stuffy nose, and tears welled up again.
"You even gave her my cake. And you hugged her and held her close. Boohoo..."
By the end, she could no longer hold back her sobs.
Lin An sighed.
"Really, nothing happened. Her body was having problems, so I just examined her."
"You're lying."
Gu Yue sniffled, wiping the tears from her face in a haphazard fashion until her whole face was a mess.
"I clearly saw you holding each other, and then you kissed."
"That was a step required for purification. Also, I didn't kiss her... Who said we kissed? Don't make things up."
Lin An's face darkened. Then he realized something, and his brows furrowed.
"Wait. How do you know all this?"
Gu Yue's sobbing stopped abruptly.
Her body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
But she reacted quickly. Tears welled up again as if they cost nothing, her voice full of grievance.
"So what if she's a Soul Spirit? Does that mean she can't do anything? Besides, that woman still has a physical body, and she's so pretty. What if things get out of hand and she gets pregnant?!"
The gentleness gradually faded from Lin An's face.
He stared at Gu Yue, his gaze turning scrutinizing.
"Gu Yue. I don't know how you've been keeping tabs on me, but you've definitely gone too far."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a clear distance.
"Don't I get any privacy at all?"
Gu Yue's heart sank.
It's over.
I let it slip.
She bit her lower lip and lowered her head, like a child who'd done something wrong.
After a few seconds of silence, she brought out a beautifully wrapped little box from behind her and held it out to Lin An.
Inside was a sandwich.
The bread had been cut into neat squares, with fresh lettuce and slices of ham tucked inside. The traces of sauce showed it had been made fresh that morning.
"All right, hubby, I'm sorry."
Her voice softened, and she sounded cautious and conciliatory.
"I won't cling to you like that anymore. I made you breakfast."
She paused, then quickly added,
"I didn't mean to keep tabs on you. I just... worry about you."
Her swollen violet eyes gazed pitifully at Lin An.
Tears still glimmered in them, and paired with her delicate, haggard face, they doubled her appeal.
Lin An looked at the sandwich she held out and remained silent for a long time.
In the end, he still reached out and took the box.
"...Don't let it happen again."
Before you continue