In the carriage, Ye Lingling nestled in Fang Xuan's arms.
When she thought back on everything that had happened over the past few days, it all felt like a dream, yet impossibly real.
Her feelings for Fang Xuan had been changing constantly, but always for the better.
She had also grown more and more attached to him. She wanted to learn more about him, after all, he was the person she would spend the rest of her life with.
"Fang Xuan, will you abandon me?"
Just then, Ye Lingling suddenly asked.
Fang Xuan lowered his head and looked at Ye Lingling in his arms. He saw the worry and unease in her eyes.
At that moment, Ye Lingling clung tightly to him like a kitten afraid of being abandoned.
"What's wrong, Lingling? Why would you ask that?"
Fang Xuan was certain Ye Lingling wasn't the sort of girl who liked to let her thoughts run wild.
So why had she suddenly thought of this? Something about it felt wrong.
"I... I'm afraid you'll stop wanting me, like my father abandoned my mother and me."
Ye Lingling had never seen her father, not even when she was little. She had once asked her mother where he was.
But there had only been one answer: she had no father. He was a heartless man.
Because of the Nine Star Begonia Martial Soul's unique nature, she might only ever be able to have one child in her entire life.
In this era, being able to have only one child meant having few descendants. If that child was a daughter, it would be like the family line had ended.
"I see."
Fang Xuan finally understood, and felt even more heartache for the girl in his arms.
He kissed Ye Lingling's forehead and said gently,
"I swear on my Martial Soul that I'll never leave your side for the rest of my life. If I break this vow, may the heavens strike me down and leave me to die—"
Before he could say the final word, "die," Ye Lingling stopped him.
This was an era blessed by the gods. Swearing upon one's Martial Soul would draw the gods' attention.
"Don't. I believe you."
Ye Lingling was far too kind. It was simply her nature. With the Nine Star Begonia Martial Soul, she was never destined to be ruthless.
"I was just scared. You didn't have to do that."
Seeing Fang Xuan swear on his Martial Soul without a moment's hesitation, just to put her at ease, she knew she had chosen the right person.
Fang Xuan was someone she could entrust her whole life to.
"Don't worry. I'll find a way to fix the flaw in your Martial Soul."
Fang Xuan whispered softly in Ye Lingling's ear, tightening his arms around her and pulling her closer.
A sense of responsibility was a strange thing. It was like deciding to do something and then being determined to see it through.
It had nothing to do with profit or loss, only with the hope held in one's heart.
Suotuo City was quite a distance from Heaven Dou City, and carriages in this era didn't travel very fast.
It took about half a month to reach their final destination.
During the journey, Fang Xuan carefully examined Ye Lingling's physical condition.
If he was going to help her solve the problem with her Martial Soul, he needed to understand it completely.
All the while, Dugu Yan would occasionally come to ask him for Life Dew. After all, it felt wonderful to grow smarter.
Of course, apart from asking him for Life Dew, she also had her own problem to deal with.
The Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's poison wasn't corroding her too severely at present, thanks to Dugu Bo's suppression of it.
But at this rate, the poison would likely exceed what she could endure by the time she reached Soul King rank. Then her life would be in danger.
But she was only at the third ring now, still some way from the fifth.
Besides, Yu Tianheng had promised to find her a Soul Bone.
Whether he went to his family to ask for one or found some other way was none of Fang Xuan's concern.
"By the way, are you sure you don't want to wait while I help smooth things over?"
"Auntie Ye isn't exactly easygoing. If you go straight to her like this, I'm afraid things could go badly."
Dugu Yan hadn't expected Fang Xuan to be so bold. He was actually planning to go head-to-head with his future mother-in-law.
"We can't keep it hidden. If you could tell Lingling was acting strangely, do you think her mother, who works with medicine every day, wouldn't notice?"
Ye Lingling's mother was named Ye Qinru. She ran a medical clinic in Heaven Dou City.
The Nine Star Begonia was a top-tier healing Martial Soul, so Ye Qinru had become somewhat well-known in Heaven Dou City.
The fact that Ye Lingling had been able to attend Heaven Dou Royal Academy showed that her family was no ordinary one.
After all, it was a school for nobles. Ordinary people couldn't get in easily.
Back then, Ye Lingling didn't even know Dugu Yan, so it certainly couldn't have been Dugu Bo who had helped her get in.
What's more, Ye Lingling had no father. Ye Qinru had raised her all by herself.
Trying to play mind games with such a strong woman would only put him at a disadvantage and make her resent him even more.
He hadn't understood the situation before, which was why he had thought of asking Dugu Yan for help.
But after talking with Ye Lingling these past few days, he had finally realized how badly he'd misjudged things.
"How about I ask my grandfather to put in a good word? What's done is done, and I can tell you truly care about Lingling. Besides, you've helped me, too. I can do this much for you."
Dugu Yan's expression was rather grave. She knew what Ye Qinru was like.
Ye Qinru cared for her daughter Ye Lingling no less than Dugu Bo cared for her.
If Ye Qinru found out what had happened to her daughter, Fang Xuan would probably be torn limb from limb.
"No need. I still have to face what's coming."
Fang Xuan shook his head, refusing Dugu Yan's offer.
"Some things can't be settled by having someone step in. But if possible, please help keep the fallout to a minimum. You can even put all the blame on me."
His life was already a mess, and he had nothing to worry about. Gossip and whispers barely bothered him.
But Ye Lingling was sensitive. Those words would cut deeply for her.
They couldn't avoid it entirely, but they could at least minimize the damage.
As for everything else, he would find a way to deal with it himself.
Dugu Yan fell silent. She had once again seen a new side of Fang Xuan.
"Even if you hadn't said anything, I'd have done the same. Lingling is my best friend."
After saying that, Dugu Yan didn't linger. She got up and left.
The carriage entered Heaven Dou City.
Yu Tianheng returned to his family ahead of the others. He wanted to resolve Dugu Yan's problem as quickly as possible.
Dugu Yan went home to find her grandfather. She couldn't handle Ye Lingling's situation on her own, so she needed to seek outside help.
The others had little to do with the matter, so they returned to Heaven Dou Royal Academy as usual.
In the end, only Ye Lingling and Fang Xuan remained in the carriage, heading for the Ye Family.
They passed through long streets and narrow alleys before finally stopping in an area near the center of Heaven Dou City.
Ye Lingling didn't take him to her family's pharmacy. Instead, she brought Fang Xuan directly to her home.
After stepping down from the carriage, she took Fang Xuan's hand, her heart filled with unease.
Only after Fang Xuan encouraged her did she finally knock on the door.
"Mom, I'm home."