Warm Memories

The morning sun lacked the fierce heat of noon. Its gentle light slanted through the clean glass window and spilled across the room, casting bright patches on the floor. Tiny motes of dust floated in the air, dancing in the beams.

Years of practicing the Purple Demon Eyes had left Tang Wulin accustomed to waking at a set time. As consciousness returned, the first thing he felt was the reassuring weight and warmth in his arms. He lowered his head. Gu Yuena was still asleep against him, her silver hair spilling untidily over his arm and the pillow. A few stray strands clung to her smooth forehead and cheeks. Her sleeping face was peaceful and beautiful. Long lashes cast faint shadows beneath her eyes, and with those usually cool violet eyes closed, she looked less distant and more unguardedly soft. Her breathing was slow and even, her warm breath brushing his neck with a faint tickle.

A satisfaction and peace he could not put into words filled his chest. He watched her quietly, as though he could never look long enough. Even his breathing softened without his realizing it, for fear of disturbing this hard-won peace. She was the woman he loved.

Only after a long while did he cautiously try to ease his arm out from beneath her head. He moved as gently as though handling a priceless treasure.

But just as his arm was about to slip free, Gu Yuena seemed to sense in her sleep that her source of warmth was leaving. Her delicate brows drew together, and she let out a drowsy, indistinct murmur of protest. The slender hand resting beside him reached forward almost by instinct, caught the hem of his clothes, and held tight, like a drowning person clutching a piece of driftwood.

"Mm... Don't go... Why are you getting up so early?" Her voice was muffled and husky with sleep, carrying an unconscious hint of pleading. She sounded nothing like the cool, imposing Silver Dragon King of ordinary days.

Tang Wulin's heart melted. He stopped and let her hold on to his clothes. With his free hand, he gently pinched her smooth cheek. It felt cool beneath his fingers, like the finest silk.

"Little sleepyhead, the sun's already shining on you. Time to get up." His voice was low and tender, thick with affection he did not even realize he was showing.

His touch and words disturbed Gu Yuena's sleep. She shook her head impatiently, trying to escape his teasing fingers. Then she did something that made Tang Wulin struggle not to laugh: she yanked up the blanket and pulled it over her head, hiding her entire face. From underneath came a muffled protest. "No, no... Just a little longer..."

The bundle beneath the blanket burrowed farther in, as though trying to shut out the world entirely.

Tang Wulin finally let out a quiet laugh, his chest shaking with delight. This childish Gu Yuena, who stayed in bed and wheedled for more sleep, was far too rare and far too adorable. He reached out and patted the mound beneath the blanket, his voice full of indulgence. "All right. Sleep a little longer. I'll go buy breakfast."

A muffled grunt came from under the blanket. He took it as agreement.

Tang Wulin waited a little longer. Only when the hand gripping his clothes loosened slightly did he manage to slip away. He rose quietly, tucked the blanket around her, and looked at the little bundle, the smile lingering on his face.

After a quick wash, Tang Wulin left the house. Aolai City was already awake, its streets filled with the tempting aromas of breakfast stalls. Guided by a strange sense of familiarity, he wove through the lanes. Without having to think, he knew which stall made the richest seafood congee, which fried buns had the crispiest bottoms, and where to find the most golden, fluffy fried dough sticks.

He bought a serving of nearly every snack he remembered thinking she might like. Only when his hands were full did he head back, satisfied.

The sight that greeted him when he opened the door made him smile again.

Gu Yuena was awake, sitting on the edge of the bed with her knees hugged to her chest and her cheeks puffed out in a sulk. Clearly, once he left, the warm bed had lost its appeal and she had been forced awake. Her morning temper had not quite faded. A night of tossing and turning, followed by pulling the blanket over her head, had left her beautiful silver hair in disarray. A few strands stuck up stubbornly. With her violet eyes looking even brighter for the displeasure in them, she was the very image of a silver cat that had just woken up in a bad mood, its fur slightly ruffled.

When Tang Wulin returned, she looked up and shot him a reproachful glare, as though blaming him both for waking her and for leaving her alone.

Tang Wulin walked over with a smile and set the fragrant breakfast on the table. Then he reached out and stroked her tousled head, gently trying to soothe her.

"There, don't be angry. Come and see—I bought lots of good things to eat." His voice was impossibly soft. "Time for breakfast, Gu Yue."

He said "Gu Yue" so naturally, as though he had called her that a thousand times in his heart.

At last, the smell of food chased away the last of Gu Yuena's morning temper. Her gaze settled on the array of snacks, and her eyes brightened. They sat together at the old wooden table that held so many memories and began their first "home-cooked" breakfast in ten thousand years.

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There was no reserve, no formality. They were like any ordinary family. Tang Wulin pushed the soft, savory seafood congee toward her, broke open a piping-hot fried bun, and warned her to be careful of the broth. Gu Yuena was particularly fond of the crisp fried dough sticks. By the time she finished, a little glistening oil and a few tiny crumbs clung to the corner of her mouth.

Tang Wulin was speaking when his gaze passed over her lips. Almost without thinking, he fell silent, produced a clean handkerchief, turned toward her, and gently wiped away the little smudge.

The gesture came so naturally, as though he had done it countless times before. Through the thin handkerchief, his fingertips could feel the soft outline of her lips.

Gu Yuena paused and lifted her violet eyes to his. Seeing the focused tenderness in his gaze and the care with which he wiped her mouth, she looked surprised for an instant. Then a sly, warm smile spread through her eyes, like a spring breeze rippling across a pond. It held understanding, sweetness, and a touch of the small, pleased pride that Na'er alone had shown ten thousand years ago. She said nothing, merely letting him continue and enjoying this long-missed, attentive care.

Breakfast ended in a warm atmosphere. Between them, they polished off every last bite.

After the meal, Tang Wulin stood to take a closer look around the house and see whether anything else might stir his memories. His gaze lingered on an old wooden chest in the corner. Almost without knowing why, he went over and opened it.

Inside lay several neatly folded sets of small clothes. They were boys' clothes, simple in style. Age had made the fabric somewhat fragile, but they were clean. These were clothes he had worn as a child. His belongings had been carefully kept here, as though waiting all this time for the day he might return.

As his fingers brushed the soft old cloth, with its dusty scent, a wave of grief rose in him again. So much had changed. Before he could repay the people who had raised him, ten thousand years had come between them. The regret and longing weighed on him until he could hardly breathe.

He drew a deep breath, forced down the emotions surging within him, and gently closed the chest.

A thought came to him. He sent his spiritual power into the storage ring on his finger, the ring that had revived along with him. It held a vast space, but little was stored inside—mostly things he had instinctively felt were important enough to keep.

He searched through it with his mind and soon found something.

With a flash of light, a neatly folded set of clothes appeared in his hands.

It was a black formal suit. Expertly tailored from fine material, it was simple and elegant in design, with details that spoke of exceptional taste. Though ten thousand years had passed, it still looked brand-new, as though it had been made only yesterday.

It was the suit Gu Yue had made for him for the party aboard the yacht ten thousand years ago.

A clear fragment of memory struck him without warning—

A luxurious, brilliantly lit cruise ship ballroom. Elegantly dressed guests and flowing music. He wore this suit, standing tall and handsome. And beside him was Gu Yue, with black hair and black eyes, wearing a breathtaking fitted gown. She looked like Yue Shen descended to earth. She held his arm and tilted her head to look up at him, a barely perceptible possessiveness and warning in her violet eyes. In a voice only he could hear, half joking and half serious, she said:

"Tonight, you're only allowed to look at me. If anyone dances with you, I'll break her legs."

That adorably headstrong, utterly possessive Gu Yue overlapped strangely with the ruffled woman who had refused to get out of bed moments ago. He could not help smiling.

This time, the returning memory brought no splitting headache. The force that had once kept his memories from him seemed to have quietly weakened through their resonance at the Lake of Life, the warmth of his childhood home, and the bond restored by Golden Speech's return. He simply let himself feel that sweet, bittersweet past and savor the feeling of being so fiercely treasured by her.

He looked deeply at Gu Yuena, who was curiously watching the street outside the window, his eyes full of emotion. In the end, he said nothing. He carefully returned the suit, and the special memory it carried, to the deepest part of his storage ring, as though putting away a priceless treasure.

When he was done, the sorrow and reminiscence on his face gradually faded, replaced by a steadier tenderness. He walked over to Gu Yuena at the window and reached out once more, stroking her smooth silver hair as though it were already a habit.

"We should go out for a walk," he said softly.

Sunlight fell across them, stretching their shadows until they intertwined.