Confession

"Who is it?"

Right at that moment, A Rou's hand combing through her hair suddenly paused, her gaze burning as she looked toward the direction where Dugu Chen and Ah Yin were.

Seeing that they were discovered, Dugu Chen and Ah Yin exchanged a glance, and then hand in hand, they slowly walked out from the dark forest.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

Before her, a little girl with delicate, exquisite eyes looked confusedly at her stopped mother, a flash of puzzled light flickering in her eyes.

"Xiao Wu, stay behind me."

A Rou stood up and shielded Xiao Wu behind her. When she saw Dugu Chen, a human, her vigilance reached its absolute limit, and she even made Xiao Wu take a few steps back with her.

But the moment she saw Ah Yin, her gaze trembled unbelievably, intense ripples spreading across her pair of pink, phoenix-like eyes.

"Ah Yin, we meet again!"

Seeing A Rou's vigilant appearance, Ah Yin waved at her with a gentle smile, the smile on her face as refreshing as a spring breeze.

"You are... Ah Yin?"

"It's me. It has been many years, I didn't expect you to change so much!"

Ah Yin glanced at A Rou, and then looked at Xiao Wu in front of her, a look of maternal affection appearing on her face.

A Rou had yet to let go of her vigilance at this moment, furrowing her brow as she looked at Dugu Chen and asked Ah Yin:

"Ah Yin, who is he? Why are you staying together with a human?"

Hearing this, Ah Yin's expression suddenly stiffened, a few traces of hard-to-detect panic hidden in the depths of her eyes. She glanced sideways at Dugu Chen, yet Dugu Chen was also looking back at her.

The gazes of the two collided in the air just like that, completely unawares.

The corners of Dugu Chen's mouth curled into a faint smile, and he reached out to pull Ah Yin into his embrace, whispering softly by the shell of her ear:

"What are you nervous about? I've known your identity for a long time!"

"Of course, if you feel that there are some private topics between friends that are inconvenient to tell me, I can actually avoid them."

Ah Yin's expression was startled. "You knew? Wh... when did that happen?"

"From the very first day I met you!"

Dugu Chen reached out and pulled Ah Yin closer into his embrace, making her delicate body press tightly against his chest.

Ah Yin bit her lips, and just as she intended to explain to him why she was hiding her identity, Dugu Chen's words abruptly interrupted her train of thought.

"I don't care about your identity. You are my Ah Yin, the gentle and kind Sister Ah Yin I know, and that's enough!"

Dugu Chen reached out to cup Ah Yin's cheek, lowered his head, and gently pecked her cherry lips, a gentle smile on his face.

A Rou stood to the side, astonishment written all over her face.

Watching the two of them hugging and whispering affectionately, even if A Rou were any more foolish, she would still understand what kind of relationship the two had.

That vigilance toward Dugu Chen in her eyes faded by a few fractions, at least lacking the hostility she had at the very beginning.

Xiao Wu also quietly watched the intruders, tilting her head, her tiny eyes shining with immense confusion.

A blush spread across Ah Yin's face, and her heart felt sweet.

So... he knew everything, he had just been going along with it all along and chose not to expose her.

"Thank you, Xiao Chen!"

The knot in Ah Yin's heart was completely undone, and she murmured to herself inwardly as a warm current slowly flowed through the fields of her heart.

"What are you daydreaming about?"

Dugu Chen reached out to wave a hand in front of Ah Yin's eyes, saying gently.

"It's nothing..."

Ah Yin's pretty face blushed, and she pulled Dugu Chen's palm as she took a few steps forward, arriving in front of A Rou and Xiao Wu:

"Sister A Rou, his name is Dugu Chen, he is... my future husband!"

Ah Yin smiled as she gestured with a hand, introducing him to A Rou. By the end of her words, her voice grew softer and softer, and a faint shyness appeared on her face.

Dugu Chen's expression, however, appeared quite composed. With a bright smile on his face, he extended his palm toward A Rou:

"Hello, Sister A Rou. I often hear Sister Ah Yin mention you, seeing you today truly makes you look like a heavenly being descending to earth."

A Rou's expression changed slightly. Looking at Dugu Chen's extended palm, and upon confirming that the other party harbored no malice, she extended her fair, tender hand to shake his.

"Hello, my name is A Rou, and this is my daughter, Xiao Wu!"

A Rou's palm was warm and smooth, making even the finest mutton-fat jade pale significantly by comparison, her snow-white skin glowing with a faint luster under the moonlight.

The two separated at the lightest touch, and Dugu Chen withdrew his palm, a poised and bright smile blooming on his face.

A Rou slowly pulled her hand back under her long dress, her gaze falling upon that brilliant smile on his face, her eyes inevitably stirring with ripples.

After a brief familiarity, a warm smile bloomed across A Rou's face as she sat back down to comb Xiao Wu's long hair.

"Ah Yin, you've changed so much now. I can hardly sense your aura anymore. Has your cultivation now broken through level seventy?"

A Rou asked softly as she combed the hair, turning her head to look at Ah Yin.

Hearing this, a look of puzzlement appeared on Ah Yin's face, and right at that moment, Dugu Chen's words answered the question in her heart.

"It's Lovesick Heartbreak Red. It can conceal the soul beast aura on your body. As long as you wear this flower, you are no different from a normal human right now."

Dugu Chen smiled faintly as he explained to Ah Yin.

"So that's how it is!"

Ah Yin came to a sudden realization, reached out to hold Lovesick Heartbreak Red in the palm of her hand, and gazed blankly at it.

Just now, she had been wondering why they were standing so close to A Rou, yet the other party still hadn't sensed the aura of her arrival.

Turns out, it was actually the effect of this flower.

After Ah Yin took Lovesick Heartbreak Red into her palm, A Rou also instantly sensed that trace of soul beast aura on Ah Yin's body.

Her gaze likewise fell upon that blood-red peony along with Ah Yin. Clearly, it was the fragrance of this flower that covered up the soul beast aura on her.

"Is it this flower's ability?"

Ah Yin looked at Dugu Chen, a flash of shock passing through her eyes. Having lived for so many years, she had never even heard of such a miraculous flower...

Dugu Chen nodded slightly and said with a smile:

"That's right. This flower is named Lovesick Heartbreak Red. It is the king of flowers and an Immortal Herb with miraculous powers."

"It's actually an Immortal Herb?"

A Rou's pupils dilated instantly. Although she had already guessed previously that a flower capable of concealing an aura must surely be extraordinary, she hadn't expected it to actually be an Immortal Herb.

"Mom, what is an Immortal Herb?"

As if she had heard something novel, Xiao Wu looked toward A Rou and hurriedly pressed for an answer.

A Rou gently stroked Xiao Wu's head and said softly:

"Immortal Herbs are supreme treasures that grow in certain peculiar environments across the continent. Generally, they all possess extremely powerful effects. Whether a soul beast or a soul master obtains one, they can instantly shed their mortal frame and undergo a complete transformation."

"So that's how it is. Then does that mean if I eat an Immortal Herb, I can grow up quickly?"

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and her voice sounded milky and naive, making her seem extremely excited.

Dugu Chen was also amused by Xiao Wu's innocence. He reached out to pinch her tender, pink little cheeks and said gently:

"You little silly, Immortal Herbs are used to improve one's potential. How could they have such a miraculous effect that someone could grow up in an instant?"

Hearing this, Xiao Wu's eyes dimmed in an instant. "So even eating an Immortal Herb doesn't let you grow up immediately!"

"Ah Yin, where did you get this Immortal Herb?"

Listening to the two people's conversation, A Rou's eyes flickered slightly as she turned her head to look at Ah Yin.

"This Immortal Herb... was given to me by Xiao Chen!"

A faint blush appeared on Ah Yin's face. Holding Lovesick Heartbreak Red in one palm, she used her other hand to embrace Dugu Chen's arm, speaking softly.