The Rest of My Life Is You · The Crushing Weight of Fate

Tang Wulin practically sprinted as he carried Gu Yue back to their residence at Shrek. Along the way, he did not dare let her suffer the slightest jolt. Every step was as light as if he were walking on clouds, yet as heavy as lead. The girl in his arms breathed so faintly she seemed almost transparent, her face white as paper. Her once-lively eyes were tightly shut, tears still clinging to her long lashes, while the blood at the corner of her lips stabbed painfully at his eyes beneath the light.

He gently laid her upon the soft bed. The instant his fingertips touched her icy skin, his heart clenched violently again.

Defying the Soul Contract and forcibly severing the fusion—the pain of having one's spirit torn apart made his entire body turn cold just imagining it. Yet she had endured it all without a word, only so that he would not be sad, only so that he would not lose Na'er.

Na'er followed behind them, her small hands tightly clutching the hem of her clothes. Her eyes were red, yet she did not dare make a sound. She knew Gu Yue was enduring pain beyond anything she could imagine, and all of it was because of her.

Tang Wulin sat by the bed and carefully drew Gu Yue into his arms, letting her lean against his shoulder. Bit by bit, he transferred gentle, rich life energy into her body. He did not dare use any force, afraid he might shatter her already overburdened body. All he could do was stroke her back again and again and murmur her name in a voice hoarse beyond recognition.

"Gu Yue... wake up... don't scare me..."

"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Get better soon..."

As if she had heard his call, the girl on the bed lightly furrowed her brows. A deeply suppressed groan escaped her throat, and fine cold sweat instantly soaked the hair on her forehead. The agonizing pain of her torn spirit swept over her like tides again and again. Every breath felt as if countless silver needles were piercing her marrow, making her tremble uncontrollably.

"It hurts..."

She murmured unconsciously, her voice so faint it was almost inaudible.

That single word made Tang Wulin's eyes redden at once. Scalding tears struck her cheek without warning. He held her tightly, his arms straining until they went pale, yet he did not dare squeeze her too hard. He could only bury his face in her hair, apologizing over and over, his heart aching for her over and over.

"I'm sorry... this is all my fault..."

"If I hadn't chosen you at Sea God's Fate, if I hadn't let you win that bet, you wouldn't have suffered so much..."

He had known the price of that wager all along, yet he had still chosen her without hesitation. He had thought he could bear everything, but he had never imagined that the one who would suffer most in the end would be the person he had desperately wanted to protect.

Gu Yue's body shook more and more fiercely. Her already pale lips were now utterly bloodless. She struggled to open her eyes, but everything in her vision was blurred; she could only barely make out the vague outline of the boy before her. She raised her icy fingertips, wanting to touch his cheek and wipe away his tears, but the moment her arm lifted, it fell limply back down.

"Wulin... don't cry..."

Her voice was as light as the wind, every word consuming the last of her strength. "It doesn't hurt... really... as long as you're not sad... it doesn't hurt..."

"I just... I was just afraid you would hate me... afraid that because of Na'er, you would never speak to me again..."

Tang Wulin's heart shattered completely.

He tightly grasped her fallen hand and pressed it against his cheek, his tears surging beyond all restraint.

"How could I hate you... I don't even have enough time to ache for you..."

"You defied fate for me, bore all the backlash, and gave up your chance to become the complete Silver Dragon King. The luckiest thing in my life was meeting you, loving you..."

"I won't let anything happen to you. I won't let you leave me. In this life, the next life, lifetime after lifetime, I want to be with you."

Perhaps his words were too resolute, or perhaps the warmth of his embrace was too comforting. Gu Yue's tense body gradually relaxed a little, and the excruciating pain slowly eased under the nourishment of his unceasing life energy. Nestled in his arms, she listened to his steady, powerful heartbeat and felt his careful tenderness. The unease and fear in her eyes were slowly replaced by warmth.

She had once thought she was destined to bear the fate of ten thousand years alone, struggling bitterly between her mission and her love, only to end in mutual ruin.

But now, she understood that she did not have to be so strong. She could have an embrace to lean on. She, too, could be cherished with someone's whole life.

Na'er stepped forward softly and reached out her small hand to hold Gu Yue's cold fingertips. Her eyes were red, but her smile was especially gentle.

"Big Sister Gu Yue, thank you..."

"From now on, we'll stay with Brother together and never be apart again."

Gu Yue slowly turned her head and looked at the innocent, gentle girl before her. A faint, tender smile curved her lips.

She had won the wager, yet given up devouring. She had defied the contract and endured the backlash to her spirit.

Yet she felt like the luckiest person in the world.

Tang Wulin gently pulled her closer, lowered his head, and placed a soft, cherished kiss on her forehead, damp with cold sweat and tear stains. There were no unnecessary words in the room, only the steady, intertwined breaths of three people flowing slowly through the quiet night.

The agony gradually faded, and warmth slowly spread.

The heart-rending pain from moments ago had, at this instant, transformed completely into the tenderness of something dearly regained.

Gu Yue leaned against Tang Wulin's chest, feeling the warmth of him and listening to his and Na'er's soft breaths. Weariness and peace washed over her together. She gently closed her eyes, buried her face in the hollow of his neck, and spoke in a soft, relieved voice filled with the dependence of having survived disaster.

"Wulin..."

"I'm here."

"Hold me tight..."

"I'll hold you for a lifetime."

Tang Wulin tightened his arms and gathered both her and Na'er into his embrace.

The night outside the window remained dark, but the room had long since been filled with warmth and love.

The shackles of fate that had once bound them were shattered ruthlessly by love;

The pain of past separation had become this tight embrace.

She had defied fate for him,

And he would hold up the rest of her life for her.

The darkness of night had not yet faded when dawn streamed through the window lattice, coating the three embracing figures in a faint warmth.

Gu Yue slept peacefully in Tang Wulin's arms through the night. Though the agonizing pain of her torn spirit had not fully disappeared, it had eased greatly from the life energy he had continuously transferred into her all night. Her brows remained faintly furrowed, her face still pale, and her long lashes hung quietly, like those of a grievously wounded butterfly that had finally dared to lower its guard.

Tang Wulin had barely closed his eyes all night. He had maintained the same position throughout, holding her carefully, afraid that even the slightest force might break her. He lowered his gaze to watch the exhausted sleeping face of the girl in his arms, gently brushing aside the sweat-soaked strands of hair on her forehead. The pain in his eyes was too deep to dissolve.

Beside them, Na'er was curled up at the edge of the bed, sleeping quietly. After the parting and rebirth of the previous night, the last trace of sorrowful relief had finally faded from the innocent girl's face, leaving only peace and dependence.

It should have been a tranquil morning, but in an instant, it was viciously torn apart by a sudden, overwhelming pressure so immense it was suffocating.

The air froze abruptly.

A violent wind howled in through the window without warning, sending the papers on the table flying and stirring the bed curtains. It also woke the sleeping Gu Yue.

She suddenly opened her eyes. A silver-purple glimmer flashed through them, and her body stiffened uncontrollably. Her already weakened spirit once again erupted with piercing pain beneath that pressure.

It was the aura of a soul beast.

The absolute, commanding pressure belonging to the Beast God.

Tang Wulin instantly shielded Gu Yue behind him. Golden dragon breath spread silently as the Golden Dragon King's power roared awake within him. He stood before her and Na'er like an indestructible barrier. His gaze was cold and sharp as he stared fixedly at the slowly descending figure outside the window, every inch of his aura drawn taut to the limit.

A tall, imposing figure stood suspended in the courtyard. His black robes snapped in the wind, his eyes cold as stars, and the power of the Beast God surrounded him, making even heaven and earth tremble.

It was none other than the Beast God, Di Tian.

He did not approach. He merely stood there quietly, but his gaze seemed tangible as it pierced through the doors and windows, landing directly on Gu Yue with unquestionable interrogation and pressure.

"Your Majesty, the Silver Dragon King."

Di Tian's voice was low and solemn, carrying the hopes of countless soul beasts as well as the crushing weight of fate. Each word struck the hearts of everyone in the room. "Why did you defy the Soul Contract and abandon the fusion? Why did you abandon your return to wholeness and the mission of revival you bear?"

Gu Yue's body jolted, and her face instantly turned even paler. She instinctively clutched Tang Wulin's sleeve, her fingertips whitening as her weakened body trembled uncontrollably.

What was coming had come at last.

She could defy fate for Tang Wulin, bear the backlash for Na'er, and pretend nothing had happened, but she was ultimately the Silver Dragon King—the sovereign of the soul beasts and the only hope of countless surviving soul beasts.

She could not escape.

Feeling the girl in his arms tremble, Tang Wulin's heart clenched. He reached out and tightly held her icy hand, wrapping it in his warmth. Then he raised his eyes to Di Tian, his voice cold and resolute.

"She will not go back, and she will not fulfill any contract again."

"She has already paid the price of having her spirit torn apart so she would not hurt us. You cannot force her anymore."

Di Tian's gaze fell upon Tang Wulin, bearing a trace of cold mockery and pity.

"Human, you do not understand."

"She is the Silver Dragon King, the last hope of the soul beast lineage. Soul beasts are on the verge of extinction, their living space constantly being squeezed away. Countless of our kind wail in despair, waiting only for her to return to wholeness and lead us to life anew."

"For you, she has abandoned the entire soul beast race. Can you bear the guilt of that?"

Those words were like a heavy hammer smashing brutally into Gu Yue's heart.

Yes... could she bear it?

The lives of countless soul beasts, the blood-soaked grudges of ten thousand years, the final hope for her race's survival...

All of it weighed heavily upon her shoulders, leaving her unable to breathe.

The night before, she could defy fate without regard for anything. She could abandon everything for the warmth in her arms. But when Di Tian truly stood before her and spoke of the fate she was bound to bear, all her strength began to crumble in an instant.

"I..."

Gu Yue opened her mouth, her voice weak and trembling, her eyes filled with pain and conflict.

She loved Tang Wulin. She could not bear to leave Na'er, nor could she bear to leave behind this hard-won warmth.

But neither could she stand by and watch the soul beasts walk toward extinction.

On one side were her beloved and warmth,

On the other were her race and fate.

She had been forced to the edge of a cliff, with no path left to retreat.

Tang Wulin could clearly feel the trembling of her body and the collapse within her heart. He abruptly pulled her into a tight embrace and lowered his head to whisper by her ear, his voice gentle yet carrying earthshaking resolve.

"Don't be afraid."

"I won't let you bear it alone."

"The future of the soul beasts, your fate, your pain, your responsibility..."

"From now on, I will bear them with you."

"You are the Silver Dragon King, but you are also my Gu Yue."

"I won't make you choose. I will shield you from all the pressure."

Gu Yue leaned in his arms, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat and feeling his unquestionable protection. Her eyes instantly reddened, and scalding tears once more poured out uncontrollably, soaking his clothes.

She had thought that after defying fate, peace would follow.

But the shackles of fate had never truly left.

Di Tian watched the embracing pair with a complicated gaze, yet he still did not yield.

"Your Majesty, you cannot remain lost in personal love forever."

"I will return in three days."

"I hope you can make the right choice, return to your mission, and not disappoint countless of your kind."

When he finished speaking, his black robes swept around him. The Beast God's pressure vanished in an instant, and Di Tian's figure disappeared into the morning light.

The room fell silent again, but that heavy pressure hung over everyone's heart like dark clouds.

Gu Yue had no strength left and slumped softly into Tang Wulin's arms, tears silently rolling down her face.

At last, she understood that she could defy the contract and abandon devouring, but she could never escape the identity she had been born with.

Tang Wulin held her tightly, stroking her back again and again. He lowered his head to kiss away her tears, his voice gentle and certain.

"Cry. You'll feel better once you let it out."

"No matter what happens, no matter who tries to force you, I won't let you leave me. I won't let you face it alone."

"Three days or three years, I'll keep guarding you."

Na'er softly stepped forward, stretched out her small hand, and tightly held Gu Yue's hand. Her eyes were full of heartache and resolve.

"Big Sister Gu Yue, I'll stay with you too. I'll stay with Brother. We'll face it together."

Sunlight filtered through the window, gently falling over the three of them.

Last night's torment had yet to fade, but today's crushing burden had already descended. The road ahead remained covered in thorns, and fate still watched them hungrily.

But this time, they were no longer alone.

Gu Yue leaned in Tang Wulin's arms, feeling the warmth he and Na'er gave her. Her trembling body gradually calmed.

She slowly lifted her head and looked through tear-blurred eyes at the boy before her. The conflict in her eyes gradually became a trace of stubborn tenderness.

She was the Silver Dragon King,

But more than that, she was Tang Wulin's Gu Yue.

This time, she would not run. She would not push them away. She would not bear everything alone again.

Because she knew that no matter how great the pressure from the outside world, no matter how heavy fate became,

There would always be someone who held her tight,

And shielded her from every storm in the world.

The angst remained,

But sweetness had already quietly taken root.