The Fare for Crossing Dimensions

After washing up, the awkward atmosphere that had made me blush gradually dissipated in the slightly cool morning breeze.

Aemeath half-supported, half-carried Lu Yan, helping him to sit comfortably back on the Yan Catcher in the living room.

The soft cushions perfectly avoided the scabs on his back, allowing him to recline in a relaxed position.

Not long after, Aemeath brought out breakfast from the kitchen.

It was a bowl of soft, simmered red date porridge, served with a few light and refreshing side dishes.

The sweet aroma of red dates filled the living room, awakening Lu Yan's long-dormant taste buds.

For the next half hour, Lu Yan thoroughly experienced what it meant to be treated like royalty, with everything done for him.

Aemeath sat on the edge of the sofa, holding a bowl of porridge. She used a small white porcelain spoon to feed Lu Yan the warm porridge, spoonful by spoonful.

Her gaze was so focused, as if she were completing an important task. With each bite, she carefully observed Lu Yan's expression, afraid of burning him.

"Swallow slowly, and be sure to tell me if you feel any discomfort~" Aemeath gently wiped the rice grains that had accidentally gotten on Lu Yan's lips with a tissue while softly instructing him.

With this comprehensive and thorough feeding service, the bowl of porridge was quickly emptied.

Lu Yan felt a warm sensation in his stomach; the energy from the food was working in sync with the flow of Frequency within his body, quickly repairing his tired form.

"Are you full? Would you like some more?" Aemeath put down her bowl of porridge and asked, blinking her clear, golden star-like eyes.

"I'm full, really full." Lu Yan shook his head with a smile. "If I keep eating, I reckon I'll turn into a fatso before my injuries even heal."

Aemeath snorted and tilted her head haughtily, saying, "So what if you're a little chubby? You're too skinny right now. My ultimate goal is to fatten you up and make you plump!"

After saying that, she quickly cleared away the dishes and took them into the kitchen.

With the sound of running water, the kitchen was quickly cleaned up.

As Aemeath dried her hands and returned to the living room, her gaze fell upon the courtyard through the clear French windows.

The early summer sun was shining brightly, but the yard looked neglected and dilapidated.

The forget-me-nots she planted herself in the corner should have been in full bloom in early summer, but now, because they hadn't been watered for half a month, the tender green leaves were curling slightly, and the flowers looked rather listless.

The hydrangeas nearby drooped their heavy buds, like thirsty children.

"Oh dear..."

Aemeath frowned slightly, walked to the French windows, and gently touched the glass with her fingertips, her tone tinged with annoyance:

"I still need to take care of the flowers and plants outside."

"I've been staying at the hospital with you these past few days, I haven't even been home once. These little ones must be dying of thirst."

Lu Yan leaned back on the sofa, quietly watching Aemeath's silhouette, which was bathed in sunlight.

She wore that loose-fitting loungewear, her figure slender, yet it contained an astonishing obsession that transcended time and space.

She stayed in the hospital for half a month for him, and during that time, she probably didn't even have a proper meal or a good night's sleep.

The thought of this made Lu Yan feel a pang of sadness.

"You've worked so hard, Aemeath."

Lu Yan's gentle voice slowly spread through the quiet living room, filled with undisguised gratitude.

Upon hearing this, Aemeath immediately turned around, her slightly furrowed brows instantly relaxing, and a warm, spring-like smile blooming on her face.

She walked quickly to the sofa and sat down on the carpet next to Lu Yan, placing her hands on the edge of Lu Yan knees with her chin resting gently on the back of her hands.

I don't feel tired doing anything for you.

Aemeath looked up at him, her eyes reflecting Lu Yan's image as if he were her entire world. "As long as you live well and stay by my side, that's enough."

Looking at Aemeath's completely reliance on him, Lu Yan raised his only movable hand and gently stroked her soft, long pink hair.

The sensation of fingertips running through his hair was incredibly realistic, which involuntarily brought Lu Yan's thoughts back to that long and vivid dream.

He remembered the amulet that Aemeath had shown him at the Star Torch Academy.

I didn't see Aemeath bring this over; it was still there during the Ming Star Torch Academy era.

"Speaking of which..." Lu Yan paused slightly, his gaze naturally falling on Aemeath's fair and slender neck and collarbone.

It was empty there, except for the loving Tacit Mark left behind by those Tunneler resonated with it.

What happened to your childhood lucky charm?

Lu Yan asked softly, "Is it that silver amulet with a blue-pink gradient, containing a trace of my Frequency?"

Upon hearing the words "amulet, "Aemeath was resting on Lu Yan's lap, stiffened slightly.

She didn't answer immediately, but lowered her head, looking at her empty palms as if they had once held the most precious treasure in the world.

After a long while, Aemeath finally raised her head again.

This time, the expression on her face lacked her usual coquettishness and mischief, instead displaying an unprecedented tenderness and profundity that could almost drown one.

You mean that one?

Aemeath chuckled softly, her voice so gentle it was like a feather landing on Lu Yan's heart.

She extended a finger and gently touched Lu Yan's chest, where his heart beat, and where she had touched him before he completely vanished in the dream.

"That amulet... I used it as travel expenses to get here."

"Travel expenses?"

Lu Yan was stunned, completely failing to grasp the meaning of the word in this context.

A talisman is a physical object, how could it become travel expenses?

Aemeath withdrew her hand, slowly stood up from the carpet, and sat down in the empty seat on the sofa next to Lu Yan.

When the amulet, which carried countless days and nights of longing, was mentioned, Aemeath's expression did not show the sadness and heaviness that Lu Yan had expected. Instead, it became gentler and milder than ever before.

She turned slightly to the side, her gaze passing over Lu Yan's shoulder, seemingly looking towards the distant past.

"Actually, nothing earth-shattering happened, and I didn't encounter any terrible crisis."

Aemeath's voice was soft, tinged with a hint of wistfulness. She stretched out her slender fingers and gently played with the fingers of Lu Yan's uninjured hand.

"During that long search, I went to many places, until one day, the amulet I always carried with me suddenly began to resonate with an unprecedented intensity."

Aemeath raised her eyes, her gaze meeting Lu Yan's. "That's A-Yan's Frequency. It's like a self-aware compass, slightly warm in my palm, guiding me all the way in that direction."

"It guided me, across a very, very long road."

"Ultimately, it led me to Sonora, and then to a door."

Upon hearing the name Sonora, Lu Yan's heart skipped a beat.

Sonora is a small world in itself, and the town of Phrolova belongs to Sonora.

The important thing is that this kind of place is dangerous!

It was a very ordinary-looking door. There was no wind or sound around.

Aemeath carefully recalled the scene, a faint smile playing on her lips, but beneath that smile lay a barely perceptible tremor of fear. "But, just as I stepped onto that door..."

She paused for a moment, then subconsciously tightened her grip on Lu Yan's fingers.

With a snap, the silver amulet I was wearing around my neck... shattered right before my eyes, without any warning.

Lu Yan's pupils suddenly contracted.

He could imagine how cruel that moment must have been for Aemeath.

In those long years when she had no relatives or friends and was even unsure if he existed, that amulet was her only protection.

But this one and only shattered into dust before the finish line.

"At that moment, I felt like the sky was about to fall."

Aemeath's eyes were slightly red, but her smile remained gentle. "But a miracle happened. Although the amulet shattered, the Frequency that belonged to you within it did not dissipate."

"That Frequency flowed from the shattered metal shell like a glowing ribbon, directly into the door."

Aemeath took a deep breath, her tone becoming incredibly firm, even carrying a hint of desperate madness and resolve:

"Seeing your Frequency drift into the door, I didn't have time to think about what was behind it."

"Whether it was an abyss or nothingness, I didn't hesitate for a second and immediately gave chase."

She gently pressed her cheek against the back of Lu Yan's hand, like a stray cat that had finally found its owner, her voice filled with a heartbreaking obsession:

"After all, that's my only remaining thought in this world."

"If I can't even grasp that light, I really don't know what else I can do."

A long silence fell over the living room.

Lu Yan felt as if an invisible hand was clenching his heart tightly; a mix of emotions—bitterness, heartache, and countless complex feelings—churned within his chest.

There were no earth-shattering battles, no life-or-death crises.

Just to pursue a faint glimmer of hope, I stepped into an unknown door without hesitation.

She didn't care whether life or death was behind the door; she only cared that the last vestige of that Frequency was about to dissipate.

Aemeath felt the slight tremor in Lu Yan's palm.

She suddenly raised her head, and a radiant, even slightly smug, smile bloomed on her haggard yet still beautiful face:

"And then... just like you saw that day! I opened my eyes and found myself already in this world."

"I saw that Frequency drifting into the distance, so I quickly transformed into an electronic ghost to chase after Frequency."

"Then that wisp of Frequency carried me to the place you used to live, and then it completely dissipated."

"And me? I just sat there pitifully at your front door, staring blankly, until I saw you come back."

In Lu Yan's mind, the scene of their first reunion flashed back.

At that moment Aemeath's ahoge (cowlick) drooped listlessly, and she called out his name in a hoarse voice.

At the time, I just thought Aemeath was too tired after time travel, but I never imagined that she was too tired from searching for him.

Lu Yan felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.

Only today did he finally realize how many days and nights this girl had spent and what incredible price she had paid to get to his door.

Lu Yan reached out and grasped Aemeath's soft waist, his eyes filled with unyielding pity and self-reproach.

His gaze fell on Aemeath's bare collarbone, his voice slightly hoarse. "What a pity... that's the only thing your parents left you."

Lu Yan clearly remembered that the amulet was originally a gift from Aemeath's parents.

That was not only proof of Lu Yan's existence, but also Aemeath's last hope for her parents.

But now, in order to find him, even these relics have completely disappeared from this world.

Upon hearing Lu Yan's words, which were filled with guilt and self-reproach, Aemeath was slightly taken aback.

Then, a glint of extremely vivid cunning suddenly flashed in those beautiful eyes.

Aemeath showed no sadness whatsoever; instead, she leaned forward, bringing her exquisite face almost to Lu Yan's nose.

Their breaths mingled, and the temperature in the air seemed to rise sharply.

"Since you also know that it was the only thing my parents left me..."

Aemeath narrowed her eyes slightly, a cloyingly sweet yet somewhat heavy smile curving her lips.

She spoke in a voice that sounded both coquettish and demanding, enunciating each word clearly:

"Besides, it was your Frequency that broke it..."

Aemeath deliberately dragged out the last syllable, her possessiveness revealed without reservation in her eyes, like a gentle yet resilient net, trapping Lu Yan within it:

"Then A-Yan, shouldn't you... give yourself to me in return?"

Lu Yan heard this.

Guilt and self-blame vanished before Aemeath's blunt and heart-pounding demand for compensation, replaced by tenderness and helpless indulgence.

This is his Aemeath.

She always knew how to ease his burdens and reap the love she deserved in the way he couldn't refuse.

Looking at the pretty face so close to him, filled with anticipation, Lu Yan couldn't help but chuckle softly.

He gently raised his slightly mobile hand and, with the utmost tenderness, lightly stroked Aemeath and adorable little nose with his index finger.

Okay~

Lu Yan's voice was filled with the deepest affection in the world.

He looked into her eyes and made a solemn vow:

"Since I've damaged your amulet, then I'll... compensate you with my entire being."

"No matter how much you want me to compensate you, or how long you want me to stay with you, I'll agree to it."

"From now on, I will be your exclusive, unbreakable talisman."

Aemeath heard Lu Yan's unwavering promise.

She giggled, her laughter brighter and more radiant than the early summer sunlight streaming through the window.

Aemeath hugged Lu Yan even tighter without any hesitation, nuzzling her cheek affectionately against the crook of his neck.

"Hmph, that's more like it."

Aemeath closed her eyes contentedly, feeling the warmth emanating from Lu Yan's body and his strong, powerful heartbeat.

Actually...

Aemeath buried her head in Lu Yan's arms, her voice becoming muffled, yet revealing a clarity born of experience:

"No matter how important or special that amulet may be... it's just an inanimate object."

Her hand quietly encircled Lu Yan's back, avoiding the scabs that hadn't completely fallen off, and gently caressed his warm skin with her fingertips.

"If my parents knew that I traded that amulet for my lifelong happiness, they would be happy for me too."

Aemeath raised her head slightly and gently kissed Lu Yan's chin, her brows radiating a sweet joy after hardship.

"Thank goodness it broke. Thank goodness the Frequency it stored didn't dissipate."

"Because of it, I was able to find you~"

A gentle breeze swept through the courtyard outside the window, and the forget-me-nots that had been somewhat wilted due to lack of water seemed to unfurl their tender green leaves again under the sunlight.