Although Nan Shan really wanted to witness the moment when the engagement was called off, due to her recent recovery from frostbite and her lack of energy, she could only obediently lie down and sleep, while Yan Yue went to the courtyard alone.
The door opened and closed, but only Yan Yue appeared.
Ling Ye subconsciously looked behind him to confirm that no one followed, then frowned slightly.
“Didn’t you say she was awake?” he asked.
Yan Yue brushed the petals off his shoulder and calmly sat at the stone table.
“She woke up, but she’s still weak, so she’s resting again.”
“Humans are really fragile,” Ling Ye said lightly, pressing his thin lips together.
Though he had gone through a life-or-death situation, he woke up immediately after leaving the barrier and was able to endure his father’s punishment.
On the other hand, Nan Shan had been unconscious for two days and still couldn’t remain awake for long.
Hearing him criticize humans as fragile, Yan Yue almost wanted to roll his eyes, but since he had to maintain his composure as the Lord of the Underworld, he restrained himself.
“Who do you blame for her being like this?”
Ling Ye fell silent for a moment before extending his hand.
“What are you doing?” Yan Yue asked, feeling dissatisfied.
Ling Ye’s face remained emotionless.
“Please, Father, punish me.”
Yan Yue was momentarily stunned, his gaze landing on the bloodstained scars under his sleeve. He cleared his throat and quickly changed the topic.
“Is there something you need to tell me?”
“Yes.”
Seeing that his father had no intention of punishing him, Ling Ye lowered his hand.
Yan Yue nodded.
“Well, I also have something to say.”
“What is it?” Ling Ye asked.
Yan Yue smiled.
“You go first.”
“No, you first. My matter isn’t urgent.”
Ling Ye glanced at the door behind Yan Yue, which was firmly closed, and refused.
Confirming the wedding date was a troublesome matter.
It required divination from the heavens and consultation with the earth, so results couldn’t be reached quickly.
Yan Yue was surprised to see his son so humble and thoughtful.
After looking at him for a moment, he smiled.
“I have good news.”
“My… also good news.”
Ling Ye’s father had long wanted him to marry Nan Shan, and now that he had finally agreed, that could count as good news.
When Yan Yue heard this, a strange competitive spirit suddenly rose within him.
“My good news is definitely better than yours.”
Normally, Ling Ye wouldn’t have cared about this childish banter, but today, after a brief pause, he spoke two words.
“Not necessarily.”
Yan Yue: “What exactly is your good news?”
The topic was drifting further, and Ling Ye had to remind him.
Yan Yue returned to the moment and smiled, making a dramatic pause.
“I’ve taken an adopted daughter. You have a sister now.”
Ling Ye froze, staring at him for a long time before his expression slowly stiffened.
“Why?”
“Why what?” Yan Yue didn’t understand.
“I mean, you’re about to…?”
Ling Ye didn’t finish his sentence before walking straight to Nan Shan’s bedroom.
“What are you doing?” Yan Yue quickly blocked him.
Ling Ye pushed his arm away.
“I have something to ask her.”
“She’s already resting. If you have something to say, tell me.”
Since he and Zhi Can had thrown Nan Shan into the water, Yan Yue wasn’t too eager for Ling Ye to get close to her again.
Ling Ye seemed not to notice Yan Yue’s refusal, walking straight into the room with a stoic expression.
Yan Yue immediately prepared to use his spiritual power to restrain him, but Ling Ye suddenly turned his head.
“I won’t hurt her.”
His words were sincere, and it was clear he wasn’t lying.
Yan Yue paused for a moment, and Ling Ye immediately took the opportunity to enter the room, locking the door from the inside as he did so.
After Ling Ye had once barged into the room and threatened Nan Shan, Yan Yue had given her a locking talisman.
If the door was locked from the inside, even he wouldn’t be able to break it.
When he had given it to her, it was to prevent his troublesome son from coming back; he never expected that it would now keep him out.
Yan Yue was furious and could only helplessly warn Ling Ye not to cause trouble.
Ling Ye had no intention of making trouble.
When he entered the room, he planned to wake Nan Shan up immediately, but when he saw her serene sleeping face, for some reason, he was reminded of her strained expression in the barrier.
|After a moment of silence, he didn’t wake her up.
Nan Shan didn’t sleep soundly, and in her drowsy state, she faintly felt someone standing by her bed.
She furrowed her brows and then barely managed to open her eyes.
When she saw Ling Ye, she closed her eyes again and mumbled, “I dreamed of him again… how unlucky.”
Before she could finish, she fell back into sleep, leaving Ling Ye still wide awake, staring at her.
After a long while, he came back to his senses, furrowing his brow as he carefully studied her face.
She had said, “I dreamed of him again,” which implied she had dreamed of him more than once.
How much must she like someone to dream about them so many times?
When Nan Shan woke up, she noticed a chair had appeared by the bed, and Ling Ye was sitting on it, intently studying her face.
Nan Shan blinked slowly and quietly pulled the blanket up.
“You’re awake,” Ling Ye said, not good at small talk, though the three words came out stiffly.
Confirming that it wasn’t an illusion, Nan Shan sat up silently.
“When did you come?”
“About a quarter of an hour ago,” Ling Ye replied.
“Ah?”
Nan Shan observed his expression but saw no signs of joy.
She cautiously asked, “Did Immortal Uncle tell you about the matter?”
Before confirming his attitude, she still couldn’t bring herself to call Yan Yue “Immortal Father.”
Ling Ye fell silent for a moment before asking, “The decision you made?”
“It’s a decision I made with Immortal Uncle,” Nan Shan answered carefully.
Ling Ye remained silent for an even longer time, so much so that Nan Shan almost couldn’t hold it in.
Finally, he spoke, “I understand.”
“Huh?”
Nan Shan looked up.
Ling Ye repeated, “I understand why you made this decision.”
After calming down, he thought a lot and realized that Nan Shan must have decided to let go of her obsessions after experiencing life and death, choosing to put herself at a disadvantage to give freedom to the one she loved.
“Understanding, huh? That’s good.”
Nan Shan forced a smile, but her mind was racing, trying to figure out what he understood.
Calling off the engagement would be the best thing for her, so what could he possibly understand about that?
Was he talking about recognizing an adopted father?
As she got lost in thought while smiling, Ling Ye saw it as a forced smile.
Ling Ye’s eyes flickered.
After a moment of silence, he spoke calmly, “You don’t need to compromise.”
“Huh?”
Nan Shan snapped back to reality.
“I didn’t…”
“I’ve agreed to marry you.”
Ling Ye said the latter part.
Nan Shan: “Ah?”
“Don’t worry, I don’t feel forced,” Ling Ye emphasized.
“Wait a minute…”
Nan Shan’s mind was almost frozen; she couldn’t understand how he could say such a thing.
“No matter who you are, hurry and get off the Crown Prince!”
Ling Ye: “?”
Nan Shan stared at him for a long time, making sure he hadn’t been possessed by a ghost, but she was even more confused.
“You want to marry me?”
“Yes.”
Hearing him admit it seriously, Nan Shan’s lips trembled, and she finally asked from the heart:
“Why?”
Seeing her still in shock, Ling Ye’s expression softened a little, though it still carried some stiffness.
He had originally wanted to tell her it was to repay her life-saving grace, but considering her pride as a young lady, he carefully chose another reason.
“I need you.”
Nan Shan: “?”
“After inheriting the throne, I need someone to assist me,” Ling Ye added.
Nan Shan fell silent for a moment, then sincerely asked, “Did you freeze your brain on the snowfield?”
Ling Ye:
“I know very well that I don’t need you, a mortal, as an assistant, so why do you keep insisting on this?”
Nan Shan became more cautious, “What do you really want? Are you trying to come up with some new way to torment me? Don’t forget who went back to rescue you on the snowfield—people should have a conscience!”
“I promise to marry you, and you’re still having trouble believing me?”
Ling Ye countered.
Nan Shan: “?”
Perhaps the silence had stretched on for too long, and Ling Ye suddenly realized that the things he had done with Zhi Can earlier not only hurt her physically but also destroyed her trust in the person she loved.
She cared for him, but it was hard for her to trust him again.
To regain her trust, it would probably take a long time.
But he didn’t have much time left.
If they delayed further, this mortal would become his sister.
Ling Ye hesitated for a long time before saying, “Do you still remember what I said on the snowfield? That after your father gave you spiritual power, any additional energy would be a waste?”
Nan Shan paused, recalling that moment.
At that time, the image on the blue stone showed that after Yan Yue had given her spiritual power, someone had secretly come to give more to her, even though she was still an infant.
“I said that because once the spiritual bone starts growing, it will draw power from the body like roots from a tree. The power they gave you can only sustain you for half a year. After that, with your mortal body, without more spiritual power to sustain the spiritual bone, it will drain all your blood, and you will die instantly.”
Ling Ye paused for a moment and said as gently as possible, “When you were asleep earlier, I observed your bone structure. You have at most two months before your spiritual bone begins to grow.”
Nan Shan was stunned for a moment, and after a long silence, she finally managed to say:
“I can swear an oath,” Ling Ye said.
“…Why should I trust you?”
Nan Shan was even more confused.
She had heard Elder Xian mention the oath before.
It was the most serious vow a cultivator could make, and breaking it would create a heart demon that would never die.
Ling Ye had nearly died because of a heart demon before, and now, he would never joke about it.
So… she only had six months to live?
“I can help you,” Ling Ye suddenly spoke.
Nan Shan looked up.
“How can you help?”
“My spiritual power is enough for you,” Ling Ye said, looking her in the eyes.
“In the entire Underworld, only mine is sufficient for you.”
The implication was that taking a cheap adoptive father wouldn’t solve her predicament.
Nan Shan slowly blinked, then after a long time, she reluctantly spoke:
“Why are you helping me?”
Ling Ye’s eyes shifted slightly, and he suddenly turned his face away.
“Now, everyone knows you have the power to subdue the seven-legged snake. If we marry, it will be much easier for me to act in the future, and my father… will also feel at ease.”
“But you clearly didn’t want to marry me before,” Nan Shan didn’t get trapped by his words.
“Why didn’t you think of letting me cover for you and make your father feel at ease back then?”
Ling Ye was momentarily stunned but quickly realized:
“Once a person has experienced life and death, they will come to understand many things. Just like her—before, she was unwilling to cancel the engagement, but now she suddenly decided to give it up.”
“True.”
Nan Shan was persuaded.
Ling Ye looked at her, seemingly thoughtful, and his throat tightened.
“So… will the engagement continue?”
Nan Shan touched her nose.
“I only have a little more than half a year to live. If we don’t continue, what can we do?”
Her answer was within Ling Ye’s expectations.
He didn’t feel happy about it, but the corners of his lips curled into a faint smile.
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