"i respect you all as my elders," yubing continued, her voice now laced with the cold, hard edge of steel. "you have loved me and cared for me my entire life, and for that, i am grateful. but my future is something only i can decide. who i love, who i marry, who i spend my eternity with—that is a decision that rests with me and me alone. i am not asking for your permission." she paused, her gaze sweeping over the stunned, fearful faces. "i am simply announcing to you her status. she is my, su yubing's, dao companion. no one can change that."
as she spoke, yuxin, completely unfazed by the suffocating tension, leaned in and whispered into her ear, her breath hot against her skin. "so domineering. i love it when you order people around. makes me want to see if you're that bossy in bed, too."
