"Wedding chamber?" Seeing Xiao Yixian's eager expression, Xiao Yan's mouth twitched slightly. No wonder he had felt she was acting strangely today—it turned out she had this idea in mind. "You mean... we're supposed to replace them and share a room as well?"
"Mhm..." Xiao Yixian nodded slightly, her cheeks tinged with a hint of red.
"Sorry, I really don't have time to play this kind of pretend wedding game with you." Xiao Yan sighed helplessly. He truly wanted to ask what this girl had in her head. Could the Woeful Poison Body even affect someone's mind?
Just as he turned to leave, Xiao Yixian suddenly hugged him tightly from behind. "Don't go!"
Feeling the warmth from behind, Xiao Yan paused mid-step. He slowly turned around and saw her body trembling slightly. He immediately reached out and took her wrist, his soul power scanning her body. Yet, he detected no abnormalities.
"What's wrong? Is your Woeful Poison Body acting up again?"
Xiao Yixian shook her head. She took a deep breath and looked into Xiao Yan's eyes, which were filled with concern, then softly said, "Don't leave, alright?"
"I'm not going anywhere." Xiao Yan gently patted her head. "I said before, we're friends."
"But... I don't want us to be just friends." Xiao Yixian tiptoed and lightly kissed Xiao Yan on the lips. The soft sensation made his thoughts momentarily scatter. For a brief instant, the image of this girl overlapped with that cold, distant figure of the Heavenly Poison Woman from his previous life. Then, her voice whispered into his ear, one word at a time.
"Xiao Yan, I like you."
If it were the Xiao Yixian of before, she would never have confessed so boldly. She would have buried that affection deep inside, never to speak of it. But the story Xiao Yan had told her about the Heavenly Poison Woman had been a wake-up call.
She found herself empathizing deeply with that woman who shared her same cursed physique. And she didn't want to end up like her—dying alone, never having voiced her love, buried by regrets.
So this time, she chose to speak, to lay her feelings bare. Even if Xiao Yan didn't reciprocate, at least her heart wouldn't have to bear the weight of silence.
This was the first time Xiao Yan had ever been confessed to so sincerely. If he had still been his old self, he would have rejected her without hesitation. But now, seeing the vulnerability in her eyes, the fear of being rejected, he swallowed the words that had risen to his lips.
He looked at her quietly. He neither refused nor accepted. But if one looked closely, there was a flicker of inner conflict in his eyes.
Seeing him stay silent, Xiao Yixian's heart slowly sank. Her gaze dropped, and the light in her eyes dimmed.
"I understand... if we're just friends, I can accept that."
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" Xiao Yan lightly tapped her forehead. "You tricked me into a wedding ceremony, and now you want to back out?"
Hearing his teasing voice, Xiao Yixian quickly looked up. Seeing his gentle smile, her eyes welled up again, and she threw herself into his arms once more.
Holding her close, Xiao Yan couldn't help but sigh inwardly. All he had intended was to gather a few loyal and capable followers, but now things had developed far beyond his plans. Still, in a way, she was completely devoted to him now, and maybe that counted as a win… even if the path was somewhat unconventional.
If he were asked to reject her now… he wasn't sure he could. More than that, if he turned her away, she might disappear again, and finding her a second time wouldn't be easy. Besides, his heart was no longer what it once was, and there was that complicated history with the Heavenly Poison Woman too…
Maybe that was why, even knowing that her becoming the Heavenly Poison Woman would benefit him more, he had still chosen not to push her down that path. He had guided and protected her during her weakest moments—because he wanted to preserve her innocence, her kindness.
After a while, Xiao Yixian shyly withdrew from his embrace. The subtle tenderness in her eyes seemed to tug at something deep within Xiao Yan's heart. He stepped forward and gathered her into his arms once more, then gently carried her toward the small wooden hut.
Feeling his steady steps, Xiao Yixian nestled against his chest, her voice a soft murmur. "Xiao Yan… what are you going to do?"
"You said it yourself. We've already bowed to Heaven and Earth, so naturally, it's time to enter the wedding chamber." Xiao Yan placed her onto the bed and, in a surprisingly gentle tone, asked, "The ceremony may have been simple… but tonight still belongs to us. Are you ready?"
Xiao Yixian's cheeks turned crimson. She nodded slightly, nervous but no longer afraid. "I'm ready… let's… begin."
That night, under the soft flickering glow of the oil lamp in the hut, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yixian's connection quietly deepened. There were no grand vows or fanfare—just the simple and sincere exchange of affection between two hearts that had come to understand and cherish each other.
Unlike the chaos and confusion of his earlier encounter with Zi Yan, tonight was something Xiao Yan chose with full awareness. He was careful, gentle, and respectful, his every action tempered with patience.
Xiao Yixian, though new to such closeness, trusted him deeply. Their silhouettes merged beneath the warm glow, two souls who had found momentary peace in each other.
When dawn arrived, a soft light filtered through the window and spilled into the small hut.
Xiao Yixian remained nestled in Xiao Yan's arms, her breathing calm and steady. The exhaustion of the previous night still lingered in her body, but the unease in her heart had completely disappeared.
Xiao Yan looked down at her sleeping face. His fingers gently brushed aside a strand of hair from her cheek as he silently exhaled.
'To think I really ended up sharing a bed with this little girl…'
He smiled wryly to himself. Who would've thought? Back in his past life, he and the Heavenly Poison Woman had battled like mortal enemies. He'd never imagined that in this life, they would end up so close, so connected.
'Life truly is unpredictable.'
Sometimes even he found it difficult to believe that someone like him—cold, rational, always calculating—was capable of feeling something as impractical as love.
'Ridiculous.'
And yet, here he was.
He leaned down and pressed a light kiss to Xiao Yixian's forehead.
"Don't worry," he whispered softly. "As long as I'm here, I won't let you suffer like that again."
(End of Chapter)
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