Chapter 45

Chapter 45

The breeze that swept through the hall seemed to pause for a moment.

Huo Wuyan abruptly stood up, his Adam's apple bobbing. With his movement, the redwood chair behind him crashed to the ground, producing a harsh thud.

Lu Yuanyin looked up, only to see that dragon tail, instead of retreating, pressed further, coiling intimately around her fingertips. Its slender tip slipped through the gaps between her fingers, rubbing affectionately against her tender palm, lingering in an ambiguous entanglement.

The overlapping golden scales grazed her soft fingertips, their sharp edges lightly brushing against her skin, carrying a searing heat that made her fingers tingle uncontrollably.

There was something indescribably strange about the sensation. Lu Yuanyin found it hard to articulate, only feeling a prickling numbness that spread through her scalp. Instinctively, she tried to pull her hand back, her pale fingers curling slightly in reflex.

She looked blankly at the tail that was so fervently clinging to her it made her scalp tingle, then raised her head to sneak a glance at Huo Wuyan, whose body was taut.

He still wore an expressionless face, lips pressed tightly together, eyes cold and sharp, exuding a sense of aloofness that bordered on indifference.

If it weren’t for this dragon tail still tightly entwined around her fingers, she would have almost been fooled by his seemingly proper and indifferent demeanor.

Lu Yuanyin’s expression was somewhat hard to describe.

Sensing her probing gaze, Huo Wuyan’s face grew even colder. His eyes darkened as he looked at her, clearly able to feel the warmth of her fingertips.

He casually tugged at his somewhat disheveled robe, his voice low and cold. “Don’t touch carelessly next time.”

Lu Yuanyin: “???”

Hearing this, she wrinkled her nose and raised her arm. “It was your tail that came to me first. I didn’t touch you…”

She hadn’t even mentioned that the tail had suddenly coiled around her, scaring her!

She moved her fingertips, and the next moment, her gaze froze. She noticed that many of the golden scales on the tail were cracked, like broken pieces of jade, faintly tinged with traces of blood-red. Surprised, she widened her eyes. “You’re injured?”

She recalled that while she had been asleep, she had vaguely smelled a strong scent of blood. At first, she thought it was her imagination. Could it be that Huo Wuyan had been injured at that time?

Huo Wuyan paused, his brow furrowing slightly. He remained silent for a rare moment, then said solemnly, “It’s nothing.”

His gaze couldn’t help but fall on her fingertips again, looking at the dragon tail tangled in her palm, a hint of discomfort flickering in his expression, though he didn’t show it.

He glanced coolly at Lu Yuanyin, watching her pale face, and finally said in a low voice, “Get some rest. Don’t overthink.”

He paused briefly, then continued, “Your body hasn’t fully healed yet. We can’t share a room.”

Lu Yuanyin: “???”

What nonsense were you saying?!!

When did she ever mention that?!

Frowning slightly, she was about to speak when she saw Huo Wuyan take two steps back. His crimson eyes fixed on her for a moment before he turned and strode out of the room.

The door closed again, cutting off her view.

Lu Yuanyin fell silent for a moment. Watching his figure disappear, she let out a soft huff. She tried to stand up, only to feel her entire body aching, as if needles were pricking through her meridians. The pain made her gasp involuntarily.

She quickly curled back into the bed.

Hugging the soft blanket, her long eyelashes fluttered as she buried her face in it. After a moment, she shifted her gaze and saw the two eggs quietly resting beside her. Their smooth shells glowed faintly in the sunlight.

She poked the smooth shell, which felt warm to the touch, and found it utterly fascinating. Before this, she had never imagined that she would lay two eggs. Hugging the two eggs, she turned slightly, staring absentmindedly at the large pearls hanging from the ceiling.

The enormous pearls swayed gently with the breeze, light flickering.

Lu Yuanyin felt a little dazed. Since childhood, her dream had been to become the most powerful alchemist. Later, when her parents fell and the Lu family was destroyed, she became an orphan, struggling every day to make a living. She was always busy earning money and cultivating, never having time to think about love and romance. Besides, cultivators naturally found it harder to conceive children than ordinary people.

Moreover, she didn’t want her children to live the same precarious, anxious life as she had.

Even now, she found these recent events indescribably absurd and strange. She didn’t know how she felt; her thoughts were conflicted.

She let out a soft sigh. At least these two cubs were dragons. As long as the dragon clan existed, they would be protected and live safely.

Lu Yuanyin patted the eggs in her arms, yawned tiredly, and seeing that it was still early, pulled the blanket over herself and burrowed back into bed.

The inn was perfectly still, even the chirping of birds outside the window seemed quieter than usual.

Qing Nong lazily waved his round fan. The stove burned brightly, filling the room with a thick, bitter scent of medicinal herbs. He scratched his head in boredom. It had only been an hour since he last saw the cubs, and he was already starting to miss them.

With a melancholy sigh, he suddenly understood why people said children could tie down their parents. Although the separation was brief, he was already worrying about whether the cubs would catch a chill, whether that clumsy, dim-witted dragon Huo Wuyan could really take care of the fragile eggs.

When Hong Rong and the group of elder dragons arrived, would he even be able to compete with those frenzied old dragons?

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. He couldn’t help but sigh again. The old medical cultivator cast him a strange look. “You brat, what are you sighing about? Are you annoying every day or what!”

Qing Nong shook his head, sighing with feeling. “An old thing like you wouldn’t understand…”

The old medical cultivator gave a cold laugh and rolled his eyes. A moment later, Qing Nong looked up in surprise as Huo Wuyan suddenly pushed open the door to the adjacent room and strode out.

Qing Nong paused, noticing Huo Wuyan’s unusual expression. His body was tense, and even his ears were flushed. Strangely, he felt he could almost see a trace of panic in his retreating figure.

He had rarely seen Huo Wuyan like this.

Raising an eyebrow, Qing Nong glanced at the closed door, then set down his fan, said a quick word to the old medical cultivator, and hastily chased after him. “Watch the herbal soup first. I’ll be right back!”

Qing Nong quickly caught up to Huo Wuyan, looking at him eagerly while pretending to be casual. “Is Lu Yuanyin awake? What did she say to you?”

“She’s still young and might not understand many things. You’re older and know more. If you have time, teach her a bit.”

Huo Wuyan stopped, finding the remark particularly jarring. He looked emotionlessly at Qing Nong, saying coldly, “Are you very free?”

Qing Nong gave a dry laugh, then heard Huo Wuyan say in a deep voice, “Those jade slips are yours to handle.”

Qing Nong couldn’t help but wail, “Mercy…”

By the time Hong Rong arrived at the territory of the Chongyao Sect, the sky was already growing dark.

Hong Rong took a careful look around. Everywhere, there were traces of heavenly thunder. His heart trembled with worry. He quickly carried his fish basket and flew swiftly toward the inn.

The inn’s main gate was locked. The entire establishment was dead silent.

Hong Rong grew even more anxious. Spreading his wings, he flew inside. He saw the innkeeper carrying a tray and walking softly toward the adjacent room. He quickly transformed back into his original form and hurried forward, asking urgently, “Shopkeeper, what happened outside the inn?”

The shopkeeper glanced at him and replied casually, “Qing Nong said Miss Lu needs to rest in peace and recover without outside disturbance. So we closed the inn for now, and we’ll reopen in a few days when she’s better.”

Hong Rong paused. He couldn’t help but rub his fingers together nervously. He looked up at the room where Lu Yuanyin had been staying. The familiar window was shut. He took a deep breath, strode up the stairs, and went directly to Huo Wuyan’s room.

This was the first task Huo Wuyan had given him, and he had handled it terribly. He had let down his lord’s trust and nearly injured Lu Yuanyin. The entire journey, his heart had been heavy with guilt.

Night had fallen. A lamp was lit in the room, its faint flame flickering gently in the evening breeze. He saw Qing Nong holding a brush, looking bitterly at a pile of jade slips. A tall, silent figure stood by the window, casually flipping through an ancient book.

The night breeze lifted the white hairs on his forehead. The cold moonlight quietly spilled across his deep brows and eyes, his face seeming coated in frost.

Hong Rong looked at Huo Wuyan's icy expression. He took two steps forward, without a moment's hesitation, and knelt directly in front of him. "This subordinate mishandled the task and missed the appointed time. Please punish me, my lord!"

His heart was thumping faintly. He was not afraid of punishment, but of disappointing his lord, who might expel him from the Dragon Clan. Before him, all was dead silent; he could almost hear the faint rustling of his own clothes.

He raised his eyelids and secretly glanced ahead, only to see a black robe quietly resting before him. On the robe, a giant dragon was embroidered with silver thread—the dragon's fierce expression and powerful aura made it look exceptionally lifelike.

Huo Wuyan just stared expressionlessly at the ancient book in his hands.

Hong Rong grew even more nervous. Just as he felt his heart was about to leap out of his throat, he saw Huo Wuyan raise his eyelids and cast him a cold glance.

Huo Wuyan casually put down the ancient book and said in a deep voice, "The injured party is Lu Yuanyin. Go to her to receive your punishment."

Seeing that Huo Wuyan did not intend to expel him, Hong Rong finally breathed a sigh of relief. Delighted, he quickly spoke loudly, "This subordinate obeys the order!"

With that, as if afraid that Huo Wuyan might change his mind, he didn't even dare to lift his head and hurriedly slipped out of the room.

Qing Nong watched Hong Rong's departing figure, his eyes flickering. He gave a dry laugh. He felt sick just looking at this pile of jade slips. Noticing that Huo Wuyan frowned slightly and gazed coldly at the fading lights outside the window.

Qing Nong put down his brush, took two steps forward, and asked curiously, "What are you thinking about?"

After saying that, he didn't expect a reply from Huo Wuyan, and continued on his own, "I wonder when the little ones will hatch. Those bastards still haven't stirred. I just feel kind of panicky..."

The moment his words fell, Huo Wuyan suddenly raised his eyelids and gave him a cold look. "Prepare the betrothal gifts."

Qing Nong was stunned, looking blankly at Huo Wuyan. "What the heck? What betrothal gifts? Why do you need to prepare that?"

He was dazed for a moment. When he realized that those were the betrothal gifts used by human cultivators for marriage, he couldn't help falling silent for a moment, then asked faintly, "How do you know that Lu Yuanyin is willing to marry you?"

Huo Wuyan stared straight at him and questioned coldly, "She is deeply devoted to me. Why would she be unwilling?"

Qing Nong: "?"

In the few days he had interacted with Lu Yuanyin, he could faintly sense that she was a bit afraid of Huo Wuyan. How could he not see any sign that Lu Yuanyin liked Huo Wuyan? And deeply devoted?

Qing Nong was silent for a while, and finally, he just gave a dry laugh twice. "Haha... is that so."

Huo Wuyan's eyelashes drooped. He silently watched the bustling crowd outside the window. He had been thinking about this matter for the past two days. Lu Yuanyin wholeheartedly wanted to stay with him forever and be by his side.

Although he would not fall in love with her, he could give her power and status, ensuring that she would have no worries about food or clothing and live a peaceful and smooth life for the rest of her life.

Thinking of Lu Yuanyin's surprised and delighted expression when she learns of this, his slender fingertips lightly tapped the windowsill. Huo Wuyan's gaze darkened.

She was already sensitive in nature. Rather than letting her guess and be anxious all day, it would be better to follow her wish and marry her.

That would also save her from pestering him all day.

Author's Note:

None.