Lord Xiangliu was left speechless. He saw Leng Qingqiu with reddened corners of her eyes, setting down a food box and looking at him with a pitiful expression. Picking up a piece of roasted fish, he said, "Eat. I'm not upset at all. You don't need to carefully try to please others from now on; with me here, you can do whatever you want."
"Then can you take me home? I miss the land, and I miss my Small Thatched Cottage."
"We'll go back after I take you to see the sunrise over the sea." Lord Xiangliu swam out from the deep sea, manipulating a giant seashell to float to the water's surface. The seashell opened, and the first ray of morning light shone inside, illuminating the entire space as well as Lord Xiangliu's face. The sunlight spilled over the two of them, making them look as though they were gilded. They were a perfect match, as beautiful as a painting!
At that moment, Leng Qingqiu watched the sun slowly rise, the light chasing, playing, and leaping along the coastline. Lord Xiangliu stared intently at the young girl's smooth forehead, her bright and joyful eyes, her cute little nose, and her soft, delicate lips. His head lowered involuntarily, their elongated shadows already entwined. He could no longer wait and wanted to lightly kiss her lips, but just then, Leng Qingqiu jumped up in excitement and bumped her nose against his.
"I'm sorry, Lord Xiangliu, I didn't mean to."
Left with no other choice, Lord Xiangliu pulled Leng Qingqiu into his arms and held her quietly like that, without speaking.
Right then, Leng Qingqiu's heart was drumming anxiously. Could this fellow be about to bite her neck and suck her blood? Ah, to think he was going to drain her blood first thing in the morning! No wonder yesterday's food had been so good!
Sensing what Leng Qingqiu was thinking, Lord Xiangliu could not help but let out a bitter smile. He realized that he might have been too harsh with her before, to the point of making her feel scared and uneasy. Perhaps that was the very reason she had wanted to escape from him. At this thought, a wave of self-reproach welled up in Lord Xiangliu's heart.
In the past, he had always treated Qingqiu with severity, trying to mold her into a strong and independent person. Yet looking at it now, that approach seemed a bit too extreme, causing her to feel fear. He began to reflect on his actions, realizing his own immaturity when it came to matters of the heart.
Thinking back on it now, those actions of his had indeed been far too reckless. Although his original intention was to protect her, it had ended up bringing her even more pain. At this moment, he finally understood what it meant to "torment your wife for a moment, chase after your wife through a crematorium."
Lord Xiangliu decided to let go of his past prejudices and obsessions, and to re-examine the relationship between them. He needed to learn to listen to, understand, and respect Leng Qingqiu's feelings, and to care for her in a gentler way. Only by doing so could he truly win her heart.
"Leng Qingqiu, are you hungry? I'll take you to get some soup dumplings."
"Okay! Once I'm full, I'll have enough blood back, don't worry!"
Lord Xiangliu summoned his mount—the White-Feathered Golden-Crowned Eagle. This giant, beautiful bird spread its wide wings, preparing to carry them up into the sky.
When Lord Xiangliu and Leng Qingqiu climbed onto the back of the White-Feathered Golden-Crowned Eagle, they felt a surge of powerful energy. The feathers of the White-Feathered Golden-Crowned Eagle gleamed with a golden radiance, and its gaze was filled with wisdom and majesty.
As the White-Feathered Golden-Crowned Eagle took off, they left the ground, gradually ascending into the air. Lord Xiangliu steered the White-Feathered Golden-Crowned Eagle, letting it soar freely through the skies. They passed through the clouds, feeling the brush of the wind and the warmth of the sunlight.
Suddenly, a rumbling sound broke the tranquility. Lord Xiangliu looked back and saw Leng Qingqiu self-consciously covering her stomach. Her belly had let out an unmistakable sign of hunger.
"Hungry?" Lord Xiangliu asked with a smile.
Leng Qingqiu nodded awkwardly, "A little."
Lord Xiangliu immediately urged the White-Feathered Golden-Crowned Eagle to speed up. The eagle's speed increased instantly, streaking across the firmament like lightning. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at a place called Yongan Town.
Yongan Town was a bustling little town, with various food stalls lining both sides of the street. Lord Xiangliu and Leng Qingqiu hopped down from the White-Feathered Golden-Crowned Eagle and walked into the town to look for delicious food.
They tasted the local specialty snacks and enjoyed a hearty feast. Leng Qingqiu ate with satisfaction, her mood lifting and turning quite pleasant.
After the meal, they continued on their journey aboard the White-Feathered Golden-Crowned Eagle, admiring the magnificent scenery along the way and soaking in the charm of nature.
Before long, they returned to Leng Qingqiu's Small Thatched Cottage. Though they had been away for quite a while, the cottage had been tidied up into immaculate order. Wisps of cooking smoke curled gently in the air, and Li Mudan walked out from inside, smiling as she said, "Benefactor is back! Lunch is just ready, let's eat together. Miss Leng, while you two were away, I had nothing to do, so I cleaned the courtyard and planted some melons, fruits, and vegetables to pass the time. Come on, let's have lunch together."
"Miss Li is so virtuous. Whoever marries you will truly be blessed beyond measure."
"Thanks to you and Benefactor for saving my life back then, I have no way to repay you. This humble maiden is willing to serve Miss Leng as a slave and a maid." With that, she immediately prepared to kneel.
Leng Qingqiu caught Li Mudan by the arm, "I'm lonely by myself, and I hope Big Sister can keep me company. Don't say things like being a slave or a maid—from now on, we will address each other as sisters."
Tears streaming from her eyes, Li Mudan pulled Leng Qingqiu into a tight embrace. Her tears poured down like a breached dike, soaking Leng Qingqiu's clothes. Weeping, she poured out the deep pain and grievances hidden in her heart.
"Wuwuwu... I'm so moved. I never expected that someone with my bitter childhood could run into a noble benefactor."
"What's wrong? Why are you crying like this?" Feeling a pang of heartache, Leng Qingqiu patted Li Mudan's back and gently comforted her, "Isn't this a good thing? From now on, we are each other's closest family."
"Mm-hmm," Li Mudan nodded silently, her eyes brimming with hot tears.
"My father left me too, and I thought I'd be alone all my life, but then I met you, Big Sister," Leng Qingqiu said in pleasant surprise.
"Me too! Must this be destined fate!" Mudan shifted to a smile.
"Who's to say it isn't? I felt like I'd known Big Sister for ages the moment we met. To think there is someone so breathtakingly beautiful in this world."
"You're making me blush," Li Mudan smiled brightly, a slight flush coloring her cheeks.
"You're blushing—how pretty! To describe you as someone who puts to shame the flowers and eclipsing the moon is hardly an exaggeration." Leng Qingqiu grasped Li Mudan's hands tightly, "You won't be alone ever again. I will always stay with you."
"Thank you, Qingqiu... These past few days I truly didn't know what to do... Meeting you now, I feel so lucky," Li Mudan said happily.
The two embraced tightly, absorbing each other's warmth and comfort.
Meanwhile, Lord Xiangliu looked on speechlessly as the two women alternated between crying on each other's shoulders and laughing heartily. Feeling like he was nothing more than an extra piece of scenery, he silently dug into his meal.
Looking at the food on the table, Lord Xiangliu abandoned all pretense of dignity and began to feast with gusto. Figuring out a woman's mind was truly harder than fighting a war; he would just take a breather for now—surely his nine heads would eventually think of a way.