Silence settled in the room as Xiao stepped inside. He finally got a good look at Li Lun, who appeared completely different from her usual self. She no longer wore her cheerful smile or shy look as she gazed at him.
Instead, her face was pale and worn, with red and dry eyes from the tears she had shed. Her once sparkling eyes now looked dark and lifeless. When Xiao entered the room, Li Lun's head turned towards him, and she "looked" at him.
"Are you here to throw me away too?"
Li Lun's voice was barely a whisper, but to Xiao, her words were crystal clear. She tried to be confident when she spoke, but her trembling body and eyes betrayed her. Li Lun waited to hear Xiao's answer, but as the seconds passed, her heart clenched with pain.
"Tell me! Did you come to cancel the engagement? Then do it and go!"
"..."
"Why aren't you saying anything? You came to cancel the engagement, right? Say it and leave me!"
"..."
"Go on, say it! Say that I am useless and abandon me, just like everyone else!"
From that point on, Li Lun kept shouting at Xiao. She screamed even before he had a chance to speak as if she was hurling all her pain at him, even though he had done nothing wrong. But to the young Li Lun, who was on the verge of an emotional collapse, nothing else mattered.
She just wanted to vent without considering anything else. She continued shouting for several minutes before finally calming down. The only sound that echoed in the room was her ragged breathing. It was then that she realized what she had done. But at that moment, she "felt" and heard Xiao approaching her.
'Is he going to hurt me?'
The question crossed Li Lun's mind. She tried to "feel" anything coming from Xiao, but all she sensed was calmness. Within seconds, he was close to her. At that moment, Xiao raised both his hands toward Li Lun. She tried to protect herself, but what happened next surprised her completely.
Instead of pain, she felt a warm embrace. Xiao had pulled her into a hug. She was so shocked that she could only lie within his embrace as he patted her back, holding her tightly. He calmed her by gently patting her hair and head.
"That's good. Shouting is good. It's never good to keep everything in your heart."
Xiao's calm voice was heard, and within his embrace, Li Lun felt warm and safe. As she felt his warmth, Xiao spoke.
"I'm sorry that I was late. I only heard about it a few hours ago. I can't imagine the pain you must be going through. No one can truly understand unless they have experienced the same."
Li Lun remained silent as she listened to him.
"But I can promise you one thing. I will be with you all the way. I will protect you from anyone who wishes to harm you. I will be the shoulder you can lean on when you are tired. I will be with you until the day you no longer want me by your side."
Saying so, Xiao lifted her head and looked at her face, gently rubbing her cheek with his warm hands.
"B-But I am a cr-cripple. N-No one would want m-"
"Shushhh... Never say that, Li Lun. You are not a failure, and you are definitely not alone. Did you forget? Didn't I promise to marry you? Unless you decide you don't want to marry me, I will be there with you until the end."
"Why should I care that you can't walk? Why should I care that you can't see? You can still cultivate, right? Just focus on it. After all, I don't want my wife to become a grandmother while I stay young."
"Li Lun, I promise you I won't go anywhere, and I will never abandon you."
Xiao's words thundered in Li Lun's ears. Her eyes began to blur as tears she didn't know were left started to flow. The warmth she had never known filled her heart and power she had never experienced coursed through her body. For the first time, her lips stretched into a smile, the most beautiful smile she had ever given him.
With a tearful face, Li Lun leaned her head on Xiao's body, resting her head on his chest. Xiao didn't resist; instead, he held her and continued to pat her back, calming her nerves.
'Mother, I have found what you spoke of. I have found someone special, Mother...'
With those last thoughts, Li Lun's eyes grew heavy, and she slowly closed them, falling asleep in Xiao's embrace. Xiao's gaze became complex as he looked at Li Lun, but in the end, he shook his head. He carefully lifted Li Lun off the chair and laid her on the bed. He covered her with a quilt, and as he was about to leave, his hand was caught by a smaller one.
Looking to the side, he saw Li Lun's hand unconsciously grasping his. Even in her sleep, she didn't want him to leave. With a wry smile, Xiao held her hand back and sat beside her.
"I'm sorry, Li Lun, but I don't think marrying me would be easy..."
Xiao murmured as he looked at Li Lun. He hadn't lied when he said he would marry her if she wanted to. Knowing the future, he was aware of the person Li Lun would grow up to be. Moreover, she would become a beautiful woman who could captivate any man's heart with her talent, power, and beauty.
She would become someone completely new after inheriting the legacy. Her cultivation would rise, propelling her from the lower heaven to the higher one. Eventually, she would be transported to the Void Realm, where the Void Ruler would adopt her, and her legendary journey would begin.
Her legend would grow, making her one of the heroes of her era—a strong and powerful woman who would steal the hearts of countless men. She would enchant them not only with her beauty but also with her talent and power. She would encounter great men throughout her life, and by then, she would have likely forgotten him, or at least that's what he thought.
The future remained uncertain, as it was never set in stone. It was the choices one made that determined it. Would Xiao's choice now cause ripples? Only time would tell.
'But wait, why am I resisting? Isn't it best to have her heart completely? Such a powerful woman loyal to me is the best'
Once again, those intelligent thoughts filled Xiao's mind, but it didn't last for long as his daze hit him, removing those thoughts as quickly as they came.