Huang Yi stirred gently as the first light of morning seeped through the window. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she found herself pressed closely against Hun Yu.
The realization sent a flush of heat rising to her cheeks, turning her face a deep shade of red. She could feel his steady heartbeat beneath her cheek, his warmth enveloping her.
Instinctively, Huang Yi wanted to pull away, fearing she might wake him. Yet, the thought of disturbing his peaceful slumber held her back. Her heart raced, and she bit her lip, unsure of what to do.
The soft, rhythmic sound of his breathing brought her an inexplicable comfort.
Just then, Hun Yu's eyes opened, and he glanced down at her with a sleepy, yet curious gaze.
Huang Yi's heart skipped a beat as their eyes met, and she froze, unsure of how to explain their current situation. Before she could say anything, he gave her a gentle smile.
"Good morning," he murmured softly, his voice still thick with sleep.
Huang Yi's face grew even redder, and she quickly averted her gaze. "Good morning," she whispered back, her voice barely audible.
Hun Yu didn't seem to mind their close proximity. In fact, he seemed to find it rather endearing.
With a small, contented sigh, he shifted slightly, making himself more comfortable without breaking their embrace.
Realizing he was already awake, Huang Yi pushed him away and stood up from the bed. The first thing she saw was a puppy running around the room, playing by itself. Seeing such a cute puppy, she walked towards it to play.
The puppy noticed her and became excited, jumping in anticipation.
"Here, here," she said softly, picking up the puppy.
"Where did you get this adorable puppy, Hun Yu?" she asked, walking back to the bed where Hun Yu was still lying.
Hun Yu didn't respond, seemingly ignoring her. Frustrated, she grabbed him by his clothes and, with a forceful tug, made him fall from the bed.
Hun Yu finally awakened fully, looking up at Huang Yi standing in front of him with the puppy in her arms.
"What?" he asked, confused.
"Where did you get this puppy from?" Huang Yi repeated, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "And why didn't you tell me about it?"
Hun Yu rubbed his eyes, still disoriented. "I... I found it outside. It looked lost, so I brought it in while you were asleep."
Huang Yi's expression softened as she glanced at the puppy, now wagging its tail happily in her arms.
"You did a good thing, Hun Yu. But next time, let me know, okay? We need to take care of it together."
Hun Yu nodded, finally sitting up properly. "Okay."
He smirked playfully. "Stop calling me Hun Yu. Since I'm already responsible for you, call me something special."
Huang Yi raised an eyebrow, her tone a mix of challenge and amusement. "And what makes you think I'd do that?"
Hun Yu moved closer, his eyes locked onto hers with a confident gleam. "Because you know you want to. Besides, you can't hide how much you like me."
Huang Yi's cheeks flushed slightly, but she crossed her arms defiantly. "Why should I? I'm a princess. I don't just give away nicknames."
Hun Yu's smile remained, but there was a teasing edge to his voice. "Come on, Huang Yi. You know it would be a fun little change from the usual formality."
As he spoke, Hun Yu gently but firmly pinned her down on the bed, his face close to hers. The puppy, now sitting beside them, tilted its head in confusion, watching their playful struggle.
Huang Yi tried to wriggle free, her face a mix of embarrassment and frustration. "Hun Yu, stop it. I don't... I mean, I—"
Before she could finish her protest, Hun Yu pressed a soft kiss to her lips. The kiss was tender but assertive, leaving Huang Yi momentarily breathless.
Hun Yu pulled back slightly, his eyes filled with a playful challenge. "Call me something special, Huang Yi."
Huang Yi's resistance melted under his gaze. Despite her ego, she couldn't ignore the warmth she felt for him. With a resigned sigh, she managed a small, shy smile. "Alright, alright... How about 'Bad Guy'?"
Hun Yu's eyes widened in surprise, and he couldn't help but laugh. "'Bad Guy'? Really?"
Huang Yi's cheeks flushed slightly, but her smile remained. "Yes, 'Bad Guy.' It suits you."
Hun Yu grinned, clearly delighted with the nickname. "I'll take it. I guess that makes me your 'Bad Guy' then."
With that, Hun Yu finally let her go and stood up from the bed, a satisfied smile on his face.
"Make me tea," Hun Yu said as he stretched his muscles.
"Tea?" Huang Yi looked at him in confusion. She had never even entered a kitchen in her life. How was she supposed to make tea for him?
He remembered he had a book titled "Cook Like a Chef." He searched his storage and, after finding it, handed it to her. He also took out all the necessary items.
As for how he got these? It was the ring that Sect Master Yun Xiu gave him. It contained almost everything—from clothes, medicinal herbs, and food to ingredients for making tea, milk, and sugar.
As Huang Yi watched Hun Yu take out various items from his ring, she glanced at the book he handed her.
She never expected to have to cook, but she thought she could at least do this much for this bad guy.
She opened the book and started flipping through the pages, trying to find the section on tea. After a few moments, she found it and began reading the instructions carefully.
"Alright," she muttered to herself, "I can do this."
She gathered the ingredients: tea leaves, water, sugar, milk, and a small pot. Following the instructions, she boiled the water, added the tea leaves, and let them steep for a few minutes.
Then she added a pinch of sugar and milk, stirring it gently.
Hun Yu watched her with a mix of amusement and curiosity. He could see her determination, and it made him smile a little.
After a few minutes, Huang Yi poured the tea into a cup and brought it over to Hun Yu. "Here you go," she said, handing it to him with a hint of pride in her voice.
He took a sip and nodded appreciatively. "Not bad for your first time," he said, a rare compliment slipping through.
Huang Yi felt a small sense of accomplishment. "Well, don't get used to it," she said with a smirk. "I won't be making tea for you every day."
After he finished the tea, he heard a knock on the door. When he opened it, he saw the old village chief standing there.
"How are you two young lovebirds doing? Is there anything you need?" the chief asked with a warm smile.
"No, no, it's more than enough that you've provided us with a house. We can't expect more,"
Hun Yu replied with a polite smile.
The old man looked humble. "Okay, okay, but if there's anything you need, you can come to me.
By the way, I'll be introducing you two to the villagers today, so please arrive at my house before sunset."
As the chief walked away, Hun Yu closed the door and turned back to Huang Yi. "Looks like we're going to be a team, whether we like it or not," he said with a smirk.
Huang Yi rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. "I suppose so," she replied, a hint of warmth in her voice.
Huang Yi seemed to be playing with her puppy. He hadn't realized the dog, or puppy—whatever the system had given—would mean so much to her.
"What should we name it?" Hun Yu asked.
"Is it male or female?" She looked up at him.
"It is female," he replied. "Name it whatever you want."
"How about Bīng Bīng?" she said, looking at its snow-like fur.
"Sounds good," he said.
"By the way, I have something for you. Give me your hand."
As she extended her hand, he took it in one hand and brought out the Ring of Protection, slipping it onto the middle finger of her right hand. "Okay, done."
She curiously examined the ring, which matched her hand perfectly. "Is this compensation for making me tea?" she teased.
Hun Yu didn't reply.
After some time, Huang Yi finally asked, "Why are you still wearing that mask? Don't you trust me?" She knew he might have his reasons, but weren't they soon to be husband and wife? He shouldn't hide his face from her.
Hun Yu fell silent. Inside his mind, he whispered urgently, "System, do you have something illusion-related that could hide my half-burned face?"
The system responded almost immediately, its voice calm and informative.
{Yes, there is an item available, but it will not work on cultivators who have entered the stage of the Elementary Realm.}
Hun Yu's heart sank a little, but he tried to remain hopeful. "Perfect. Tell me what item it is."
{The item is called the "Illusionary Fox Locket." It creates an illusion that can obscure physical imperfections and alter appearances.
However, its effectiveness diminishes against cultivators who have reached the Elementary Realm, as their spiritual perception can see through such illusions.}
{This item is very cheap because of its limitation of only working for people under the Elementary Realm. It costs only 1500 Energy Points.}
He decided not to buy it right away after thinking, "Well, it's no use."
He inhaled deeply before reaching up to take off his mask.
Huang Yi gasped and covered her mouth as she stood in front of him. She saw his face in its entirety for the first time, one side gorgeous, the other scarred by deep burns.
Her question was trembling as she inquired, "What happened to your face?" She knew these burns weren't accidental—someone had caused them on purpose.
Hun Yu's gaze became gloomy. He said softly, "Are you sure you want to hear about it?"
She gave a nod.
"When I was younger," he said in a steady, serious voice, "my dad would beat my mom every day.
She went insane because she could take it no more. One day, She plunged my face into a blazing fire without realizing who I was."
Every time Huang Yi spoke, his eyes became larger.
He went on, "But I don't blame her." "When I was fifteen, I killed my father and ran away."
As she approached her Bad Guy, she became aware that they had a difficult past.
She gave him a gentle hug and said, "Don't worry, I'm with you now." Despite her obvious sadness, she started crying when she heard this.
She couldn't help but wonder what his life would be like.
Hun Yu felt a little bad for lying to her, but it's better for her to know as little as possible.
Given that she is not a cultivator and will be in Danger.