Luo Ruying carried Luo Hongye to the wooden house and gently knocked on the door, feeling a mix of unease and hope.
With a "squeak," the wooden door slowly opened.
"Who might you be looking for?" Ning Yechen asked with a smile, standing at the door. For some reason, the woman in front of him gave him a strong sense of déjà vu.
Luo Ruying, facing the familiar figure, pursed her red lips and lowered her gaze, unsure of how to begin. After a moment of hesitation, she tentatively asked, "Do you... don't you remember me?"
Ning Yechen looked at her carefully once more. Dark hair, red eyes, a beautiful face. Very familiar, but he couldn't place her.
"Who are you...?" he asked awkwardly, unable to recall anyone that matched her description.
Luo Ruying's face showed a mix of anger and disappointment. "You heartless man!" she exclaimed.
Ning Yechen was taken aback. He had never even been in love, let alone become a heartless man. "Girl, is there some misunderstanding? Did you mistake me for someone else?" he asked.
Luo Ruying sighed, picking up Luo Hongye. "She is your daughter. You are responsible for her and me," she said, looking at him with a mix of resentment and sadness.
"Ah...?" Ning Yechen was shocked. Suddenly, he was a father? He looked at Luo Hongye, who was as delicate as a doll and timidly glancing at him. She was beautiful and cute, and he felt an inexplicable closeness to her.
However, this sudden revelation confused him. Except for that accidental one-night stand ten years ago, he had never touched another woman. Realization dawned on him. "You... you are the fairy from that night?" he asked, pointing at Luo Ruying in surprise.
Luo Ruying nodded shyly. Ning Yechen's mouth hung open in shock. The fairy's once radiant aura was much weaker now, and her beautiful silver hair had turned dark, making it hard for him to recognize her.
He couldn't understand. After a one-night stand, the fairy had conceived and raised a child for ten years and now sought him out? The chance of a high-cultivation fairy conceiving a child was incredibly low, yet here she was with their daughter.
"Is she... really my child?" Ning Yechen asked, still in disbelief. He regretted asking as soon as the words left his mouth, knowing it was inappropriate.
Luo Ruying's face turned ugly, and she shouted angrily, "If you don't want to take responsibility, I'll take the child and leave! But don't insult us!" She turned to leave, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Mom, does daddy not want us?" Luo Hongye asked, her big eyes filled with confusion.
Ning Yechen's heart ached. He couldn't abandon them. He rushed forward and grabbed Luo Ruying's arm. "Wait! I never said I wouldn't take responsibility!"
"Hmph! Let go of me! You don't need to be responsible anymore!" Luo Ruying tried to shake him off, but Ning Yechen held on firmly. Before she could react, she suddenly coughed violently, blood appearing in her palm.
"You're hurt?!" Ning Yechen's expression turned cold as he held her wrist.
"I'm fine... let go... I..." Luo Ruying's strength waned, and she fainted into Ning Yechen's arms.
"Mother, mother!" Luo Hongye cried, pulling at her arm.
Ning Yechen held Luo Ruying tightly and lifted Luo Hongye into his arms. "Don't worry," he comforted gently. "With Dad here, your mother will be fine."