Lord Xiao Sheds Tears Over His Beloved (20)

From the map provided by the system, they had been swept far away. The navigation marked the nearest village, and remarkably, it was in the same direction that Yan Jiu was heading.

“Is this what they call the legendary protagonist’s aura?” Hua Mi marveled in surprise.

They traveled for several days before finally reaching a secluded village deep in the mountains.

The closest village was a natural settlement nestled in the heart of the mountain, remote and far from any city.

Yan Jiu found an abandoned earthen house for them to take temporary shelter.

They tidied the place up simply. Yan Jiu found her a place to sit and rest while he went out to ask the villagers for information.

When Yan Jiu returned, he brought back plenty of food and bedding, even a new set of clothes for her.

Though the fabric was not luxurious, the clothes looked decent and were fairly comfortable—the best they could manage under the circumstances.

Hua Mi held the garment, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

She threw herself into Yan Jiu’s arms, clinging to his neck and pouting affectionately, “Oh, Master Jiu, you’re so good to me.”

In her eyes, Yan Jiu seemed to glow.

The man wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Yan Jiu learned that due to the mountain blocking signals, the village had no internet or phone coverage, living in a state of isolation.

However, there was a bus connecting the village to the outside world, though it ran only once every two months—and the last one had just left the week before.

If they wanted to leave, they would have to stay here for at least two months.

The simple, honest villagers offered much help to these two accidental outsiders, but the environment limited their quality of life, which certainly could not compare to before.

Hua Mi had suffered from insomnia for two consecutive nights.

The bed was hard—neither soft, fragrant, warm, nor clean. She clung to Yan Jiu like an octopus just to fall asleep, but it was clear she had not truly rested. Her spirit was wilting, and even her tears seemed weak and feeble.

Yan Jiu would pinch her chin every day, teasing her for being delicate.

Several days later, he disappeared for a day and came back at night covered in blood.

His return startled Hua Mi terribly.

Only when he got closer did she realize the blood was not his.

Yan Jiu had brought back a large wild beast and was skinning and butchering it at the door, leaving her wide-eyed in amazement.

He was obviously a gangster boss and had once been a young master from a wealthy family—how was his wilderness survival skill so strong?

By the river, Hua Mi helped Yan Jiu wash the blood off his body, quietly asking, “Master Jiu, were you ever abandoned in the mountains as a child?”

Yan Jiu chuckled softly at her question. “Yeah, my family never liked me; they wished I were dead. Several times when I was young, they heartlessly threw me into the mountains. I barely survived by luck—if not for fate, I wouldn’t be here today.”

“Master Jiu, you’re so pitiful!” She hugged his neck tenderly and rubbed against him. “It’s okay—I like you!”

“Ha,” Yan Jiu laughed happily and picked her up to walk back.

They laid soft animal pelts on the earthen bed, making it warm and comfortable.

Yan Jiu placed her on the bed and leaned down; as their lips met, the system suddenly spoke.

[Host, he lied to you. The protagonist was educated from a young age with elite training, learned emergency survival, and has experience with hunting and extreme exploration—there’s no way he was ever abandoned in the mountains.]

Hua Mi heard the system but couldn’t focus on its words. Just dealing with Yan Jiu’s advances exhausted all her attention.

That night, she finally slept soundly.

The beast Yan Jiu hunted was huge; the two of them couldn’t finish it alone. They shared plenty with the villagers, exchanging meat for other necessities.

Though living in a remote mountain village, their quality of life improved dramatically.

Yan Jiu was dark-hearted, harsh, and enjoyed teasing her until she cried, yet he took very good care of her.

He teased her for being delicate but never let her suffer any real harm.

The villagers assumed they were a young married couple, but their relationship remained in a delicate balance.

They kissed and embraced intimately but were not lovers. They slept together but never took the final step.

No one knew when this subtle connection might change.

Over a month later, Hua Mi sat on the man’s lap, tending to his wounds.

Yan Jiu’s chest injury was healing well; being away from conflict gave him a place to recover peacefully—especially with someone who cared about his injury more than he did.

The process was quiet. Hua Mi focused on the wound while Yan Jiu’s hand rested naturally on her waist. He looked down at her with deep, unreadable eyes.

“Mi Mi.”

Hearing the voice above, Hua Mi paused.

Her hand stopped moving as she looked up, meeting the man’s dark, intense gaze.

Blinking uncertainly, she asked, “Master Jiu? Are you calling me?”

His hand tightened slightly on her waist; he lowered his head and asked, “Has anyone ever called you that?”

Hua Mi thought for a moment and shook her head. “No, you’re the first.”

The man gently pinched her chin and pressed his lips to hers.

“Ah! What are you doing!?” Hua Mi pushed him away, dodging his kiss.

“I’m applying medicine; stop fooling around!” she exclaimed.

Yan Jiu’s eyes darkened as he pursed his lips, displeased that she only let him taste a little, but he still stopped.

He rested his forehead against hers, holding her hands tighter. “Fine, I’ll listen to you first.”

Seeing him behave, Hua Mi wiped her tears and continued applying the medicine.

“Mi Mi.”

Not long after, the man called her again.

“What is it?” she said without even looking up.

“If anyone other than me ever calls you that, I’ll kill him. And if you dare respond, I’ll kill you.”

Hua Mi finally looked up, her gaze complicated.

Indeed, a darkening heart at eighty percent was not to be underestimated.

Yan Jiu was possessive and ambiguous with her—embracing and kissing her daily, yet never confirming their relationship, acting like an irresponsible scoundrel.

Most would have lost patience long ago, but Hua Mi had come to accept it calmly. She neither got angry nor sad; instead, she went along with him and never pressured him to clarify.

This time, she took the system’s words to heart.

As long as the protagonist’s darkening heart value didn’t drop, everything was just an illusion. No matter how much she pushed or schemed, it was useless because he hadn’t fully accepted her in his heart.

There was no active solution; his darkening heart fluctuated unpredictably at strange moments and for unknown reasons.

So Hua Mi decided on a slow and steady approach—like boiling a frog gently.

When he could no longer resist and wanted to take the next step, then her mission might succeed.

Now, it was all about patience and time—both of which she had plenty.

The only gamble was how special she truly was in Yan Jiu’s heart.

Hua Mi lacked confidence, but the system was mysteriously confident, trusting she would complete the task.

Two months later, the bus to the outside world finally arrived.

Yan Jiu didn’t rush back to his old place; instead, he followed Hua Mi back to her home.

More than two months had passed since Yan Jiu was shot and fell into the sea. Everyone outside believed he was dead, and the underworld had changed dramatically.

It was not a good time for him to return.

Yan Jiu pinned the girl against the door, kissing her deeply. His low, magnetic voice whispered in her ear: “Mi Mi, keep me here a little longer.”

The man’s vulnerability before her felt natural.

Because he knew she would never send him away.