After Forgetting Two Exes - Chapter 43

In the quiet of the night, the wine cup rolled off the roof’s edge, the sound of it shattering against the ground particularly loud. It was followed immediately by the even sharper crack of the wine jar exploding as it hit the earth.

The fragrance of the wine drifted with the night breeze, alternating between heady richness and a crisp, cold scent.

Ji Xunyue felt as though she truly was drunk.

Xuan Huai’s chin rested on her shoulder. One arm was draped over her back while the other encircled her waist; she was held firmly in his embrace. Caught off guard by this sudden surge of physical affection, she was momentarily confused, yet she could feel the powerful tide of his emotions.

He remained silent, but the slight trembling of his body betrayed his vulnerability and unease.

Ever since she had known him, he had been cold and detached. Even when he cared for her, he had always exerted the utmost self-restraint, unwilling to reveal too much emotion in her presence. Unlike her, who knew nothing of their past, he had been tormented by their shared memories for too long and trapped by misunderstandings for even longer. These few days of being together were not yet enough to dissolve the bitterness he had accumulated over thousands of years.

Ji Xunyue closed her eyes and returned his embrace. She owed him too much; she could only use this embrace and her future companionship to prove to him that she was equally dependent on and close to him.

Sensing her response, he pulled her closer. The tension in his back gradually faded, signaling the settling of his heart.

After a while, Xuan Huai called her name in a soft voice, “A-Yue.”

Ji Xunyue adjusted her position slightly, nesting in his arms in a more comfortable way, which served as her response. Once the rustle of their clothes ceased and silence returned to the surroundings, he continued, “Promise me that you will stay with me forever.”

Ji Xunyue could not help but smile. “Alright.”

“You can only like me.”

“Alright.”

Why did it feel as though a similar conversation had happened once before?

Xuan Huai paused. “Even if you forget me again, I will never let go.”

Ji Xunyue was stunned for a moment before replying with an even firmer tone, “Alright.”

Then, Xuan Huai gently released her.

As his gaze met hers, he seemed to realize exactly what he had just said. His face flushed instantly, and he looked at her with an expression of profound embarrassment. Only before her would he feel his own loneliness; only then would he want to strip away all his defenses and seek her pity through a display of weakness.

Ji Xunyue did not want to miss a single one of his expressions and watched him with an intense gaze. He tried to force himself to be calm, but the crimson on his face only deepened, and even his fair neck was dyed with a thin layer of pink.

The coldness that was once like ice had long vanished from his eyes, replaced by a warmth as gentle as a spring day. He was trying to carefully reveal his heart, yet he was terrified that his desire for her would be too intense and cause her to feel repulsed.

But in truth, she liked the cold, world-removed version of him sitting atop the clouds; she liked the shy, reserved nature he showed by accident; she liked his unmaskable vulnerability and sensitivity; and she liked, most of all, the increasingly uncontrollable, almost hungry way he sought her closeness after finding her again.

All of this proved that he belonged to her.

Before they knew it, the distance between them had closed again. Xuan Huai tried to appear indifferent, but his rapid breathing betrayed his inner trepidation. Ji Xunyue could tell that her promise had not been enough to dispel all his misgivings or encourage him to reveal the secrets of his heart. He still only wanted to show her what he considered his best side.

If she pursued him relentlessly, he would crumble at the first touch.

But she did not want to do that. They had plenty of time; one day, he would no longer hold anything back. Ending the night here would be a good conclusion. She sat up straight and looked away, wanting to give them both space to calm down, and thus missed the flash of panic in Xuan Huai’s eyes.

She looked at the mess on the ground and said with regret, “It all spilled before I could even take a few sips.”

Suddenly, a surge of demon power erupted beside her.

Ji Xunyue stared at Xuan Huai in shock. His pupils had already taken on a pale gold, bestial outline, and the corners of his eyes were tinged with a light red. There were the snowy fox ears she had seen before, and a fluffy white fox tail she had never seen.

“It does not matter,” Xuan Huai’s voice was somewhat muffled. He took her hand and pressed it against his cheek. “None of that matters. All you need to do now is look at me.” His eyes were filled with longing as he whispered enticingly, “And then, do whatever you wish to do.”

He only wanted to follow his heart, willingly offering his everything and letting her take from him without end.

The moonlight was gentle, casting a soft halo over his face. Being held in his intense gaze, Ji Xunyue felt she was about to drown in the brilliance of his eyes. His palms were scalding hot, as was his cheek, as if he intended to set her on fire.

His initiative was not something she had expected. But, of course, she would not refuse.

Starting from the tips and then the curves, her exploration expanded. The snowy fox ears trembled in her palm, and the soft, delicate texture under her fingertips stirred the pulse of her heart. Under her touch, Xuan Huai’s long eyelashes quivered, and his breathing grew increasingly rapid and irregular, yet he continued to stare at her without blinking.

He was waiting for her response.

Ji Xunyue withdrew her hand and leaned forward until they were extremely close. She did not speak; the smile in her eyes already conveyed her thoughts.

“And this…” Xuan Huai took her hand again and placed the tip of his tail in her palm. “You will like this too, won’t you?”

The tail was so fluffy that her hand was completely buried in the fur. She did not decline and gave the tip of his tail a squeeze.

“Ngh…” He let out a soft gasp.

“Did I hurt you?”

He shook his head. “No, it is just that… this place is very sensitive.”

He wanted her to know all of his sensitive spots. And then, to control him, to possess him. If he had retained a final shred of reserve before, he no longer needed any of it now.

He pulled her hand, guiding her to stroke along his tail from the tip upward. Her touch made him tremble continuously, and a mist appeared before his eyes, yet he was obsessed with the sensation.

Ji Xunyue looked at him and let out an almost imperceptible sigh. “Xuan Huai, you are trying to please me.”

A smile touched the corners of Xuan Huai’s mouth, but his eyes held a trace of sadness. He did not answer, but simply gripped her hand tighter.

Ji Xunyue looked at their interlaced hands and said in a low voice, “You are afraid.”

“There is too much between us. Some things cannot be settled with just a few words.” Xuan Huai also lowered his gaze. “I have known you for over four thousand years, but you have known me for less than two months.”

“I understand.”

“You understand, but there is nothing you can do. You have forgotten everything, so I did not ask why you and Shi Yuan reached that point back then. I have thought about it far too many times over the years, and even now, I cannot stop thinking about it. Even if Shi Yuan admits the past was just unrequited love, even if you admit that this past month was all my misunderstanding, I still cannot help but be afraid.”

He had once taken it for granted that they would be together forever, but how could he have imagined that she would forget him, that her gaze would be so indifferent, and that she would choose someone else?

Xuan Huai paused for a moment, his tone becoming regretful. “I am not trying to blame you. It is just that I am so afraid; I do not know how to keep you.”

He settled his emotions and continued, “Actually, I lied. I do not want you to go to the Yanming Sect at all. I do not want you to leave. Every time you leave me, it feels like a final farewell, like I will never see you again. You have things you must do, but I am always plagued by gains and losses. I just want to stay in your heart a little longer.”

As they talked, the heat that had been ignited earlier began to cool bit by bit. By the time Xuan Huai finished speaking, only the sobriety of returning logic remained.

Ji Xunyue knew that if she asked nothing more, they would perhaps use physical intimacy to fill the holes in their hearts. To Xuan Huai, this might be a way out, but it was not what she wanted.

She gave her hand a shake, signaling for him to let go. Before he could show any disappointment, she grabbed his wrist and brought it back between them. Then, she cupped his right hand with one of hers and placed her other hand on his palm.

She looked up with a clear smile. “How could there be nothing I can do?”

Xuan Huai stared at the smile in her eyes. A sharp pain in his palm drew his gaze downward. Ji Xunyue had pressed two fingers together and sliced his palm open.

Blood slowly stained the cut before surging out. Such a small wound was naturally nothing to him. He watched quietly, vaguely guessing what she intended to do.

Her fingertip touched the wound, and she injected her spiritual power into it.

“You saved me in the mortal realm. As a return gift, I should leave my mark on you as well. That way, you need not worry about what would happen if I forget you again and treat you as a stranger. I will recognize that you are someone I trust.”

Her power flowed through his veins, stored at his heart, branding him with a mark that belonged solely to her.

Every person’s spiritual power is unique. For those with average cultivation, one must maintain the purity of their power regardless of affinity or repulsion; even when receiving healing, people generally expel foreign power once they are recovered. For the strong, they do not easily tolerate the lingering power of another unless that person is extremely important.

He had wanted to rely on her touch to soothe his long-standing negative emotions, but she saw his unease and chose a form of comfort that could truly put his mind at rest. This was a result he had never dared to hope for, yet he should have realized long ago that she was always sincere with him. He had been adrift for too long, and now, his heart finally had a home.

He wrapped his other arm gently around her and pressed his forehead against hers, as if wanting to transmit the sound of his heartbeat to her. He watched as she healed his wound, his gaze suddenly drawn to a crescent-shaped mark that had appeared on his wrist at some point.

“A-Yue, you…” He was momentarily speechless.

The Shenhui Seal—a soul-binding curse unique to gods and demons that can only be cast once in a lifetime.

Ji Xunyue tilted her head back and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “This way, I will not only recognize you as someone I trust, but I will also know that you are the person I love. I did not act on impulse; this is a decision I made after serious thought. The past is the past, and we have a long future ahead. I know that as time passes, you will understand my sincerity, but I do not want to wait. I do not want to see you grieving.”

The mark she spoke of was not merely a spiritual sensation. What she had given him was far more than he had imagined. She had actually tricked him.

Ji Xunyue stroked the mark, her gaze deepening. “My parents… they once loved each other deeply. Even at the end, my mother could not bear to erase the mark my father left on her. Yet she told me never to give my heart away easily. I believe in my choice, but I can also be afraid. I just do not want to be trapped by the past and stop moving forward.”

“Xuan Huai, this time, I will not leave. I have placed my heart in your hands, so…”

Before she could finish, her words were cut short by his urgent kiss. Xuan Huai held her tightly, his fox tail coiling around her waist. The mark on his heart and wrist felt hot enough to burn him to ashes.

She closed her eyes and returned the passion, letting their intermingled breaths burn across their entwined lips. At this moment, any words would have been redundant. Their feelings for each other were unwavering; they were simply greedy, confirming it over and over again.