On the way back, Yu Wanwan kept glancing at Qinglu and smiling to herself. Even though Qinglu was usually composed and never showed his emotions, he still felt embarrassed by her gaze.

He suddenly stopped, looking at Yu Wanwan with some embarrassment and annoyance: "Wanwan, is there anything you want to say to me?"

Yu Wanwan tilted her head: "No, I'm fine."

"But you kept looking at me." And you kept laughing for no reason, making him feel embarrassed.

Yu Wanwan grabbed his hand and shook it: "I think Qinglu looks so imposing and handsome. If there weren't so many people around, I would have wanted to kiss you."

Such a dignified and composed person in public is always gentle and tender in front of her, and she gets shy easily if you look at her for too long. Such a big contrast makes her partner so adorable.

Suddenly, Qinglu pinched her chin with two fingers, bent down and placed a light kiss on her lips. After the kiss, he didn't back away, but just looked at her up close. His hot breath hit her face, making Yu Wanwan feel a little dizzy.

"Even if there are a lot of people around, you can still kiss me." He enjoys physical intimacy with her.

The person in front of her was clearly noble and unapproachable, yet he was doing things that contradicted his temperament. When he spoke, his expression was extremely serious and gentle. Yu Wanwan blinked blankly, unable to react for a long time.

Now it was Qinglu's turn to laugh.

He patted her head, then picked her up with one hand and carried her slowly along the quiet mountain path.

Returning to the cave was a long-awaited experience for Yu Wanwan. She spread her arms and lay sprawled on the bed, letting the familiar scent envelop her.

Qinglu helped her remove her headdress and shoes, and went to fetch water for her to wash up.

Yu Wanwan lay in bed and touched the round thing in her arms.

Qinglu turned around and saw Yu Wanwan sitting up, holding a glowing blue sphere in her hands.

"What's this?"

Yu Wanwan raised her head slightly and said in a very serious tone, "This is... my new partner."

Qing Dynasty law: "..."

Without hesitation, he reached out and touched Yu Wanwan's forehead.

Yu Wanwan was both amused and exasperated, and dodged his hand: "I'm serious."

Pulling him to sit down on the bedside, Yu Wanwan said, "Actually, I not only met the Beast God, but also encountered many other things. However, I promised the Beast God that I would not tell anyone about these things. In short, his name is Lanyin, and he became like this to save me. This is his soul."

Yu Wanwan raised her soul before Qinglu.

Qinglu didn't know what had happened to her, but hearing that Lanyin had become a spirit to save her, the clever Qinglu immediately made a guess.

Furthermore, the fact that one can see images of Lan Yin and Yu Wanwan spending time together through the Soul Orb further confirms Qing Lu's suspicions.

"I want to save Lan Yin and make him part of our family."

As Yu Wanwan spoke, her voice grew softer and softer until she finally lowered her head.

For her, she had been through a lot, but for Qinglu, she had just said she didn't want anyone else, but then she found a partner. It seemed like she had broken her promise.

Qinglu raised his hand, and Yu Wanwan subconsciously closed her eyes tightly.

Her face was lifted up, and she saw Qinglu's serious expression: "Wanwan, whatever you want to do, I'm willing to support you."

For Qinglu, just being able to stay by her side was enough.

Seeing that he wasn't angry, Yu Wanwan breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Qinglu still reminded him, "But Mozhou and Feihan won't be so easy to talk to then."

Thinking about the two of them, Yu Wanwan also felt a headache coming on.

Qinglu comforted her, "Don't worry, I'll help you."

He will definitely stand unconditionally on Yu Wanwan's side.

After saying that, his gaze returned to Lan Yin's soul.

Qinglu poked the ball with his index finger, and it rolled in Yu Wanwan's palm: "But what should we do now?"

We can't just keep it in a ball-like state forever, can we? Or should we just keep it like this?

Yu Wanwan scratched her head: "I don't know either."

She thought about it and decided to ask the Beast God tomorrow; maybe they would know.

The next day, Qinglu left early, while Yu Wanwan touched the plants in the vase in the cave and called upon the god of time.

"Grandpa Beast God, are you there?"

The Beast God's voice quickly rang out: "Little female, you miss me already?"

Yu Wanwan scratched her head, a little embarrassed: "I don't really miss you, but I have something I want to ask you."

The God of Time laughed even louder: "There's no need to be so frank."

Yu Wanwan couldn't help but smile too.

After they had finished laughing, the God of Time asked, "Was it for your mermaid partner?"

Yu Wanwan nodded vigorously: "Yes, I want to know how to make Lanyin return to normal."

The God of Time already knew that Yu Wanwan would come to him, so he didn't hide anything and told her the method in one breath: "Who do you see most through his soul?"

"It's me."

"That's easy." A loud slap came from the other end, probably the sound of the God of Time slapping his thigh: "What those images show is their obsession, the most important person to them. Lan Yin is a mermaid, so just soak him in water, drip a drop of your blood into it, and wait a few days."

"So simple?" Yu Wanwan was somewhat incredulous; she had even prepared to set up an altar to summon the soul.

The God of Time snorted, as if guessing her thoughts, and said half-jokingly, "If you want to go through a bit more trouble, you can perform a three-day sacrifice, enshrine the soul, and pray devoutly every day. After a year or two, you might be able to bring the person back."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!