Your heart beats so fast

Xixi pouted, but instead of resting obediently as Gu Tinglan said, she suddenly lifted the quilt and patted the place beside her, looking at him with sparkling eyes: "You lie down too."

Gu Tinglan's finger was still on the medicine bottle, but he paused when he heard this: "What?"

"I said," Xixi repeated word by word, poking the soft mattress with her fingertips, "lie down and sleep."

Moonlight streamed in through the slits in the curtains, casting mottled shadows on her face. The still-fading magic patterns glowed faintly purple in the darkness, like some mysterious totem. Gu Tinglan's Adam's apple rolled. His mind told him to refuse, but his feet, as if possessed of their own will, took a step forward.

"I'm not injured, so I don't need to rest." His voice was lower than usual, as if he was suppressing something, and more like he was making a final struggle.

"That's why I want you to accompany me." Xixi said confidently, as if it was the most natural logic in the world. "What if my wound hurts in the middle of the night? What if the seal on that broken pocket watch breaks out again?"

"Also, I need you to help me replenish my spiritual power."

Gu Tinglan opened his mouth, but couldn't find a reason to refute. He was indeed worried about her injuries, and... deep down inside, there was a voice clamoring to be close to her, even if it was just to quietly stand by her side.

"Just... just sleep." He finally compromised and lay down beside her with his clothes on, deliberately keeping a distance.

The mattress sank slightly under the weight of another person. Xixi smiled triumphantly and quickly moved closer to him. Before Gu Tinglan could react, she had already wrapped herself around him like an octopus.

"What are you thinking? Would I be so honest?" Xixi pouted and said, "Besides, how can I absorb spiritual power if you don't make contact with me?"

"Xixi!" Gu Tinglan's body stiffened. Her arms were wrapped around his waist, her cheek pressed against his chest, and one leg was even unceremoniously draped over his. The girl's soft body pressed tightly against his, and he could clearly feel every curve through the thin fabric.

"Don't move," Xixi muttered with her eyes closed, "the wound will hurt."

This sentence was like a spell that made Gu Tinglan stop struggling. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax, but a part of him began to wake up uncontrollably. Damn it, he cursed himself in his heart. She is hurt now, and she trusted you so much...

"Gu Tinglan," Xixi suddenly spoke, her voice vibrating slightly because it was pressed against his chest. "Your heart is beating so fast."

Gu Tinglan didn't answer, but gently placed his hand on her back, carefully avoiding the wound. He told himself that this was to prevent her from moving and rubbing the wound, but the warmth from his palm made his heart beat faster.

Gradually, Xixi's breathing became even and long. Gu Tinglan looked down. Her eyelashes cast a fan-shaped shadow on her face, and the corners of her mouth were slightly raised, as if she had a good dream. In the moonlight, she looked so pure, nothing like the dangerous and cunning succubus in the legend.

His fingers rose uncontrollably, gently touching the faintly visible horn on her forehead. The touch was unexpectedly warm, with a slight electric sensation that numbed his fingertips. Xixi hummed softly in her sleep and snuggled closer to him. This unconscious action sent an unprecedented surge of protective desire through Gu Tinglan's chest.

He stared at Xixi's peaceful face, a hint of sadness in his eyes, and thought to himself:

My heart is beating so fast, how about you?

Have you ever had a racing heart?

Or, are you attracted to me?

All night long, Gu Tinglan remained in this position, not daring to move. He counted her eyelashes, listened to her even breathing, and felt every slight rise and fall of her body. Outside the window, the moon sank, the stars faded, and only when the first rays of morning light filtered through the cracks in the curtains did he finally give in to his exhaustion and drift off to a light sleep.

"Gu Tinglan..."

A gentle call pulled him out of his light sleep. Gu Tinglan opened his eyes and found Xixi awake, chin propped up, looking at him. In the morning light, her eyes were a pure black color, like melted obsidian.

"Morning," his voice was hoarse, and he realized that his arm was still around her waist and quickly let go.

Xixi didn't stand up immediately, but continued to stare at him with a rare serious expression: "I've thought about it, I don't want to go to school."

Gu Tinglan suddenly came to his senses: "I have the same idea." He chuckled, "But won't you be reluctant to leave me?" he asked in a joking tone.

"Yes, but I don't want to cause you any trouble."

"It's too dangerous." Xixi sat up, her fingers unconsciously twisting around the laces of her nightgown. "Lin Mo could recognize me. What if there are other bad guys hiding in the dark? That would be the end of me. And..." She paused. "That pocket watch, actually, I feel strangely familiar. It feels like it has something to do with me. There must be other exorcists looking for me."

Gu Tinglan sat up, frowning. "But you've always wanted to go to school. You said you wanted to experience normal human life."

"That was in the past." Xixi turned her head, the sunlight gilding her profile. "Now I know I can never be truly 'normal'."

"Besides, I just wanted to stay with you, so I went to school with you."

These words stabbed into Gu Tinglan's heart like a knife, as if constantly reminding herself that she had failed to protect him. He reached out and grasped her shoulders, forcing her to turn around: "Listen, what happened to Lin Mo won't happen again. I will be more careful to protect you."

"That's the problem!" Xixi suddenly raised her voice, a sharpness in her eyes that Gu Tinglan had never seen before. "You can't even protect your own exorcist, how can you protect me?"

Gu Tinglan loosened his grip as if burned. She was right; the pocket watch was indeed his, and he hadn't even known it was lost.

"Besides," Xixi's tone softened, and her fingers gently touched the scabbed wound on his arm, "I don't want to see you get hurt because of me."

Gu Tinglan grabbed her fingers and held them in his palm: "This is my choice."

"Then I have the right to choose not to go to school." Xixi said stubbornly, "Humanity courses are of no use to me anyway."

The two looked at each other for a while, and finally Gu Tinglan sighed: "At least wait until the injury is completely healed before making a decision, okay?"

If it were before, she wouldn't have to go if she didn't want to, and he wouldn't force her. But now... he felt safer around him than anywhere else.

Especially after he learned that Lin Mo was not an exorcist.

But she didn't know why she suddenly became so stubborn. Now she could only drag it out and wait for Ji Yunbai to come home before he could feel at ease to leave her at home.

Xixi hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She suddenly leaned forward and, before Gu Tinglan could react, gently kissed his cheek. "Thank you for staying with me last night."

This sudden kiss left Gu Tinglan stunned. When he came to his senses, Xixi had already jumped out of bed and ran barefoot to the bathroom, leaving behind only a string of silver bell-like laughter.

Gu Tinglan raised his hand and touched the place where he had been kissed. It seemed as if the soft touch of her lips still lingered there. He should have been happy, but a strange unease welled up in his heart. The expression on Xixi's face when she mentioned "other exorcists are looking for me" did not seem to be a casual remark.

To be precise, it was not other exorcists who were looking for her, but other people like Lin Mo.

Is this somehow related to the curse she mentioned before and her ability to reincarnate infinitely?

Gu Tinglan had some vague guesses in his mind.

Gu Tinglan took a deep breath and forced himself to put these thoughts aside for the time being. He stood up and made the bed, but felt a hard object under the pillow - it was the pocket watch that almost took Xixi's life.

The silver watch case shone coldly in the morning light, the Gu family crest clearly visible on the inside of the cover. Gu Tinglan's thumb traced the delicate lines, his eyes darkening. He had to find out how this pocket watch had come into Lin Mo's possession, and... how many other Gu family exorcists were out there, becoming weapons to threaten Xixi.

Also, what secrets is his father hiding from him?

From the bathroom, the sound of Xixi humming and the rush of water emanated. Gu Tinglan gripped his pocket watch tightly in his hand until the metal edge dug into his flesh. No matter what lay ahead, he would never let anyone hurt her again.

When Xixi came out of the shower, she saw Gu Tinglan sitting on the bed in a daze. He had a serious expression on his face. Xixi didn't like his expression, so she ran towards him happily and threw Gu Tinglan onto the bed.

Gu Tinglan groaned from the strong force she brought him, and his body fell backwards. The two of them lay on their backs on the bed with the woman on top.

"What are you thinking about?" Xixi rested one hand on Gu Tinglan's neck and the other on his chest. "I've never seen you look so serious."

"Don't tell me, it's quite scary." Seeing that he was unhappy, she added, "But it's super handsome."

Gu Tinglan smiled brightly, dizzy with praise, and didn't care about the terrible posture of the two of them at the moment, and was about to answer.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a door opening and footsteps downstairs. Gu Tinglan froze, grabbed Xixi's waist with both hands, moved her away from him, and quickly stood up.

"My mom's back." He frowned and looked at the clock. "She's a week earlier than expected."

Xixi suddenly panicked: "Should I hide?" She hurriedly adjusted her nightgown, but because of her nervousness, she pulled the collar open even more.

Gu Tinglan's gaze lingered on her bare shoulders for a second, then he looked away: "No need. Why are you hiding? It's not like you're having an affair. She also knows about your..." Before he finished speaking, the bedroom door was pushed open.

"Tinglan? You haven't slept yet - Ouch!" The elegant woman standing at the door covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes moving back and forth between Xixi on the bed and her son standing beside the bed.

Gu Tinglan's mother was well-maintained, looking much younger than her actual age. Her smooth black hair was tied back in a bun, and she was wearing a travel windbreaker. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, as if she had discovered some earth-shattering secret.

"Mom, it's not what you think." Gu Tinglan held his forehead helplessly, "Besides, why should I sleep so early in the morning?"

"What do I think?" Ji Yunbai walked in with a smile. When his eyes fell on Xixi, they suddenly lit up. "Who is this?"

When Gu Tinglan heard this, he knew his mother was in a bad mood again, and said uncooperatively, "Your memory shouldn't be that bad, right? Didn't we just see it on video last time?"

Xixi clutched the corner of the quilt nervously. Last time, through the phone, she had been much more comfortable, but now face to face, she didn't know how to introduce herself. The two small magic horns on her head were looming due to her emotional fluctuations, and her tail was curled uneasily.

Moreover, she now felt a little bit of reality. The beautiful woman in front of her was Gu Tinglan's mother.

I don't want to leave a bad impression on her.

"I haven't forgotten, but can't you formally introduce her to me again?" Ji Yunbai raised his lips to an evil smile, not looking at all steady. "Or is it that she's not important? There's no need for you to formally introduce her to me?"

Xixi, who understood and took these words to heart, suddenly raised her head and stared at Gu Tinglan with resentment.

“…”

"This is Xixi. She's staying here temporarily." Gu Tinglan introduced her briefly, then turned to Xixi and said, "This is my mother."

"Hello, Auntie!" Xixi prepared herself mentally and greeted her generously, hiding the nervousness that had revealed itself. Her voice was loud and full of energy.

I thought it was just a courtesy.

Unexpectedly, Mother Gu's reaction was completely unexpected. She walked over in surprise and even reached out to gently touch Xixi's horn. "Oh my god, it's a real devil horn! Such beautiful dark patterns, is it a pureblood?"

Xixi's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Gu Tinglan, who also looked surprised: "Mom, you...?"

Where does the theory of bloodline come from?

"How should I know?" Mother Gu smiled as she sat down beside the bed and affectionately took Xixi's hand. "Silly son, who do you think collected your grandfather's books on the demon clan on that shelf?"

Gu Tinglan looked like he was meeting his mother for the first time: "You never said that."

He thought that all those demon books belonged to his father, but it seemed that she was not that simple either.

"You didn't ask." Ji Yunbai winked playfully, then turned to Xixi and asked gently, "Does the wound still hurt? I heard about the pocket watch. That thing is really domineering."

Gu Tinglan: “…”

He has been deceived by the two of them since he was a child. All the clues have been hidden with magic. Do you still expect him to find something different?

Exorcists rely on magical weapons and cannot possess any special abilities themselves. Without magical weapons, they are just ordinary humans.

He's not some gifted freak.

Xixi shook her head, a little overwhelmed by the sudden concern: "Much better, Gu Tinglan gave me some medicine."

"This kid still has some conscience." Mother Gu nodded with satisfaction. Then, she suddenly remembered something and her eyes lit up. "Wait, so you're the girl my son spends every day researching how to make girls like him?"

"Mom!" Gu Tinglan's ears turned red instantly.

So she didn't see all the messages he sent, and only saw the one asking how to pursue girls.

Xixi tilted her head curiously: "He studies me?"

Since Xixi already liked Gu Tinglan in her heart, she automatically ignored the latter sentence.

"That's right." Mother Gu said enthusiastically, "He is worried about why you never -"

"Okay, you can shut up now." Gu Tinglan interrupted abruptly, taking a step forward to stand between the two of them, "You should rest."

Ji Yun smiled knowingly and stood up, quietly mouthing "Let's talk next time" to Xixi. When she reached the door, she suddenly turned around and said, "By the way, what does Xixi like to eat? I'll cook tomorrow."

"Ah, I... I'm not picky about food..." Xixi replied flattered.

"She loves to eat meat." Gu Tinglan answered suddenly.

"Okay." Mother Gu said happily, then gave her son a meaningful look and said, "Take good care of my daughter-in-law."

After the door closed, an awkward silence fell in the room. Xixi's face was as red as a ripe apple, and her fingers were twisting the corner of the quilt unconsciously.

"Well, it seems we are not married yet?" she whispered.

She saw on TV that people were only called daughters-in-law after they got married.

Gu Tinglan rubbed his temples and said, "She's always like this. Ordinary people can't understand her thoughts. Don't take it too seriously." After a pause, he added, "But she likes you, which is rare."

Xixi's eyes lit up: "Really?"

"Yeah." Gu Tinglan walked to the window with his back to her. "After knowing your identity, she can still say such words. It shows that she really likes you."

After all, he and Xixi are not of the same race, but in terms of life span, they are not suitable either. However, it is not surprising that Ji Yunbai agreed.

Xixi didn't quite understand, so she yawned a little. Her body was indeed easily tired after being injured.

"Go to sleep." Gu Tinglan glanced back at her. "I'll call you for dinner later. If you want, you can talk more with my mother. She probably knows more about the demons than I do."

Xixi nodded and lay down obediently. Gu Tinglan tucked the quilt in for her and was about to leave when his clothes were pulled again.

"Gu Tinglan." She called his name sleepily, "Thank you... for protecting me."

Gu Tinglan's breathing stagnated, and then he smiled helplessly: "Then you must prepare a thank you gift."

He knew his mother wouldn't let on about Xixi so easily, and that an inevitable "interrogation" awaited him. But strangely, the thought didn't make him feel the usual irritation. Instead, he felt a faint sense of... anticipation?