Chapter 102 He actually dared to... She only cares about who her heart will choose.

With a 'whoosh', Li Xunhuan's pupils contracted sharply, and his fingers instantly lost their strength.

The pen tip sank heavily into the paper, spreading large swaths of thick ink. The Xiangfei pen landed on the desk with two clattering sounds, then slammed all the way to the inkstone.

Jing Shu's eyes widened, and she hurriedly picked up the marriage certificate, which was soaked in ink, and said anxiously, "Be careful not to ruin it."

Li Xunhuan ignored him, suddenly looking up at Nian Nian, his voice tight as he said, "You said..."

His fingertips dug into the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white, blood seeping from under his fingernails. His heart was bound tightly by transparent threads, as if at her command, these threads would suddenly tighten.

Niannian blinked, covered her mouth and laughed, "Otherwise, is it because this demon left out the woman's surname that he can't write his own sister's name?"

The blank space was deliberately left blank, naturally so that someone could fill it in.

The whole city has become a blood lantern; who else can take a place in the marriage?

A chill crept up their spines from their feet, and the hearts of the three sank.

Jing Shu lowered his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. He picked up the Xiangfei brush and said dismissively, "We should at least give it a try. What if the answer is written right on the riddle itself? Wouldn't we be just asking for trouble?"

He picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote the three characters 'Zhong Meier'.

However, before he could even lift his pen, the three characters were swallowed up bit by bit by the fog and disappeared completely.

Nian Nian scoffed softly, thinking to herself: "Pretentious."

Lin Shiyin bit her lip and suddenly stepped forward to snatch the pen.

Jing Shu, however, seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He raised his hand and grabbed her wrist, asking urgently, "What are you doing, sister?"

Lin Shiyin gasped for breath and choked out, "How could I not be willing to exchange my life for my child's?"

Only the four of them remain safe in this city. If we don't write her name, we should write Nian Nian's.

How old is she?

Lin Shiyin looked at her as if she were looking at Xiaoyun. Besides, Niannian was her child, and even without Xiaoyun, she would be willing to risk her life to save her.

Cousin and Niannian risked their lives to save her; there is absolutely no reason in this world to ask others to risk their lives to save you.

This matter has nothing to do with them.

Jing Shu was well aware of this principle, but his heart was inherently biased.

He stood up and helped Lin Shiyin sit down, comforting her, "Sister doesn't know any magic, and she's not even good at martial arts. If you go, then..."

He bit his lip, unwilling to continue.

These words were, of course, meant for Nian Nian and Li Xunhuan. Right now, isn't there still one person who possesses both Taoist magic and martial arts skills?

Niannian raised her eyes and looked at Li Xunhuan, saying, "What does Father think?"

Li Xunhuan's face was already deathly pale.

What choice does he have?

How could he choose? He had already arranged his cousin's marriage ten years ago. Did he want her to marry again?

Even if she killed him, he couldn't harm her twice in a row.

My cousin is so frail. If she goes through this ordeal, how will she possibly come back alive? This heartless man has already caused Lin Shiyin half a lifetime of suffering. Does he really want to cause her to lose her life as well?

Nian Nian is so young, are we really going to let a child risk his life? If something really goes wrong, how can he face the world?

Not to mention that Niannian risked her life to save Shiyin for him, he was sorry to Shiyin and also owed Niannian a debt.

He clenched his fists, the double-edged sword's edge twisting wildly in his lungs, filling his mouth with the taste of rust.

How could he possibly choose?

How to select the appropriate pairings?

Seeing Li Xunhuan remain silent, Jing Shu could only grit his teeth and say, "Although Niannian is young, her cultivation is far above mine. If we encounter danger, I'm afraid only she among the four of us can escape unscathed."

Call him selfish or despicable, but he would never let his sister take such a risk.

Although he had his own selfish motives, he didn't lie at all. How could ordinary people possibly cope with the calamity of demons and ghosts?

Even if those people are highly skilled in martial arts, without understanding the laws of magic, aren't they still just lamp oil? Let alone my sister.

If he could take her place, he would naturally be willing to go through this in place of his sister, but unfortunately, he is a man.

How could Nian Nian not notice Jing Shu's intentions?

She's just a painting demon; what she cares about is whose name is on the marriage certificate.

She leaned against the desk, silently gazing at Li Xunhuan, at his trembling eyelashes and the bloodshot in his eyes, as if trying to peel away his grief and pain to reveal his heart riddled with wounds.

—She only cares about who her heart will choose.

When Li Xunhuan met Nian Nian's eyes, it was as if he were facing the fiercest blizzard of his life.

He chewed his lower lip tightly, his spine so tense it felt like it was about to break, his mouth filled with the taste of blood, and even his breath seemed rusty.

Lin Shiyin gripped Jing Shu's sleeve, her face pale, and said, "How can we let Niannian go on such a risk? How can we, as elders, possibly..."

She spoke incessantly, her voice weak and soft, yet rapid, each sentence falling like melting snow, each drop breaking the ice.

This translucent white ice surface was originally only such a thin layer.

Surprisingly calm, Nian Nian lowered her eyes first, avoiding eye contact.

She knew Li Xunhuan wouldn't answer, and had already thought of more than a dozen ways to punish him along the way, but now she suddenly found it very boring.

She had thought that the dark blue and bright cinnabar were indelible, but now she realized that these pigments had never actually left their mark.

A corner of my heart fell silent, along with the long-hidden coquettishness, teasing, and mischief, all sinking to the bottom of the pool, leaving no sound.

She suddenly lost interest in his choices, his pain, and his struggles.

She turned her back, clutched her chest and gasped twice, enduring the excruciating pain of her heart being torn apart, and picked up the Xiangfei pen that had fallen to her feet.

She couldn't write originally; the name 'Nian Nian' was given to her by him, and he also taught her to write it.

It turns out that God wanted her to use it here.

Niannian is narrow-minded and never the type to protect others without expecting anything in return. Even if she were to pick up a pen, no one would think she would write her own name on it.

The Xiangfei brush was carelessly tossed onto the messy desk, and with a 'thud,' Li Xunhuan suddenly came back to his senses.

As the ink dried, the marriage certificate suddenly transformed into a neatly folded phoenix coronet and embroidered robe.

The vivid vermilion red, like a red-hot branding iron, burned into my eyes, scalding through my skin and flesh, and falling into that dark, bottomless abyss.

His mind went blank, and he stammered, "Nian..."

Before she could even speak, Nian Nian had already passed by.

She ignored the group of people, carrying her wedding dress into the inner room without even looking back.

As Li Xunhuan watched her receding figure, his heart suddenly clenched for a moment, and a strange sense of panic and emptiness pressed down on him.

He curled his hands and instinctively chased after them.

Jing Shu stepped aside to block him, saying, "She's gone to change into her wedding dress, how can we go in?"

He seemed to have thought of something: "Although there can only be one bride, we can accompany her as part of the dowry, so there won't be much difference."

Li Xunhuan couldn't make out what he was saying between his lips.

He stared blankly at the thin gap between the red curtains, the black spot getting closer and closer, like black water engulfing his nostrils and choking his lungs.

The dampness and suffocation pressed down on him, dragging him into that bottomless pit.

Niannian never came out again, and the ever-ringing sound of the copper bell never rang again.

Li Xunhuan stood blankly before the curtain, not knowing what he was supposed to do. He felt inexplicably cold, as if in the silent night, waiting for fine frost to slowly creep into his flesh.

He slowly lowered his head, staring blankly at the red line on his wrist, and after a long while, he trembled as he reached out and grasped it.

I don't even know how tightly I'm holding on.

Lin Shiyin blankly withdrew her gaze, her stomach churning and spasming violently.

She took a deep breath, gripped her trembling wrist tightly, and suddenly stood up. "It's almost midnight. I'm going to check on Niannian."

She calmly bypassed the distraught Li Xunhuan, rushed in without lifting the curtain, and covered Niannian completely with her body.

Niannian was leaning against the bed railing, lost in thought, without even looking up.

Lin Shiyin pursed her lips, staring intently at the girl's youthful eyes, a chill creeping into her heart.

She couldn't be mistaken about that gaze or that expression.

He actually dared to do that.

Her face was deathly pale as she grasped Niannian's hand, her lips moving for a long time, but she still didn't know how to say it.

How could he dare to have such a shameless thought? How could he dare to have such a thought?

The hand gripping her wrist tightened even more, and she pulled it back, saying indifferently, "Auntie, you're pinching me so hard."

Lin Shiyin suddenly snapped out of her daze, frowned, and lifted her sleeve. "I was daydreaming, Auntie, please take a look."

She touched her reddened wrist, her face filled with shame, and said, "Does it hurt? It's my fault..."

Lin Shiyin suddenly fell silent, her trembling gaze fixed on the deep red marks on her arm, as if she had been immersed in an icy pool, her whole body chilled to the bone.

She was no longer an innocent girl; how could she not guess what kind of marks these were?

No, he would never do such a heinous and immoral thing. How is that any different from being a beast?

Lin Shiyin hurriedly pulled down her sleeve, repeatedly telling herself not to overthink it.

No, she and her cousin were childhood sweethearts, growing up together. Even if he were incredibly foolish, he would never—

While she was lost in thought, she saw Nian Nian biting her lip and clutching her lower abdomen.

She stood up and said softly, "What's wrong, Niannian? Is your stomach upset?"

Niannian muttered, "It's so swollen here."

"Could it be that she's started her period? Or did she eat something bad?" Lin Shiyin subconsciously reached out to rub her lower abdomen.

In the past, whenever Xiaoyun was unwell, she would take care of him in the same way.

Niannian looked up pitifully and said aggrievedly, "I don't know either. Daddy did it, and then he ignored me."

Lin Shiyin's eyes narrowed suddenly, her mind went blank, and she abruptly lost her voice.

he......

Her body trembled uncontrollably, and she staggered back two steps, gripping the corner of the table tightly in a wave of dizziness.

Ten years—can it really turn a respectable gentleman into a beast in human clothing?

It turned out that she was so blind that she could neither recognize Long Xiaoyun nor him.

How dare he commit such a crime—

In the utter silence, a sharp gong suddenly rang out, as if trying to pound into one's skull. A mournful flute melody followed immediately with a rapid, heavy drumbeat, and a rough, hoarse whisper echoed: "You summoned us to welcome the bride, but where is Zhong Xiaomei?"

Niannian covered herself with a red embroidered handkerchief, then lifted the red curtain with a blank expression.

The courtyard was crowded with little devils with leopard heads, piercing eyes, iron faces, and bushy beards, some carrying axes, some holding steel forks, some carrying dowry, and some carrying bridal sedan chairs.

Seeing the bride emerge, the little devil wearing the crown finally revealed a strange laugh: "It's midnight, please get into the sedan chair, bride."

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Author's Note: The next chapter will restore his memories!!

After my cousin came back, my cousin and my wife were both terrified!

Xiao Li, what are you doing?