All accepted
Tears blurred Bai's vision, and she didn't even have the courage to look directly into Yiyong's eyes, which had just woken up. She was afraid to see astonishment, rejection, or disappointment in that familiar blue.
However, a weak but firm hand was raised, and the fingertips, with a little coolness, gently stroked her cheek, wiping away the tears that kept rolling down in a clumsy but extremely gentle manner.
"Don't... cry." Yiyong's voice was still hoarse, and every word seemed to take a lot of effort, but the tone was softer than Bai had ever heard. "I... I'm fine."
This gentle comfort only made Bai's tears flow even more violently. She lowered her head, her shoulders shaking slightly from suppressed sobs. "I'm... I'm sorry... Giyu-senpai... I..."
She wanted to explain the fangs that shouldn't have been there, wanted to explain her current out-of-control state, but shame and fear strangled her throat.
At this moment, the hand that had been wiping her tears slowly moved down, and its fingertips, with an almost exploratory gentleness, touched her cheek, which was slightly bulging due to clenching her teeth. Then, it surprisingly and naturally stroked the sharp fang that could not be hidden.
Bai's body suddenly stiffened, and he stopped crying instantly, looking up in surprise.
Yiyong's pale face showed no trace of disgust or fear. His blue eyes, like the calm ocean, gazed at her quietly, with a hint of gentleness. His fingertips gently stroked the certificate of "non-humanity," and then, in his characteristically calm yet serious tone, he said:
"Like...a little animal." He paused slightly, as if searching for the right words, and finally uttered two words softly, "...cute."
Bai was completely stunned, her mind blank. She'd imagined countless possibilities, but this one wasn't one of them. Her fangs bared, her thirst for blood... cute?
Those two words seemed to possess a strange magical power, instantly shattering the thick wall of ice in her heart. Her tense body suddenly relaxed, and the surging bloodlust quietly receded amidst this inexplicable comfort. Her fangs slowly retracted, and the crimson in her eyes gradually faded, leaving only red eye sockets and tear-stained face.
She looked at Yiyong. He was still lying there weakly, his face as pale as paper, but the look in his eyes when he looked at her was extremely clear and firm, and even carried a hint of imperceptible comfort.
Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, Bai finally made up her mind. She still held Yiyong's hand tightly, as if it were her only piece of driftwood. Then, in a voice that was slightly hoarse after crying, but unusually clear, she began her confession.
"My swordsmanship...is not the Breathing of Water." She said softly, her eyes lowered to their clasped hands. "Kokushibo...my teacher, he taught me...the Breathing of the Moon."
She felt Yiyong's fingers move slightly, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he held her hand tighter, as if giving her the courage to continue.
"It's not that I'm not afraid of sunlight, but that sunlight has no effect on me. I... am not completely under Muzan's control. That's why... he is so obsessed with capturing me... I am the key experimental subject in his pursuit of a perfect life." Every word seemed to be torn from the heart, bringing with it bloody pain.
She recounted the three years she spent in the laboratory, the cold instruments, Muzan's possessive gaze, and the incomprehensible, complex care that occasionally shone through Kokushibo's strict instruction. She also confessed her own vampire arts—"Mujian: Moon Migration" being just one of them—derived from her unique control over "space," a product of the laboratory's modifications and her own unique qualities.
Throughout the whole process, Yiyong listened silently without interrupting, just looking at her with his calm eyes. His breathing was a little weak due to his injuries, but he held her hand firmly.
When Bai finally finished telling him everything, revealing the darkest and most unbearable secrets in her heart, she felt a sense of relief that was almost overwhelming, followed by a deeper sense of panic. She didn't dare to look up, waiting for the final judgment.
There was silence for a long time, so long that Bai almost thought Yiyong had fallen asleep again. His voice finally rang out again, a little stronger than before:
"So..." he said slowly, "In your previous studies... you have always been using... the foundation of Moon Breathing?"
Bai was stunned. She hadn't expected his first question to be this. She nodded timidly, "Well... I tried my best to imitate the form of water breathing..."
"Very impressive." Yiyong said softly, his tone full of unquestionable certainty, "You can master... two breathing techniques at the same time."
Bai looked up suddenly and met his still calm eyes.
"And..." He continued, each word hammering at Shiro's heart, "You risked being exposed... and used your vampire magic... to save me."
He moved slightly, as if trying to stand up, but frowned because of the pain in his wound. Bai quickly supported him.
"Thank you... Bai." He looked at her, his blue eyes clearly reflecting her bewildered look, "and... welcome back."
At that moment, all the anxiety, fear, and self-loathing melted away at his words. Bai leaned down, resting his forehead gently on their clasped hands. Tears welled up again, but this time, they were hot tears filled with relief and gratitude.
He accepted her. He accepted all of her—her past, her present, and all the "inhuman" parts of her as "Drinking Tsuji Shiro."
The moonlight filtered through the window lattice, quietly falling on the clasped hands, just like that night when they discussed the meaning of life under the eaves, but this time, there were no more secrets between them.
Time slipped quietly through the tranquil courtyard of the Butterfly House. Thanks to Shinobu Kocho's masterful medical skills and Bai's constant care, Yiyong's injuries gradually improved. The wound on his chest gradually healed, the tender pink flesh that grew back contrasting sharply with the surrounding skin, eventually solidifying into a long, hideous scar that ran diagonally from his left shoulder to his right abdomen.
It was a sunny afternoon. Bai knelt beside Yiyong's bed, carefully changing the bandages on his chest. When the last strip of gauze was removed, revealing the deep scar to the air, she paused involuntarily. Her fingertips hovered in mid-air, and then, with a gentle touch mingled with heartache and guilt, she gently stroked the end of the scar.
When his cold fingertips touched the warm skin, Yiyong's body trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
"...It's ugly, Bai." He suddenly spoke in a low voice, his eyes turned to the side, as if he didn't want her to see the mark of defeat on his body.
Bai's fingers paused. She raised her head, her dark pupils showing no trace of disgust or pity, only tenderness and determination as clear as water.
"Not at all." She shook her head vigorously, her fingertips moving more gently along the scar, as if trying to soothe the pain she once felt. "This scar was left to protect me. It's not something to be ashamed of, it's... proof that Senior Yiyong protected me."
Her voice was soft, but it penetrated into Giyu's heart like a warm current. "To me, it's just as important and precious as Giyu's eyes."
At that moment, the paper door was gently pulled open, and Kocho Shinobu walked in with a medicine tray, taking in the entire scene. Her purple eyes curved slightly, and her face showed her usual, but now particularly mischievous, smile.
"Ah, it seems I came at the wrong time." Her voice was filled with a smile. "What a wonderful relationship this young couple has. I'm really enviable."
"No!" Bai retracted his hand as if burned, his cheeks instantly flushed, and he waved his hands in panic to deny, "We are not a couple! Senior Yiyong and I are not..."
She stopped talking abruptly, realizing what she had said in a hurry, and her whole face suddenly turned red as if blood was dripping.
Almost at the same moment, Yiyong also turned his face away slightly stiffly, his ears tinged suspiciously red, and added in a low voice: "...Not yet."
The smile on Shinobu Kocho's face grew even brighter. She placed the medicine tray aside, clasped her hands together, and said in a tone that mimed a sigh:
"Ah... so it's not the case yet?" She deliberately stretched out the last syllable, glancing playfully at Giyuu, whose ears were turning increasingly red. "It seems a certain Pillar-sama isn't being proactive enough? His injuries are almost healed, but he still hasn't clearly expressed his feelings. It's really frustrating."
"Ms. Shinobu!" Bai was so embarrassed that he almost wanted to bury his face in the ground.
Yiyong closed his eyes completely, as if refusing to communicate, but his tense jawline and increasingly red ears completely betrayed him.
Shinobu Kocho chuckled softly, stopped teasing the two overly innocent people, and began to skillfully check on Giyu's wounds. However, as she lowered her head and worked, a smile of understanding and relief always appeared on the corner of her mouth.
Warm sunlight filled the room, and the air was filled with the fragrance of herbs and a faint, sweet, ambiguous scent. Bai secretly glanced up at Yiyong, who was resting with his eyes closed, his heart still beating uncontrollably.
"Not yet"... Does that mean that it might be "yes" in the future? This thought quietly surfaced in her mind, bringing with it a throbbing mixture of anticipation and shyness.
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