lingering
Inside the green gauze curtain, the heavy breathing gradually subsided.
Jiang Yi's fingertips gently brushed against the scars on He Lin's back, causing a ticklish sensation. He Lin curled his lips, turned over to face her, grabbed Jiang Yi's wrist, and kissed her fingers.
Are you tickling me?
Jiang Yi looked up into his eyes and asked, "Were these injuries inflicted when you were at Yu Ling Pavilion?"
He Lin looked at him with a smile in his eyes: "Not all of them, some were left behind accidentally while doing missions."
"Aren't you supposed to be very strong? How come you're so badly injured?"
"Great people aren't born great; they hone their skills through fighting, training, and even... killing their way to the top."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's eyes gradually reddened, and she made no attempt to hide her heartache. Although she had learned about the fierce competition in Yu Ling Pavilion from He Lin and others, she still couldn't help but feel sorry for him at this moment.
The story of a prodigy falling into hardship, ultimately overcoming numerous difficulties through sheer strength and unwavering will to rise again and reclaim their former glory, is a tale that captivates audiences. However, people often only see the dazzling halo surrounding these individuals, ignoring the suffering they endured. After all, no one enjoys hardship, making the triumph over it all the more precious and courageous. Therefore, people sing their praises, celebrating the heroism, resilience, and wisdom of these individuals…
But for loved ones, no amount of glory matters; the only thing that matters is their peace and happiness.
He Lin reached out and touched the corner of Jiang Yi's eye, wiping away her tears, and sighed, "Why are you crying?"
Jiang Yi sniffed and said in a muffled voice, "It's nothing... Don't let yourself get hurt so easily in the future. I don't like these scars on your body, they're ugly."
He Lin smiled: "Yes, I promise you."
The two lay naked side by side on the bed. Jiang Yi snuggled closer to him. He Lin's body was like a furnace, warm and comforting, and his broad chest gave her a sense of security and stability. The scent of sandalwood kept wafting into her nose. Jiang Yi didn't dislike the smell; on the contrary, she liked it very much. This scent could only be smelled when she was close to He Lin.
He Lin hugged her tightly and rubbed his chin against Jiang Yi's head.
After a long silence, he said, "Jiang Yi, can you tell me your real name? I want to know who you are?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi froze, her blood running cold. She felt as if she had been struck by lightning, as if the Sword of Damocles hanging over her head was about to fall and cleave her body and soul in two. One half would be Jiang Yi, and the other half would still be Jiang Yi, sharing the same name and face, but both would fall into the deepest hell, never to be reborn...
Jiang Yi blinked a few times, feigning ignorance and trying to bluff her way out of it: "He Lin, what nonsense are you talking about? I am Jiang Yi!"
He Lin lowered his eyes and stared at her for a moment, then shook his head and said firmly, "No, you are not. There's something wrong with what you just said, 'I am Jiang Yi.'"
Yes, when asking who someone is, a normal person would logically say "I am Jiang Yi" or "My name is Jiang Yi" without adding a "I" before it. Only a guilty person would emphasize a particular word to make their statement seem more truthful.
Jiang Yi was stunned, completely stunned.
No, when exactly did He Lin discover that she wasn't Jiang Yi? She thought she was hiding it well, but it turns out she was exposed to him long ago!
"you……"
"When you first married me, you were so unruly and unrestrained that I sent Gu Ziyu to the Jiang residence to investigate. Your personality is completely different from that of Miss Jiang before, you could even be described as two completely different people. I don't believe that a person can change so much in just a few days. So, you are no longer the Jiang Yi who lived in the Jiang residence before, right? Who exactly are you?"
Jiang Yi swallowed hard and retorted, "I was a concubine's daughter in the Jiang family, and life was hard for me. I had no choice but to hide myself. After marrying you, can't I stop humiliating myself?"
He Lin didn't speak, he just kept staring at her.
Jiang Yi felt guilty under his gaze, and sweat almost broke out on her forehead. The system was flashing red warning lights frantically.
"Okay, I... I am indeed different from before. Don't ask me who I am or where I come from. I have my reasons for not being able to tell you, but please believe me, my name really is Jiang Yi, exactly the same as her, and I look the same too. No matter where I come from, I will not hurt you, because you are the male lead I want to conquer."
What does "male lead" mean?
"Uh... the male lead is a very important person. He and the female lead are a couple. I am the female lead, and you are the male lead."
He Lin grasped the key point and asked, "You mean the male and female leads are a couple, which means you and I are a couple? Is that right?"
Jiang Yi blushed inexplicably and nodded haphazardly: "That's about the gist of it."
"I see."
"Hmm? What do you understand?"
"You said you would die today, but you won't really die. In other words, you will just leave me, not truly die, because you don't belong here. You're just going back to where you originally lived, isn't that right?"
He Lin's last words kept echoing in Jiang Yi's mind.
The male lead is indeed the male lead; his mind works faster than anyone else's. In just a few words, he clearly explained the cause and effect.
Jiang Yi took a deep breath and calmly exhaled, "Yes. He Lin, to be precise, the person you married wasn't me, but the original owner of this body. I don't know how it happened; I just inexplicably ended up here..."
He Lin nodded: "I understand. You came here because of the lightning strike after the wedding ceremony."
"You could say that."
"And what about her?"
"I'm sorry, she was already..."
He Lin raised his hand and touched her cheek. "Silly girl, why are you apologizing to me? It's not like you killed her. Jiang Yi was always submissive and helpless in the Jiang family. From now on, I will take care of her mother and make sure she doesn't have to suffer in the Jiang family. I will let her leave in peace."
"Yes, I thank you on her behalf."
"What are you thanking me for? No matter who I marry, in my heart you are my only wife."
Upon hearing the words "only wife," Jiang Yi was deeply moved, her eyes and nose suddenly stung, and she almost couldn't hold back her tears again.
"Aren't you afraid of me? Someone like me..."
"Don't be afraid. I told you, no matter who you are, you will always be my only wife."
After a pause, as if thinking of something, He Lin asked, "Jiang Yi, are you happy living there? Is someone taking care of you?"
Remembering the humiliation she suffered during the audition, Jiang Yi felt wronged and sad, but the words that came out of her mouth changed: "I'm happy, but I'm all grown up now, I don't need anyone to take care of me. My friends are all very good to me, and my mother even makes my favorite sausages. I'm living very well there..."
He Lin was a shrewd man, and he could see even the slightest change in Jiang Yi's face. When she said this, there was a hint of sorrow between her brows, which was not how she usually looked when she was truly happy.
From that moment on, He Lin realized that Jiang Yi and he might really not be from the same world. Even if she lied, she wanted to put him at ease, and she also wanted to go back to the place that made her unhappy...
He Lin pursed his lips slightly and said in a hoarse voice, "That's good."
Jiang Yi, whether feeling cold or something else, shrunk desperately into He Lin's arms, even though the two were already pressed tightly together.
He Lin noticed this and hugged her even tighter, wishing he could bind her to his very bones.
“He Lin, even though I died back then, I know everything you did. I saw it in another way. You knelt down and kowtowed three times in the rain to climb the mountain, didn’t you? I don’t know what you said to that old Taoist priest or what he did, but please don’t do anything so foolish again. Promise me.”
The room remained silent for a while before He Lin finally spoke.
"Okay, I promise you."
Jiang Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hey, by the way, what did you say to the outside world about my resurrection? Someone who had been dead for several days suddenly woke up, doesn't that seem a bit strange?"
He Lin honestly replied, "The Taoist priest instructed me to tell people that you were accidentally struck in the 'death acupoint' by a thief without your knowledge. It wasn't a real death; the absence of pulse, heartbeat, and breathing was just a deceptive illusion. Now that the acupoint has been opened, you will naturally wake up."
Jiang Yi nodded, clearly agreeing. This explanation was indeed much more believable than resurrection. Otherwise, if every family member who died went to that old Taoist priest for help, not only would it be incredibly annoying, but it would also greatly reduce the underworld's performance. Who knows, even King Yama might be unhappy and drag him into the quota! People with the potential for ascension would have their potential ruined, and that would truly deduct their merits!
Jiang Yi nudged He Lin, propped herself up on the bed with her elbows, and secretly kissed the corner of his mouth while He Lin closed his eyes to rest.
He Lin opened his eyes and turned to look at her: "What's wrong?"
"It's alright. Since you're sleepy, why don't you turn off the light and go to sleep?"
He Lin lifted her chin and kissed her back, then without saying a word, put on his clothes, pulled back the gauze curtain, and went to extinguish the lamp.
After blowing out all the candles in the room, he went to bed under the moonlight streaming in through the window. He pulled the person next to him into his arms, and although he couldn't see clearly, He Lin still found her lips precisely and kissed her fiercely, leaving Jiang Yi with only muffled protests.
"...Wait...wait! He...He Lin!"
He Lin took pity on her and loosened his grip by a thumb, giving her a few seconds to catch her breath and speak.
"You, weren't you sleepy and going to sleep?"
"Who says I'm sleepy? I can stay up all night without any problem."
Jiang Yi: "?!!"
In the dark, the eyes cannot see, but the senses become more sensitive.
Jiang Yi's waist tightened, and she let out a muffled groan unexpectedly as she and He Lin were joined together perfectly. She couldn't help but gasp, gasping for breath, and finally couldn't resist biting He Lin's shoulder...
He Lin didn't feel any pain; instead, he chuckled softly.
They clung to each other desperately, never to be separated again...
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