Three days later.
Ye Lingyun slowly started to wake up, his consciousness was coming back to him a bit at a time. He was regaining his sense of awareness.
He tried to move his fingers and attempted to push his body up, but his arms and his legs felt really weak like all the strength was gone from his body. He couldn't move at all. Only then did he realize that warm arms were completely wrapped around him, holding him in a tight embrace.
Feng Yueyaos neck was where his head was resting and and her chin was on top of his head. She was holding him firmly against her chest and her arms locked around him. He could feel her body heat through their clothes, and she smelled sweet, like a faint fragrance.
Ye Lingyun stopped moving and let himself relax. He felt calm now. The warmth was very nice and it helped him to feel better.
Feng Yueyaos eyebrows moved a little before she slowly opened her eyes. She looked at him and gave him a playful smile that suggested she knew something he didn't.
Feeling nervous under her eyes, so Ye Lingyun started to say something. "Mast....mmmh, I mean onee-san*... why did you save me?"
(*old sister)
Feng Yueyao tapped her chin with her finger as if thinking hard, looking quite adorable. "Hmm... I don't know, maybe it's because I think you're handsome!"
Ye Lingyun was completely at a loss for words.
She went on to say, "By the way, I want to remind you that yesterday I took you as my disciple in front of everyone. Did you forget? From now on, you have to call me Master."
"No!" Ye Lingyun suddenly found the strength to break free from her embrace and scooted away. "But... I didn't agree to that..."
He didn't want to become her disciple again. In this life, he wanted to take a different way. He wanted to protect her with his own strength, instead of being her weakness.
Feng Yueyao didn't get angry. Seeing his back, she simply sat up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and slowly leaned toward his ear.
Ye Lingyun felt something wet against his ear for a moment, followed by a soft, gentle breath on that same spot.
"I missed you..." Feng Yueyao's voice was extremely low, with a slight sob that was hard to notice, as if she had been bullied.
"I was so scared I'd never see you again... but, to die in your arms and have you be the last person I see, it's really nice..."
"I missed you too." Ye Lingyun felt as if his heart were being squeezed. The images of Northern Desolate Cliff from his past life rushed back and the way she collapsed in his arms made him terrified of losing her again.
Hearing this, Feng Yueyao's shoulders trembled slightly. Then, with a hint of playful hope, she whispered in his ear, "Then... do you like me now?"
He did.
Ye Lingyun had liked her from the first moment they met. If you asked him why, he couldn't even give an answer.
But every time he gathered the courage to confess seriously, Feng Yueyao would just smile, rub his hair, and brush him off with: "What does a little kid like you know about love?"
But Ye Lingyun knew. It wasn't that she didn't understand, or that she didn't care.
The way she looked at him hid a heat just like his own, a tenderness she hadn't even noticed herself. She was just hesitating, worried, and tied down by something—refusing to easily accept a love that crossed the line between master and disciple.
"Yes, I... I... I like you..." Ye Lingyun murmured softly, not even noticing his ears turning red.
The next second, Ye Lingyun's lips were softly covered by something warm and tender.
His whole body froze, his pupils shrank, and his mind went completely blank. He even forgot to breathe.
Feng Yueyao's kiss was very light, like a feather brushing against his heart, carrying the faint scent of flowers from her lips. The tip of her nose brushed his cheek, and their warm breaths mixed together, making the air feel hot.
Ye Lingyun reached out, wrapped his arms around Feng Yueyao's soft waist, and pulled her tightly into his arms.
After about three or four minutes, they finally pulled apart, panting for breath. Their foreheads rested against each other, their chests heaving.
Feng Yueyao's lips were red, and her eyes were still blurry with emotion. Ye Lingyun's fingers instinctively rubbed the soft fabric at her waist. Her face was already bright red, even her ears were a deep pink. She looked down, her long eyelashes trembling, not daring to look into his eyes. Her voice was as tiny as a mosquito: "Lingyun, can you let go of me first... N-not right now..."
Ye Lingyun snapped out of it and looked at her shy face. He couldn't help but lean down and press a gentle kiss on her red lips, his voice raspy: "Master, I have waited for this day for two lifetimes."
She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled: "You idiot..."
They held each other quietly. The only sounds in the stone hut were their heavy breathing and the feeling of a love found again.
After a long time, Feng Yueyao looked up. She tapped his chest with her finger, a playful smile in her eyes. "Since we've hugged and kissed, you can't run away now. Shouldn't you finish the 'disciple's greeting' properly?"
Seeing the tease in her eyes, Ye Lingyun smiled. He purposefully leaned down to bow, but Feng Yueyao stopped him.
She stood on her tiptoes, gave him another quick kiss on the corner of his mouth, and smiled beautifully. "No need for the bow. From now on, you don't have to follow those empty rules."
Ye Lingyun laughed, pulled her back into his arms, and rested his nose against the top of her head. "Okay."
"By the way, you don't have a good weapon yet, do you? Here, take this! Go to the Treasure Pavilion and pick any weapon you want!" Feng Yueyao handed him a gold-and-red token with the word "Moon" carved on the front.
Feeling the texture of the token, Ye Lingyun felt a warmth in his heart.
Then, he rubbed his chin and thought to himself.
[System, I never had any interaction with Lin Yanchen in my past life! Why is this life going off track?!]
[I'm not sure either, Host! But according to my scans, it seems someone has actively changed certain key events in this life, causing a butterfly effect that triggered a series of reactions.]
The butterfly effect?
A bold thought rose in Ye Lingyun's heart.
Could it be that they weren't the only two people who were reborn?!