Chapter 30: An Unforgettable Night

After their lips parted, Xiao Yu fixed his gaze intently on Ye Shihan before him.

Tonight, Ye Shihan wore a sheer white silk nightgown. Her long hair, which usually cascaded around her waist, was now tied back with a green ribbon. Her usually pale and flawless cheeks were now tinged with a shy, anxious blush, making her appear irresistibly adorable.

This side of Ye Shihan took Xiao Yu by surprise. Ever since they’d met, she had always shown a strong, unyielding spirit. He had never imagined that she could possess such a delicate, endearing charm.

“Are you planning to just stare at me like that?” Seeing the dazed look in Xiao Yu’s eyes, Ye Shihan muttered to herself in frustration. She had mustered all her courage for this appearance.

“Uh, no. I just… I never realized you had such a lovable side. I’m a little stunned,” Xiao Yu replied, finally snapping out of his reverie, his voice tinged with embarrassment. Anyone from the Twelve Heavenly Descendants witnessing this would find it utterly unbelievable that Xiao Yu could ever be embarrassed.

No sooner had he spoken than Ye Shihan threw her arms around his neck. With a swift motion, they tumbled together onto the bed, their eyes meeting as they lay side by side.

Face flushed with embarrassment, Ye Shihan guided Xiao Yu’s hand to her chest. He could clearly feel her heart pounding, far faster than normal—a sure sign of her nerves.

A dryness rose in Xiao Yu’s throat. Under his ardent gaze, Ye Shihan slowly placed her hand on the buttons of her nightgown, her fingers trembling as she began to unfasten them, one by one.

Feeling Xiao Yu’s burning stare, Ye Shihan turned her head away, biting her lip and squeezing her eyes shut. Yet Xiao Yu, instead of making the next move, seemed entranced, simply watching her in a daze. When nothing happened for a long moment, Ye Shihan, eyes still closed, finally opened them to look at him.

“Are you just going to keep looking…”

Before she could finish, Xiao Yu suddenly pressed his lips to hers in a fierce kiss—so deep and intense that Ye Shihan could barely catch her breath.

Overwhelmed by his kiss, Ye Shihan’s hands found their way to his shoulders. But as her eyes fluttered open, what she saw left her stunned.

Xiao Yu’s bronze skin was crisscrossed with scars of all shapes and sizes—knife wounds, bullet wounds, old and new, the sight of them was shocking.

“This…”

Gazing at the battered expanse of his torso, Ye Shihan’s eyes reddened, and in the next moment, tears spilled down her cheeks. She could not imagine what Xiao Yu had endured in those five years apart—how could someone so vibrant have amassed so many scars? Especially the vicious, centipede-like gash across his chest; anyone else would surely not have survived such a wound.

Xiao Yu reached out to wipe away her tears, smiling gently. “It’s nothing. These are just minor injuries.”

Though he tried to brush it off, Ye Shihan was no fool. Covering her mouth with both hands, she wept, “How did you even get all these wounds?”

Xiao Yu knew he could no longer conceal the truth. Sighing softly, he rolled over to lie beside her, his voice calm. “I got them while serving as a soldier.”

Though he offered this explanation, Ye Shihan could not believe it. The country was at peace, with no great turmoil in recent years. Clearly, she took Xiao Yu’s words as a flimsy excuse.

But the reality was far from simple. Precisely because the nation was growing stronger, the surrounding powers had taken notice, joining forces to plot against them. The government had sealed all news, allowing the people to live in the illusion of safety.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you’d spent the past five years like this. But why were you so foolish, why didn’t you dodge when you were in danger?” Ye Shihan sobbed softly.

Xiao Yu turned to her, holding her close, his expression grave. “I am a soldier. My duty is to protect my home and country. If we withdraw, if we retreat, then we surrender our land. What right would we have to exist? We may die on the battlefield, but we must never yield a single step!”

His words only deepened Ye Shihan’s guilt. Xiao Yu had become a soldier largely because her family had rejected him; in the end, everything had been for her.

Ye Shihan gently traced the most terrifying scar on his chest. Looking up at him with utmost seriousness, she said, “Xiao Yu, let’s have a child.”

Hearing the words he’d half-jokingly mentioned that morning now spoken with such sincerity, Xiao Yu was stunned, unable to respond for a long while.

Seeing his expression, Ye Shihan broke into a tearful smile, blinking playfully at him. “What’s the matter? Are you not up to it?”