Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Does Wanwan know?
She had absolutely no problem with what Qin Mo just said, it was just not their usual, quiet way of speaking to each other.
He was usually so proper and aristocratic, but this sudden, raw boldness wasn’t something she was complaining about at all. It made her belly pool with that familiar warmth again.
She rolled her eyes slightly to hide her embarrassment. "You’re so naughty."
"Ah! Don’t you like me naughty?" Qin Mo teased, stepping a bit closer until his cold, bare chest was almost touching her nose.
His voice dropped into a low, raspy frequency that made her ears tingle. "Don’t lie, Wanwan. Me being naughty is definitely making you want to push me down and force yourself on me again."
Lin Wan’s face looked like it was literally dripping with blood at his shameless words. Her cheeks were burning hot, but she was the head of the house, and she refused to let this monster have the last laugh.
She took a slow breath, letting a small, wicked smile touch her lips as she decided to tease him right back.
She leaned in close, her breath brushing his chin. "I do want to push you down... but you’re definitely not fit for another round, after all. Your back must be aching from earlier."
Before he could even process her words, Lin Wan turned around with a smug look, deliberately twisting her little waist side to side as she began to walk out of the kitchen.
She had barely taken three steps when a cold, fast shadow blurred past her.
Qin Mo didn’t even let her reach the doorway. His large hand shot out, catching her by the waist and spinning her around with fluid speed.
Before she could gasp, he cornered her firmly against the kitchen wall, his large, bare-chested frame pinning her completely.
"Wanwan, we don’t need to wait for the soup to finish," Qin Mo murmured, his face inches from hers, a dangerous, predatory glint flashing in his emerald eyes. "I’ll show you right now whether I am fit or not."
Lin Wan’s heart pounded wildly against her ribs. Looking at the raw, dark hunger in his eyes and the red scratch marks on his shoulders, she realized she had poked the snake a bit too hard.
She gulped softly, her confidence vanishing, and quickly pleaded for leniency. "Qin Mo... the soup will burn. Stop."
Qin Mo didn’t let her off that easily. As a punishment for her teasing, he leaned down and bit her lower lip sharply, not enough to break the skin, but enough to make her gasp and melt against the wall. Satisfied with her soft whimper, he finally let her go, his arms releasing her waist.
Seeing her instantly turn around and run away toward the bedroom made him laugh out loud, the deep, happy sound echoing beautifully through the empty hallway.
But after a few moments, the laughter died down, and the quiet of the kitchen returned.
The thought of eventually having to leave all this behind, the warm home, her sweet teasing, the quiet domestic life, made him feel more and more uncomfortable deep inside his chest.
A sharp pain squeezed his heart. But he knew he had to plan for the future.
He couldn’t be a weak father or a useless husband when the higher realms descended. What he should do right now was make sure Lin Wan could never forget him while he was gone.
He needed to imprint himself so deeply into her life that no matter how far he traveled, her heart would remain anchored to him. And looking down at the porcelain bottle on the counter, he knew just how to do that.
He turned back to the stove, his expression hardening into a look of quiet resolve, and continued with his cooking.
Meanwhile, back in the bedroom, Lin Wan dove straight onto the soft mattress. She grabbed the large, fluffy pillow and covered her face with it completely, trying to hide the giant grin on her face.
Even with the pillow blocking the sound, she couldn’t stop the happy laugh coming from her mouth, and she had absolutely no intention to stop it either.
Her heart felt light, fluttering with an excitement she hadn’t felt in a very long time. She was genuinely happy at this new development in their relationship.
Back in the lower world, Qin Mo was always carrying the heavy weight of his clan’s expectations, always acting like the cold, untouchable high priest.
But here, stripped of his titles and his old boundaries, he was being so free, so playful, and so deeply affectionate with her.
She hugged the pillow closer to her chest, her mind filled with the image of his smiling face, completely unaware of the heavy choice he was preparing to make for their family’s survival.
Qin Mo turned back to the stove, his expression hardening into a look of quiet resolve, and continued with his cooking.
About half an hour later, the savory, rich aroma of slow-cooked duck broth completely filled the hallway, drifting straight into the bedroom.
Lin Wan was still resting on the mattress, the pillow tossed to the side now as she listened to the quiet movements coming from the kitchen.
She was just about to sit up and stretch her limbs when the bedroom door pushed open.
Qin Mo walked into the room with smooth, silent steps. He had finally put on a loose, dark green tunic, though it remained slightly open at the collar, showing a hint of his collarbone.
Seeing Lin Wan still looking a bit lazy and warm under the sheets, a soft, incredibly tender look completely replaced the heavy worry in his green eyes.
Without saying a single word, he walked straight over to the edge of the bed. He bent down and simply picked the hiding Lin Wan right up into his arms, sheets and all.
"Ah! Qin Mo, I can walk," Lin Wan gasped softly, her hands instinctively wrapping around his neck for balance as he lifted her effortlessly against his chest.
"I told you to sit pretty and wait," Qin Mo murmured, his deep voice vibrating against her back as he carried her out of the room. "Walking is too much work for you right now."
He carried her down the short hallway and straight to the small dining table, where a beautiful spread of dishes was already laid out.
The steam was rising from a large ceramic bowl filled with clear duck soup, surrounded by small plates of fresh wild greens and soft rice.
Instead of putting her down on her own chair, Qin Mo sat down on his own seat and kept her firmly carried on his lap.
His long silver hair fell forward, brushing against her shoulder as he wrapped one strong arm securely around her waist to keep her steady against him.
"Qin Mo, let me sit down properly," Lin Wan whispered, her face warming up again at how incredibly close they were. Her back was pressed right against his solid chest, and she could feel the steady, calm thumping of his heart.
"No," he said simply, his voice leaving no room for argument.
He reached out with his free hand, picking up a small porcelain spoon. He scooped up a bit of the rich, golden broth, blowing on it gently until it was just the right temperature.
With patience, he brought the spoon right to her lips. "Open up, Wanwan. Eat for me."
Lin Wan looked at his handsome profile, seeing the pure, undivided devotion written across his features. Her heart melted completely, all her playful resistance vanishing into thin air.
She parted her lips and took the broth, the warm, rich liquid instantly spreading a comfortable heat through her chest.
"Is it good?" he asked softly, his thumb gently wiping a stray drop from the corner of her mouth.
"Mmm. It’s perfect," she replied, leaning her head back slightly against his shoulder.
Qin Mo smiled, a genuine, warm expression that reached his eyes. For the next twenty minutes, the dining room was completely quiet except for the soft sound of the spoons.
Qin Mo didn’t eat a single bite himself; he spent the entire time carefully scooping up choice pieces of tender meat and blowing on the broth, feeding her slowly until her small stomach was completely full and her cheeks had a healthy, rosy glow.
Lin Wan felt incredibly safe, wrapped tightly in his cool embrace while the warm food settled inside her. She placed her hand over his big wrist, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I can’t eat anymore. You need to eat too."
"I will," Qin Mo whispered, leaning down to press his forehead against hers for a long, quiet moment, memorizing the exact warmth of her skin. "I will eat everything."
Far away from the cozy kitchen, the sun was beginning to dip below the jagged horizon of the Middle Realm, painting the sky in deep shades of crimson and purple.
Long Zhan sat entirely alone on top of a high, rocky hill that overlooked the eastern ridges. His massive, muscular frame was perfectly still, his long legs dangling over the sheer edge of the cliff.
The cold mountain wind whipped through his thick violet hair, but he didn’t seem to feel it at all.
He had spent the last hour clearing out the local rogue packs with his men, but his mind wasn’t on the battle he had just won.
His violet eyes were fixed on the distant valleys, staring out into the vast, unknown continent with a heavy, unreadable expression.
A small rustle in the grass behind him broke the silence.
A small black cat walked out from the shadows of the rocks, her steps completely silent as she approached the edge of the hill. Weiwei paused near his heavy boots, her golden eyes reflecting the fading sunlight. She had already delivered her boxes, her pills, and her warnings to the other room. Now, her work here was finished.
Weiwei stood there for a second, her tail flicking as she prepared to vanish back into the system space to leave the dragon to his thoughts.
Long Zhan didn’t turn his head to look at her. He kept his eyes locked on the darkening horizon, his broad shoulders tightening slightly under his leather armor.
His voice was incredibly low, almost swallowed by the howling wind, as he asked the only question that truly mattered to him.
"Does Wanwan know?"
