Chapter 209: EXTRA. GATES 2.
Yan Cijin lets out a soft sigh and playfully pushes at Bai Li’s shoulder but she does not actually try to pull away. "You are entirely too energetic for six in the morning Bai Li. And watching me sleep is a little bit creepy you know. You are supposed to be resting after clearing that huge Gate yesterday."
"I am resting," Bai Li argues happily while sneaking another quick kiss onto Yan Cijin’s jawline. "Looking at your beutiful face is the only rest I will ever need in my entire life. I am litraly being healed by your presence right now. My soul is rejuvenating. You are my personal healing potion."
"You are so completely full of nonsense," Yan Cijin mumbles but her cheeks are already dusting with a soft pink color. She tries to sit up but Bai Li just tightens her grip and buries her face into Yan Cijin’s neck. "Come on let me up. I want to go make us some breakfast. We have a whole month off and I want to start it with pancakes."
"No way," Bai Li whines loudly like a giant overgrown child. She tangles her legs with Yan Cijin’s legs and refuses to budge even a single inch. "You are litraly too warm and I am never letting you go ever again. The kitchen is entirely too far away. If you leave this bed I will actually die of cold and loneliness. Is that what you want Cijin. Do you want the world’s strongest hunter to perish from a lack of cuddles."
"I am pretty sure you can survive five minutes without me while I make the coffee," Yan Cijin says with a helpless little laugh. She reaches up and gently runs her fingers through Bai Li’s messy hair. It is a simple gesture but it makes Bai Li melt instantly. Bai Li lets out a happy hum and relaxes her grip just enough for Yan Cijin to slip out of bed. Yan Cijin grabs her silk robe and ties it around her waist looking effortlessly elegant even with bedhead. Bai Li just lays there resting her chin on her hands and watching her wife walk to the door like she is watching a miracle happen.
Half an hour later Yan Cijin is standing in their large modern kitchen flipping pancakes on the stove. The smell of vanilla and fresh coffee fills the entire apartment. Bai Li of course could not stay away for more than ten minutes. She quietly pads into the kitchen and sneaks up right behind Yan Cijin. Without any warning she wraps her arms securely around Yan Cijin’s waist and rests her chin heavily on her wife’s shoulder. Yan Cijin jumps slightly but immediately relaxes into the familiar embrace. Bai Li turns her head and starts leaving a trail of feather light kisses along the side of Yan Cijin’s neck making the older woman shiver slightly.
"Bai Li please behave," Yan Cijin scolds softly but there is zero actual heat behind her words. She tries to focus on the spatula in her hand but Bai Li’s lips are incredibly distracting. "The pancakes are going to burn if you keep doing that."
"Let them burn," Bai Li murmurs against her skin. "I can just buy us a whole breakfast restaurant anyway. Actually I can just buy the whole block. Or we can just eat cereal. I do not care about food right now Cijin. I just want to kiss my wife." She turns Yan Cijin’s head gently and steals a deep and lingering kiss right there in the middle of the kitchen. Yan Cijin sighs into the kiss and her hands drop away from the stove to rest against Bai Li’s arms. When they finally pull apart Yan Cijin’s face is completely flushed a bright adorable shade of red. Bai Li grins in absolute triumph. She shamelessly compliments her dozens of times a day and every single time it works like a charm. "You are so incredibly pretty when you blush. It is actually illegal how pretty you are. I should arrest you."
"You are ridiculous," Yan Cijin manages to say while desperately trying to hide her red face behind her hands. "Go sit down at the counter before you cause a kitchen fire. I mean it this time."
Bai Li just laughs a bright and ringing sound and eventually listens. She sits at the kitchen island and watches Yan Cijin plate the food. They spend the rest of the morning just sitting together and eating and talking about absolute nonsense. They do not talk about monsters or politics or the crazy stress of their jobs. They talk about what movies they want to watch and what color they should paint the guest room and whether they should adopt a cat. It is perfectly mundane and Bai Li treasures every single second of it.
The next few days are spent in a similar blissful bubble. They spend quiet afternoons going out into the city but they have to go in heavy disguise so they can experience an ordinary life without a swarm of reporters following them around. The city they live in is a massive sprawling metropolis filled with towering skyscrapers and glowing neon lights and flying transports zipping through the sky. It is a beautiful but chaotic place. When they go out Yan Cijin wears a wide brimmed sun hat and large stylish sunglasses while Bai Li wears a completely oversized hoodie and a baseball cap pulled down low over her eyes. They look a little bit suspicious but it actually works. They wander through the crowded streets completely unnoticed by the masses.
They spend hours just walking through the bustling night markets. The air is thick with the smell of roasted meats and sweet pastries and spicy noodles. Bai Li is constantly reaching for Yan Cijin’s hand as though letting go is physically impossible for her. Whenever they walk past a crowd Bai Li always instinctively positions herself between Yan Cijin and the other people acting like a silent shield. They stop at random food stalls and share skewers of spicy chicken and hot sweet buns. Bai Li always buys whatever Yan Cijin even looks at for more than two seconds.
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TO BE CONTINUED.
