Gu Yuan nestled his handsome face in the crook of my neck. Just moments ago, we were locked in a passionate embrace, but his movements stilled after he heard what I said. His slightly cool breath fanned across my face, making the already cold winter night even chillier.
After a few seconds of silence, he reached out a hand to caress my slightly flushed cheek, gently rubbing it with his thumb. His gaze was tender, as if I were the most beloved thing in his eyes.
"How could I ever let you die when I'm here?"
Yes, with him around, there was no way I would die. But with me here, there was a chance he might.
"Then if you die, where will your soul go?"
Gu Yuan pursed his lips, his dark eyes drooping slightly. My question seemed to dampen his mood, and I felt a twinge of self - reproach.
However, he didn't show any annoyance. Instead, he took my palm in one hand and gently tapped it with the other. "I'll always be right here with you, protecting you for all eternity."
"Okay."
I flipped his hand over and drew a little heart in his palm. My voice was choked with emotion. "I'll be here too, protecting you for all eternity."
After I finished speaking, I bit my lower lip, trying hard to hold back my excitement. I bit so hard that it seemed I would draw blood. My chin was trembling violently. To prevent him from noticing my emotions, I wrapped my arms around his neck. Tears streamed down the corners of my eyes.
When my emotions had calmed down a bit, I dared to cup his pale face, looking at him lovingly. I kissed him with all my might, wrapping my arms around his firm waist and slipping off his thin outer garment.
This time, I wanted to let go. I thought of it as the last passionate moment before our lives came to an end.
On that stormy night, we were both exhausted and limp. Our hearts were pressed tightly together, merging our sweat and offering each other the greatest comfort. This must be what it meant to stick together through thick and thin.
"Gu Yuan, I might have to leave for a few days. The school has organized an internship, and I need to go out of the province."
Gu Yuan held me tightly. His already pale face turned even paler, and his voice was weak. "Can you not go? Stay with me for three more days, okay? Just three days."
I knew better than anyone what he meant, but I couldn't expose his thoughts.
I pretended to be willful. "No. The counselor has already finalized the list of participants and specifically got a spot for me. It's a once - in - a - lifetime opportunity. I'll be with you every day after three days."
Gu Yuan's deep black eyes glistened with a faint light. He seemed extremely disappointed.
"I can go with you." He still tried to struggle.
But I refused him cruelly. In fact, my heart ached more than his when I refused him. I wished I could be glued to him forever and never part.
"Be good. I'll be back in two days if everything goes smoothly." I nestled his face into my chest, trying not to let him see my expression, afraid he would notice something amiss.
He seemed really tired. Before I could finish speaking, he fell into a deep sleep.
When dawn broke the next day, he was still asleep. I simply packed my luggage and crouched beside him, looking at him for a long time. What a handsome guy! I felt so lucky to be his wife.
I wanted to kiss his forehead, but I was afraid of waking him up, so I reluctantly gave up.
"You'll surely be safe." I whispered, then left without looking back.
After leaving the room, I went to the main hall and told Lihua again and again to take good care of Gu Yuan because he was weak.
Long Lin drew a teleportation array in the main hall. Bai Qi pulled me into the array, and the three of us were instantly at the mouth of the so - called East Sea.
The sea water here was rushing. When it hit the rocks, we could hear the majestic roar of the sea, which was completely different from the calm and blue sea I usually saw.
The three of us stood on the rocks, feeling the sea breeze. I raised my hand to shield my eyes and looked out at the endless sea.
"Is the Nine - Infant Demon Immortal at the bottom of the sea?" I couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Yes, on the other side of the seabed. So this mission is very arduous. Among us, who is a good swimmer besides me?" Long Lin said.
Bai Qi wasn't happy to hear this. Although he looked cute, he had a very fiery temper.
"I'll protect Lan Lan after we get into the water. You take care of the rest." Bai Qi's blue eyes sparkled with starlight. He walked over to me, took my hand, and it felt like a younger brother holding his elder sister's hand.
Long Lin was helpless. This was the only way for now. He couldn't protect me while leaving Bai Qi to fight the Nine - Infant alone. Although Bai Qi was a war god, compared to the celestial immortal, his strength was much weaker. If they really fought, he would surely die.
Long Lin walked between Bai Qi and me, separated our hands, and then gave us a pill. He said it could allow us to breathe freely underwater.
After we took the pills, he sandwiched himself between us and led us into the sea as a beam of golden light.
After entering the water, I finally saw Long Lin's true form. His whole body was covered with green scales as big as plates. Under the rippling water, they emitted a cold and gorgeous green light. His huge dragon head was majestic and powerful. The dragon whiskers on both sides of his nostrils fluttered in the water. The dorsal fin and the mane on his head were white, which made him look even more domineering.
It turned out that, true to his name, he was a real Eastern Azure Dragon, a symbol of the true son of heaven.
However, his body was a bit smaller than Gu Yuan's. If Long Lin was compared to the true son of heaven, then Gu Yuan was definitely the Dragon Emperor who could crush the emperor.
Long Lin led us down all the way. In the shallow water, we could still see the wonderful underwater world through the sunlight.
However, as we sank deeper, I could hardly see the way ahead. I could only see a few meters in front of me with the light from the diving flashlight in my hand.
The deeper we swam, the more terrifying the scene became. The dark seabed was full of the skeletons of large fish. The white bones were scattered in the seabed sand, having endured the vicissitudes of time for who knew how many years.
As we went further in, the skeletons became fresher. Many were the remains of creatures that had been eaten not long ago. I even saw human bones.
The sea water rippled, and many white lights floated above the skeletons. Bai Qi said that these were the wandering souls of those who had died in a shipwreck and couldn't find their way to reincarnation. They could only drift here. If they couldn't find a substitute, they would eventually turn into foam.
We didn't know how long we had walked until Long Lin coiled his body and rushed straight towards the water surface.
"Splash..." Long Lin broke through the water. The impact of the sea water drenched me from head to toe. My long black hair was plastered to my face. If there had been a mirror in front of me, I would surely have been scared by myself. I must have looked like a ghost emerging from the water in a horror movie.
I casually pushed my messy hair back and tied it into a ponytail. Then I urgently looked inside.
"Oh my god!"
I gasped in shock and could hardly believe my eyes.
"Long Lin, are you sure we're in the right place?"