The Heart Demon woman had frost in her eyes that struck people with a chill, "With Your Majesty’s status, how could anyone refuse such a precious gift? Moreover, I have strong suspicions that when the River Lord accepted the token of love, did he know what it truly represents?"
Baili An was startled; this girl indeed proved to be the embodiment of the Heart Demon’s consciousness, seeing through that Female Demon Lord so thoroughly.
Below the stage, the crowd exchanged puzzled looks, wondering if the Heart Demon woman had come to pledge loyalty to the Demon World today.
Why was she so bold, suddenly confronting His Majesty directly?
The Female Demon Lord could no longer maintain her smile, and her expression immediately turned cold, "You dare to question me?"
"I wouldn’t dare." The tone of the Heart Demon woman was neither humble nor arrogant, and it carried no respect, "It’s just that my dear Chen is a good child, who would never carelessly accept someone else’s token of love. I believe there must be some misunderstanding."
Her gaze shifted, and her normally gentle and watery eyes suddenly locked onto Baili An, her voice soft and soothing, entirely different from her sharp tone when speaking with the Demon Lord, "Don’t you agree, Chen?"
A pang struck Baili An’s heart, fearing another ill-timed breakdown was beginning.
But when he met the eyes beneath the Heart Demon woman’s mask, something inside him stirred inexplicably. Despite the vast distance separating them, he could somehow subtly sense her emotions and intentions.
Was she trying... to help him escape this predicament?
Filled with deep gratitude, Baili An played along, his disbelief mixed with immense surprise as he looked at her, finding an especially affectionate name, "Ah... A’rong, is it you?"
A blood-red moon rose in the west, reddening the sky. The sky seemed ablaze, filled with sinister crimson clouds.
The Female Demon Lord’s face was indescribable with terror.
The expressions of the demons below were beyond vivid.
Under those thick clouds, the Heart Demon woman involuntarily stood up, moved by the mention of ’A’rong’ as if it were from another lifetime, her eyes moistening as she stared fixedly at Baili An, "Husband, it’s me."
From River Lord to Chen, and from Chen to husband...
The rapid change in titles caught Baili An off guard.
He struggled with what he should call her next—perhaps ’my lady’?
Ultimately, lacking sufficient audacity, Baili An opted for the familiar, warm title.
He murmured, "A’rong, I’ve missed you so much." Indeed, one as supreme and proud as the Demon Lord would never tolerate her interest in a man whose heart belonged to another.
Although such a public display might damage her reputation as the Demon Lord, it was certainly better than actually staying and sharing a life of child-rearing with her as part of her harem.
Fortunately, inside the Bronze Gate, he and the Heart Demon woman had shared a life-and-death experience, forming a deep bond.
Grateful for her willingness to come to his aid today, Baili An etched this great favor in his heart; he truly needed to find an opportunity to treat her to a meal in return.
Baili An was engrossed in a heartfelt and exquisite performance, calculating when the Female Demon Lord would reach her limits of tolerance and angrily reclaim the Jade hairpin.
Suddenly, a sword wind swept through from the front, amidst exclamations of surprise, Baili An was caught off guard, thinking someone was attacking him, and instinctively wanted to summon the Heavenly Strategy Jun Mountain for defense.
But the sword wind was swift. In the next moment, a soft, warm body passed through the sword wind and crashed into his arms, holding him tightly.
He was taken by surprise.
Her cold mask pressed against his cold neck, seemingly with cold liquid sliding down from the mask, slender arms wrapped tightly around his waist as if fearing he would disappear, her body trembling.
Baili An’s arms awkwardly hovered in mid-air, wondering if the act had gone too far—hadn’t he seen the fury in the eyes of the Demon Lord, almost dripping blood?
The woman in his arms seemed to sense his stiff posture, slightly loosening her grip around his waist.
Her pale fingers gently pushed beneath the mask, revealing only a delicate chin and soft, light red lips.
She tiptoed slightly, her tears-cooled lips grazed by his earlobe, her warm yet unimposing breaths delicately soothing his ears, creating a unique sense of sorrow, "I’ve missed you too, my husband..."
Finally, Baili An’s arms, stiff in mid-air, slowly relaxed, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly, as if embracing an old friend.