When Yue Ning opened her eyes next, two hours had already passed. Her eyes snapped open to the clock on the wall.
"No... no... no." She panicked, hurriedly leaving the bed. Find the newest release on novel·fıre·net
The familiar buzz of the system made her stop in her tracks.
’Host, you have a new notification.’ The system informed.
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She had an idea on what the message behind the notification could be.
"Can I not check it?" She asked, her voice pleading.
’No. You need to check it now.’ The system replied firmly, its tone giving no room for argument.
Dejectedly, she sat on the bed, murmuring, "command."
Dread filled her heart as she fiddled with her fingers while she waited for the white holographic panel to appear.
Once it appeared, she clicked on the notification bar, and the message displayed itself:
[Mission: Detect the danger]
Yue Ning’s fingers trembled. The word ’failed’ burned in her mind. Still, she read on through the haze.
[Consequences: Martial arts skills dropped, 500 points deducted.]
Yue Ning gripped the sheets tightly, her heart twisting painfully. She had failed. What would happen to Huo Feng? Would he be able to detect the danger? Would he be in trouble?
It was strange. She wasn’t worried about her points being deducted or her skills dropping—her mind was on Huo Feng and his safety.
"I have to see him," she said at last, and shot up to feet.
She rushed to the door, nearly colliding with Huo Feng who was standing there. His brows furrowed as he took in her expression.
Her shoulders only relaxed when she was sure that he was okay.
"What happened? You look tense?" Huo Feng asked, placing a hand on her forehead to see if her fever had returned.
Yue Ning shook her head, and led him inside. She made him sit, and also had her seat.
She exhaled, looking at him straight in his eyes. Huo Feng’s heart skipped several beats sensing her intense gaze.
"Huo Feng... it feels like we are surrounded by danger from all corners." Yue Ning started, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Uhn?" He asked confusedly.
"It feels like there are a lot of people plotting against us. We can’t have a moment of peace with these people present."
Huo Feng pulled her into his arms, startling her. She struggled to free herself from him but he held her in place.
"Let me hold you this way, please." His voice was soft, almost like a plea.
Yue Ning looked at Huo Feng who had tightened his arms round her as though afraid she’d disappear, and warmth slowly seeped into her chest. In the end, she finally stopped struggling allowing Huo Feng to hold her however he deemed fit.
After a while, he pulled away, a red colour staining his cheeks in the process.
"Sorry about that. I just wanted to hug you." He apologized, and also explained.
Yue Ning chuckled. Since he confessed his feelings, he seemed to be a different person, and his real persona slowly showed.
"Why are you apologizing? We are a couple. It is only normal that we share physical contact." Yue Ning asked innocently, but she was laughing inwardly.
She wanted to tease Huo Feng. And it appeared that she had already forgotten about her earlier dread and anxiety.
Huo Feng scratched his head awkwardly. He didn’t have an answer for her question.
"I just thought... you wouldn’t like it," he admitted sheepishly. "After realizing how much you mean to me, I’m not sure what boundaries we still have."
Yue Ning slightly parted her lips due to surprise. She didn’t expect that he would have such a strange thought process.
Yue Ning held his hands, and he was tempted to pull his hands away from hers, but she gave him a look which stopped his actions.
"When I decided to get married to you, I promised myself that this would be eternal," she paused, sincerity written all over her face. "It doesn’t matter if you love me, because... I love you as well."
Yue Ning finally confessed. It felt like a huge boulder had been lifted from her chest after her confession. Her face brushed intensely and she lowered her head, too shy to meet his gaze.
Huo Feng stared at her with wide eyes. He had expected a lot of things—questions, rejections and whatnot. Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected that she would accept his confession, and also confess to him.
He was mind blown, and he had no idea how he was to react. He had never felt this way before even with Yue Chen who he thought he loved deeply.
Yue Ning’s brows knitted seeing his stunned and speechless look. She snapped her fingers continually, and only stopped when he had returned to his senses.
"What happened to you?" She asked worriedly.
He laughed softy, and pulled her in for a deep hug. "Thank you..."
Yue Ning was confused. Why was he thanking her?
’Host, are you still being dense in such a situation?’ The system’s exasperated voice resounded in her mind which further confused her. ’He is glad because you reciprocated his feelings, dumb host.’
Yue Ning chuckled, not taking the system’s insult to her heart.
After he pulled away from her, he explained. "I wasn’t expecting you to confess your feelings quickly. Your actions made me surprised, sorry if I scared you."
"Silly, we have shared kisses. I’d be dumb if I didn’t fall in love with you." Yue Ning teased, although her voice was low.
Her face had already turned red, the color spreading to her ears and neck as a result of her shyness.
Huo Feng naturally patted her head, his features hardening as he mind replayed the conversation he has with Ah Si.
Yue Ning sensed the change in his mood, and her lips pursed into a thin line. "Is anything wrong?"
"I have something to talk to you about." He said seriously, and Yue Ning’s heart raced.