Seven Cubs, Seven Fathers, Zero Days Off

Chapter 249: Chapter 247: I Was Wrong

Her red dress fluttered and her ink-black hair danced in the wind. Like the Nine Heavens Profound Lady descending under the moonlight, she was bathed in a layer of lunar glow, radiating an ethereal brilliance.

Time seemed to stand still in this moment.

Huang Ziyue’s Adam’s apple bobbed. A thousand words clogged his chest, ultimately condensing into a single, hoarse call.

”Shen Yue!”

Crimson surged into his eyes, and his normally tall and straight figure trembled imperceptibly. Had he not clung to his last shred of reason, he would have already rushed forward to pull her into a tight embrace.

Bai Chaosi’s eyes were completely red. The suffocating agony in his heart vanished the instant he saw Shen Yue, entirely replaced by the wild ecstasy of regaining what was lost.

The surrounding people of the Mystic Mechanism Building were overjoyed. They knew it—their master wouldn’t die!

”Master!”

Seeing Shen Yue completely unharmed, Wu Huo and A Cheng were so moved they nearly burst into tears. Miss Shen Yue was safe! They knew she was blessed with great fortune and would definitely survive. Thank goodness. Thank the Beast God.

Huang Ziyue walked over. Upon seeing the undamaged Feather Bracelet on Shen Yue’s wrist, he pulled her into his arms, practically trembling. ”Shen Yue...”

The real, physical warmth of the person in his arms told him she was truly alright. Having experienced the sheer terror of losing her twice in one day, his entire being was so tense that even his breathing radiated pain.

Shen Yue knew these two ordeals must have terrified him. Just as she had done this morning, she patted his back. ”I’m fine. Don’t worry, I’ll always be here.”

Hearing this, Bai Chaosi felt his joy of her return give way to a lingering bitterness and dread. Clutching his chest, he walked over. He looked at Shen Yue, who was held tightly in Huang Ziyue’s arms, and opened his mouth to speak, but he didn’t dare utter a word.

His devastatingly beautiful face now looked as helpless as a child who had made a mistake—aggrieved, frightened, and humble. He wanted to hug her too. He wanted to hold her tightly in his arms and hear her say that she would always be here. However, he knew he had no right. How could someone who nearly caused her death deserve such a privilege?

As long as she was safe and sound, he would ask for nothing more. Just being able to see her was enough to satisfy him.

Yet, as Shen Yue looked at Bai Chaosi’s pitiful state from within Huang Ziyue’s embrace, she finally admitted to herself that she couldn’t just ignore him. Her heart ached for him; she couldn’t bear to see him suffer. She had seen the way he resolutely sought death moments ago! She knew this fox was on the verge of shattering.

Pulling back from Huang Ziyue’s arms, she looked at Bai Chaosi. Meeting his lowered, aggrieved gaze that hardly dared to meet hers, she spoke in an even tone, ”It wasn’t your fault. You don’t need to blame yourself so much.”

Bai Chaosi’s downcast eyes widened in shock, and he abruptly looked up. His gaze shifted from disbelief to realization, and then to an indescribable surge of emotion. Finally, his eyes turned completely red as moisture welled up within them, threatening to spill over as tears in the very next second.

Shen Yue’s heart tightened, but her words remained unforgiving. ”What? I haven’t even cried yet, and you’re about to—”

Before she could finish, the man pulled her into his arms. His slender body was surprisingly strong. The cold fragrance on his body rushed into her nose with an overbearing presence, just like when they first met on the desolate mountain.

His body trembled slightly as he buried his face deeply into the crook of her neck. Hot, wet tears instantly dampened her skin. Shen Yue’s heart skipped a beat. This man...

”Shen Yue, I’m sorry...” His voice was so broken it seemed entirely fragile. It was so low and filled with so much pain. ”I’m sorry. I was wrong. I know I was wrong...”

It seemed that only by holding her and hiding his face in her neck did he dare to cry and find the courage to say those words.

Huang Ziyue’s face darkened. He didn’t want to look, nor did he want to listen. He was deeply displeased, but he knew this was bound to happen. He could only turn around; out of sight, out of mind. As long as Shen Yue was unharmed and well, he could turn a blind eye to everything else.

Beside them, A Cheng couldn’t help but shed tears as well. If the Young Master cried, he cried too.

Shen Yue felt his tears rolling down drop by drop as he sobbed in her arms like a child. Her chest throbbed with pangs of ache. Bai Chaosi, this big-tailed fox, had clearly endured so much suffering. He should have forged an unflappable, powerful, and ruthless heart. Yet, against all odds, his softness, fragility, helplessness, inferiority, sensitivity, and severe lack of love—along with the untouchable, noble pride he so carefully guarded—had all been peeled away by her, laid bare and bleeding before her very eyes.

He was so flawed and broken. Like a piece of exquisite jade that appeared magnificent and untouchable on the outside, he was riddled with holes on the inside. Loving him required immense capability. It required constantly nurturing his shattered past and his teetering soul. The road ahead would be arduous, yet she found herself unable to stop.

Never mind. She would just consider it a debt she owed him.

She finally spoke, her tone still lacking gentleness. ”If you know you were wrong, then save me some worry next time. Don’t think that crying will make me forgive you every single time!”

Bai Chaosi’s tears were abruptly halted by her words, and he didn’t dare say another syllable.

After the brief surge of emotion subsided, everyone’s gaze unanimously landed on the person Shen Yue had tossed onto the ground beside her.

It was Lady Houtu.

Her hair was a messy tumble, and her face was etched with sheer terror. She tried to struggle but couldn’t muster an ounce of strength; the fear in her eyes was practically overflowing. Shen Yue had dragged her all the way from the southern part of the city, flying swiftly back to the City Lord Mansion. Being hauled through the air had nearly scared her half to death!

”Miss A Yue, what on earth are you trying to do?”

Seeing this, the others immediately understood. Their gazes toward Shen Yue filled with admiration and realization.

Huang Ziyue finally confirmed that his earlier guess had been entirely correct! Everything that had just happened wasn’t a result of Shen Yue falling victim to Xiao Ya’s vicious scheme. Instead, she had been prepared all along. She had used the opportunity of being buried under the rubble to go out and capture Lady Houtu.

Lady Houtu had been caught by Shen Yue just as she was approaching the south gate. At the time, she was mingling with the last batch of people leaving the city, attempting to slip away unnoticed. She was carrying the token Hu Tu had given her, thinking that as long as she made it out of the city, she could escape this calamity and avoid Shen Yue’s investigation.

However, ever since returning from the dense forest today, Shen Yue had secretly sent someone to keep an eye on Lady Houtu. She knew perfectly well that the unborn child in this woman’s womb was the ultimate leverage against Hu Tu. Therefore, Hu Tu would definitely find a way to get her out and ensure her safety. But how could Shen Yue possibly let her escape?

In truth, when she struck Xiao Ya with her palm this morning, Shen Yue had already foreseen Xiao Ya’s death. She had seen Xiao Ya covertly spit out the Vitality Water after the subordinates had fed it to her. This proved that she was deliberately seeking death—specifically, she wanted to die by Shen Yue’s hand.

In her vision, Shen Yue had seen that Xiao Ya did indeed die that night, and she saw herself using her Vitality Power to save her. During the rescue, Xiao Ya had suddenly awakened and seized her hand to steal her power. Standing nearby, an anxious Huang Ziyue had struck out with a palm, only for Xiao Ya to grab his hand as well. In an instant, Huang Ziyue’s lifeblood and strength had been drained completely dry by Xiao Ya.

Seeing Huang Ziyue collapse, her heart had twisted in agony, but she couldn’t break free from the constraints of Xiao Ya’s power. Then the vision shifted again. She saw that as Xiao Ya absorbed her power, the overflowing Vitality Power obliterated the entire room. Even Bai Chaosi was severely injured and fell to the ground. Meanwhile, right in front of her, Xiao Ya merged completely with the Purple Rabbit and fled without a trace.

Thus, she had known right then that Xiao Ya was the Purple Rabbit. They were simply occupying different bodies.

Therefore, when Xiao Ya fell heavily injured from her strike, Shen Yue had laced the Vitality Water she was fed with something else. Xiao Ya wanted to die by her hand, so Shen Yue was determined to deny her that wish. Even if Xiao Ya immediately spat out the Vitality Water, the Life-extending Pill dissolved within it had already vaporized into a gas, traveling down her throat and straight into her lungs.

Xiao Ya thought she had successfully died, which would allow her to merge with the Purple Rabbit’s power, combine into one entity, and steal Shen Yue’s power.

In reality, she had missed the most crucial step: she hadn’t died at all. She had been in a state of suspended animation, her life forcefully sustained by the Life-extending Pill. Under those circumstances, how could she possibly awaken any so-called Qi-draining ability?

That was why, when she was desperately trying to drain Shen Yue’s power earlier, she remained unconscious with her eyes shut, convulsing violently on the bed. It was because she had forcibly absorbed Shen Yue’s Vitality Power into her body, a force she was completely unequipped to handle. The Purple Rabbit residing within her was trembling in agony under the power’s influence! Right now, she was still just Xiao Ya, and the Purple Rabbit was still trapped inside her body. She thought she had successfully stolen Shen Yue’s power, but in reality, planting that Vitality Power inside her was like setting a ticking time bomb.

Because of this, Shen Yue wasn’t the least bit worried about Xiao Ya escaping.

Her thoughts snapped back to the present. She looked down at Lady Houtu on the ground. ”What am I trying to do? I’m going to investigate the true cause of your children’s deaths and get them the justice they deserve, of course!”

Lady Houtu’s face instantly turned stark white. She immediately replied, ”Weren’t my two children assassinated in the main hall that day? You saw it with your own eyes, Miss A Yue. Why are you bringing this up again?”