Chapter 49

Night had deepened, and visiting unannounced at this hour might annoy Jiandi Yue.
So Yun Pianpian decided to wait until the next morning to pay him a visit.
“Husband, let’s go find the elder tomorrow morning.”
Xiao Changyuan replied, “Alright.”
The snow and ice on the peak of Lingxu Mountain had not yet fully melted. The night wind was strong, carrying the chill of frost and snow directly onto Yun Pianpian’s cheeks. She nestled into Xiao Changyuan’s warm embrace, looked up at him, and said, “Husband, let’s go back down.”
Xiao Changyuan frowned slightly, his expression turned cold.
“You are not allowed to go down.”
Yun Pianpian thought for a moment, then looked up and asked, “Husband, are you still angry with Buling Buling?”
Buling Buling was still waiting for them in the cave.
He wouldn’t let her go down, it must be because he didn’t want her to see Buling Buling.
Xiao Changyuan lowered his gaze to her.
His dark, profound eyes were icy and deep, like an abyssal cold pond, devoid of any light, his thin lips pressed together, and he remained silent.
Yun Pianpian said meekly, “Since you don’t want to go down, then I won’t.”
Although Xiao Changyuan always restricted her freedom, forbidding her from holding the dog, speaking to others, or returning to the warm cave, Yun Pianpian felt guilty, so she did her best to comply with his unreasonable demands.
The night was cold and windy, the moonlight pale and desolate.
She was always one to find joy in hardship, even in difficult circumstances, she could discover new pleasures.
Her face was growing numb from the cold wind. Hiding in Xiao Changyuan’s embrace, she pointed at the moon and said, “Look at the moon tonight, doesn’t it look like a glowing jade plate? I’ve never seen such a big moon before.”
Her words abruptly stopped.
Because Xiao Changyuan suddenly lowered his head and bit her earlobe.
Yun Pianpian’s eyes grew teary from the bite. She squirmed and dodged, collapsing tearfully into his arms.
“What did I do wrong? Why are you punishing me, husband?”
Xiao Changyuan, his breathing unsteady, whispered by her ear, “Because my wife is only allowed to look at me.”
His wife was always so easily distracted, her attention was constantly stolen by other things.
He wanted her eyes to hold only his reflection.
The easily distracted wife made Xiao Changyuan grow increasingly greedy.
He wanted to steal her attention, her gaze, her breath, her tears, her heartbeat, everything about her.
He was insatiable, craving more and more.
Whenever she looked at something else, a violent rage would surge uncontrollably in his heart.
He wanted to make his wife cry, to teach her a lesson, he wanted her eyes to only ever look at him from now on.
Under the bright moon, atop Lingxu Mountain.
Yun Pianpian was pressed tightly against Xiao Changyuan's chest as he punished her fiercely.
She could barely catch her breath.
Her ears ached.
She wondered if he had bitten them until they were torn.
Through her tear, blurred vision, a ridiculous thought crossed Yun Pianpian's mind.
So it was true, pointing at the moon with your finger really does make your ears rot.
o(╥﹏╥)o
She would never point at the moon with her hand again.
Only after punishing Yun Pianpian for a long time did Xiao Changyuan barely manage to quell the greedy fire raging within him.
Yun Pianpian, having been exposed to the cold wind for too long, couldn't hold back a sneeze.
Seeing this, Xiao Changyuan frowned slightly.
His expression seemed somewhat remorseful.
He had been so consumed by anger earlier that he forgot his wife was delicate and weak, unable to withstand the wind.
He had actually let his wife catch a chill.
Truly unforgivable.
He was so frustrated that he wanted to bite himself.
Filled with self-reproach, Xiao Changyuan held Yun Pianpian in his arms, took off his own robe, and draped it over her.
He extended his pale, slender hand and pressed it against her back.
Warm, powerful inner strength flowed continuously from his palm into her body.
He held her as if cradling a fragile treasure, carefully embracing her.
“Wife, I'm sorry.”
The robe draped over Yun Pianpian carried the warmth from his body.
Nestled in his arms, breathing in his pleasant scent, she felt completely at ease.
Yun Pianpian rubbed her cheek against his broad chest.
“It's alright, husband.”
She lifted her head in his embrace and looked up at him. Her clear, bright almond, shaped eyes were filled with trust and dependence on him.
“No matter what you do to me, I will always forgive you.”
And I hope that in the future, you will be merciful and forgive me, just as I forgive you.
Yun Pianpian gazed quietly at Xiao Changyuan, praying in her heart for his forgiveness, just like praying to a distant and indifferent deity, filled with devotion and hope.
After using his inner strength to warm Yun Pianpian’s cold body, Xiao Changyuan dressed her in his clothes, fastened the sash, and then wrapped his arm around her slender, supple waist. Carefully holding her in his embrace, he used his inner strength to descend from the peak of Lingxu Mountain.
Halfway down, Xiao Changyuan suddenly halted and let out a soft exclamation.
He stood on a massive rock protruding from the cliff face, one arm securing Yun Pianpian’s waist while the other reached up to grip a jagged stone on the mountain wall to maintain his balance. Frowning slightly, his handsome face cold as ice, his deep, dark eyes fixed on a particular spot below the cliff.
Yun Pianpian was puzzled. “Husband, why have we stopped?”
She peeked out from Xiao Changyuan’s embrace and followed his gaze downward.
To her surprise, Yun Pianpian spotted the figure of Buling Buling.
Her little dog was actually climbing the cliff!
The cliff was steep, and the only way up was by using the protruding rocks and pine trees along the mountain face.
But the higher it climbed, the stronger the wind became.
Buling Buling was tossed about by the icy gusts, its canine teeth clamped tightly onto a small pine branch jutting out from the stone wall. Using all four paws, its white claws struggled to climb upward. The violent movements loosened the soil around the pine branch, and rocks from the cliff face crumbled and fell, pelting its head. Yet, it dared not look down, for below lay a bottomless abyss. It could only press on with immense difficulty.
Buling Buling sniffed with its wet nose, catching the increasingly familiar scent of its two owners.
It shook its body and let out a pitiful whimper toward the top.
“Awoo, woof…”
The sound, torn apart by the harsh wind.
Yun Pianpian felt her heart shatter.
How did Buling Buling end up here?
Could it be that it was searching for them?
Flustered, Yun Pianpian pleaded, “Husband, let’s hurry and save Buling Buling!”
Xiao Changyuan frowned. “No holding.”
He meant she wasn’t allowed to hold it, not that she couldn’t rescue it.
Yun Pianpian nodded quickly. “No holding, no holding. I absolutely won’t hold it.”
Only then did Xiao Changyuan give a slight nod. Applying force with his feet, he leaped with his inner strength toward Buling Buling’s location.
Yun Pianpian extended her delicate, pale hands and lifted Buling Buling from the jagged rock. The little dog trembled all over, and feeling its shivering, Yun Pianpian’s heart melted with pity. She desperately wanted to cradle it in her arms but feared angering Xiao Changyuan if he saw. Instead, she held it up with both hands, comforting it softly, “It’s alright now, it’s alright. We’ve come to save you…”
The cold wind surged upward from the base of the mountain, scattering Yun Pianpian’s dark tresses and brushing them across Xiao Changyuan’s face.
Xiao Changyuan swiftly brought Yun Pianpian and Buling Buling back to the hidden mountain cave.
The bonfire in the cave had already died out, leaving only the faintly glowing embers of the wood, casting a dim light in the darkness.
Xiao Changyuan tossed two more logs into the fire and stirred the pile.
The bonfire rekindled, the brilliant flames soon illuminated the entire cave.
Buling Buling lay curled at Yun Pianpian’s feet, trembling uncontrollably, its throat emitting continuous, mournful whimpers.
It had been waiting in the cave for its two masters for a long time, but they never returned. It thought it must have done something wrong and was abandoned by them. Unwilling to be forsaken, it crawled out of the cave to search for its masters.
As an otherworldly demon beast born in the Sea of Delusion, it had once taken a fatal blow for its master, Xiao Jinchan, during the Demon-Slaying War. Expecting its soul to scatter, it was surprised when both its body and soul were transported to this place.
In this unfamiliar world, there was not a trace of spiritual energy in the air. The sun, moon, and stars were merely celestial bodies, and gods, demons, and spirits no longer existed.
Stripped of all its powers, it became an ordinary little dog, covered in wounds and unsure how to survive.
On the first snowy day, it encountered its two masters. Their gazes were filled with unfamiliarity and curiosity, and it felt uneasy, unable to understand why its masters did not recognize it. Without its powers or its masters, it felt an instinctive fear toward this strange world. Fortunately, they took it in, giving it a place to call home.
The female master even gave it the same name as before.
Whether they were its former masters or not, it would regard them as its new masters and serve them with unwavering loyalty. It marked them with its scent, ensuring that no matter how far apart they were, it could always track them down. Detecting their scent from the mountaintop, it climbed upward, braving the biting wind and cold.
Several times, it nearly slipped and fell from the cliff face.
Thankfully, its masters arrived just in time to rescue it.
Buling Buling stretched out its paws, tightly hugging Yun Pianpian’s calf, afraid of being separated from its masters again.
Xiao Changyuan reached out, peeled Buling Buling off Yun Pianpian’s leg, and tossed it near the bonfire to warm up. He assumed it was clinging to Yun Pianpian because the cold wind had chilled it and it wanted to snuggle for warmth.
But in reality, Buling Buling was simply afraid of being abandoned.
Undeterred after being thrown by the fire, it settled for the next best option and wrapped itself around Xiao Changyuan’s calf, pressing its fluffy tail against him. Even when Xiao Changyuan kicked it aside, it persistently clung back, refusing to let go.
Xiao Changyuan frowned slightly.
“Buling, get lost.”
Buling Buling drooped its ears, pretending not to hear Xiao Changyuan’s command.
Yun Pianpian tugged at Xiao Changyuan’s sleeve. “Husband, Buling Buling must have been frightened. Just let it hold onto you.”
Xiao Changyuan furrowed his brows and stared at Yun Pianpian for a moment.
After a long pause, he lowered his gaze and looked at Buling Buling with impatience.
“I’ll tolerate you for one day.”
Although Xiao Changyuan disliked Buling Buling getting close to him, he disliked it even more when the little dog approached Yun Pianpian. Rather than letting the puppy compete for his wife's attention, he would sacrifice his leg to keep it from pestering her.
Hearing this, Yun Pianpian immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Every time the tyrant was appeased by her, he would become much more agreeable.
Xiao Changyuan lay down beside Yun Pianpian and pulled her into his embrace.
After a while, Buling Buling seemed to have exhausted itself and fell asleep.
Without mercy, Xiao Changyuan kicked Buling Buling aside.
Hugging its own tail, Buling Buling slept soundly in the corner of the cave, completely oblivious to the world.
Xiao Changyuan leaned closer, his gaze dark and intense as he looked at Yun Pianpian, his cool voice was slightly hoarse.
“Wife, you must punish me.”
Yun Pianpian was taken aback, lifting her lashes to look at him.
“Why should I punish you?”
Xiao Changyuan stared intently at her red lips, his voice low and husky.
“I made you catch a chill today.”
Yun Pianpian froze, never expecting this guy to admit his mistake and ask for punishment on his own.
The warm firelight in the cave flickered across the man's strikingly handsome and aloof face, making his sharp features even more captivating and impossible to look away from.
His eyes were dark, but his expression was earnest, in the flickering firelight, there was an almost bewitching innocence.
Suddenly, her teeth felt a little itchy.
Yun Pianpian reached out her slender, fair arm and hooked it around Xiao Changyuan's neck, pulling him even closer.
She tilted her head up, parted her red lips, and bit his delicate, pale earlobe hidden behind his jet, black hair.
Xiao Changyuan's body stiffened abruptly, every muscle tensed.
Yun Pianpian whispered into his ear, “Didn't you say you wanted me to punish you?”
Xiao Changyuan didn't dare move a muscle, all his focus fixed on his ear.
Yun Pianpian asked, “Will you dare bully me again in the future?”
Xiao Changyuan's handsome face flushed slightly, his earlobes turning so red they seemed about to drip blood.
“I wouldn't dare.”