Chapter 46
For a long time after the story ended, neither of them spoke.
The courtyard was quiet.
The lantern had almost burned out.
Only the sound of the night wind remained.
Zhuo Yichen sat motionless.
His chest felt heavy.
As if the grief of twenty thousand years had settled inside him.
He could still see Hua Xing standing beneath the Blood Moon.
Still see Zhu Yan running through the crowd.
Still hear the crack in Zhao Yuanzhou’s voice when he spoke about losing him.
It hurt.
Far more than Yichen expected.
Slowly, he turned toward Zhao Yuanzhou.
The demon was looking down at his hands.
Silent.
Lost in memories.
Yichen suddenly understood something.
For him, those events were a story.
For Zhao Yuanzhou-
they were memories.
Real memories.
Things he had actually lived through.
People he had actually buried.
Lives he had actually lost.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Without thinking, Yichen moved closer.
Then wrapped his arms around him.
The embrace was sudden enough that Zhao Yuanzhou froze.
For a moment, he didn’t move at all.
As though he was afraid the moment would disappear.
Then Yichen felt the demon slowly relax.
Just a little.
Just enough.
Zhao Yuanzhou lowered his head.
His voice was quiet.
“I always wanted to keep you by my side.”
Yichen listened.
“But I can’t.”
The words sounded painfully familiar.
“We’re different.”
His smile was bitter.
“You are human.”
“I am a demon.”
Yichen frowned immediately.
“Zhao-“
“You are mortal.”
The demon laughed softly.
“I’m immortal.”
The word sounded more like a curse than a blessing.
“I stay.”
His eyes lowered.
“You leave.”
Yichen’s chest tightened.
“And every time…”
The demon’s voice cracked slightly.
“I become the reason for your pain.”
“No.”
Zhao shook his head.
“I watched Hua Xing die.”
His fingers clenched.
“I killed you in another life.”
His voice became smaller.
“And every time I think I’ve finally found you again…”
His eyes glistened.
“…something terrible happens.”
Yichen couldn’t bear hearing it.
“Stop.”
The demon smiled sadly.
“But it’s true.”
“Stop.”
“I-“
Yichen leaned forward.
A small kiss landed softly on his cheek.
The words stopped immediately.
The courtyard fell silent.
Zhao Yuanzhou blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Looking genuinely stunned.
Yichen pulled back slightly.
His ears were faintly red.
“Don’t say it that way.”
The demon stared at him.
“You always talk as though you’re carrying the entire world’s sins.”
“…”
“And it’s annoying.”
That finally earned the smallest laugh from Zhao.
Yichen smiled.
Just a little.
Then stood.
“Come on.”
“Hm?”
“We’re done being tragic for tonight.”
Zhao looked up.
“We are?”
“Yes.”
“What if I want to continue suffering dramatically?”
“You can do it tomorrow…or maybe that was a bad idea..”
The demon actually laughed.
A real one.
Warm.
Tired.
Human.
Yichen held out a hand.
“Let’s forget everything for tonight.”
Zhao looked at the offered hand.
Then at Yichen.
The same soul.
The same stubbornness.
The same warmth.
Across twenty thousand years.
Slowly, he took it.
Yichen squeezed his fingers.
Then said quietly:
“Sleep..”
❄️❄️❄️❄️✨✨✨⚔️⚔️⚔️
The house had become quiet.
The lantern burned low beside them.
Outside, the wind moved gently through the old courtyard.
For once, neither of them wanted to speak about fate.
Or curses.
Or Blood Moons.
Or death.
Zhao Yuanzhou sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at Yichen.
“Sleep beside me.”
Yichen nearly dropped the blanket he was holding.
“What?”
“Sleep beside me.”
The demon looked entirely serious.
Yichen stared.
Then immediately looked away.
“That’s not appropriate.”
Zhao raised an eyebrow.
“We’ve fought together.”
“Yes.”
“We’ve almost died together.”
“Unfortunately.”
“We’ve crossed life and death several times.”
“Your point?”
Zhao leaned forward slightly.
“We’re worried about sleeping beside each other?”
Yichen folded his arms.
“We aren’t married.”
The room became silent.
A dangerous silence.
Because Zhao Yuanzhou suddenly smiled.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Yichen immediately regretted saying anything.
Then came the words.
“Shall we?”
“…”
“What?”
“…”
“Marry.”
Yichen threw a pillow directly at his face.
The demon caught it.
Laughing.
“I’m joking.”
Yichen sat down nearby.
For once, he didn’t immediately argue.
Didn’t immediately deflect.
The laughter slowly faded.
The room became quieter.
Then Yichen spoke.
“Yes.”
Zhao blinked.
“What?”
Yichen kept looking at the floor.
His voice was calm.
Almost too calm.
“You always wanted that.”
The demon stopped breathing.
For a moment, he genuinely thought he had misheard.
“Yichen…”
The commander finally looked up.
There was no teasing in his eyes.
“We’ve spent our entire lives running from one disaster to another.”
Silence.
“We lose people.”
His voice softened.
“We lose ourselves.”
A pause.
“And every time we find each other…”
His gaze met Zhao’s.
“Something tries to take that away too.”
The demon couldn’t speak.
Yichen smiled faintly.
A sad smile.
“Maybe the world ends tomorrow.”
The words hung in the air.
“Maybe it doesn’t.”
“But if this really is the end…”
His fingers tightened around the blanket.
“…then I don’t want regrets.”
The lantern flickered.
Casting gold across the room.
Zhao Yuanzhou’s eyes slowly reddened.
Not from grief.
Not this time.
From something far more fragile.
Hope.
Something he had almost forgotten how to hold.
Yichen looked away immediately.
Because being sincere was somehow harder than fighting demons.
“I’m not saying it because you’re dramatic.”
The demon laughed weakly.
“I know.”
“I’m not saying it because you keep talking about fate.”
“I know.”
“And definitely not because of your face.”
That made Zhao laugh.
A real laugh.
The first one all evening.
Yichen muttered:
“Stop laughing.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
The demon looked at him.
Really looked at him.
As if trying to memorize every detail.
Every expression.
Every moment.
Because for the first time in countless lifetimes-
they weren’t standing on opposite sides of fate.
Just two tired souls.
Sharing a small house.
At the edge of the world.
Together.