Chapter 69
That night was quiet.
For once, there were no enemies.
No battles.
No screams.
Only the sound of crickets outside the small courtyard.
A lantern flickered softly beside the bed.
Zhao Yuanzhou was sitting against the headboard, wrapped in a blanket.
He looked pale.
Far too pale.
But somehow-
he still looked relaxed.
As if losing an inner core was merely a minor inconvenience.
Which only made Zhuo Yichen more annoyed.
Yichen entered carrying a tray.
The scent of medicine filled the room.
Immediately, Zhao Yuanzhou frowned.
“No.”
Yichen stopped.
“What do you mean no?”
“No medicine.”
“It’s not medicine.”
“It smells like medicine.”
“It is medicine.”
The great demon sighed dramatically.
“I knew it.”
Yichen put the bowl directly into his hands.
“Drink.”
“I refuse.”
“Drink.”
“I have rights.”
“You lost them.”
“Commander Zhuo, this is abuse.”
Yichen narrowed his eyes.
“Drink.”
The great demon immediately drank it.
Because some battles were impossible to win.
Especially against Zhuo Yichen.
After finishing the bowl, Zhao Yuanzhou looked up.
“Happy?”
“No.”
“That hurts.”
“You’ll survive.”
The demon laughed.
The sound was warm.
Familiar.
The same laugh Yichen had fallen in love with.
And suddenly-
that hurt too.
Because Yichen didn’t know how many more times he would hear it.
His fingers tightened.
The smile disappeared from his face.
Zhao Yuanzhou noticed immediately.
“Baby?”
Silence.
The commander sat beside him.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Then Yichen quietly said-
“I have news.”
The great demon blinked.
“What kind of news?”
Yichen stared at his hands.
Then slowly reached forward.
Taking Zhao Yuanzhou’s hand.
His fingers were trembling.
Just slightly.
The demon noticed.
And became serious.
Yichen guided that hand downward.
Resting it against his abdomen.
At first-
Zhao Yuanzhou didn’t understand.
Then-
his eyes widened.
The room became completely silent.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Yichen lowered his gaze.
His voice barely above a whisper.
“We’re going to be parents.”
For several seconds-
Zhao Yuanzhou simply stared.
As though he had forgotten how to breathe.
As though the entire world had disappeared.
Only that single sentence remained.
We’re going to be parents.
His hand trembled beneath Yichen’s.
Slowly.
Carefully.
As though afraid this was a dream.
His fingers pressed lightly against Yichen’s abdomen.
And suddenly-
his eyes became red.
Yichen froze.
Because Zhao Yuanzhou was crying.
Actually crying.
Not hiding it.
Not smiling through it.
Not pretending.
Tears simply fell.
One after another.
The sight shattered the last of Yichen’s composure.
His own tears immediately followed.
“Ah…”
He laughed helplessly through them.
“Why are you crying?”
The demon shook his head.
Unable to speak.
Yichen’s voice cracked.
“What now?”
Another tear slipped down his face.
“What are we supposed to do now?”
For the first time in days-
all the fear escaped.
All the worry.
All the pain.
Everything.
“What if…”
His voice broke.
“What if you…”
He couldn’t finish.
Couldn’t say the words.
Couldn’t speak the nightmare aloud.
Because saying it would make it real.
Zhao Yuanzhou immediately pulled him closer.
Wrapping his arms around him.
Holding him carefully.
Protectively.
Their foreheads touched.
And despite how weak he looked-
despite everything-
the great demon smiled.
A real smile.
Warm.
Certain.
Steady.
The kind of smile that had carried Yichen through countless storms.
“There are ways.”
Yichen blinked.
“What?”
“There are ways to restore an inner core.”
His voice was calm.
Almost annoyingly calm.
Yichen immediately pulled back.
“There are?”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I was going to.”
“When?”
“Eventually.”
“Zhao Yuanzhou.”
The demon immediately knew he had made a mistake.
A very large mistake.
“I was waiting for the right moment.”
Another glare.
“The right moment?”
The great demon coughed.
“It sounded better in my head.”
Yichen almost
Almost.
Then another wave of tears came instead.
Because hope was a dangerous thing.
And yet-
he wanted it.
Desperately.
“Really?”
His voice was small.
Painfully small.
“You aren’t lying?”
Zhao Yuanzhou gently wiped away his tears.
“No.”
“You swear?”
“I swear.”
“You promise?”
The great demon smiled.
Then leaned forward.
Pressing a kiss against Yichen’s forehead.
Slow.
Tender.
“I promise.”
Yichen closed his eyes.
For the first time in weeks-
the crushing weight on his chest eased.
Just a little.
Not completely.
But enough.
Enough to breathe again.
Enough to hope.
Zhao Yuanzhou’s hand remained over Yichen’s abdomen.
Still unable to fully believe it.
A child.
Their child.
A tiny life.
A future neither of them had dared imagine.
The great demon laughed softly.
And for once-
his smile carried no sadness.
Only wonder.
“Poor child.”
Yichen frowned.
“What do you mean poor child?”
“They’re going to have you as a father.”
“Excuse me?”
“Very strict.”
“Zhao Yuanzhou.”
“No fun.”
“Zhao Yuanzhou.”
“Probably schedules naps.”
The commander smacked him with a pillow.
The laughter slowly faded.
The room grew quiet again.
Outside, the night wind brushed against the cherry blossoms.
Inside, only the lantern’s golden light remained.
Zhuo Yichen was still sitting beside him, one hand unconsciously resting over his abdomen.
A habit he had developed recently.
Protective.
Gentle.
Without realizing it.
Zhao Yuanzhou watched him silently.
For a long moment.
Longer than usual.
The smile on his face gradually softened.
Until there was something deeper in his eyes.
Something Yichen rarely saw.
Pure vulnerability.
The great demon reached out.
His fingers brushing against Yichen’s cheek.
Then slowly-
he leaned forward.
And kissed him.
Full of everything he couldn’t put into words.
Until Zhao Yuanzhou whispered-
“Thank you.”
Yichen blinked.
“For loving someone like me.”
Yichen immediately frowned.
“Someone like you?”
“Mhm.”
“The troublesome demon?”
“The very same.”
“The idiot who keeps sacrificing himself?”
“That one too.”
“The one who nearly gave me ten heart attacks?”
“I think it was only eight.”
Yichen glared.
The demon surrendered immediately.
But his expression remained soft.
Tender.
He lowered his gaze toward Yichen’s abdomen.
Toward the tiny life neither of them had expected.
The child who had arrived in the middle of chaos.
In the middle of grief.
In the middle of a world that seemed determined to tear them apart.
And yet-
somehow-
the child was here.
A small miracle.
A promise of tomorrow.
Zhao Yuanzhou carefully placed his hand over Yichen’s.
Protecting both.
His voice became quieter.
Almost reverent.
“For sure…”
A smile touched his lips.
“This baby will become righteous.”
Yichen looked at him.
“How do you know?”
The great demon chuckled.
“Because the child has your heart.”
Yichen’s ears turned slightly red.
“And unfortunately…”
The demon continued.
“They’ll probably inherit your frightening glare too.”
“Zhao Yuanzhou.”
“And your habit of lecturing everyone.”
“Zhao Yuanzhou.”
“And your inability to relax.”
The pillow struck him directly in the face.
He laughed.
The sound filling the room.
For the first time in a long while, it wasn’t forced.
It wasn’t hiding pain.
It was genuine.
When the laughter finally faded, he looked at Yichen again.
Really looked.
Memorizing him.
The curve of his smile.
The warmth in his eyes.
The life growing inside him.
Everything.
As though trying to carve the moment into his soul.
Because after thousands of years wandering alone-
after losing Fang Hua Xing.
After losing countless lives and countless chances-
he finally understood something.
Love was never about possession.
Never about eternity.
It was about moments like this.
A quiet room.
The person you love beside you.
A future waiting to be born.
And for once-
despite all the uncertainty ahead-
Zhao Yuanzhou allowed himself to believe.
Maybe fate would be kind.
Maybe this time-
they would be allowed to keep their happiness.
His hand tightened around Yichen’s.