Chapter 17: Settling One's Heart

Qingmei tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep no matter what. For some reason, her mind was filled with Nan Qingcheng. Suddenly, a familiar scent drifted into her nose, and the next moment, Qingmei was pulled into the embrace of the very person she had been thinking about. However, remembering how he would come and go as he pleased, she felt a surge of anger. She pushed hard against Nan Qingcheng with her small hands, trying to break free, but unfortunately, he was too strong to be pushed away. "Nan Qingcheng, what do you take me, Qingmei, for? You come to hug and kiss me when you feel like it, and then you just walk away without a care when you're done. You..." "Mei'er, I'm sorry..." Before Qingmei could finish, she was interrupted by Nan Qingcheng. Hearing his hoarse voice, Qingmei felt a pang of bitterness in her heart, but she continued to struggle to break free. Feeling her resistance, Nan Qingcheng tightened his grip. "It hurts... it hurts!" Qingmei groaned in discomfort; if he kept squeezing like this, she would surely stop breathing. Hearing that she was in pain, Nan Qingcheng immediately let go and helped her sit up, looking her over from left to right. "Did I hurt you anywhere?" Qingmei had intended to give him a piece of her mind, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she froze. The usually dashing and spirited Nan Qingcheng looked the complete opposite now. His obsidian-like eyes were bloodshot, and he was still wearing yesterday's clothes, which were dusty and tattered. "You... what did you go do?" Qingmei stared fixedly at Nan Qingcheng. Nan Qingcheng smiled. "I went to get something for you." "Get something for me? Get what?" Qingmei pointed at herself with her small finger. Nan Qingcheng pulled a small white jade box from his clothes and opened it. Inside was a grey herb with a few dewdrops still on it. "This is Space Grass. Using it can unlock other functions for a Space Mage." Nan Qingcheng said with a beaming smile, like a child trying to please an adult. Qingmei didn't ask how he knew she was a Space Mage; she simply trusted him by instinct. "This... must have been hard to get, right?" "It wasn't hard to get." Nan Qingcheng shook his head, though in truth, it had been incredibly difficult. Even with his high level of strength, he had to end up in such a disheveled state to obtain it. But... he didn't want Mei'er to know that. Qingmei actually knew that Space Grass was extremely difficult to acquire; Yan Lie had told her about it before, and even in his prime, it would have taken him quite some effort to obtain it. She had originally planned to wait until she was stronger to go look for it, but now...

A wave of warmth surged in Qingmei's heart, and she just stared at Nan Qingcheng. Suddenly, she took the initiative to hug him, resting her head on his shoulder. Nan Qingcheng hugged her back. After a long while, Qingmei spoke softly, "Nan Qingcheng, are... are you serious?" "Would I lie to you about this? Of course I'm serious." Nan Qingcheng smiled as he absentmindedly combed through Qingmei's hair with his fingers. "Then listen to me carefully: I, Qingmei, am a very possessive person. If we are together, I want to have all of you. You aren't allowed to give even a single glance to anyone else. But in the future, if you ever betray me, I, Qingmei, will definitely kill you with my own hands," Qingmei said fiercely. "Don't worry, Mei'er. I promise you, that day will never come." Nan Qingcheng was ecstatic; Qingmei had accepted him, and he would definitely protect her well from now on. The two stayed in each other's arms for a long time. Before long, Qingmei returned to her usual self and pushed Nan Qingcheng away. "Oh my, Nan Qingcheng, go change your clothes quickly, look at you..." As she spoke, she pinched her small nose in a playful, exaggerated manner. "Alright, alright, I'll be back in a moment." Nan Qingcheng pushed the door open and walked out. He took a bath, changed into a new set of clothes, and returned. Seeing the person on the bed already fast asleep, Nan Qingcheng shook his head with a smile; she had fallen asleep so quickly. He took off his outer robe, slipped under the covers, and pulled Qingmei into his arms. Qingmei stirred, seemingly uncomfortable, then wrapped her arms and legs around Nan Qingcheng, using him as a body pillow, and shifted into a comfortable position to continue sleeping. Watching her ungraceful sleeping posture, the corner of Nan Qingcheng's mouth twitched. So his Mei'er was this 'special,' he thought. After planting a light kiss on the corner of her mouth, he held her close and fell asleep. That night, both of them slept with such peace of mind.