Marrying the Soft-hearted Villain

Ruan Qiuqiu's palms trembled slightly. She forced herself to calm down quickly, seizing the time to treat Qing Ruyi's wounds.

But as she attempted to infuse Qing Ruyi with spiritual energy, more directly than using the healing water droplets, something strange happened.

The markings, which had previously resembled inanimate patterns, came alive the moment they came into contact with the spiritual energy. The pale black lines deepened frantically, writhing as if trying to absorb more.

"Ah!" As the willow-leaf-like patterns twisted, Qing Ruyi, who had been unconscious, cried out in pain.

At the same time, the demonic Gu near her heart became abnormally agitated, pulsing more intensely.

Unable to immediately cut off the flow of spiritual energy, Ruan Qiuqiu was pulled forward, her palm nearly touching Qing Ruyi's arm.

Cold sweat beaded on Ruan Qiuqiu's forehead. Yuan Jue's dark brows furrowed as he stepped forward and grasped his little wife's wrist with his large hand.

"Don't be afraid." His low voice sounded beside her ear. As her back pressed against a warm, familiar chest, Ruan Qiuqiu's heart stirred. She entrusted herself entirely to Mr. Big Bad Wolf.

She didn't give up resisting the strange suction force emanating from Qing Ruyi's body, but instead, following Yuan Jue's lead, she retreated little by little.

The entire process took a long time. The other demons watching anxiously paced, but none dared to act rashly, afraid of making things worse.

After several minutes, Ruan Qiuqiu, with Mr. Big Bad Wolf's help, finally withdrew most of her spiritual energy. The markings on Qing Ruyi's body stopped wriggling and gradually calmed down.

Although still pale and bloodless, Qing Ruyi's expression improved slightly.

Ruan Qiuqiu was still shaken. She couldn't help but glance at her right hand. It was clean and unmarked.

Just now, when the spiritual energy was being absorbed, I felt as if the demonic Gu inside Granny Ruyi, which wasn't that serious before, was trying to latch onto me.

This thought suddenly struck her. Thinking about Qing Ruyi's master and the purpose for which she had been sent, a moment of realization dawned on Ruan Qiuqiu.

She quickly waved at the demons who wanted to come over and help. Her voice was unusually loud. "Don't come over! Everyone, stay away from Granny Ruyi!"

"What's wrong, Madam Yuan?" Big Eagle asked anxiously. "What just happened?"

From the perspective of the demons standing further away, Ruan Qiuqiu had been standing next to Qing Ruyi when the markings on Qing Ruyi's body suddenly came alive, and Ruan Qiuqiu's expression had instantly become serious.

"It's the demonic Gu," Ruan Qiuqiu turned around, her tone grave. "If I'm not mistaken, Granny Ruyi's current state is due to the demonic Gu inside her absorbing her cultivation and flesh…"

Ruan Qiuqiu's voice gradually trailed off. Looking at the bewildered and frightened expressions of Mo Mao, Xiao Bo He, and the other children, she couldn't bear to say the words "life force" that she was thinking.

Xiao Bo He's eyes were brimming with tears as she looked at Qing Ruyi lying on the stone bed, unable to speak. Mo Mao's eyes were also red-rimmed as he bit his lip, equally silent.

Ruan Qiuqiu comforted them, "Don't worry, my husband and I will find a way. Be careful not to get too close; it's highly possible it can be transmitted."

The demons nodded and tacitly took two steps back.

Before Ruan Qiuqiu could relax, she felt a faint stinging sensation in her wrist.

She looked down and found that the two wolf ear markings on her right wrist were slightly red and hot, the source of the stinging.

Startled, Ruan Qiuqiu, who had suspected that these wolf ears were related to Yuan Jue, immediately turned to look at Mr. Big Bad Wolf's expression.

The wolf still stood beside her, his brows furrowed, but his handsome face showed no other unusual expression, as if what had just happened hadn't affected him at all.

Ruan Qiuqiu took his hand and examined it carefully, her voice full of concern, "Are you alright?"

Yuan Jue's narrow phoenix eyes held a hint of warmth. His voice was gentle, "Wife, the wolf is fine."

Ruan Qiuqiu was still worried, but saving Granny Ruyi and Grandpa Mo was the priority, so she didn't waste any more time.

As she condensed healing water droplets, she resolved to ask the wolf in her family about the wolf ears on her wrist once Granny Ruyi and Grandpa Mo's condition improved.

Just like before in the snow, the healing water droplets didn't cause any changes in the markings on Qing Ruyi's body. They seeped into her wounds, alleviating some of her pain.

Seeing Granny Ruyi recover somewhat, Ruan Qiuqiu turned her attention to treating Grandpa Mo.

To her surprise, although Grandpa Mo was seriously injured, his life force was much stronger than before.

It's as if a portion of Granny Ruyi's lost life force was transferred to him.

As soon as this thought arose, Ruan Qiuqiu shook her head.

Grandpa Mo loved Granny Ruyi deeply and would never willingly accept her life force. Could it be that Granny Ruyi forced it on him?

Moreover, during the treatment, Ruan Qiuqiu noticed something strange.

On the left ears of both Qing Ruyi and Mo Bugui, there was a faint, crimson marking.

Mr. Big Bad Wolf also noticed the marking. Ruan Qiuqiu caught the fleeting complex emotion in the wolf's eyes.

She knew that Yuan Jue must understand the meaning of these markings, but he didn't say anything. With so many demons present, Ruan Qiuqiu didn't ask either.

By the time Qing Ruyi and Mo Bugui's injuries were treated, the sky outside was beginning to brighten.

…

After entrusting Granny Ruyi and Grandpa Mo, who were temporarily out of danger, to Xiao Mao and the others, and giving them some instructions, the woman and wolf didn't linger in Grandpa Mo's cave but returned to their own to rest.

Along the way, Yuan Jue behaved as usual, as if Granny Ruyi's situation hadn't surprised him.

Even after they had washed up and were lying on their stone beds, preparing to sleep, Yuan Jue didn't comment on what had happened.

Ruan Qiuqiu's mind wasn't entirely clear due to her depleted spiritual energy.

She was tired and wanted to rest.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that Mr. Big Bad Wolf was hiding something from her.

Whether it was the strange-tasting food, the burning wolf ears on her wrist, the crimson markings on Granny Ruyi and Grandpa Bugui's left ears that resembled a pledge, or his plans for the future and his speculation about the demonic Gu.

The wolf hadn't spoken about any of these things.

Was it something she wasn't allowed to know, or something he didn't want her to know?

Just like before, with those little insecurities he didn't want her to discover.

"Husband." Ruan Qiuqiu didn't choose to bury all her doubts in her heart as she had before. She softly called out to him.

Yuan Jue, who had shifted into his half-wolf form at home in an attempt to attract his little wife's attention, twitched his pointed ears at the sound of her voice. After a few seconds, he shifted from lying flat to his side, burying half of his handsome face in the pale, fluffy pillow, his phoenix eyes gazing directly at her.

"Hmm?"

The sky outside hadn't cleared, and the cave was dim. Ruan Qiuqiu could barely make out Yuan Jue's expression. Hearing her wolf husband's low, magnetic voice, her ears couldn't help but grow hot.

She could feel that although they weren't sleeping under the same animal hide blanket, they were very close. It seemed that if she reached out, she could touch his sharply defined cheek.

Her fingertips could trace his eye sockets, his long eyelashes, slide down the bridge of his straight nose, and then linger on his soft lips that had stolen her breath countless times.

This wolf… she didn't know whether to describe him as Mr. Grey Wolf, more tragic than Cinderella, or Snow White Wolf, more fitting than Snow White herself.

His hair was indeed darker than charcoal, his skin was very pale, and his eyes were redder than blood.

It was a pity that, facing the impending danger, she didn't have the ability to conjure a castle.

Even now, even though they were so close, she didn't know why she still felt uneasy deep down.

Many thoughts swirled in Ruan Qiuqiu's mind. Although the cave was warm, she couldn't help but tremble. The unanswered questions weighed heavily on her heart and lips, and she didn't know which one to ask first.

"Are you cold?" Mr. Snow White Grey Wolf's night vision was far superior to his little wife's. His crimson pupils clearly reflected Ruan Qiuqiu's slight trembling. Yuan Jue thought she was cold.

Ruan Qiuqiu bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes. She quickly composed herself and just shook her head slightly. "I'm not cold."

"Husband, do you know what the markings on Granny Ruyi and Grandpa Mo's ears mean?" Ruan Qiuqiu asked.

Yuan Jue paused, his long eyelashes fluttering. He didn't speak.

Silence filled the air once more.

Ruan Qiuqiu clenched her hands, patiently waiting. After a few seconds, she finally received Yuan Jue's answer.

She heard the struggle and hesitation in his voice, finally resolving into a sea of complex emotions. "It's a mark that appears after forming a bond."

Ruan Qiuqiu's eyes widened slightly, surprised by the answer.

She had initially guessed that the crimson marking was some kind of forbidden technique involving the forced bestowal of life.

She knew that in the Demon Continent, besides ordinary marriage, there was another, more intimate relationship: bonding.

Bonding was a very powerful agreement. The two parties who chose to bond would share their lives and could never betray each other.

Such stringent conditions deterred almost all demons.

In a world with such a high mortality rate, practically no demon or human would choose to bind their life to another person or demon for the sake of love, choosing to make such a vow.

Most would choose marriage, not bonding.

Therefore, although Ruan Qiuqiu knew about bonding, she hadn't given it much thought.

Now, hearing that it was a bond, some things became clearer in her mind—

Grandpa Mo was already nearing the end of his life. Granny Ruyi had originally planned to bond with him after dealing with the demonic Gu within her.

There were two possibilities for their sudden bonding. One was that Granny Ruyi had a sudden change of heart.

The second was that when Grandpa Mo went to find Granny Ruyi, he was accidentally drained of most of his life force by the demonic Gu and was on the verge of death. Granny Ruyi chose this drastic measure to save him.

After a moment of thought, Ruan Qiuqiu felt the second possibility was closer to the truth.

Granny Ruyi was a powerful half-demon, half-yao. Even if she had been temporarily drained of a lot of life force, the portion she shared would still be much stronger than Grandpa Mo's.

Moreover, while they shared life, they didn't share pain, which would explain why Granny Ruyi looked much worse than Grandpa Mo.

Understanding this, Ruan Qiuqiu felt a growing sense of foreboding.

There was still a long time until the end of winter, but it was clear that Qing Ruyi's master was no longer willing to wait.

Ruan Qiuqiu had previously suspected that the demonic Gu wasn't anything good, and after seeing it today, she was even more afraid.

She even felt that perhaps Granny Ruyi's initial task, besides monitoring her and Mr. Big Bad Wolf, was to plant the demonic Gu inside Yuan Jue.

At this thought, a chill ran down Ruan Qiuqiu's spine, and her already trembling body shook even more.

Seeing his little wife's teary-eyed appearance, Yuan Jue mistakenly thought she was upset because he hadn't bonded with her.

Bitterness and heartache spread through his heart. Yuan Jue stretched out his long arm, grabbed Ruan Qiuqiu's wrist, leaned forward, and with a slight pull, brought his little wife, who was still pondering how to overcome their difficulties, into his bed.

Ruan Qiuqiu "…??"

It wasn't until her face was buried in the wolf's neck that Ruan Qiuqiu came back to her senses.

Her slightly damp eyelashes brushed against Yuan Jue's skin, sending shivers down the wolf's spine.

Ruan Qiuqiu felt herself being held even tighter.

It took her a while to realize what was happening. Her overworked mind was a little dazed, and she was a little shocked by this action from the usually reserved Yuan Jue. "Husband?"

Ruan Qiuqiu called out to him, her warm breath brushing against his throat. Yuan Jue felt as if he were about to drown in her shallow breaths. He couldn't help but swallow, his voice hoarse. "Hmm."

He tightened his arms around her, gently stroking her trembling back. "Wife, why are you crying?"

Ruan Qiuqiu widened her eyes slightly. Feeling warm liquid flowing from her eyes, and her cheeks and ears seemingly hotter than usual, even her breathing becoming uneven, she realized that she had started crying at some point.

Before Ruan Qiuqiu could figure out how to answer the wolf's tactless, fatal question, she heard him cautiously ask, "Is it because the wolf hasn't bonded with you?"

Ruan Qiuqiu "…………" ???

It really wasn't because of that.

The tears that were about to flow were successfully held back by Mr. Big Bad Wolf's words. Ruan Qiuqiu sighed, unsure whether it was from speechlessness or anger at the wolf's obtuse perception.

She didn't want to talk. A burning sensation in her chest made her uncomfortable and unhappy. She simply burrowed further into Yuan Jue's animal hide blanket, burying herself in his embrace, listening to his heartbeat, and unconsciously drifting into a deep sleep.

Yuan Jue, who was still waiting for his little wife's reply, could only helplessly twitch the corners of his lips when he realized she had fallen asleep.

A multitude of complex emotions flickered in his blood-red eyes, carrying an incomprehensible darkness.

After a long time, Yuan Jue seemed to have made up his mind. He cast aside all distracting thoughts, and his pupils became clear and bright again, just like the little grey wolf he once was.

He lowered his head slightly and kissed Ruan Qiuqiu's forehead, as if a devotee kissing his eternal, only deity.

The cave fell into a quiet darkness. At this moment, it seemed as though all the gloom was completely shut out.

However, this quiet didn't last long. About an hour later, Yuan Jue, as if sensing something, gently released his little wife from his embrace, donned his pale white robe, grabbed his wooden staff, and quickly left the cave.

After a while, Xiao Yu's shouts came from outside the cave.

"Sister Qiuqiu! Sister Qiuqiu!"

Ruan Qiuqiu forced her eyes open and emerged from the blanket to find that Mr. Big Bad Wolf was no longer in the cave.

Hearing Xiao Yu's shouts from outside, Ruan Qiuqiu quickly woke up, dressed, and ran out.

"What's wrong?" Ruan Qiuqiu opened the wooden door and saw Xiao Yu waiting at the entrance.

"It's Grandpa Clan Leader. Brother-in-law saved him," Xiao Yu quickly said.

Ruan Qiuqiu: "What?"

Wasn't Mr. Big Bad Wolf just resting? Did he sense something?

"Wait for me." Ruan Qiuqiu told Xiao Yu, ran back into the cave to grab some spare herbs, and then followed Xiao Yu to Grandpa Mo's cave.

On the way, she learned the full story.

Grandpa Panda wasn't seriously injured. He hadn't been attacked, but had simply collapsed from exhaustion after continuously repairing the barrier. He had fainted in the snow upon exiting the barrier and was found and rescued by Yuan Jue. There was nothing seriously wrong with him.

"That's good." Ruan Qiuqiu wiped away some cold sweat. She had been worried that something had happened again in the forbidden area behind the mountain. If they faced both internal and external troubles, they really wouldn't be able to cope.

"By the way, Sister Qiuqiu," Xiao Yu said again, "while you were sleeping, many demons came to our tribe."

"Hmm?" Ruan Qiuqiu's heart, which had just settled slightly, leaped again. She quickly asked, "Which tribe are they from?"

"They're from the Sand Tribe. They seem to be looking for Brother Tian Xiu," Xiao Yu said.

"But…" Xiao Yu's face darkened.

Ruan Qiuqiu frowned. "What's wrong?"

"But those red eagles seem to have suffered heavy losses. I saw that many of them were injured," Xiao Yu sniffed. "They said they were looking for Brother Big Eagle, but it seemed more like they were seeking refuge…"

Hearing this, Ruan Qiuqiu's brief moment of relief vanished, replaced by renewed anxiety. These past two days have been so hectic, without a moment of peace.

Ruan Qiuqiu asked for more details. As she talked with Xiao Yu, they arrived near Grandpa Mo's cave.

From afar, Ruan Qiuqiu saw a large crowd of red eagles crammed at the cave entrance.

The large, flat area at the cave mouth was covered with wooden planks, animal hides, and other items. Many eagles, large and small, resembling Tian Xiu, were lying on the ground, disregarding their appearance.

Most of them carried animal hide bundles on their backs, some of which were torn, their contents scattered on the ground, but no eagle paid them any mind.

Besides this, what was even more distressing were the wounds on these eagles.

Some had broken wings, some had large gashes in their abdomens. Ruan Qiuqiu even saw a small eagle missing a leg, its tender beak chirping in pain, large tears rolling down its brown eyes.

ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ

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