Marrying the Soft-hearted Villain

Thinking about the impending separation and danger, even the ever-optimistic Ruan Qiuqiu couldn't quite manage a smile.

Her eyes were a little red. She wanted to say something cheerful to lighten the mood, but her throat felt clogged with a thick fog, preventing her from speaking.

“Wife,” Yuan Jue softly called to her.

From his angle, he could see Ruan Qiuqiu's slender, white neck and her eyelashes, dotted with glistening tears.

Ruan Qiuqiu subconsciously looked up, meeting his gaze. A muffled "Hmm?" was all she could manage.

Such a reaction from his little wife was rare. Yuan Jue's heart warmed slightly. After a moment of thought, a pair of silvery-gray, pointed ears twitched into view. "Want to touch?"

He knew Ruan Qiuqiu loved his tactile ears, but because wolf ears were incredibly sensitive, Mr. Big Bad Wolf rarely revealed them, except when scheming for a kiss from his wife.

Ruan Qiuqiu knew instantly that he was trying to coax her.

Every time she was unhappy, or whenever this wolf wanted something, he would proactively offer his wolf ears for her to pet.

But this time, Ruan Qiuqiu didn't really want to touch them.

She bit her lip, and her vision blurred again.

"…" Yuan Jue watched the tears welling in her eyes. He hadn't expected that even his fluffy ears wouldn't cheer up his little wife this time. A hint of helplessness crept into his dark eyes.

He simply pulled her into his arms, his voice low and husky against her ear, "Wolf will return soon."

Although Ruan Qiuqiu understood that Grandpa Panda had also been inside the forbidden zone's barrier before and hadn't encountered any significant danger, she still couldn't help but worry about the future.

Ruan Qiuqiu hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Will the communication pearl work inside the barrier?"

Yuan Jue shook his head, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his handsome face. The communication pearl he had acquired was only third-tier, effective only within fourth-tier barriers at most. The forbidden zone's barrier was much higher, rendering the pearl useless.

Hearing this, Ruan Qiuqiu sighed softly. After a moment of silence, she whispered, "…Let's form a bond."

Her voice was soft but clear, like an unstoppable firework, exploding beside Yuan Jue's ear.

He could hardly believe his own supernaturally sharp hearing. His muscles tensed instantly, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

The thing he had longed for countless times, the thing he hadn't dared to voice, was now proposed by his beloved little wife.

His heart pounded rapidly. Mr. Big Bad Wolf felt as if all other sounds had vanished.

In his entire world, there was only Ruan Qiuqiu.

Feeling his body stiffen, Ruan Qiuqiu struggled out of his embrace and turned to face Yuan Jue.

Her voice trembled slightly, laced with nervousness and apprehension. She didn't even dare to look at Mr. Big Bad Wolf's expression. "Husband… are you unwilling?"

Yuan Jue pressed his lips together, his expression serious. However, his wolf ears betrayed his true feelings, twitching wildly, even the fine hairs on them vibrating.

His Adam's apple bobbed. Yuan Jue's eyes darkened, and he slowly clenched his jaw.

Silence descended upon the cave, and Ruan Qiuqiu's heart sank little by little.

Her eyes and cheeks burned, and she felt incredibly wronged. Tears, humiliatingly, streamed down her face.

Seeing her tears, Mr. Big Bad Wolf panicked. He carefully cupped Ruan Qiuqiu's face in his large hands, his rough fingertips gently wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes. "…Wife."

Ruan Qiuqiu reluctantly looked up at him and saw Mr. Big Bad Wolf's eyes shining brightly as he looked at her. His voice was shy and disbelieving. "Are you really… willing to form a bond with wolf?"

Hearing his words, a surge of inexplicable anger welled up in Ruan Qiuqiu's heart. At a time like this, why did this wolf still think she was unwilling?

Ruan Qiuqiu tugged at Yuan Jue's sleeve and kissed him on the lips.

But the wolf seemed to have become foolish, just sitting there, letting her kiss him. His eyes shone with tiny stars, his handsome face flushed red, gazing at her intently, as if still waiting for her answer.

Seeing him like this, Ruan Qiuqiu was exasperated. She nipped his wolfish lips in frustration, then nodded helplessly, blushing slightly. "…Mm."

"Wife…" Receiving the long-awaited affirmation, Yuan Jue's voice choked with emotion. Forgetting his shyness about Ruan Qiuqiu's soft body, which evoked certain special feelings in him, he hugged her tightly, as if wanting to meld her into his very being.

Ruan Qiuqiu could barely breathe from his embrace. She patted his back in protest, and the wolf finally released her.

Before Ruan Qiuqiu could recover, Yuan Jue kissed her again, stealing her breath away.

One kiss wasn't enough. He kissed her several times until Ruan Qiuqiu could only lean against him, flushed and breathless. Mr. Big Bad Wolf, his eyes tinged with a seductive red, finally let her go.

His lips were red and glistening, his ears lay comfortably against his head, and his eyelashes trembled.

However, Yuan Jue still didn't form the bond with Ruan Qiuqiu right then.

He bent down slightly, his lips close to hers, and said with great difficulty, "Wife, forming a bond with wolf… takes at least two days and two nights…"

Ruan Qiuqiu "…??"

Why would it take so long? Based on her understanding, Grandma Ruyi and Grandpa Mo had completed their vows in an hour at most. Why would theirs take so long?

Naturally, Ruan Qiuqiu voiced her curiosity.

Yuan Jue thought for a few seconds, then carefully explained what he knew about bonding. "It seems that before the wolf tribe forms a bond, they must first…"

He was very embarrassed, but after a pause, he continued, "They must first do some very intimate things."

"Afterward, there will be a knot…"

Ruan Qiuqiu "……………… Wait."

Her cheeks and ears flushed crimson. She could hardly believe that the usually pure Mr. Big Bad Wolf would utter such suggestive words. Carefully and incredulously, she asked, "…A knot?"

Was it the kind of knot she was thinking of, the kind described in books, the kind that couldn't be separated?

Yuan Jue wasn't entirely sure about this either. In the eyes of other demons, he was still an adolescent wolf cub, only vaguely aware of these procedures.

Seeing the wolf just blush and remain silent, his narrow eyes filled with curiosity and innocence, Ruan Qiuqiu felt both shy and moved.

If the necessary step before bonding was what she was thinking, then one hour for humans was indeed normal.

But what this wolf was saying, at least two days, was he joking…?

Thinking of the potentially life-threatening thing she had accidentally glimpsed before, and then thinking of the long duration before the bonding, Ruan Qiuqiu suddenly wasn't so keen on forming the bond anymore.

She patted her flushed cheeks and scrambled off Yuan Jue's lap, feigning regret. "Then… then we'll just have to…"

"Form the bond later."

Yuan Jue "…"

For some reason, he detected a hint of relief in his little wife's tone.

"…I'll help Husband pack some luggage first," Ruan Qiuqiu said, changing the subject, noticing Yuan Jue's disappointed expression.

Yuan Jue quickly recovered from his inexplicable dejection and resumed his aloof expression, nodding reservedly.

Ruan Qiuqiu found it a little amusing. Because of this little episode, the shadow of worry in her heart about the future had lessened considerably. She took out her backpack and packed the things Yuan Jue might need in the next few days.

Because the tribe was currently very short of medicinal herbs, and ordinary herbs wouldn't be of much help to Yuan Jue's wounds, Ruan Qiuqiu didn't pack many common herbs for him, only a few high-quality blood clotting herbs and small ginsengs.

She substituted the rest with healing water droplets.

She packed a change of clothes, various flavored jerky, and other food items.

As a precaution, Ruan Qiuqiu also tucked in a small jar of salt.

Besides these, there were many other things.

While she was busy packing her own luggage, Yuan Jue, with a slight curve to his lips, used his demonic power to prepare a small backpack of items for his little wife.

When Ruan Qiuqiu came out with her backpack, the one she intended to carry was already stuffed full by the wolf.

She noticed that the small backpack was one she had just made from leftover Green Moon cotton two days prior and had never used. A sweetness she couldn't quite articulate filled her heart.

With about half an hour left before departure, there was no rush. Ruan Qiuqiu and Yuan Jue sat together on the edge of the bed, cultivating.

Spiritual and demonic power intertwined, and the spiritual energy in the air rapidly flowed towards the human and wolf.

In less than half an hour, Ruan Qiuqiu felt the spiritual power within her become much more condensed.

As departure neared, the human and wolf couldn't resist exchanging several quick kisses before leaving the cave with their respective luggage.

"By the time I return, you should be back," Ruan Qiuqiu said, unable to stop chatting with Mr. Big Bad Wolf as they walked down the mountain. "And Grandma Ruyi and the others, if Wolf comes out early, remember to visit them often…"

"Okay," Yuan Jue agreed to everything.

The path was actually very short, usually taking them only a few minutes, but today they deliberately stretched it out to a quarter of an hour.

It wasn't until they saw the giant eagle standing at the foot of the mountain, pulling the willow cart, with Xiong Duoduo and other demons beside him, that Ruan Qiuqiu truly realized they were about to part.

Ruan Qiuqiu couldn't help but turn and hug her wolf.

Only at this moment did she realize how much she loved him.

She loved him so much that even a brief separation filled her with sadness and dejection.

"Alright, they must be waiting," Ruan Qiuqiu said, rising on tiptoe to kiss Yuan Jue's lips. Then, she resolutely turned away, forcing herself not to look back.

She waved her arm behind her, trying to appear nonchalant, and stepped into the snow ahead, leaving a shallow footprint.

Yuan Jue simply stood there, silently watching her gradually walk away. His fingertips twitched, and two pale butterfly wings circled Ruan Qiuqiu, as if ensuring that his beloved little wife wouldn't accidentally fall on this short path she had to walk alone.

Ruan Qiuqiu tried hard not to look back. She walked all the way to Tian Ye's side before finally giving in to the urge and glancing back towards Yuan Jue.

The wolf was still standing there, his crimson robe particularly vibrant and eye-catching.

Her eyesight had improved considerably. Even from this distance, she could still see his beautiful eyes.

The cold wind ruffled his long hair, making him appear pale and almost translucent.

The unease in her heart amplified once more. Ruan Qiuqiu clenched her wrists, her legs unable to move forward.

"Ah, what's this? Butterfly wings?" Tian Ye asked, noticing the pale white wings resting on Ruan Qiuqiu's shoulders, sounding surprised.

Ruan Qiuqiu turned her head and saw the pale wings, belonging to Mr. Big Bad Wolf, on her shoulders. Her heart stirred.

She reached out to touch them, and the wings, formed entirely from demonic energy or something else, settled on her fingertips.

Ruan Qiuqiu smiled, wanting to say something to Yuan Jue.

But when she looked up again at the spot where Mr. Big Bad Wolf had been standing, he was gone.

Ruan Qiuqiu froze, pressing her lips together. She stared at the two butterfly wings resting on her finger for several seconds before shaking her head at Tian Ye, who was looking at her with concern. She gave a weak smile. "I'm fine, let's go."

Tian Ye hesitated, wanting to say something, but seeing Ruan Qiuqiu's red-rimmed eyes, she took another long look at the spot where Yuan Jue had been and ultimately remained silent.

In fact, she could sense with her demonic awareness that Ruan Qiuqiu's husband hadn't left at all, but he had concealed himself, probably wanting her to leave first.

Tian Ye placed two small stools on the willow cart and sat down with Ruan Qiuqiu.

Besides the willow cart, Yuan Jue had also made a wooden cart two days ago. It was now piled high with goods that the Winter Bear Tribe had diligently prepared to trade at the Demon Market.

Xiong Yuan pulled the other cart, with Xiong Duoduo sitting on top, conserving her energy to replace the two of them later.

Ordinarily, with Tian Xiu and Xiong Duoduo injured, they wouldn't be assigned to the Demon Market.

But the Winter Bear Tribe was short on demons, and the remaining ones lacked sufficient combat strength, so they had to brace themselves and go.

"…Coo~ (Let's go.)," Tian Xiu called, flapping his wings and pushing off with his claws, pulling Tian Ye and Ruan Qiuqiu forward.

"Roar~" Xiong Yuan, transformed into a brown bear, also roared softly, pulling the wooden cart behind them.

It wasn't until Ruan Qiuqiu and the others rounded a bend, making it impossible to see him anymore, that Mr. Big Bad Wolf slowly reappeared.

There were glistening water droplets clinging to his eyelashes, as if snowflakes had melted on his long lashes.

His hand instinctively went to the communication pearl hanging around his neck. Yuan Jue hesitated, but ultimately didn't transmit a message to Ruan Qiuqiu. Instead, he held it to his lips and kissed it tenderly.

…

The journey from the Winter Bear Tribe to the Demon Market's gathering place took about half a day. By the time they arrived, it would likely be almost dark.

Fortunately, the Demon Market would be open for five days and wouldn't close at night.

Until they left the Winter Bear Tribe's territory, Ruan Qiuqiu kept her gaze fixed on the two pale white butterfly wings on her palm.

They hadn't disappeared. Instead, half an hour after they left the Winter Bear Tribe, they merged into the two sharp, blood-red wolf ears on her wrist, as if formed from congealed blood.

Ruan Qiuqiu's expression was one of surprise. Looking at the marks of the butterfly wings that had appeared on her wrist, many questions arose in her mind.

She couldn't help but hold the communication pearl around her neck. After a moment of hesitation, she infused a little spiritual power into it, attempting to connect with Mr. Big Bad Wolf.

Actually, Ruan Qiuqiu knew that after so long, he had most likely entered the forbidden zone behind the mountain, but she couldn't resist trying to contact him.

This time, there was no response from the pearl. Clearly, the transmission had failed.

Ruan Qiuqiu wasn't surprised. She simply released her grip with a sigh of disappointment and hugged the backpack Yuan Jue had prepared for her tightly.

The sky was gloomy, and light snow continued to fall.

Looking at the falling snowflakes, Ruan Qiuqiu imagined countless fine hairs falling from Mr. Big Bad Wolf's ears.

She slightly regretted not having the wolf transform into his demon form in front of her so she could pluck some of his fur to keep…

Realizing what she was thinking, Ruan Qiuqiu blushed, then sighed again.

She felt she couldn't stay idle, or else she wouldn't be able to stop thinking about Yuan Jue. She opened the backpack, wanting to see what Mr. Big Bad Wolf had prepared for her.

The first thing she saw was a plain-colored dress she had just made for herself two days ago. Ruan Qiuqiu's eyes softened. Rummaging further, she found her freshly washed and dried undergarment.

Ruan Qiuqiu "…………"

When did this wolf take this?

Ruan Qiuqiu's face flushed even deeper. She continued to look through the backpack, finding food, medicinal herbs, and two small, third-tier spirit stones. These were the ones Tian Ye had given to Mr. Big Bad Wolf yesterday when Ruan Qiuqiu's mental state was poor, instructing him to give them to her to replenish her spiritual power when the time was right.

Looking at the two spirit stones, Ruan Qiuqiu couldn't help but frown.

She didn't actually need these spirit stones. On the contrary, Mr. Big Bad Wolf, who was going out, needed them more.

But she had been so preoccupied with secretly slipping spirit stones to Mr. Big Bad Wolf that she hadn't noticed his little actions.

Fortunately, she had left him even more spirit stones.

At the very bottom of the backpack, Ruan Qiuqiu also found two Leaf Spirit Flowers and a Redwood token. Besides these, there was enough food to last her five days.

Considering they had already brought enough food for the trip, logically, she didn't need to bring any more. She couldn't possibly finish all the food Mr. Big Bad Wolf had packed.

Even so, Ruan Qiuqiu still felt a warmth spread through her heart.

She took out a piece of pork jerky and shared it with Tian Ye and the others during a break.

The evening weather worsened. The wind picked up, dark clouds filled the sky, and lightning flickered ominously. It looked like heavy rain was imminent.

Finally, before the dreaded rain began to fall, they arrived at the Demon Market's gathering place.

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