Marrying the Soft-hearted Villain

Ruan Qiuqiu's palms were slick with sweat, her hand tightly gripped.

She turned her head slightly and, mere inches away, saw Yuan Jue's long, dark eyelashes, beaded with moisture.

His injuries seemed to have improved considerably. The black spots that had covered his face were gone, as were the demonic markings that had spread to his neck. Aside from a slightly ghastly scar on his forehead that hadn't yet healed, all the other wounds on Mr. Big Gray Wolf's handsome face had closed.

Through blurry vision, Ruan Qiuqiu saw his beautiful face, as exquisitely handsome as Mr. Little Gray Wolf, but with more defined features.

That little wolf had grown up.

Remembering Mr. Little Gray Wolf's half-severed tail in the memory world, Ruan Qiuqiu shifted slightly and reached out with her free hand, the one not held by Yuan Jue, cautiously exploring beneath the fur blanket.

Soon, she felt something fluffy and slightly swaying.

"It's still there…" Ruan Qiuqiu blinked, gently stroking Mr. Big Gray Wolf's large, fluffy tail.

She didn't know why, but even though she knew Yuan Jue probably couldn't hear her, she couldn't help but choke back a sob. "Silly wolf, never trade your tail for medicinal herbs again."

"If other demons bully you, fight back…" Ruan Qiuqiu bit her lip, feeling the warmth radiating from the wolf, a gentle heat spreading through her heart.

She touched his forehead. He no longer had a fever.

Ruan Qiuqiu checked Yuan Jue's condition again and found that his internal injuries had greatly improved. With his spiritual energy now connected to his demonic energy, the pain had lessened considerably. He wouldn't be coughing up blood and on the verge of death as he had been before.

Ruan Qiuqiu let out a long sigh of relief. Only after she removed her hand from his forehead did she belatedly realize—

Had she slept with Mr. Big Gray Wolf last night?

Originally, she had been pressed against the stone bed by the wolf, their foreheads touching. Logically, she and Mr. Big Gray Wolf should have been in separate blankets.

But now, her hand was tightly held by Yuan Jue, she was only inches away from him, and she could even feel his warm, moist breath close by.

They…they were clearly lying in the same blanket!

Realizing this, Ruan Qiuqiu's face flushed crimson. She wondered, a little guiltily—

Was it because she had hugged Mr. Little Gray Wolf in the memory world that her body had also, disobediently, snuggled into Mr. Big Gray Wolf's arms?

Ruan Qiuqiu quietly withdrew the hand that had been stroking the wolf's tail. She carefully leaned closer to his face and, imitating Mr. Little Gray Wolf, gently kissed his long eyelashes.

It was as if she was making amends to that adorable little wolf cub.

Ruan Qiuqiu's pale lips accidentally brushed against Mr. Big Gray Wolf's still slightly damp eyelids. Feeling even more embarrassed, she slowly and carefully extracted her hand from his, inching away, trying to get up.

—His demonic consciousness captured everything Qiuqiu did to him, and hearing her soft, heart-aching voice, the wolf, who had actually woken up long before his little wife, felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest from the little kiss she gave him. He felt himself burning up, his eyes uncharacteristically stinging a little.

He had woken up long before Ruan Qiuqiu and remembered everything from the dream perfectly.

He remembered how she had defended him, how she had unhesitatingly agreed to return to the cave with the penniless wolf cub; he remembered him calling her "wife" and her not refusing, how she taught him to speak, how she stroked the fur on his belly, and that gentle kiss just now.

He had done so many outrageous things, and she hadn't rejected him.

Did that mean that Qiuqiu actually liked him a little?

At this possibility, Mr. Big Gray Wolf felt a roaring in his ears, as if tiny fireworks were exploding.

Because of Qiuqiu's unexpected entry into his dream, he had passed the most difficult period. The demonic blood in his body was under control, his demon core had stopped collapsing, and his eyesight was even beginning to return.

However, without enough spirit stones, it would take time for his strength to recover fully, and his eyes couldn't yet tolerate bright light.

Although he had kept his tail in reality, he had lost his handsome appearance and his left leg. He was still incomplete.

A bittersweet ache filled Yuan Jue's chest as he slowly fluttered his long eyelashes.

In the memory world, Zhu Zhu's father, who had attacked the little wolf, had indeed also attacked him in those painful memories buried deep within his heart.

Those pig demons who had thrown stones at him had come up with a vicious plan.

They injured Zhu Zhu and told her father that he had done it.

Compared to a wolf cub who had nearly killed his daughter just for offering her some hot water on the roadside, rage overwhelmed any remaining kindness.

Yuan Jue gently clenched the large hand that had just held his little wife's, slowly pressing his lips together.

It didn't matter anymore. The broken bones had healed.

Even if he had been driven away and abandoned so many times, it didn't matter anymore.

He had retaliated after he grew up, and now, he had found his most precious treasure.

Experiencing the feeling of loss once in a dream was enough. He couldn't, wouldn't, let go again.

Dark emotions flickered through his mind. Mr. Big Gray Wolf, feeling a little smug, pursed his lips—

Last night, taking advantage of the lingering spiritual power from his recovery, he had returned to his former residence and crippled those white-eyed wolves who had bullied Qiuqiu.

He had concealed his identity well, using demonic energy, so those wolves didn't know it was him.

However, his savings had been emptied. Only two fourth-grade Sound Transmission Spirit Gathering Pearls remained in his hiding place.

His strength was currently below the fifth grade, and he didn't want to control Qiuqiu or force her to form a contract with him. These two pearls, which could transmit sound and had a slight restorative effect, would have to do for now.

However, both pearls contained a drop of his blood essence. Once Qiuqiu wore them, she would naturally be imbued with his scent.

All male demons who smelled it would keep their distance from her.

He truly was a ruthless wolf, using every trick in the book.

—Ruan Qiuqiu, unaware that the scheming wolf was already awake, sat up and carefully tucked the fur blanket around Yuan Jue.

She felt a slight weight around her neck and paused, reaching up to touch a small, round bead.

"?" Surprise flickered in her eyes. Ruan Qiuqiu tugged at the warm bead, realizing it was a red pearl strung on a red string, tied around her neck at some point. It felt warm to the touch.

Ruan Qiuqiu tried to take it off, but failed.

Only then did she notice that Mr. Big Gray Wolf also had an identical red bead around his neck.

Ruan Qiuqiu raised an eyebrow. She drew a sliver of spiritual energy from within and noticed that the firewood in the stone stove looked freshly replenished, but there was no other human or demonic presence in the cave.

The origin of the matching red beads seemed clear.

Moreover, Ruan Qiuqiu couldn't shake the feeling that the surrounding spiritual energy felt denser since she put on the bead, and the restlessness in her heart had subsided.

Touching the red pearl, Ruan Qiuqiu felt a sense of calm wash over her.

Tentatively, she channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into the red pearl. It immediately lit up, as did the one around Mr. Big Gray Wolf's neck.

"Ah!" Ruan Qiuqiu let out a small gasp. A moment later, the same sound, her own voice, echoed back from the cave.

Ruan Qiuqiu "…"

She looked at the red bead strung on a red cord around the wolf's throat, warmth filling her heart.

Was…was this a gift from Mr. Snail Gray Wolf?

But he hadn't given it to her before. Had he woken up earlier without her knowing?

The sadness Ruan Qiuqiu felt from parting with Mr. Little Gray Wolf seemed to lessen.

She noticed that Yuan Jue was no longer wearing the red robe she had made for him, but the wolf pelt that Mr. Little Gray Wolf usually wore.

Earlier, in her worry for him, she hadn't noticed that he smelled fragrant, as if he had already bathed.

Ruan Qiuqiu couldn't describe the feeling in her heart, only that her lips seemed to be curving upwards involuntarily.

She wanted to thank him, but felt too shy.

Currently completely oblivious to Mr. Big Gray Wolf's burgeoning mischievousness, Qiuqiu still viewed him through the lens of the pitiful Mr. Little Gray Wolf from the memory world.

Looking at the big wolf, who now clearly showed signs of darkening and going astray, she touched the rich, deliberately scent-saturated Spirit Gathering Pearl around her neck, her eyes curving, her cheeks flushed.

Ruan Qiuqiu dressed, carefully tiptoed out of the cave to test the range of the Spirit Gathering Pearl. Reaching the storage room, she used a sliver of spiritual power to transmit her voice through the pearl to the one around Yuan Jue's neck, blushing as she whispered her thanks, "Thank you, husband…"

"I really like this gift."

The wolf slightly opened his blurry eyes, now able to perceive faint light. The corners of his lips curled up in pleasure. He told himself he wasn't particularly happy, but his tail betrayed him, wagging happily behind him.

…

When Ruan Qiuqiu, having dealt with herself and the wolf, stepped out of the cave, she discovered that the heavy snow had stopped.

She had spent a considerable amount of time in Yuan Jue's memory world. It was now likely the afternoon of the second day.

Guessing that Granny Ruyi had probably visited once and, finding their situation somewhat unusual, had chosen not to wake them, Ruan Qiuqiu decided to visit Grandpa Mo's house.

Before leaving, she checked on Mr. Big Gray Wolf again.

He seemed to have fallen into another peculiar meditative state, not fully awake.

Ruan Qiuqiu realized that the spirit stones she had found within the fat pigeon were all used up. She decided that if there was enough time, she would try her luck at the cliff again.

She tugged on the wolf's big tail to encourage herself, then put on her gear and went out.

Light snow was still falling when she left the cave, but by the time she neared Grandpa Mo's house, a long-awaited sliver of sunlight appeared on the horizon.

It was the first time she had seen the sun in days.

The light wasn't strong, filtered through a thin layer of clouds, and even then, not much of it shone through. But Ruan Qiuqiu found it incredibly warm.

She quickened her pace, bathing herself in the sunlight.

It felt as if a glimmer of hope had finally appeared in her and Mr. Big Gray Wolf's gloomy lives.

Even if this hope seemed distant and fragile, even if Mr. Snail Gray Wolf hadn't fully recovered, and even if she was still weak and vulnerable to enemies, at the end of the eternal night, there were always stars shining with a warm light.

She would be fearless and forge ahead.

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