Chapter 105: The Demon King Wakes
The Demon King’s face was dark.
He had seen that man—who looked exactly like him—marry the little angel. The two of them stood hand in hand beneath an arch of roses, exchanging wedding vows.
Then they embraced and kissed.
The little angel had even worn the exact same expression beneath that man as he had last night…
The little angel’s words echoed through his mind—
“I’ve been feeling unreal a lot lately.”
“Do you think it’s possible that we’re actually inside a dream, and waking up is the real world?”
“In the real world, we’re in love too.”
Gu Qinian: “…”
Crack—
A sharp sound snapped the Demon King back to himself.
He lowered his head.
The crystal ball had already been crushed in his hand. As he opened his palm, countless bloodstained shards fell to the ground…
—
Gu Tang circled high over the demon realm before finally returning to the bedchamber.
He had to admit, having a pair of wings that could spread and fold at will was pretty amazing.
Flying felt wonderful!
It also helped him understand the demon realm better.
Ever since the demon realm conquered Angel City, all angels had fallen here. Although some of them still felt unwilling deep down, most angels had gradually grown used to life in the demon realm.
They built homes where they liked, bargained in demon markets, and some angels even secretly tried dating demons…
Overall, everything looked peaceful.
There was absolutely no need for him, the former city lord, to worry.
That was all thanks to Young Master Gu building the demon realm well enough.
Only because resources were plentiful and the place was tolerant could different races thrive so freely in this land.
Just like humans sweat after exercise, angels also got tired after flying too long.
His body was faintly damp, leaving behind a sticky, moist feeling.
The moment he got back to the bedchamber, Gu Tang went straight into the bath and soaked in a scented bath.
Even in this little world formed from a fragment of desire, many of Young Master Gu’s subconscious habits were exactly the same as they were at home.
For example, Young Master Gu himself did not like baths and usually only showered, yet he still prepared all kinds of bath fragrances for him, determined to soak him until he was soft and sweet-smelling all over.
And here, the Demon King was exactly the same.
He had the High Priest make all sorts of fragrances and send them over for him to choose from.
In a good mood, Gu Tang deliberately picked the scent Young Master Gu liked best.
Without meaning to, his mind filled with images of the other man sniffing all over him, then kissing his way down him inch by inch before doing all sorts of things…
Gu Tang’s face turned bright red, and he slowly submerged himself in the water, blowing bubbles under the surface.
After his bath, he put on the Demon King’s black silk robe.
It was not that he had no clothes of his own.
It was simply that Young Master Gu had one habit he had never admitted out loud—he really liked seeing Gu Tang wear his clothes.
Gu Tang had only discovered that after marriage.
Whenever he wore Young Master Gu’s clothes—especially light things like sleepwear, shirts, or T-shirts—the other man would get visibly more excited. He only wanted to give the hardworking Demon King a tiny little reward.
Gu Tang comforted himself with that thought, then stepped out of the bath barefoot in the loose robe.
He seemed to have forgotten to light the lamps before bathing.
The chamber was dim now.
He could vaguely make out a figure standing beside the bed.
Even if the other said nothing, he could still recognize that tall frame and the two horns growing freely from the top of his head.
“Nian Nian?”
Gu Tang called out, “You’re back.”
The shadow stood there motionless and silent.
Gu Tang felt something was off and turned to light the lamp.
When the firelight illuminated the room and he finally saw the man clearly, he could not help crying out in shock.
The Demon King’s eyes were unfocused, his face deathly pale. Even his originally red lips had lost all color. He stood there without moving.
His right hand hung at his side, covered in blood.
The blood dripping from his fingertips had already gathered into a small pool on the carpet.
No one knew how long the injured man had been standing there stupidly like that.
“What happened?!”
Gu Tang asked anxiously as he hurried to fetch the medicine chest.
With his many years spent in hospitals, bandaging wounds was nothing difficult for him.
He quickly found styptic medicine and gauze, then came back to treat the man’s hand.
It was very strange.
Although the cuts across Young Master Gu’s palm were numerous, they were not deep. Logically, the bleeding should have stopped soon.
But no matter what Gu Tang did, fresh blood kept welling out.
“This won’t work!”
Gu Tang stood up. “I’ll have the aide call a doctor.”
The Demon King lowered his eyes and said nothing, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
A little later, Deputy Jiang arrived with the High Priest.
Gu Tang frowned. “Where’s the doctor?”
“A doctor wouldn’t be able to help. Demons heal extremely quickly. Ordinary weapons can hardly injure His Majesty at all. If it won’t stop bleeding, there must be a special reason. It’s better to let the High Priest take a look.”
Jiang Yiwen explained respectfully.
The High Priest also gave him a slight bow. “Please don’t worry, City Lord. Leave it to me.”
The High Priest, who was always dressed neatly in black, looked rather disheveled now, as if he had just been dragged out of bed. As he bowed, his loose collar slipped down, faintly revealing a small patch of red marks on his neck.
Gu Tang: “…”
The little system had really made progress!
It looked like the system and that obsessive senior of his were getting along quite well. There was no need for him to worry needlessly.
“My apologies. I came out too hastily and appeared before Your Majesty and the City Lord in an improper state.”
The High Priest adjusted his clothes and spoke faintly.
“It’s fine.” Gu Tang waved a hand. “Please hurry and check Nian Nian’s wound!”
He had been too anxious and blurted out the nickname he was most used to.
Jiang Yiwen sucked in a sharp breath.
Did he hear that right?!
Was that how the city lord normally addressed His Majesty?
And not even by full name, but with a doubled pet name.
That was way too clingy!!!
The High Priest, however, showed no real reaction. He merely added another note to his mental observations—
Calling someone you love by a nickname makes the relationship more intimate and gives it a special uniqueness.
He could try that too later.
“A demon’s regenerative ability is very strong. If something could injure His Majesty and keep him from clotting, there is only one possibility—a holy relic of the angel race.”
After examining the Demon King’s wound, the High Priest reached his conclusion.
He had already guessed how the male lead had gotten hurt, but still chose to pretend otherwise and asked, “Could it be that Your Majesty was attacked by the angel race?”
How could that be?
Leaving aside the fact that the angels were living quite well in the demon realm, even those few stubborn old elders would never dare ambush the Demon King, much less have the ability to injure him this badly.
Gu Tang turned to Young Master Gu. “What exactly happened?”
After a moment of silence, the Demon King finally spoke. “It’s nothing. I accidentally shattered a crystal ball.”
“That crystal ball probably belonged to the angel race.”
He lifted his eyes to meet the young man’s. “Will you blame me?”
“Of course not!”
Gu Tang immediately hugged the demon’s head and rubbed his soft black hair and those two horns. “How could one little crystal ball be more important than you?”
“Nothing is more important than Nian Nian.”
Ordinarily, such an open confession from the young man would have sent the Demon King into wild delight.
But now Gu Qinian only said lightly, “Is that so…”
Gu Tang assumed he was weak from blood loss and did not have the energy to talk, so he held him while the High Priest treated the wound and kept soothing him. “It doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t hurt…”
Gu Qinian did not think his hand hurt.
It was his heart that hurt.
His beloved little angel had actually married another man somewhere else!
And he himself had not even gotten the chance to propose yet.
Just thinking about it made his chest ache with jealousy.
“I’ve used the blood clan’s secret arts to stop His Majesty’s bleeding.”
After treating the Demon King’s injury, the High Priest warned, “But His Majesty has lost too much blood and is physically weak. He must rest properly and absolutely cannot be injured again by an angelic holy relic.”
Gu Tang nodded seriously. “Understood.”
From now on, if anyone dared bring one of their clan’s holy relics out, he would throw both them and the relic away together.
No one was allowed to hurt Nian Nian in front of him!
After the High Priest and the deputy left,
Gu Tang heard the Demon King call him from behind.
“Come here—”
The voice was still deep, but it was definitely weaker now.
Gu Tang hurried over worriedly, but before he could say anything, the hem of his robe was lifted.
The demon’s uninjured hand slipped inside.
Gu Tang’s body trembled, and through the robe he tried to push the hand away. “Not today…”
“Why not?”
The Demon King savored the soft, silky feel of the skin beneath his palm. “You were already prepared. You’re not even wearing pants.”
Gu Tang’s face instantly turned red. “What are you talking about?!”
He really had meant to give the Demon King a little reward.
But this clearly was not the right time. Gu Tang tried to go add more clothes, but the man grabbed him and refused to let him go.
The Demon King narrowed his long eyes, scarlet light flickering in the center of his black pupils. “For a demon, desire is the best nourishment.”
“But the High Priest said you need proper rest. You shouldn’t overexert yourself…”
The moment the last words came out, they suddenly sounded a little suggestive.
Embarrassed, Gu Tang’s voice grew quieter and quieter.
Demon Nian Nian did not speak. He only watched him with burning eyes.
Even though the other had not actually done anything yet, Gu Tang already felt as though his only garment had been stripped right off him.
“I’m hungry. I need to feed.”
Gu Qinian raised his injured right hand and gave it a slight shake. “Can you feed me?”
If it were ordinary food, Gu Tang would have done it without hesitation.
But what the demon wanted was…
“W-well… maybe I’ll do it myself. You don’t move.”
After hesitating for a long time, Gu Tang finally made up his mind.
No matter what it was Young Master Gu wanted, he was going to make sure he was satisfied while injured.
After all, they were husbands.
Hearing that, Gu Qinian withdrew his hand and watched his beloved with visible interest.
He watched as the little angel climbed shakily onto his lap.
“Do you love me?”
The Demon King suddenly asked.
The embarrassing position had already turned Gu Tang’s face bright red. He could only nod obediently and give a soft little “Mm.”
He had asked this so many times already…
Yet Young Master Gu still never got tired of it.
After getting the answer he wanted, Gu Qinian asked again, “Do you only love me?”
“…Who else would I love?”
Gu Tang was not very familiar with taking the initiative in this kind of thing.
Both his calves were trembling, and even his voice had shifted slightly.
Gu Qinian lifted the little angel’s chin, forcing him to look at him. “Did you say the same thing when you were with him?”
Gu Tang froze, confused. “Who?”
“The crystal ball can show the past and the future,” Gu Qinian said sourly.
Thinking over what had happened before and after demonic Young Master Gu was injured, Gu Tang suddenly understood. His eyes widened in disbelief. “Y-you know everything?”
Gu Qinian kept his face tense, practically carving the words I’m jealous and unhappy into it.
Gu Tang grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “Then why haven’t you woken up yet?!”
This was different from the earlier plot fragments.
The Young Master Gu inside this fragment already knew everything.
If that was the case, then he should have woken up and gone back to the real world with him!
Why was he still here???
“Why would I hand you over to him?”
The Demon King smiled like a true demon. “You’re mine.”
Gu Tang was utterly speechless. “You’re the same person!”
“So what’s the problem?”
A cold gleam flashed across the Demon King’s horns. “As long as he stops existing, wouldn’t that solve everything?”
Gu Tang: “!!!”
“What are you trying to do?!”
The Demon King narrowed his eyes wickedly, lips curling. “Kill him. Replace him. Then you’ll be mine forever.”
“No!”
Gu Tang shook his head desperately. “If you do that, you’ll disappear too! This whole world will collapse with you!”
Actually, he had no idea what would really happen to the original world if demon Nian Nian tried something like that. He was only saying it to frighten him.
Unfortunately, the Demon King did not care in the slightest. “So what? I’m the dominant one right now.”
Gu Tang could not reason with him at all, so he simply seized the man by the collar and dragged him closer. “Do you want to kill me too?”
The smug look on the Demon King’s face faltered.
“I’m in this world too. If you destroy yourself and destroy this world, then you’re killing me along with it!”
Gu Tang stared at him with reddened eyes. “Gu Qinian, is that what you want?”
“I…”
The Demon King fell into visible conflict and hesitation.
“Cowardly Nian Nian.”
Gu Tang shoved him onto the bed. “Shut up. I’m the one in charge now.”
A little angel taking the initiative on top was something that had never happened in any world before.
The Demon King was so delighted he could practically bubble over, yet he still managed to ask hoarsely, “…Do you call him that too?”
“Yes!”
Gu Tang deliberately wanted to provoke him. He bent down and kissed the man’s lips hard. “And I kiss you like this too.”
The Demon King shuddered in pleasure and wrapped an arm around the little angel’s waist. “Liar. You’re much gentler with him. You never kissed him this hard.”
“So you do remember.”
“And you still say you’re not him?!”
Gu Tang slapped his hand away—carefully avoiding the injured one, of course—but kept his tone fierce. “Don’t touch me. Today you don’t get to decide.”
A faint blush slowly spread across the Demon King’s pale face, and he stubbornly turned his head away.
Gu Tang turned it back and kissed him again.
Very soon, the Demon King was completely lost in the little angel’s sweet, soft kisses and unable to pull himself free…
—
Gu Tang had never expected taking the initiative to be this exhausting.
Young Master Gu was somehow even more energetic than usual, with shockingly stronger stamina and endurance.
After it was over, he was so tired he fell asleep immediately, with no strength left even to clean himself up.
When he woke again, to his surprise, he did not feel sticky at all. He felt fresh and even smelled nice.
He had no idea how Young Master Gu, with an injured right hand, had managed to clean him so thoroughly…
Gu Tang scratched his head and sat up in bed.
There was no one beside him.
The bed had already gone cold.
Young Master Gu had probably left very early to deal with his Demon King work.
“Even in a fragment world he still has to give himself work…”
Gu Tang muttered irritably. “Nian Nian is such a workaholic!”
Aside from him, the only thing in that head was work.
There was nothing else.
Worried about the hand injury, he put on something simple and went out to look for him.
The moment he opened the door, Gu Tang was startled.
Outside the bedchamber stood two orderly rows of servants, each holding an outfit.
Jiang Yiyi stepped forward and bowed respectfully. “Greetings, City Lord. I am the minister of the textile department. You surely know my brother very well—he is the deputy by His Majesty’s side.”
“Ah, I know. Hello.” Gu Tang waved in a friendly way.
His childhood friend in this small world did not know him, yet was earnestly introducing herself.
Seeing such a polite Yiyi felt oddly strange…
“By His Majesty’s order, I have designed one hundred new outfits for you. Please choose whichever one you like.”
The moment Jiang Yiyi finished speaking, Gu Tang’s eyes widened. “One hundred?!”
No wonder so many people were standing outside.
Even with each person holding two outfits, that still took a full fifty servants.
Why couldn’t they just bring them over on a rolling rack?!
“Which one would you like?” Jiang Yiyi asked eagerly.
“It’s hard to choose…”
Gu Tang answered honestly. “Every single design is distinctive.”
Receiving praise from the City Lord of Angel City, Jiang Yiyi bloomed with happiness and eagerly recommended one. “Would you like to try this one? It’s one of my proudest designs—Angel’s Wings! It suits you perfectly!”
Looking at the outfit, Gu Tang felt it was strangely familiar.
It looked very much like what he had worn on the day he proposed to Young Master Gu.
The back also had a hollow lace design.
It seemed that in Young Master Gu’s subconscious, the memory of that day was deeply engraved…
“I’ll take this one.”
Gu Tang’s face turned red as he awkwardly added, “It’ll make it easier to spread my wings.”
Jiang Yiyi gave him a look that clearly said, I understand everything. “Don’t worry and just wear it. If His Majesty likes it and tears it apart, that’s fine too.”
Gu Tang: “…”
Well, that confirmed it. Young Master Gu really had remembered that outfit very clearly.
He even remembered the part about not tearing it…
After changing clothes, Gu Tang had originally planned to go to the Demon King’s office, but Jiang Yiyi instead led him to the entrance of a grand hall.
Then she shoved a bouquet into his hands.
Gu Tang stood there blankly, hugging the flowers. “What is this for?”
The moment he spoke, the doors of the hall were pushed open—
The hall interior was decorated with countless flowers, luxurious and dreamlike.
From far away, he could already see the handsome man standing on the raised platform.
The man was also dressed in an elegant formal suit, and the instant he saw Gu Tang, he smiled.
“His Majesty invites you to the largest ball in the history of the demon realm!”
Jiang Yiyi announced cheerfully.
Gu Tang did not believe it for a second. “This doesn’t look like an ordinary ball at all, does it?”
Jiang Yiyi covered her mouth. “Oh dear, I nearly forgot to mention it—the theme of the ball is The Wedding of Demon and Angel!”
Gu Tang looked at the man who had been standing in the light the whole time.
He felt a little helpless.
Young Master Gu truly was… determined to compete with himself in everything.
But what could he do?
He could not even bear making the man wait too long.
Gu Tang took a deep breath and walked toward him. The surrounding voices of the guests grew quieter and quieter, until the entire grand hall was so silent that only his footsteps could be heard.
With every step he took, the corners of the Demon King’s mouth lifted a little more.
When Gu Tang finally reached him, the Demon King bent one long leg and knelt before him, lifting up a ring set with the most precious gemstone in the demon realm.
“Gu Tang, will you marry me?”
The Demon King asked solemnly.
He really had not expected to get married all over again…
Gu Tang pouted. “What exactly are you doing?”
He had clearly regained his memories, and yet he was still pulling all this nonsense.
The Demon King did not explain. He only changed his wording. “Or I can marry you instead.”
Gu Tang: “…”
“Get up first.”
The Demon King frowned. “You were willing to marry him, but not willing to marry me?”
Gu Tang laughed helplessly. “I already told you, you’re the same person!”
“…”
The Demon King pressed his lips together stubbornly and stayed kneeling in silence.
Just then, loud commotion came from outside the hall.
Deputy Jiang rushed in with a report. “Your Majesty! The skeleton army has suddenly attacked!”
After staying in this small world for so long, Gu Tang already understood a fair amount about the power structure here.
The demon realm had remained stable entirely because the mighty Demon King held it in place.
Now that the Demon King had been injured the night before, the skeleton army surrounding the demon realm had finally become restless. Their fighting strength was not high, but their numbers were vast, and as an undead race they were troublesome. They had often harassed civilians at the border, and now they had grown bold enough to try to attack the royal city itself.
Only the Demon King’s flames could burn them completely to ash.
The high-ranking demons all pleaded together, “We beg Your Majesty to go to war!”
“No!”
Gu Tang pulled the still half-kneeling man to his feet. “His Majesty’s body hasn’t fully recovered yet!”
Actually, after drawing in desire all through the night, Young Master Gu’s hand wound had mostly healed. But Gu Tang was fiercely protective and felt that his Demon King absolutely was not yet in proper condition to go into battle.
Gu Qinian, however, had other thoughts.
If the skeleton army attacked, the first ones they would kill would definitely be angel civilians.
At that point, the little angel would cry very hard…
“I can go.”
The Demon King pressed down on the little angel’s hand and said in a low voice, “It’s only a pile of bones. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Gu Tang looked at him with wide, worried eyes.
He knew in his heart that he should not stop him.
Biting his lip, he took the ring from the man’s hand and slipped it onto his own finger.
Gu Qinian stared at the little angel in disbelief. “You agreed?”
“Yes, I agreed. We’ll make up the wedding night after you return.”
Gu Tang stood on tiptoe and kissed the man’s slightly dry lips. “Come back to me whole and unhurt. Not even one hair missing!”
“Understood.”
The Demon King bent down and pulled the little angel into his arms.
After leaving him one deep kiss, he turned and set off for the battlefield.
—
The battle at the front was urgent and dragged on for over half a month.
From time to time, Gu Tang received letters the Demon King sent back home.
He carefully kept every one of them. Their rarity was on the same level as Young Master Gu voluntarily texting first.
One day, a strange angel delivered a letter to Gu Tang.
Gu Tang took one look and silently tossed it aside.
—The handwriting on it was not Young Master Gu’s at all.
Although it was similar enough that another person might not notice, Gu Tang had watched Young Master Gu do homework since childhood. There was no way he would fail to recognize his handwriting.
The strange angel had no idea he had already exposed himself and said, “His Majesty has something he couldn’t write in the letter, so he asked me to relay it in person. City Lord, please come with me.”
Gu Tang remained seated without moving. “Say whatever it is right here.”
“It would be better to speak private words somewhere else…”
The angel seemed nervous, and his voice dropped.
Gu Tang let out a cold laugh. “My husband would never ask someone else to pass his words on, much less private ones. What exactly are you after?”
The moment he finished speaking, several angel elders leaped out from the nearby bushes.
Gu Tang was surrounded.
He raised a brow and swept his gaze across them. “What is this? Soft methods failed, so now you’re trying force?”
“City Lord, you should come with us!”
The leading elder stepped forward and said earnestly, “Leave the Demon King while he’s away. The angel race must rise again. Surely the city lord can’t keep being a demon’s kept man forever!”
Gu Tang remained expressionless. “And if I refuse?”
“Then don’t blame us!”
A ruthless light flashed in the elder’s eyes. “We’ll have no choice but to find a new city lord.”
Gu Tang smiled. “A city lord of the angel race is never chosen. One only appears when the previous one dies.”
Shhk—
The moment he finished speaking, every angel present drew a blade and pointed it at him in unison.
The strange angel beside him pulled out a dagger and, without wasting another word, stabbed straight for his throat.
In that split second,
Gu Tang suddenly saw only a blur.
A black shadow fell from the sky and landed in front of him.
Huge bat wings spread wide, their bone-tipped edges forming the strongest possible shield around him.
“Nian Nian!”
Gu Tang cried out in delight.
Young Master Gu had returned, which meant the skeleton army had been fully wiped out.
But at the same time, he was also worried.
He was afraid Young Master Gu’s injuries had not fully healed.
Fortunately, the Demon King dealt with the angelic traitors with total ease.
Deputy Jiang stepped forward to clean up the aftermath. “Your Majesty, what should be done with these people?”
Gu Qinian worried that the little angel might be too kind to bear killing members of his own race, so he took it upon himself to be the villain instead. After all, he was a demon.
“They betrayed the city lord. Spare none of them.”
After saying that sternly, the Demon King cautiously turned to look at the little angel’s expression.
He was afraid the little angel might think him too cruel or wicked.
Gu Tang had no such saintly compassion at all. He did not even look at the fallen angel elders.
The only one he cared about was his Young Master Gu.
He stepped forward and gave the man a passionate kiss. “Nian Nian, welcome home!”
For the first time in his life, the Demon King experienced the feeling that home was a harbor. His heart, which should not even have been beating, tightened violently in that instant.
He bent down and deepened the kiss.
Just as both of them had let down their guard, a fierce killing intent suddenly surged toward them.
“Demon, die—!”
Gu Qinian looked up and saw the leading angel elder charging at him with a sword in hand. Hah, did he think he would be afraid?
The Demon King raised a hand to block it so that the blade would not hurt his precious little angel.
A split second later, Gu Tang recognized the weapon—
like the crystal ball, it too was one of the angel race’s holy relics!
No! Young Master Gu absolutely could not be injured by a holy relic again!
Gu Qinian’s pupils contracted sharply.
Several drops of fresh blood splashed across his cold pale face.
Sticky. Scalding hot…
“Gu Tang—!!!”
The Demon King lost all composure and screamed as he caught the little angel collapsing in front of him.
At the very last instant, the little angel had spread his white wings and thrown himself in front of him. The sword pierced straight through the little angel’s heart, and blood burst out at once.
Gu Qinian’s face turned deathly white. He had no way to pour demon energy into the little angel and could only watch helplessly as his precious one’s life slowly ebbed away.
“Priest! Get the High Priest here!!!”
Gu Qinian shouted as he clutched the little angel tightly.
“It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt…”
Gu Tang said weakly.
He was not lying.
It truly did not hurt.
Deep down in his subconscious, Young Master Gu had protected him very well.
Inside this little fragment world, no matter how badly he was hurt, it only looked terrible. He could not actually feel pain, nor would he truly die.
But even though he said it didn’t hurt, Young Master Gu clearly did not believe him.
“Why did you block it?!”
The Demon King roared, his eyes red.
Gu Tang curved his lips faintly. “Even the shards of the crystal ball made your wound refuse to stop bleeding. How could a sword be any better? My Nian Nian would have gotten hurt…”
Gu Qinian clutched the bleeding little angel tightly.
The more he looked, the more his heart hurt.
“Wake up. Wake up now!”
The Demon King lowered his head and repeated it over and over. “Wake up. Let’s leave this world…”
Gu Tang was surprised.
The Young Master Gu who had stubbornly refused to return to the real world, even wanting to destroy himself here, was actually trying to wake himself up now.
And it actually seemed…to be working?
The scenery around them was like a poorly preserved oil painting, peeling away piece by piece.
Those fragments were swept up like a whirlwind and spun around them at high speed.
And they stood in the eye of the storm.
When everything finally stilled,
Gu Tang realized he was lying on a soft bed.
In front of him, Young Master Gu was breathing heavily, watching him with obvious concern.
Gu Tang lifted a hand and wiped the sweat from the man’s forehead, pretending nothing unusual had happened. He gently stroked his cheek. “Nian Nian, did you have a nightmare?”
Gu Qinian did not answer.
His long fingers trembled as he undid the buttons of Gu Tang’s sleepwear.
Only when he saw that the young man’s chest was still fair and smooth, with not the slightest wound,
did he finally exhale in relief. “No…”
“Thank goodness there isn’t…”
As he spoke, he pulled the young man into his arms. “You were hurt. Very badly. You were almost dead…”
Gu Tang patted his back in comfort. “That was only a dream.”
“No!”
Gu Qinian buried his face in the young man’s neck. “I know. It was always you.”
Gu Tang neither denied it nor admitted it. He only said softly, “Didn’t we swear it at the wedding? No matter what happens, no matter where we are, we’ll always stay with each other—even in dreams.”
Gu Qinian’s fingers came to rest on the young man’s thin shoulder blade.
Yes.
Gu Tang would stay with him forever.
And he would stay with Gu Tang forever.
This was his little angel…
Morning sunlight shone through the glass into the room.
The little angel lifted his face and gave him a sweet smile.
“Nian Nian, good morning.”
“Good morning.”
Looking into each other’s eyes, both of them saw their own reflection there.
Each of them was the other’s only one.
And the other half of the other’s soul.
After a moment of gazing at each other, they both leaned in and kissed deeply at the same time.
At that instant, the whole world became complete.
