["Husband", "My Lord"]

The girl rested her head on Xu Xi's chest as he leaned back against the bench. The two took shelter under a tree, above them a dazzling golden sea of leaves illuminated by the sun.

Light and shadow poured down like water,

casting delicate patterns on the face of the murmuring, slumbering girl.

It was the sunlight, captured at different angles by the leaves—

silent and tender,

like the gentlest brushstroke grazing the tip of her nose.

Xu Xi did not join her in sleep. Instead, he sat quietly on the bench, gazing at the golden-hued street outside, one hand lightly supporting the girl’s body.

He watched as green ivy draped down the walls,

while golden sunlight climbed upward along its vines.

"Sir, aren’t you going to sleep?"

From Xu Xi’s embrace, the princess fidgeted slightly before opening her eyes to ask.

Xu Xi instinctively looked down, meeting those bright, spirited eyes that shimmered like stars.

"Yingxue, I’m not tired."

"Ah, but I want to sleep with you, sir~"

His fingers curled,

lightly flicking the princess’s forehead.

As Wu Yingxue put on an exaggerated pout, Xu Xi sighed helplessly. "It’s broad daylight—don’t say things that could be misunderstood out in the open."

The leaves above rustled softly, composing a lullaby for the summer afternoon.

Wu Yingxue lay in Xu Xi’s arms,

blinking repeatedly.

"I understand, sir," she suddenly declared, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning her entire body into him.

"What’s wrong?"

Xu Xi didn’t lose his balance from the shift in weight, only puzzled by the princess’s sudden action.

"Nothing~ I just suddenly wanted to be closer to you~"

The sunlight fell on her eyelids, and as she nestled into Xu Xi’s embrace, she could see the canopy above—a shimmering sea of leaves under the summer sun, scattering countless tiny flecks of light like golden coins.

Accompanied by the shrill cries of cicadas in her ears,

and the warmth of his arms so near,

Wu Yingxue couldn’t help but laugh softly in Xu Xi’s hold.

She wasn’t entirely sure why she felt so happy—only that lying in his arms made her feel as though she held the entire world in her grasp.

"Time passes so quickly, sir."

Xu Xi nodded. "It really does."

Time was a strange thing. The more one compared it to the past, the swifter its passage seemed.

Thinking back to their first meeting, and now with their wedding approaching, Xu Xi felt as though time had become a roaring train, crashing through the deepest recesses of memory.

The princess in his arms added, "It’s wonderful. Meeting you that day was truly the best thing."

Xu Xi recalled, "But if I remember correctly, the atmosphere wasn’t exactly friendly when we first met."

"Eh? Was it not?"

"It wasn’t. You tried to stab me with your spear."

Xu Xi remembered clearly.

Wu Yingxue, severely injured at the time, had woken up in a state of high alert after he saved her. If he hadn’t taken her weapon beforehand, it might have escalated into a fight.

"Cough! Cough!"

"Sir, you shouldn’t dwell on such trivial things!"

The girl in his arms grew restless again,

lightly bumping her head against his chest to express her displeasure.

The sky was clear, the sun radiant, but the heat paled in comparison to the princess’s flustered indignation.

Xu Xi chuckled. "Fine, I won’t bring it up again."

Having gotten her way, Wu Yingxue finally settled down, victorious and content,

wriggling comfortably in his arms like an oversized caterpillar.

She tried to fall asleep again, but her drowsiness had vanished entirely. The rustling leaves beside her ears were too vivid, impossible to ignore.

Perhaps it was time to reveal her true purpose.

The princess sat up in Xu Xi’s arms, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger, her gaze wandering before she took a deep breath as if mustering courage.

"Sir."

"Hm?"

"I heard that today, the swordswoman wanted to introduce you to her parents?"

"The swordswoman" was Wu Yingxue’s nickname for the Heroine, Servia.

Xu Xi nodded. "That was the plan, but Servia needed more time to prepare, so it’s been postponed for a few days."

"Oh, I see..."

Her fingers continued to play with her hair, winding and unwinding the strands.

Wu Yingxue frowned, putting on her most serious expression. "Sir, I believe everything should follow the principle of first come, first served. Don’t you agree?"

Facing the princess’s earnestness,

Xu Xi nodded again. "That’s a fair point."

In the unrelenting summer breeze, the girl’s expression softened briefly before tensing once more, as she tried her best to maintain a formal demeanor.

"Sir, do you remember?"

"A long time ago, I also invited you to meet my parents in the Martial Realm."

"Ahem, so you see..."

"You should visit my family first."

After all that buildup, Wu Yingxue finally revealed her true intention.

The blazing sun burned fiercely in the sky, its dazzling radiance so intense that even the glimmer in the princess’s eyes was illuminated—

like two translucent full moons,

reflecting Xu Xi’s face.

She didn’t blink.

Xu Xi found this side of her rare—somewhat reminiscent of Krisha and Ailei’s mannerisms, yet still brimming with her own unique energy.

At this distance, he could even hear the rapid beating of her nervous heart.

"I don’t have any objections, but Yingxue, don’t you need time to prepare as well?"

Xu Xi reached out, plucking a stray leaf from the tip of her nose.

The girl grinned mischievously.

Light danced in her pupils. "Of course I’ve prepared! How could I possibly handle your first visit to my home casually?"

"But~"

"Your clever princess has already taken care of everything in advance."

Wu Yingxue hadn’t been idle.

On the contrary, she had made all the arrangements before approaching Xu Xi—

even preparing gifts for him to bring.

All she needed was his agreement, and they could set off immediately for the Martial Realm to meet the long-waiting Dingyuan King and his wife.

Her efficiency was so startling

that Xu Xi gave her a strange look.

"Is something wrong, sir?"

"Hmm. I’m just wondering if you’re the real Yingxue."

"Cough! Sir, your misunderstanding of me runs too deep! I was just lazy before, not actually stupid."

She poked her index fingers together,

avoiding his gaze with a guilty expression.

"So, sir? If you agree, we can leave right now."

"That’s fine, but I should at least inform Mo Li and the others, so they don’t worry unnecessarily."

Xu Xi raised his hand,

an invisible ripple of psychic energy spreading toward the courtyard at the end of the street—but the princess intercepted it.

Her expression turned sly again.

"Shh~ Sir~"

"We’ll be back soon. No need to tell everyone."

"Besides, this has nothing to do with the others. It’s just for us—a secret little elopement."

Her fingers traced through the air,

and a pale fingertip split open a rift in space, leading beyond the chaos to the boundaries of the multiverse.

Wu Yingxue stood up from the bench, clasping her hands behind her back as she faced Xu Xi, her beautiful eyes blinking.

"What do you say?"

"[Husband]."