I'm so scared, give me a pat

Ji Ruxue looked down at their intertwined fingers, then looked up at Qin Hao's righteous and confident face. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she merely shot him a fierce glare.

Inside the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons, it was brightly lit.

Nine medicinal pills radiated a dazzling light from the domed ceiling, illuminating the great hall as if it were broad daylight. In the seat of honor sat the Demon Emperor, Ji Lie, maintaining a dignified posture. The long desks on both sides were filled with the civil and military officials of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom.

At this moment, everyone's gaze was fixed on the two figures standing shoulder to shoulder in the center of the hall.

Ji Ruxue stood in the middle of the hall, her red dress like fire and her silver hair like snow. Her pair of white fox ears stood perfectly straight, glowing with a soft luster under the lights. However, what caught everyone's attention was not Ji Ruxue's beauty, but her hands, tightly interlaced with Qin Hao's.

All the great demons present were guessing: Who was this human? How could he be so intimate with the little princess of our Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom!

From the main seat, Ji Lie's gaze fell upon their joined hands and lingered for a moment. Deep in his eyes, something flickered slightly.

Meanwhile, the Northern Desolate Demon Emperor, Ao Bing, sitting to his left, merely narrowed his eyes as he sized up Qin Hao, a meaningful smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

But the person behind Ao Bing had a completely different reaction. Ao Yu, the legitimate son of the Northern Desolate Demon Emperor and widely acknowledged throughout the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom as the most suitable marriage prospect for the little princess, was now glaring death at Qin Hao and Ji Ruxue's clasped hands.

His face was flushed red, as if he had been slapped hard across the face. His breathing grew ragged, filled with anger, humiliation, and jealousy.

What did Ji Ruxue mean by this? Knowing full well that he had come to propose marriage today, she still walked in with her fingers intertwined with another man's. Wasn't this slapping his face right in front of the higher-ups of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom?

Ao Yu felt all his blood rush to his head at this moment. He stared at their hands, bloodshot lines bursting one by one in his eyes.

Five years. He had waited for five years. Five years ago, he saw Ji Ruxue for the first time at the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom's Grand Hunting Ceremony. She had soared across the horizon riding a snow-white demon beast, her silver hair dancing in the wind. At that moment, he knew he had to have this woman.

After returning, he asked his father to propose to the Demon Emperor. Ji Lie neither agreed nor refused; he merely said that Ruxue was still young and told them to wait a bit longer.

Now, he had finally waited until Ji Lie relented. He thought he would soon possess Ji Ruxue, but instead, she was standing in front of him, holding the hand of another man.

Let go!

These two words were squeezed through Ao Yu's gritted teeth—hoarse and low, like grinding stones.

His gaze was locked dead on Qin Hao, the killing intent in his eyes almost materializing into something solid.

Qin Hao did not let go. He glanced at Ao Yu, and then, right in front of him, raised Ji Ruxue's hand to his lips and planted a gentle kiss on it:

Ruxue, who is he? He's so fierce, I'm so scared.

Ji Ruxue lifted her head and looked at Ao Yu. Her gaze was as cold as a cup of ice water, chilling Ao Yu to the bone.

Your Highness Ao Yu, Ji Ruxue spoke, her voice not loud but carrying an unquestionable tone:

Who are you ordering around? This is my Dao Companion, Qin Hao. We are Dao Companions. Do we need your permission just to hold hands?

Saying this, Ji Ruxue naturally linked her arm through Qin Hao's and pressed her body against him.

Seeing this scene, Ao Yu felt as if his brain had been struck by lightning. He stood frozen in place, unable to recover his senses for a long time.

His father, the Northern Desolate Demon Emperor Ao Bing, couldn't help but shake his head slightly after hearing Ji Ruxue say Qin Hao's name. He then patted Ao Yu's shoulder and said:

Little Yu, since Her Highness the Princess is already taken, let's not be the ones to break up a happy couple. Let's go back. The human race has a good saying: Why fret over a single flower when there is plenty of grass everywhere? I'll find you a few better girls when we get back.

I don't believe it! Ao Yu threw off Ao Bing's hand, his eyes fixed intensely on Ji Ruxue:

I don't believe it! Ao Yu repeated, his voice louder and hoarser than before, carrying an almost maddened stubbornness:

Your Highness, you can't fool me. I've been watching you for five whole years; I know your every move! You don't have a Dao Companion at all. In fact, before today, you've had no contact with this person whatsoever.

How could it be such a coincidence? I come to propose today, and you just happen to bring a Dao Companion along? This guy is definitely a plant you hired. You two aren't real Dao Companions at all.

Faced with Ao Yu's questioning, Ji Ruxue remained completely fearless. Pressing herself against Qin Hao, she chuckled lightly:

Just because you say we aren't, means we aren't? Do you want me to prove it to you right now?

Qin Hao, on the other hand, had a helpless look on his face. Bro, how can you be such a sore loser? You didn't actually think that saying I've been watching you for five years and know your every move would move someone, did you?

The only one moved by that is yourself. The feeling of being secretly spied on by someone from the shadows only brings about a creepy sense of terror. That's not protection; that's imprisonment!

Qin Hao finally understood why Ji Ruxue wouldn't even look this guy in the eye despite his deep affection. How was this any different from the stalker fans of his past life?

My friend,

Ao Yu looked at Qin Hao, his voice slowing down, enunciating every word as if he were lecturing an ignorant junior who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.

I know you must be a plant, regardless of what benefits Ruxue promised you. But—I advise you to stay away from her. Some money isn't meant for you to earn.

He took a step forward, and the pressure of a peak Void Refinement Realm expert pressed down on Qin Hao like a massive mountain.

Do not question my words. You are just a human; on this land, making you disappear is easier than crushing an ant.

His voice grew colder and deeper, every word sounding as if it had been dragged out of an ice cellar.

I won't repeat myself a second time. Let go of her hand right now and get the hell out of here. Roll as far away as you can. Otherwise—

He paused, a dark and cold arc pulling at the corner of his mouth, I will make sure you don't even know how you died.

Oh, really? I'm so scared. Ruxue, he's so fierce. I'm so afraid, I need some pets.

Saying this, Qin Hao naturally raised his hand, slipping it through her silver hair scattered across her back. His fingertips touched that pair of white fox ears. Qin Hao rubbed the ears wrapped in fine, dense fluff, his touch as light as if he were caressing a snowflake that might melt at any moment.

A deathly silence fell over the great hall. Everyone stared at this scene with wide eyes. In the culture of their Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, ears were something only the most intimate people could touch. For the little princess to let someone touch her ears, what did that mean?

Seeing this scene, Ao Yu's entire mind went blank. When he finally reacted, his whole body trembled with rage:

You're courting death!