Chance to Escape Hell

In the following days, Bai Qiangu concealed all her sharp edges.

She no longer forced Ye Xuan to do anything. She stopped forcing him to wear the clothes she prepared, stopped forcing him to eat the meals she cooked, and stopped forcing him to talk with her.

All she did was to place the meals at the door every day and then leave.

Sometimes she would stand outside the door for a long time, pricking up her ears to listen to the sounds inside. When she heard the clinking of bowls and chopsticks, she would slightly curve the corners of her lips.

When there was silence, she would frown and ponder in her heart whether today's dishes didn't suit his taste.

She even began to send books to Ye Xuan.

They were not cultivation techniques, but travelogues, poetry collections, and storybooks from the mortal world.

She remembered that Ye Xuan had said when he was a child that his greatest dream was to travel all over the world and see all the mountains and rivers.

"Since you can't go out, then see the world with your eyes."

She placed a stack of books at the door. After hesitating for a while, she put a freshly - picked spiritual flower on top of them.

That flower was picked by her after flying three thousand miles from a cliff on a fairy mountain. Its petals were light purple and emitted a delicate fragrance. It was said that smelling it could soothe the nerves and calm the mind.

She hoped that Ye Xuan could have a good sleep.

She knew that he had nightmares every night. Through the door, she could hear his murmurs and screams in his dreams.

Sometimes it was "Dad... Mom..."

Sometimes it was "Xin'er..."

Never "Qiangu".

Never.

This kind of cautious tenderness lasted for three months.

In these three months, Ye Xuan's mental state gradually stabilized. He no longer trembled all over at the sight of Bai Qiangu as before, nor did he curl up in the corner and refuse to eat.

However, the look in his eyes when he looked at Bai Qiangu remained unchanged.

Fear and hatred.

These two emotions were like two intertwined poisonous snakes, coiling deep in his pupils. No matter how gentle, how yielding, or how flattering Bai Qiangu was, she couldn't dispel them.

Bai Qiangu knew.

She knew everything.

But she pretended not to know.

She would rather live in the illusion she wove, believing that Ye Xuan was gradually accepting her, gradually forgiving her, and that one day Ye Xuan would show her a smile brighter than the sun just like when he was a child.

One day.

She told herself so.

And Ye Xuan was indeed changing.

But not in the way Bai Qiangu expected.

He began to think.

On those long, solitary nights, he lay in bed, staring at the caisson ceiling above his head, his mind working at high speed.

Going head - to - head wouldn't work.

He had tried all the ways of direct confrontation, and they all failed.

Because in the face of an absolute power gap, any resistance was futile.

Then...

What if he didn't go head - to - head?

What if... he used soft tactics?

A cold glint flashed in Ye Xuan's eyes.

He recalled Bai Qiangu's changes in the past three months. She was trying to please him, approaching him cautiously, and trying to repair their relationship in a clumsy and even a bit ridiculous way.

What did this mean?

It meant that she cared about his feelings.

It meant that she was afraid of losing him.

It meant that she had a weakness.

And her greatest weakness was her love for him.

What if he could take advantage of this love...

Ye Xuan closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, the hatred and fear in his eyes were gone, replaced by a deep, cold, and carefully - calculated disguise.

From tomorrow on, he would be a good husband.

A good husband that Bai Qiangu had always dreamed of.

Early the next morning.

As usual, Bai Qiangu placed the breakfast at the door of the secret chamber and was about to turn around and leave.

"Qiangu."

A voice came from behind.

Bai Qiangu trembled all over and suddenly turned around.

The door of the secret chamber opened.

Ye Xuan stood at the door, wearing the moon - white robe she had sent before. His hair was neatly combed. Although his face was still a bit pale, he looked much better in spirit.

Most importantly, he was looking at her.

Not with a fearful look, nor with a hateful look.

But with a... gentle, somewhat apologetic look.

"What... did you call me?" Bai Qiangu's voice trembled a little.

"Qiangu." Ye Xuan called her name again, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, showing a faint smile: "Thank you for these three months."

Bai Qiangu was stunned.

She stood there like a statue, staring at Ye Xuan without blinking.

He was smiling.

He was smiling at her.

Although the smile was faint, he was really smiling.

Suddenly, Bai Qiangu's nose felt sour.

"Are... you not afraid of me anymore?" she asked cautiously, her voice as soft as if she was afraid of shattering a dream.

Ye Xuan was silent for a moment and then shook his head.

"I've thought about it for a long time." His voice was deep and calm. "Whether I hate you or fear you, it won't change anything. I... probably can't leave you in this life."

He paused, lowered his eyes, and his eyelashes cast a shadow under his eyes:

"Rather than living in fear every day, it's better to... try to accept it."

Bai Qiangu's breathing quickened.

She wanted to rush up and hug him, to hold him tightly in her arms, and to tell him, "Me too. I also want to treat you well. I'll never hurt you again."

But she held back.

She was afraid of scaring him.

"Okay." With all her strength, she managed to make her voice sound calm. "Then... do you want to go out for a walk? The peach blossoms are in bloom outside."

"Okay."

Ye Xuan walked out of the secret chamber.

The sunlight fell on him, and he slightly squinted his eyes, as if he was not used to the long - lost brightness.

Bai Qiangu walked beside him, with a distance of about three steps between them.

She wanted to get closer, but she didn't dare.

Just like this, the two of them slowly walked along the path behind the Ten Thousand Evil Palace.

The peach blossoms were really in bloom.

In the hinterland of this demonic sect, which was always shrouded in black evil qi, there was actually a peach blossom forest. Bai Qiangu had specially used a formation to isolate the evil qi, transplanted spiritual veins, and spent a full ten years cultivating it.

Just because of a word Ye Xuan had once said...

"Big sister, there is a peach blossom forest behind my home. I'll take you to see it when spring comes."

Ye Xuan stopped for a moment when he saw this peach blossom forest as bright as rosy clouds.

He recognized the variety of these peach trees.

They were exactly the same as those behind his hometown.

"You..." He turned to look at Bai Qiangu, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

Bai Qiangu turned her face away, pretending to look at the scenery in the distance, but the tips of her ears quietly turned red.

"Don't think too much. I just thought this place was too ugly, so planting some flowers would make it look nicer."

Ye Xuan didn't say a word.

He just lowered his head and continued walking.

But his hand accidentally brushed against Bai Qiangu's finger.

It was just a fleeting touch.

Bai Qiangu's whole body froze.

She looked down at the finger that had been touched. That place felt as if it had been burned by fire, numb and hot.

Her heart was beating so fast that it seemed to jump out of her chest.

"Ye Xuan..."

"Hmm?"

"Was that just an accidental touch, or..."

Ye Xuan turned his head and looked at her slightly blushing cheeks due to nervousness. The corners of his mouth curled up in an extremely faint arc.

"What do you think?"

Bai Qiangu's face instantly turned completely red.

The formidable Supreme Demon Lord, a merciless female demon who never blinked an eye when taking a life, was standing under a peach - blossom tree like a young girl who had just received a confession, at a loss and not knowing what to say.

Ye Xuan watched her reaction and sneered inwardly.

Just as he expected.

She fell for this kind of thing.

In the following days, Ye Xuan launched his carefully - planned psychological offensive.

He was no longer taciturn and began to initiate conversations with Bai Qiangu.

It was not the perfunctory or forced communication, but warm and heart - warming conversations.

"Qiangu, today's congee tastes better than yesterday's."

"Qiangu, you look good in this dress today."

"Qiangu, are you tired? Come here, let me massage your shoulders."

Every word and every action of his precisely hit Bai Qiangu's emotional needs.

He knew her too well.

Although their years together had been full of bloodshed and torture, he had also seen through Bai Qiangu's true nature...

She was not a born demon.

She was a child who had never been loved.

Her father regarded her as a cauldron, her enemies saw her as a demon lord, and her subordinates treated her as their master.

So when Ye Xuan started saying these things, Bai Qiangu's defenses almost collapsed instantly.

She was like a sponge that had been dry for a thousand years, frantically absorbing every drop of tenderness Ye Xuan offered.

She began to smile.

It was not the cold, sarcastic, or morbid smile.

It was a real, heartfelt smile with a young girl's shyness.

When she smiled, her eyes would curve into two crescents, and two shallow dimples would appear on her cheeks. The whole person seemed to be gilded by the sun.

At that moment, she didn't look like a demon lord.

She was like a flower.

A flower in the sea of blood, desperately trying to bloom.

Ye Xuan watched her smile without any emotional ripples in his heart.

His heart had died the first time his finger was cut off.

He was waiting for an opportunity.

An opportunity to completely escape from this hell.