Su Kang sat beside Bai Yunxi, gently lifting her head to rest in his lap. He eased her from her slumber with a touch, a subtle flow of energy dispelling the lingering effects of the sleep incense.


    The fragrant smoke curled around them, calming, soothing, a silent promise of peace.


    Bai Yunxi slept for four hours before she woke up. After feeling a presence near her body and her head on something else instead of a pillow, she became alert and afraid.


    "It''s just me," Su Kang said softly, stroking her hair. "You''re safe."


    "Why… why are you in my room?"


    She asked, her voice still thick with sleep, but the fear already fading,


    replaced by a familiar warmth.


    "We''re going on a journey," he said. Now his gaze fixed on hers, a sudden intensity in those eyes.


    "I have a surprise for you."


    She tried to get up from his lap, but her body didn''t move. She is surprised to hear this and confused as well.


    "I really like you, Bai Yunxi. I am not asking you to pretend anymore. You already guessed it, right? I was talking about you."


    "Give me this week. Let me… pursue you."


    His words hung in the air, stripping away the careful layers of politeness and their carefully constructed facade. Bai Yunxi was speechless and overwhelmed.


    "Su Kang, you shouldn''t…" She began, but he stopped her, a finger gently pressing against her lips.


    "I don''t want your  answers now," he said softly.


    "Just be honest and answer these questions.  Are you still worried about Li Fang?" His gaze locked onto hers, searching, seeking.


    "I… I am," she admitted, a small nod.


    He took her hand, his touch warm, reassuring.


    "You don''t have to worry about him. I  wouldn''t let him go away if I wasn''t certain he was safe. This journey… it might be a little dangerous, but he''ll be fine. Absolutely fine."


    "I can swear a Heart Demon oath," he offered, his voice steady.


    "If it will ease your mind."


    Bai Yunxi closed her eyes. A Heart Demon oath… it was a serious thing, not given lightly. She thought of Su Kang, of how he''d always looked after Li Fang, protected him.


    "No," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.


    "I trust you. I''ll… try not to worry."


    "Good. As long as you understand it. He will be fine in the Heavenly Sword Sect. He will be a disciple of it." Su Kang removed restrictions on Bai Yunxi''s body.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Bai Yunxi sat up, her hand still in his, a strange comfort in his touch.


    "What else troubles you?" he asked, his gaze gentle now.


    Bai Yunxi looked away, flustered under his intense gaze, her face warm. She still felt a little embarrassed from their recent intimacy.


    It was… nice to hear him reassure her about her son, but it still felt strange, all of it. everything is too much and too fast for her.


    She is touched by this effort, but s


    he decided to not spoke anything else. Hearing from him about her son, she is sure that her son will be fine.


    She didn''t want to open her heart in front of Su Kang like this when her heart is still in a chaos..


    Su Kang looked at her face and used both of his hands to hold her face.


    "If you do not speak, then do not blame me for what can happen between you and me." He smiled mischievously at her.


    Bai Yunxi tried to escape from his hands but failed. She looked at his face coming closer to her face. She panicked instantly and said,


    "You ...stop. Don''t ...do this. I am an old woman." She is afraid of current Su Kang.


    "You are only a dozen years older than me. My father is fifteen years older than my mother. I do know many people who have a fifty-year age gap between them. Stop making excuses." Su Kang said with a sigh and took his hands back.


    "At least give me valid reasons, please. Take your time; you can think of all the reasons for rejecting me. I will hear those reasons tomorrow."


    "Give me a real reason," he said, his voice quiet, earnest.


    "Think about it. Tell me tomorrow. If it''s a good reason, I''ll… leave you alone."


    Bai Yunxi is troubled by his sudden transformation. She knows that now she can''t avoid this situation.


    She had to give him a reason, a good one. Or he might… She didn''t even want to finish the thought, her face burning at the possibilities.


    Su Kang would not do something like this if it was not this sudden journey. He will give her today all the time to think.


    Su Kang didn''t stop during their journey. He''d given her time, time to think.


    Bai Yunxi struggled to sleep at first, but the calming incense eventually lulled her into a deep slumber.


    Su Kang prepared food and took it to her. She was awake and mentally prepared for the next conversation.


    "Where… where are we going?" she asked, her voice light, almost casual.


    "It''s a surprise," he replied, a gentle smile returning to his face.


    "You''ll see."


    "I''ve… thought about it," she said quietly.


    "We… we can''t be together."


    "And your reason?" he asked, his voice gentle, encouraging.


    "You''re Li Fang''s friend," she said, her gaze dropping to her hands.


    "It would… ruin his reputation and the Li family''s reputation."


    Su Kang''s expression softened as he spoke looking at her tense eyes.


    "I met you way before your son. If you think this is problematic, then I will tell Li Fang about it and will break the friendship with him."


    "As for the reputation of the Li


    family, it is not something you should be worried about. Most of the people don''t even know your name."


    "It is normal for people to remarry. If the Li family was not stronger than the Bai family, then you would have been most likely married again."


    "After your marriage, the Bai family was supposed to gain a foothold in the Qin city, and you were supposed to gain cultivation resources, but it had an opposite effect."


    "Your cultivation path is lost, and your family was suppressed; even your parents weren''t spared."


    "You gained nothing but trouble in the Li family. Instead you gave birth to a golden child for the Li family. But it''s their legacy, not yours. People don''t even know Li Fang''s mother. " Su Kang everything in a calm and slow voice.


    "Li family''s reputation is not tied with you. Li Fang once fought a man for junior sister Ying''er. That man was her fiancé; he beat the man and took his future wife as a lover."


    "Do you find this kind of thing is good for the Li family''s reputation?" He asked calmly.


    Li Fang even took Su Kang''s fiancée in the Central Plains, but that is something he can''t say now.


    Bai Yunxi is shocked when she hears this. Hearing Su Kang''s words, her heart is filled with embarrassment. Her own son not only took another man''s fiancée but he even beat him.


    "Many high-level cultivators have many partners. Many female cultivators have multiple spouses."


    "There is a famous female cultivator in the Central Plains who has five husbands. Her body constitution is different, so many people are still coveting her." He spoke again in a light and carefree tone.


    Bai Yunxi was speechless. Five husbands? It was… unheard of, at least in her limited experience. She''d known remarriage was common, a practical necessity in the cultivation world, but this?


    Now she doesn''t know how to refute him. In the world of cultivation, it is common to have many spouses.


    It depends on how powerful or beneficial it is to be in such relationships. They don''t do it because of love, but most couples are together because of common interest.


    Su Kang watched her, a subtle smile playing on his lips. He could see the walls crumbling, her carefully constructed defenses falling away.


    "Do you still miss Li Xiao?" He asked in a heavy voice.


    This is something Su Kang didn''t want to ask. Li Xiao is the father of her child, although she did not spend many years with him, but her time with Li Xiao may be unforgettable for her.


    Bai Yunxi''s body trembled slightly. She looked at him, really looked at him, the question echoing the unspoken emotions swirling within her heart.  She was silent.


    Su Kang looked at her face deeply, her eyes telling a story that he didn''t understand. She is silent and does not intend to give any answers this time.


    <strike>


    </strike>


    <i>A twist of fate, a second chance,</i>


    <i>To rewrite time, to join the dance.</i>


    <i>Her gentle soul, a guiding star,</i>


    <i>To heal the wounds, to mend the scar.</i>


    <i>But destiny''s a fickle game,</i>


    <i>A whispered curse, upon her name.</i>


    <i>I''ll wager all, my life, my soul,</i>


    <i>To break the chains, to make her whole.</i>


    <i>To see her smile, to reach my goal</i>.


    Su Kang murmured a poem softly, rising to his feet.


    He gave her a small, almost sad smile and left, closing the cabin door and leaving behind a poem.