That night.
Su Hua had a dream.
It was not the nightmare she had experienced since childhood, spanning two lifetimes, but a dream that filled her with immense happiness.
In the dream.
She and Gu Qingfeng traveled together across the mountains, rivers, and seas of this world.
They walked hand in hand through the most beautiful sea of flowers.
They laughed and joked beneath the most spectacular waterfall.
They galloped on horseback across the vastest grasslands.
They played in the deepest undersea world.
They admired the night view of the entire world from the highest mountain peak, and they chased and frolicked even beyond the perilous Nine Heavens.
Unfortunately.
When Su Hua opened her eyes, when she awoke, she realized it was just a dream.
A dream that felt utterly unreachable to her, one she had never even dared to imagine.
Where was this?
Su Hua sat up and found herself lying on a stone bed. It was a room, a very simple room with almost nothing inside. Leaving the room, she found herself in a courtyard. In the yard, Gu Qingfeng was still alone, reclining leisurely on that chair, rocking gently.
"Well, well, big sister, awake now?"
Gu Qingfeng's voice came, and Su Hua felt a bit embarrassed, as she vaguely remembered cursing him out thoroughly the day before.
"So, how about another couple of drinks?"
Gu Qingfeng tilted his head, looking at her with a smile. "If you haven't finished cursing me, if you're still not satisfied, feel free to continue. I promise I won't fight back or retort!"
Su Hua knew Gu Qingfeng was teasing her, but she couldn't find the words to respond. She just pursed her lips and turned away.
The atmosphere was somewhat awkward.
At least.
Su Hua felt it was awkward, and she also felt some regret, thinking she had been a bit excessive yesterday. She wanted to apologize to Gu Qingfeng, but seeing this guy with his legs crossed, wearing that cheeky grin as if nothing had happened, Su Hua couldn't help but feel her anger flare up again.
"What?
Don't you have anything to say?"
"Don't expect me to apologize to you."
Su Hua shot him a glance. "Compared to you deceiving me again and again, I was very merciful to you yesterday."
"That's why I'm asking if your anger has subsided. If not, you can keep hitting and cursing."
"Do you think I'm as heartless as you?"
"Alright."
Gu Qingfeng didn't know what to say, and Su Hua knew even less.
The two fell into silence.
Perhaps to ease the awkwardness, Su Hua took the initiative to break the silence. "Where's Jin'er?"
"The little girl is fine."
"She...
she won't be in any trouble, right?"
"Of course not."
Su Hua believed Gu Qingfeng. If Gu Qingfeng said Xiao Jinr was fine, then she was definitely fine.
After a moment, Su Hua spoke again. "And what about you? What are you planning to do?"
"What do you mean, what am I planning to do?"
Gu Qingfeng asked, puzzled. "What?
Do you want me to compensate you?"
"Who wants your compensation? That's not what I'm talking about at all!"
"Then what is it?"
"I'm talking about the matter of Wu Dao Mountain."
"What about Wu Dao Mountain?"
"You know perfectly well, why pretend otherwise? Your very existence is intolerable to heaven and earth. When Wu Dao Mountain descends, they are all prepared to kill you."
"Oh, that matter."
Gu Qingfeng stood up, looked at the sun slowly rising in the east, and stretched vigorously. "If the sky wants to rain, if a mother wants to remarry, if they can't tolerate me, then so be it. If they want to kill me, then let them. What else can I do?"
"Then...
will you die?"
Gu Qingfeng turned to look at her. "Then, do you hope I die?"
"I..." She was about to blurt it out, but meeting Gu Qingfeng's gaze, Su Hua's peerlessly beautiful face immediately flushed with shyness. She lowered her head, wanting to speak but hesitating. After a long while, as if mustering all her courage, she finally said, "I don't want you to die."
"If you don't want me to die, then I won't die."
"Really?"
Su Hua no longer cared about shyness. She raised her face, her beautiful eyes sparkling with light.
"Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"
Su Hua had been quite happy, but hearing this, her mood immediately sank. "Haven't you lied to me plenty?"
"I won't anymore in the future."
"Can I still believe you?"
"Why not try believing me one last time?"
"Alright! I'll believe you this one last time."
The gloom that had long shrouded Su Hua's heart finally dissipated at this moment. All the grievances, disappointments, pain, and longing accumulated over two lifetimes vanished like mist. All that remained was joy, happiness, excitement, and contentment.
"You just said...
compensate me? How do you plan to compensate me?"
"Didn't you say you weren't talking about that anymore?"
"But I want to talk about it now. Is that not allowed?"
"Sure, no one said it's not allowed."
Gu Qingfeng walked over, pulled Su Hua into his embrace, and lifted her chin with his hand. "Beauty, what kind of compensation do you want?"
Perhaps not expecting happiness to arrive so suddenly, Su Hua was at a loss. Her heart pounded like a startled deer, and her delicate face flushed even redder with shyness. She tried to break free from Gu Qingfeng's embrace, but he held her tightly, making escape impossible.
"Can you let go of me first!"
"No!"
"You..." "How about... compensation with my body? What do you think?"
"Shameless! Pervert! Bastard!"
Su Hua struggled again, but this time, the more she struggled, the tighter Gu Qingfeng held her. Not only did he hold her tighter, but he also started groping her all over, making Su Hua shriek repeatedly and beg for mercy. "I was wrong... please stop... ah! Stop it! You bastard! If you don't stop, I'll really get angry!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Gu Qingfeng laughed heartily, then said, "Alright, enough joking. Tell me, how do you want me to compensate you."
"How do you want to compensate me?"
"I said with my body, but you're not willing."
"You! Can't you be serious for once?"
"Be serious, is it? Alright."
Gu Qingfeng looked at Su Hua and said very earnestly, "Whatever you want, as long as I have it. Is that acceptable?"
"Whatever I want? As long as you have it? Anything at all?"
"Of course!"
"Good! I want you to take me to fulfill a dream."
"What dream?"
"A dream I had last night. As for what dream, you'll know when we go."
"No problem."
"And, wherever I take you, you must go. Whatever I ask you to do, you must do."
"Everything as you wish."
With that, the two left.
Su Hua really took Gu Qingfeng to fulfill the dream she had last night. They walked hand in hand through the most beautiful sea of flowers, whispered sweet nothings beneath the most beautiful waterfall, nestled together on a peak Beyond the Nine Heavens admiring the most spectacular night view of the entire world. Hand in hand, they traveled across the mountains, rivers, and seas within the world, leaving behind the footprints of their journey together across this world, and creating the most beautiful memories belonging solely to the two of them.