Chapter 53: When Love Blooms Inside the Book of Time
She smiled.
A smile filled with both shyness and happiness, like a child who had just received the most precious gift in the world.
And she rested her head against my chest again, relaxed, safe, and happy.
As golden sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the room in a soft, warm glow, like a silent witness to our first morning together as a true couple.
I kissed her forehead gently.
A long, calm kiss, filled with everything I could not say.
She smiled as she lifted her head, a playful glint in her eyes.
She whispered in a teasing, gentle tone, her voice carrying a hidden sweetness:
"Alright, my golden bunny… I have a surprise for you."
She paused, biting her lower lip shyly.
"Are you ready for it?"
I laughed lightly and gazed into her sparkling eyes, those eyes hiding a lovely mischief.
Then, without warning, I quickly extended my arms and lifted her up.
"Ah!"
Nannan gasped in surprise and embarrassment, her voice rising slightly in shock.
She placed her small hands on my chest to steady herself, her whole body trembling from the sudden movement.
Then she looked at me, her face flushed red like an apple, her shyness clear in every feature.
She said in a soft, flustered tone that still held happiness:
"Ji Lin… what are you doing?!"
I smiled as I continued my steady steps toward the bathroom, carrying her in my arms as if she were the most precious treasure in existence.
I said with gentle mischief, my voice carrying a playful challenge:
"Do I need a reason… to carry my wife in my arms?"
She became even more flustered.
I saw her cheeks grow redder, until they were like roses in early spring.
But soon she tilted her head slightly, trying to hide a small smile that had overcome her shyness.
Then she whispered softly, her voice full of sweet complaint:
"You really…"
She did not finish her sentence, but I understood everything she did not say.
I laughed as I stepped into the bathroom filled with warm steam, where the air was moist and gentle, carrying the scent of flowers and natural fragrances.
As I held her in my arms, she rested her head against my shoulder quietly.
Like someone who had found her natural place in this world.
As if she had been born to be there, in my arms—safe, loved, protected.
That moment was brief.
Very brief compared to the long time we would live together.
But it was enough.
Enough to make my heart grow warmer, as if a small flame had been lit in my chest that would never go out.
As if her presence in my arms was the only constant thing in this changing world, the one thing that would never waver.
Those moments were not noise or excitement.
They were not celebration or display.
They were simply… the warmth of simple moments.
Moments where a single glance, or a single touch, is enough to say everything.
Everything the heart needs to hear.
After we were done…
We walked out of the bathroom quietly.
The air around us carried the scent of natural soap and fresh mint, blending with our intertwined breaths and the warmth of our close bodies.
Nannan walked beside me, her hand in mine, a calm smile resting on her lips.
A smile that needed no words.
A smile that said everything.
I gently placed my coat over her shoulders and said in a tone that carried both seriousness and tenderness:
"Nannan… there is a place I want to take you to.
It will be useful for you before the upcoming battle."
She lifted her head toward me with slight surprise.
I smiled at her, then extended my hand.
And the moment my palm touched hers…
Everything changed.
In the very next instant, we were transported inside the Book of the Demon of Time.
I looked at her and said calmly:
"Here… the strong train to surpass their limits."
Nannan looked at me with pure astonishment.
When her eyes met mine, I smiled and spoke in a deep voice filled with sincere concern:
"I don't want you to be hurt in the next battle. From now on, we'll train together… and I will teach you things you've never learned before."
She gripped my hand tightly.
The smile on her lips was mixed with genuine resolve as she said in a warm, quiet voice:
"As long as you're with me… I won't be afraid of anything anymore."
I stepped closer and whispered, my voice wrapped in tenderness:
"Because I love you… I want you to be strong."
I paused for a moment, then continued with steady calm:
"I want you to be able to protect yourself.
That's why I brought you here to train.
In this place, you will find skills and techniques beyond value…
secrets that will never be available to you anywhere else."
Then I added reassuringly:
"And there's no need to worry about time.
Time here is different… it doesn't flow the same way as in the outside world.
Ten years here are equal to only one hour out there."
Nannan looked at me in deep astonishment, as if trying to comprehend what she had just heard.
I smiled lightly, gently patted her shoulder, and said calmly:
"Take your time, Nannan… this is your chance to become stronger than you ever dreamed."
And so…
A full year passed inside the Book of the Demon of Time.
A year filled with training… and with love as well.
This place was no longer merely a ground for strengthening body and soul.
It became a small world that belonged only to me and Nannan—
A world where, every day, a new meaning of strength was born,and where the love growing between us bloomed quietly…
like a rare flower in a land untouched by time.
Nannan trained in techniques no one had ever known before.
And the light in her eyes changed—
From confusion to confidence,from fear to determination.
As for me, I watched her with every step she took,
seeing in her eyes how her strength matured day after day.
And during that time…
something else was growing inside me.
My feelings for her deepened in a warm, silent way,
until her presence became more important to me than any training,
more precious than any achievement.
And when that year ended—a year that was only six minutes in the outside world—I knew deep in my heart that every moment I spent with her there
was more valuable than a thousand years anywhere else.
I looked at Nannan and smiled, then said with calm firmness:
"Alright, my dear, this is enough. Let's go out now.
The energy here is almost gone, and you won't be able to raise your training any further without a source to supply you with soul energy."
In the next moment…
we found ourselves once again inside Nannan's room.
Before I left, I gently pulled her into my arms,
then gave her a soft kiss on her lips.
I pulled back slightly and said with a smile:
"Alright… goodbye for now. We'll meet again soon."
Then I activated the Flying Thunder technique,
and vanished at once.
As for the next destination I chose…
after a moment of thought, it was Zhang Lixuan.
That girl still did not truly know what she wanted.
And in her heart, there was still a lingering obsession with Bibi.
So…
I decided to erase that obsession from her completely.
In any case, since she possessed one of the Flying Thunder tools,I teleported directly to her.
In the next instant, I found myself inside the training room.
Zhang Lixuan slowly opened her eyes
and looked at me with slight surprise.
I smiled calmly at her and took a step forward.
I wrapped my arms gently around her waist,lifted her into my arms,and placed her on the bed with a softness like a breeze touching a rose petal.
I said with a smile:
"Alright, I learned a new massage technique.
They say it can treat women's ailments, regulate blood circulation,and help with relaxation."
She looked at me with eyes filled with mixed emotions,
then said with a gentle frown:
"I really don't know what to do with you anymore…
In the past, you wouldn't even dare to touch my hand.
But now, you hold me and carry me in your arms."
She paused, then continued in a quieter voice:
"And yet… I don't know how I feel after you entered my life.
After being rejected again and again by Bibi, I no longer know how to deal with my emotions."
She raised her gaze to me and added:
"You were able to reach my heart and my mind…
and I know the taste of rejection well.
But if you can make me forget Bibi… then I will be yours."
I looked into her deep eyes
and said with a seriousness that allowed no jest:
"Zhang Lixuan…
I have the ability to remove this obsession from inside you.
But tell me… are you truly serious?"