She said she wasn't afraid, but in truth, she was just pretending to be strong.
She was most afraid of pain. When she was little, she would cry for half a day if she cut her hand.
Let alone the feeling of exchanging marrow for marrow; it's like draining all the blood from a living body, bones being crushed, organs hollowed out.
The pain is worse than death.
Following Aunt Pei Wen's instructions to prepare for the surgery, she returned to the little cottage to see him one last time.
Even though she had tried to convince herself repeatedly, the sense of reluctance and sadness still overwhelmed her heart.
"Is it Xiao Yue?" Yu Bai asked eagerly, hearing the familiar footsteps.
During the time Hui Yue was away from him, he was always thinking about her, and he decided that if she came back, he would never let her leave again.
Hui Yue walked over to Yu Bai with a smile, just like usual, afraid he'd notice her sorrowful emotions: "Yu Bai, it's me, I'm back."
Yu Bai fumbled to find the edge of her clothes, and when he finally did, he pulled her into his arms. He held her tightly and pleaded in her ear, "I was so worried! Thank goodness you came back! I was so scared I'd never see you again!"
Hui Yue rested her head on his shoulder, and gently patted his back to comfort him: "Why worry over nothing? How could you possibly not see me again!"
"Just afraid! So please don't leave me again, okay?" Yu Bai's voice was almost begging.
"Alright, I promise you I'll never leave you." Hui Yue said with a smile, "And I have some good news to tell you."
"What is it?" Yu Bai asked curiously.
"I found a way to cure you during my trip this time." Hui Yue said, reciting a lie she had prepared.
"Really? Can I really see again?" Yu Bai asked, hardly daring to believe.
"Yes, really." Hui Yue replied.
"That's great! Thank you!" Yu Bai said joyfully, pausing before he continued, "Xiao Yue, I have something I want to ask you."
"What is it?" Hui Yue asked, curious.
"I want to ask if you would marry me after my eyes are healed. Would you be willing?" Yu Bai gently held Hui Yue's hand, asking with a full smile, "But if you don't want to, that's alright too."
"Why do you want me to marry you?" Hui Yue asked, wanting to hear him say out loud the words every girl yearns to hear from the one she loves.
"Because I like you, I love you, I want to be with you forever." Yu Bai spoke with emotion, and Hui Yue felt touched as she listened.
"I want to marry the girl I love. Will you?"
Hui Yue was overwhelmingly moved. She had always thought her unrequited love would never be reciprocated, but finally, it was. She excitedly hugged Yu Bai before her, tears streaming from her eyes.
Choking up, Hui Yue nodded, "I do, I do..."
Yu Bai, hearing Hui Yue's hoarse voice, realized she was crying, so he gently wiped her tears away and said with a smile, "Why are you crying? Being with me you should only smile, no crying allowed."
"I'm just so touched." Hui Yue murmured as an explanation.
"Silly girl." Yu Bai embraced her.
At night, under the vast sky, Hui Yue held Yu Bai's hand, sitting in front of the house. Tonight's moon was large and full, the stars dazzlingly bright.
"I often hear people say the moon is fullest on the fifteenth day, and today proves it." Hui Yue gazed at the full moon in the sky, exclaiming.
"Is the moon very round today?" Yu Bai asked softly.
"Yes! It's big, round, bright, and so beautiful." Hui Yue described the scene she saw.
"I haven't seen the moon in a long time; it's a bit nostalgic." Yu Bai reflected on past times.
"When I was young, while mother was still alive, she used to say that when the moon is full, it's a time for family reunions. After she passed away, there were no more reunions at home during the full moon, as if with her death, the family fell apart."
Yu Bai's sorrowful emotions affected Hui Yue, prompting her to gently pat his back to comfort him.
"In the future, when we're together, we'll have our own family, and during every full moon, I'll be with you watching the moon."
Hui Yue's words made Yu Bai's heart feel like it had been warmed by a hot spring.
Yu Bai, touched, told Hui Yue: "When I can see again, the first person I want to see is you."
Hui Yue hesitated, her heart heavy with sadness, and feigned cheerfulness to ask: "Then, in your imagination, what do I look like?"
Yu Bai's lips moved, smiling: "You're adorable, quirky, love to laugh—a warm little sun."
"Do you think I'm beautiful?" Hui Yue asked naively.
"Beautiful." Yu Bai confirmed.
"What if I'm really ugly?" Hui Yue teased him.
Hui Yue knew that while she wasn't the most beautiful woman in the Demon Clan, she was at least decent. Aunt Pei Wen had even praised her, saying she bore some resemblance to the legendary Lady Lanruo.
Lady Lanruo was the most beautiful woman to ever appear in the history of the Demon Clan.
Her story continues to be passed down like a myth through generations.
It goes without saying how beautiful Hui Yue is. But aside from her looks, she had nothing else of value by her side. Even her parents passed away when she was young. People said she had a hard life that clashed with others. So, apart from Aunt Pei Wen and Song Ling, who didn't care about outsiders' gossip and were kind to her, no one else was close to her.
"No matter what you look like, you will always be the most beautiful to me in my heart, and I will love you forever," Yu Bai said.
"Fool!" Hui Yue gently scolded him. Her gaze slowly drifted from his face and finally landed on his lips, like a butterfly spotting its favorite flower. She kissed him unexpectedly.
After a while, she blinked her bright eyes and, shyly, withdrew her face.
Embarrassed, Hui Yue covered her flushed face and dashed away as if flying.
It took Yu Bai a long time to react. He touched his lips, which were still warm, and smiled, "So it was sweet."
Hui Yue had already made up her mind that no matter the consequences, she had to cure Yu Bai. Following the agreement with Aunt Pei Wen, she took Yu Bai, who wore a veiled hat, to Aunt Pei Wen's place early in the morning.
But the road was not peaceful, and they encountered Demon Soldiers coming to inquire again.
The Demon Soldiers saw the person beside Hui Yue, and with alarms ringing in their heads, they approached menacingly to question, "Who is this person?"
"A patient of Aunt Pei Wen," Hui Yue explained.
"Oh? Really? I haven't heard about Aunt Pei Wen having a patient," one of them said.
Hui Yue thought that they usually didn't pay attention to whether Aunt Pei Wen had patients or not; the question was clearly meant to trouble her. But she remained calm, showing no sign of being guilty, while maintaining a relaxed demeanor.
The leading Demon Soldier casually walked up to Yu Bai and, taking advantage of a moment of inattention, used his sword to lift the black veil in front of Yu Bai.
"Ah!" the small Demon Soldier leader exclaimed, "What a mess! Such bad luck!"
Hui Yue secretly laughed in her heart and smoothly replied, "I already said he is a patient of Aunt Pei Wen. Consider her medical expertise; a patient she personally attends to likely has an extraordinary condition. Aren't you afraid of being infected by looking directly?"
The leading small Demon Soldier clicked his tongue and cursed, "What bad luck!" Then, he shot Hui Yue a resentful look before reluctantly ordering his comrades, "Move out!"
Once those Demon Soldiers left, Hui Yue finally breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, she had been foresighted, using magic to alter Yu Bai's appearance and Demonic Qi to mask his aura.
Yu Bai, puzzled, asked, "Who were those people just now? It seemed like it was them last time too."
Yu Bai was referring to the previous time when they came searching the small cottage. To this day, he couldn't understand why anyone would search it, and why Hui Yue seemed so anxious, given that Hui Yue had told him they were in the Heavenly Clan's territory.
"Oh, they were looking for an enormously wicked person, so they were a bit strict," Hui Yue lied, deceiving him.
"Is that so?" Yu Bai pondered, still puzzled.
Carrying Yu Bai, who had escaped danger, they finally arrived at Aunt Pei Wen's residence. Aunt Pei Wen had long prepared at the place where the surgery would take place, waiting for them.
Seeing Hui Yue arriving, Aunt Pei Wen said unhurriedly, "Are you really decided?"
"Yes." Hui Yue nodded sincerely.
"Then have him lie down on the operating table," Aunt Pei Wen said softly.
"Alright." Hui Yue nodded and helped Yu Bai onto the table, following Aunt Pei Wen's directions.
Yu Bai's heart, however, remained restless and uneasy, not knowing where his anxiety stemmed from.
"Xiao Yue." Yu Bai reached out to grab Hui Yue's arm. Hui Yue paused and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Maybe we shouldn't go through with the surgery," Yu Bai said nervously.
Hui Yue was puzzled, "Why not?"
"I'm anxious, I'm really scared of losing you," Yu Bai said worriedly.
"It's just for your eyes. Don't be afraid!" Hui Yue smiled, continuing to soothe his emotions, patting his hand and saying, "Once your eyes are healed, the first person you'll see will be me. We will marry and always be together. Isn't that a beautiful thought?"
Encouraged by Hui Yue's words, Yu Bai gradually relaxed his grip, and one after another, beautiful images surfaced in his mind. Hui Yue was right; only in his complete self could he deserve to be with Hui Yue. He didn't want to become a burden to her. He wanted to love her, to protect her for a lifetime in his way, to be with her forever.
Seeing Yu Bai let go, Hui Yue continued, "Don't be afraid. Everything will get better."
"Xiao Yue, promise me that when I'm healed, you will be the first person I see," Yu Bai pleaded.
"Okay, I promise you I will be with you until the moment you open your eyes. When you're healed, I will marry you, and we will have a happy home," Hui Yue said those words, yet it felt as if thousands of needles were pricking her heart because she knew all along that this was impossible to achieve.
Deceiving him was also deceiving herself, painting a beautiful garden to lock both of them inside.
Once it was all over, she could only watch as all those beautiful things turned to illusions.