Chapter 546: No Matter How Long, I Will Wait for You

Qiao Xixi put on an act of helplessness, but she was secretly thrilled as she waved goodbye to Jin Ling and the others.

‘This is great! Tonight, I don’t have to perform a balancing act or make an impossible choice!’

Late at night, when all was quiet, Qiao Xixi had talked with Lan Yue until her throat was parched. After finally lulling Lan Yue to sleep with their conversation, she got up and fetched some Spiritual Spring water from her space to drink.

The cool, sweet water soothed the burning sensation in her throat the moment she swallowed.

Qiao Xixi returned to bed and lay down. Hugging the blanket, she was just about to close her eyes when she felt a hard smack on her butt.

“Oof!”

Qiao Xixi let out a muffled grunt. When she turned, she saw a hand swinging toward her face. She quickly recoiled, dodging the unconscious attack.

Hugging the blanket, she sat up and looked on helplessly as Lan Yue inched closer and closer in her sleep.

‘Looks like my mother-in-law is a restless sleeper,’ she thought. ‘If I stay here all night, I’ll be black and blue by morning.’

With no other choice, she resignedly threw off the blanket and got out of bed. The commotion had completely chased away the wave of drowsiness she’d felt just moments before.

So, Qiao Xixi decided to just get up and leave the main hall.

To her surprise, Yun Ji was standing right outside.

His hair cascaded down like a waterfall, the tips adorned with several feathery filaments that shimmered with a flowing light. As the night wind swept past, they rippled with fine specks of light. Two folded wings rested on his shoulders, the base of their feathers covered in a faint layer of white. As they drooped, their tips gently brushed the white jade steps, stirring up a cool breeze.

A lustrous white glow from the sea pearls enveloped him, making his entire figure seem unreal.

“Yun Ji.”

Hearing the sound, he slowly turned. The moment his gaze fell upon her, his cool, distant expression melted away, and the corners of his eyes filled with a smile.

“Why aren’t you asleep?”

The moment Qiao Xixi reached his side, he wrapped his wings around her, pulling her into an embrace and shielding her from the biting night wind.

“I got thirsty, and after getting up for some water, I wasn’t sleepy anymore. What are you doing here? Why haven’t you gone to rest?”

“I was waiting for you.”

Qiao Xixi was surprised. “How did you know I’d come out?”

Yun Ji merely smiled faintly without answering. Instead, he held her and flew out of the inner city, landing in a towering, ancient tree.

There was a treehouse nestled in the great tree. Yun Ji pushed open its door and went inside.

Qiao Xixi had assumed the treehouse would be built like the stone houses, but to her surprise, the inside was completely covered in thick, plush furs.

Yun Ji took off her shoes and set her down on the soft furs. The warmth of the hides instantly enveloped her cool skin, and an indescribably comfortable feeling washed over her.

Yun Ji fully retracted his wings, becoming completely human in form. He lay down beside her and gathered her into his arms.

Qiao Xixi snuggled into his embrace and turned to look at him. “Have you been resting here these past few days?”

“Yes. The Wing Clan prefers to roost in trees.”

It’s not that we can’t sleep in stone houses; we just prefer high places.

A gust of night wind rustled through the branches, making the tree sway gently. The sudden feeling of weightlessness startled Qiao Xixi, and she pressed herself tighter against Yun Ji.

Yun Ji immediately held her tighter. A white feather materialized at his fingertip and flew out. A moment later, the gently swaying treehouse fell still.

With the tip of her nose pressed against his chest, Qiao Xixi let out a soft sigh, unaware that her warm breath so close to him sent a slight shiver through his body.

She was completely oblivious. Just as she was about to close her eyes and drift off to sleep, a cool kiss landed on her lips.

A soft gasp escaped her throat, and she pushed lightly against his chest, but her movement only provoked a more passionate assault from him.

Qiao Xixi slowly opened her eyes. By the moonlight filtering into the treehouse, she could see his predatory gaze. ‘What happened to his usual cool, detached demeanor?’

A slight sting on her lip brought Qiao Xixi back to her senses, and she glared at him accusingly.

He took the cue and released her lips, scattering warm kisses across her brow, the corners of her mouth, and her earlobes.

“You were distracted again.”

“I’ll accept my punishment.”

Qiao Xixi chuckled, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him on the lips. Just as she was steeling herself for a sleepless night, Yun Ji simply held her and lay back down.

“Go to sleep. If everything is settled tomorrow, we can head back to the tribe.”

“Are you going back to Beast King City tomorrow?”

The arm Yun Ji had around her tightened. “Yes. Xueche has potential, but it’s not easy to learn so much from the very beginning.”

“So, how long will it take to teach him everything?”

“I’ll do it as quickly as possible.”

Qiao Xixi knew these things couldn’t be rushed, and she didn’t want her feelings to put any extra pressure on Yun Ji.

“Okay. I’ll wait for you, no matter how long it takes.”

In the past, no matter how long he had to wait, Yun Ji had never found it difficult.

But now, with the woman he yearned for right in his arms, he wished for nothing more than to immediately cast off his responsibilities and stay with her.

Hearing the rhythm of her steady breathing, Yun Ji slowly opened his eyes and watched her until dawn broke.

When Qiao Xixi woke up, she had Yun Ji take her back to Lan Yue’s palace. She had slipped out without a word last night and was worried Lan Yue would wake up, find her gone, and start to worry.

As luck would have it, Lan Yue woke up just as she returned.

“Xixi, why are you up so early?”

Qiao Xixi had no intention of telling her what happened last night. “Yes. Did you sleep well, Mother?”

Lan Yue nodded joyfully. “I haven’t slept that well in a very long time. Xixi, thank you, really. You’ve not only helped Jin Ling, but you’ve helped me, too.”

She remembered that Qiao Xixi had given her a pill yesterday. After she took it, she felt as if a giant hand had reached into her body and swept away all the shadows within.

In that moment, her body had felt indescribably refreshed. She knew that pill was the reason for all these changes.

“Mother, would you like to come with us to the tribe and see An’an?”

Lan Yue froze, subconsciously grabbing Qiao Xixi’s hand. “Xixi, are you leaving?”

Qiao Xixi nodded. “It should be soon.”

A flash of disappointment crossed Lan Yue’s eyes. She loved spending time with Qiao Xixi, but she couldn’t remember how many years it had been since she had last left Tiger Beast City.

“I…”

“Mother, don’t answer right away. Take your time and think about it. If you want to come with us, you can. And of course, if you go and decide you want to return, we can bring you back immediately.”

‘After all, with the Winged Clan around, the trip back and forth wouldn’t take long.’

Lan Yue gave a slight nod. “Let me think it over.”

“Okay.”

Although Jin Yao was now the new City Lord and all of Jin Wei’s cronies had been captured, such a major upheaval meant there were still many matters to attend to.

Not wanting to overstay their welcome in the inner city, Qiao Xixi and the others went to bid farewell to Jin Yao after breakfast.

Jin Yao was taken aback, not expecting them to leave so soon.

“Big Brother, are you all leaving today?”

“Xixi said we should give Mother time to consider coming to the tribe with us, so we’ll be waiting in the city for now.”

Jin Yao was about to speak when he looked up and saw Qingluan walk in.