Chapter 1070: Let the World Know

The last burst of fireworks scattered across the night sky, its golden sparks fading into the darkness above Imperial.

For a few moments, the distant echoes lingered over the city before gradually disappearing.

Silence returned to the backyard.

Only the soft rustling of ribbons and the gentle winter breeze disturbed the stillness beneath the illuminated tree.

Yue Ling remained nestled against Lu Tian’s chest, her arms loosely wrapped around his waist.

A contented smile rested on her lips.

She could still feel the warmth of his embrace, and for the first time in a long while, she wished the night would last a little longer.

Lu Tian lowered his gaze to the woman in his arms.

The golden lights reflected against her pale skin, illuminating the delicate curve of her smile.

He studied her for a moment before gently brushing a loose strand of hair away from her cheek.

"We’ve been out here long enough."

Yue Ling lifted her head.

"Hm?"

He reached for her hand.

"Let’s go inside."

His voice was calm, but the slight firmness in his tone made it clear that he would not entertain another argument about the cold.

Yue Ling chuckled.

"Alright."

She slipped her fingers between his, allowing him to lead her away from the tree.

Together, they followed the candlelit pathway toward the house.

The snow on either side glistened beneath the soft glow of the lights, while Imperial’s skyline stretched across the distant horizon.

Lu Tian walked at a leisurely pace, keeping Yue Ling close to his side.

Every so often, his thumb brushed over her knuckles.

It was an absentminded gesture, one he rarely noticed himself making.

But Yue Ling noticed.

She always did.

A gentle smile touched her lips.

As they neared the patio, however, she suddenly stopped.

Lu Tian felt the slight resistance against his hand.

He turned.

"What’s wrong?"

Yue Ling didn’t answer immediately.

Her gaze had drifted back toward the illuminated tree.

The white balloons floated gently among its branches, while the curtain lights shimmered against the darkness.

Everything looked just as she had imagined.

Perhaps even more beautiful.

Yet as she stared at the decorations, a thought crossed her mind.

One that had been lingering quietly since she slipped her father’s wedding band onto Lu Tian’s finger.

Lu Tian followed her gaze.

Then he looked down at her.

"Yue Ling?"

She slowly turned toward him.

"Tian."

"Hm?"

Her bluish-green eyes searched his face.

"Are you ashamed of me?"

Lu Tian blinked.

For a moment, he wondered whether he had heard correctly.

"...What?"

Yue Ling looked at him.

"Are you ashamed of me?"

His brows drew together.

Of all the things he had expected her to ask, that was certainly not one of them.

He stared at her for several seconds before his expression turned stern.

"Why would I be?"

Yue Ling opened her mouth, but he continued before she could answer.

He leaned slightly toward her.

"If anything, I’m even more proud to call you mine."

His voice was low and unwavering.

There was no hesitation in his answer.

No uncertainty.

To Lu Tian, the question itself was almost absurd.

He knew who his wife was.

He knew the responsibilities she carried, the enemies she had made, and the things she had endured.

He had witnessed both her kindness and the merciless side she reserved for those who threatened the people she loved.

None of it had ever made him ashamed of her.

If anything, the more he learned about her, the more certain he became that she was the only woman he wanted beside him.

He straightened.

Then, as though considering something, he tilted his head.

"Why?"

Yue Ling blinked.

Lu Tian raised an eyebrow.

"Are you ashamed of me?"

Her eyes widened.

"What?"

He pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"I mean, people are afraid of me."

Yue Ling stared at him.

He continued with a perfectly serious expression.

"I’m sure some parents use my name to frighten their children into going to sleep."

For a moment, Yue Ling simply looked at him.

Then she burst into laughter.

"Tian!"

He raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You’re crazy!"

A faint smile curved his lips.

"So I’ve been told."

Yue Ling laughed harder.

She could hardly believe that the same man who could silence an entire boardroom with a single glance was standing in front of her, casually suggesting that parents used his name to frighten their children.

And the worst part was that he had said it with such a straight face.

She shook her head.

"You’re impossible."

"So I’ve been told that too."

"Tian!"

His smile deepened.

Yue Ling gave him a playful glare before her expression softened.

She tightened her fingers around his.

"I’m never ashamed of you."

Lu Tian looked at her.

"Never?"

"Never."

She smiled.

"I know what people say about you. I know some are afraid of you."

Her gaze softened.

"But I also know the man who comes home and makes sure I’ve eaten. The man who worries when I’m tired and gives me his coat even when he’s cold himself."

She glanced at the dark shirt beneath his coat.

"And the man who somehow manages to spoil me while pretending he isn’t."

Lu Tian raised an eyebrow.

"Pretending?"

Yue Ling chuckled.

"Mm."

He shook his head faintly.

She stepped closer.

"That’s the man I love."

For a brief moment, Lu Tian said nothing.

His gaze rested on her face.

Then his thumb gently brushed across the back of her hand.

"Good."

Yue Ling tilted her head.

"Good?"

"Because I don’t intend to change."

She smiled.

"I wouldn’t ask you to."

Lu Tian looked at her for another moment.

Then he glanced toward the house.

"Now, can we go inside before you freeze?"

Yue Ling laughed softly.

"Just one more thing."

His brows rose.

"Another surprise?"

"Not exactly."

Before he could question her further, Yue Ling reached into the pocket of her cardigan and retrieved her phone.

She turned toward the tree.

Lu Tian watched with mild curiosity.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking a picture."

"Of the tree?"

"Not just the tree."

She lifted their intertwined hands.

Lu Tian glanced down while Yue Ling adjusted their hands until both were visible.

Behind them, the illuminated tree filled the screen, its warm lights creating a beautiful backdrop.

She tilted the phone slightly.

"Hold still."

Lu Tian raised an eyebrow.

But he complied.

A soft click sounded.

Yue Ling examined the photograph.

Their joined hands rested in the foreground, with their entwined hands clearly visible.

Behind them, the lights shimmered among the bare branches.

A satisfied smile spread across her face.

"Perfect."

Lu Tian leaned slightly closer.

"Let me see."

Yue Ling immediately pulled the phone toward herself.

"Later."

He looked at her.

"..."

She smiled innocently.

Then her fingers began moving across the screen.

Lu Tian watched her type.

"What are you doing now?"

"Nothing."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"My love."

"Hm?"

"You’re smiling."

"Am I?"

"Yes."

She chuckled.

A few seconds later, she finished typing and tapped the screen.

Then she slipped the phone back into her cardigan pocket.

Without offering an explanation, she wrapped both hands around his arm and began pulling him toward the house.

"Come on. You said we should go inside."

Lu Tian allowed himself to be led. He glanced down at her.

"What did you do?"

Yue Ling leaned her head against his arm.

"Nothing."

"Really?"

"Mm."

He gave her a skeptical look.

She smiled.

"Just letting the world know about us."

Lu Tian paused.

Then he chuckled.

"Isn’t it obvious already?"

Yue Ling considered his question.

It was true.

Their relationship was hardly a secret.

Their marriage was known among their families and closest associates, and their wedding had already become a topic of conversation around the world.

Yet she still wanted to do this.

Not because she needed to prove anything.

But because she wanted to.

"It is," she admitted.

Then she looked up at him.

"But some people need proof."

Lu Tian raised an eyebrow.

"Proof?"

"Mm."

"Of what?"

Yue Ling smiled.

"That you’re mine."

He stared at her.

She continued with a perfectly innocent expression.

"And that your wife has no intention of sharing."

For a moment, Lu Tian remained silent.

Then a low chuckle escaped him.

"Possessive, aren’t we?"

Yue Ling nodded without shame.

"Very."

His smile widened.

"Good."

She blinked.

"Good?"

He lowered his head slightly.

"Because neither do I."

Yue Ling laughed.

"Neither do you what?"

"Intend to share."

Her cheeks warmed.

"Tian..."

He straightened, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

Yue Ling shook her head before resting against his arm again.

"And besides," she added softly, "I just wanted the world to know how much I love you."

Lu Tian’s expression softened.

He looked down at her.

For a brief moment, he said nothing.

Then he gently squeezed her hand.

"I know, wife."

Yue Ling smiled.

"Now everyone else will too."

The warmth of the house greeted them as they stepped through the back door.

Yue Ling released Lu Tian’s arm and slipped his coat from her shoulders.

She carefully folded it over her arm while he turned to lock the door.

The faint clicking of the lock echoed through the quiet living room.

Outside, the illuminated tree remained visible through the glass.

Its golden lights cast a soft glow across the patio.

Yue Ling glanced at it one last time.

A satisfied smile touched her lips.

Everything had gone better than she expected.

The decorations.

The fireworks.

Her proposal.

And most importantly, Lu Tian’s reaction.

She had wanted to give him something special.

Something that belonged entirely to them.

And judging by the way he had looked at her beneath the tree, she knew she had succeeded.

Still smiling, she turned toward the staircase.

"I’m going to change. Do you want—"

Before she could finish, a hand caught hers.

Yue Ling blinked.

"Tian?"

Lu Tian gently pulled her back.

The sudden movement caused her to turn, and before she realized what was happening, she found herself standing directly in front of him.

Her free hand instinctively settled against his chest.

She looked up.

"What—"

He leaned down.

And kissed her.

Yue Ling’s eyes widened slightly.

The kiss caught her completely off guard.

It was different from the gentle kisses they had shared beneath the tree.

There was no teasing.

No playful exchange.

Only the quiet intensity of emotions Lu Tian had kept carefully restrained throughout the evening.

His hand settled against the back of her head, his fingers threading gently through her hair.

The other rested at her waist, drawing her closer.

Yue Ling’s surprise lasted only a moment.

Then her eyes slowly closed.

Lu Tian held her securely against him.

He had spent the entire afternoon surrounded by documents detailing the darkest parts of her past.

He had listened to Grandfather Ji speak of the people they had lost.

He had carried home secrets that weighed heavily on his mind.

And then Yue Ling had stood before him beneath a tree filled with lights, offering him her father’s wedding band and asking him to be the last man she would ever love.

Even now, he could hardly believe it.

She had no idea how much her gesture meant to him.

No idea how deeply her words had affected him.

And perhaps that was why he had reached for her before she could walk away.

Because for once, words felt inadequate.

He wanted her to understand.

Not through promises or carefully chosen declarations.

But through the way he held her.

The way he kissed her.

The way he had no intention of ever letting her face the world alone.

Yue Ling felt his hand tighten slightly at her waist.

She drew closer.

The coat slipped from her arm and fell quietly onto the floor.

Neither noticed.

Her hands, pressed against his chest, slid up to wrap around his neck as she returned the kiss with equal fervor.

She could feel his heart pounding beneath her palms, matching the frantic rhythm of her own.

His hands traced every curve of her body—the dip of her waist, the flare of her hips, the small of her back—as he guided her backward through the darkened living room.

Not once did his lips leave hers.

She moved with him blindly, trusting him completely, until the back of her legs hit the plush sofa.

They sank down together, and Lu Tian’s weight settled over her, warm and solid and right.

His mouth finally left hers to trail hot kisses along her jaw, down the column of her throat, pausing at each mark he’d left earlier.

"You don’t understand how much I love you."

He murmured against her skin, his voice rough with desire.

"Tian..."

Her voice came out breathless as his hands slipped her cardigan off her shoulders.

"Tell me you want this."

He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes in the darkness.

"Tell me you want me."

"I want you."

She whispered, her fingers already working at his shirt.

"I always want you."

He leaned down and kissed her again, slower this time but no less intense, as they undressed each other with practiced ease.

Fabric whispered against skin, discarded carelessly on the floor.

When his hands skimmed up her bare thighs, she arched into his touch with a soft moan that made him groan in response.

"You’re so beautiful," he breathed, his lips tracing the curve of her collarbone.

"Do you know that? Do you know what you do to me?"

"Show me," she challenged, her nails dragging lightly down his back.

And he did.

His touch was everywhere—reverent and possessive, gentle and demanding.

He knew exactly where to kiss, where to caress, how to make her gasp his name.

When he finally entered her, they both stilled for a moment, foreheads pressed together, breathing each other’s air.

"I love you," he whispered, the words falling from his lips as naturally as breathing.

"God, Yue Ling, I love you so much."

Her eyes flew open, meeting his in the darkness.

"Tian—"

"You don’t have to say it back."

He cut her off and began to move with slow, deep strokes that made coherent thought nearly impossible.

"I just needed you to know."

"You silly."

She gasped, her legs wrapping around his waist to pull him deeper.

"I love you too."

Their love for one another seemed to break something in both of them.

Their movements became more urgent, more desperate, as if they could somehow merge completely if they just tried hard enough.

She clung to him, whispering his name like a prayer, and he buried his face in her neck, breathing her in as if she were oxygen itself.

When she came apart beneath him, crying out his name, he followed moments later with a groan that rumbled through his chest.

They stayed locked together, trembling, as aftershocks rolled through them both.

"I love you."

He whispered again, softer now, pressing kisses to her temple, her cheek, her lips.

"I love you, I love you, I love you."

She laughed breathlessly, her fingers combing through his damp hair.

"I heard you the first time."

"I don’t care. I’m going to keep saying it."

He shifted slightly, gathering her closer.

They lay tangled together on the couch for several minutes, catching their breath, trading lazy kisses and whispered words.

Finally, Lu Tian stirred, pressing one more kiss to her lips before carefully extracting himself.

"Come on."

He stood from the couch and reached down for her.

"Let’s get cleaned up for bed."

"I can walk."

She protested, but he was already scooping her up into his arms, one arm beneath her knees and the other supporting her back.

"I know you can."

He carried her toward the stairs.

"But I want to take care of you."

She looped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his shoulder.

"I guess I’ll never win against you on this."

"You love it."

"I love you," she corrected softly.

She felt him pause mid-step, felt the way his arms tightened around her.

"Say it again."

"I love you, Lu Tian."

He resumed climbing the stairs, but she could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke.

"I’m never going to get tired of hearing that."

For a long moment, the world beyond their home seemed to disappear.

After Lu Tian poured more of his love into his wife in the shower, he finally allowed her to rest.

Yue Ling lay in bed in the warmth of his embrace and the familiar comfort of being held by the person she loved.

Lu Tian rested his head against hers, his eyes remaining closed for a brief moment.

Then he opened his eyes.

His gaze drifted briefly toward the gold band resting on his finger in the dark.

Yue Ling followed his eyes. Her expression softened.

When she looked up at him, he was already watching her.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

She blinked.

"For the surprise?"

He nodded.

"And the ring."

Yue Ling smiled.

"You already thanked me."

"I know."

His thumb brushed gently against her arm.

She studied his face with the light coming through from the windows.

There was something different in his expression.

He was still the same composed, seemingly unshakable Lu Tian.

Yet the tenderness in his eyes was unmistakable.

Yue Ling lifted a hand and gently touched his cheek.

"Do you really like it that much?"

Lu Tian looked at her.

"More than you know."

Her heart softened.

She smiled and leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Then I’m glad."

Lu Tian brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

For a moment, he simply looked at her.

Then he lowered his head and kissed her forehead.

"Yue Ling."

"Hm?"

"I love you."

Yue Ling smiled.

"I love you too."

His lips curved faintly.

"Even if I frighten children into going to sleep?"

Yue Ling burst into laughter.

"Tian!"

He chuckled.

She playfully struck his chest.

"You’re never going to let that go, are you?"

"Probably not."

Yue Ling shook her head, still laughing.

Lu Tian watched her with a quiet smile.

The sound of her laughter filled the otherwise silent house.

And for a brief moment, the weight of everything awaiting him tomorrow seemed a little lighter.

Yue Ling glanced down at his hand.

The gold band rested on his finger.

A quiet warmth spread through her chest.

She tightened her hold on him.

Lu Tian glanced at her.

"What is it?"

Yue Ling shook her head.

"Nothing."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing?"

She smiled.

"Just happy."

Lu Tian’s expression softened.

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

"Good."

Beyond the windows, the tree remained illuminated beneath the winter sky.

Its lights shimmered quietly against the snow, marking the place where Yue Ling had offered Lu Tian a piece of her past and asked him to share the rest of her future.

And although the night was coming to an end, the promise they had made beneath those lights would remain long after the decorations were taken down.

For Yue Ling, it had been a declaration of love.

For Lu Tian, it had become something more.

A reminder that whatever darkness awaited them, there was still a future worth protecting.

And tonight, that future was walking beside him, her fingers intertwined with his.