Chapter 339

“Say something,” Pei Ji murmured.

“I just want to hear your voice a little more.”

Ning Ning’s breathing gradually steadied.

She shifted her head, her voice muffled against his thin shirt.

“Someday, let’s travel to the ends of the world, then settle down somewhere beautiful. You cook so well; I could teach you the dishes from my hometown… though I don’t know how to make them very well.”

He couldn’t help but smile, lowering his head to softly press his lips against the delicate skin of her neck.

“Mm.”

“Oh… He Zhizhou said that on the day the thunder struck, you summoned the ancient sword formation.”

Her breathing, which had been calm, became ragged again as his actions unsettled her.

“After the heavenly thunder calamity, a sword appeared beside you. The elders said… they said it was the famed sword Cheng Ying, containing a sword spirit. It used to reside in your sea of consciousness, but under the impact of the thunder, it was forced out.”

Finally, the confusion and worry clouding his heart began to clear.

Pei Ji nuzzled her chin.

“Mm.”

He heard her breathing become heavier again.

“Pei Ji.”

His soft kisses landed on her most sensitive spots, making Ning Ning take a shallow breath, her spine straightening instinctively.

“It… tickles.”

The words escaped her mouth without a second thought, and as soon as she spoke, she realized something was off.

Her response was quick and slightly trembling, each word broken and lingering, soft and far too tender.

Combined with a tone that sounded almost like she was pouting, her words held an unmistakable intimacy—intimate enough to make anyone blush and their heart race.

Pei Ji suddenly froze, his ears turning an even deeper shade of red.

Ning Ning wished she could curl up into a ball and say nothing more.

But she couldn’t let the atmosphere grow even more awkward.

She tucked her head down a bit further and continued, “Your injuries are serious. You absolutely must stay in bed and not move around, understand?”

Pei Ji obediently held her still, responding seriously, “Mm.”

After hearing her say that, his movements became careful, almost hesitant.

His gentleness made her heart ache.

“If you want to… continue, it’s okay.”

Ning Ning’s voice grew softer and softer, until the last few words were almost inaudible.

But Pei Ji still caught what she said.

In that moment, she felt her body heat up, and, gathering her courage, she managed to tell him, “I don’t dislike… being like this.”

His heart pounded heavily, as if a tiny flower bloomed in the desolate wasteland of his heart.

He heard Ning Ning continue, “Please don’t do such dangerous things alone anymore, alright? When I saw that thunder strike down…”

She paused, her voice choked, unable to finish her sentence.

Pei Ji raised his hand, gently brushing her cheek until he found the warm tear that had slipped down.

Ning Ning was crying for him.

The young man couldn’t see her expression, so he clumsily kissed away the tears that fell.

“I understand.”

“You’re always like this.”

She sounded almost angry, her tone sharpening.

“You try to bear everything alone, when clearly I and everyone else can help you. If something were to happen to you, I—”

She stopped, gritting her teeth and taking a deep breath.

“What would I do?”

Things were different now than they were before.

Pei Ji thought that, at the very least, he still had her.

For Ning Ning, he had to live well.

Only by shining as brightly as she did could he stand by her side.

“…I understand.”

He repeated, his voice hoarse but filled with unwavering tenderness.

This battered body of his was no longer his alone.

Pei Ji was willing to give her everything and to cherish everything for her as well.

His right hand, marked with distinct joints, lowered in silence, gently encircling her slender wrist.

He guided her hand slowly upward, her fingertips brushing against the soft, thin fabric until they reached his chest.

Against her palm, his heartbeat pulsed steadily, forcefully.

Thump, thump—it wouldn’t stop.

That was his heart.

“Can you hear it?”

With his ears burning red, Pei Ji seemed to pour all the gentleness and beautiful words he had into his final sentence: “It’s yours.”