Yue Lin’s fingertip brushed across Chu Hanjin’s lips.

Chu Hanjin filled with anger, turned his head away to avoid his touch.

Yue Lin said nothing more and placed the plate in front of him. He clapped his hands once, “Time to eat.”

Gone was the defiance from earlier; Chu Hanjin, despite his desire to maintain his dignity, was exhausted. Gritting his teeth, he reluctantly picked up the chopsticks and raised the bowl of rice.

Yue Lin’s slight approval only lifted an eyebrow as he showed no signs of letting up. He praised, “Now that’s more like it.”

Yue Lin watched Chu Hanjin finish his meal, then left the wooden house.

Chu Hanjin ate his food, but it left a bitter taste in his mouth. Every bite brought back the memory of Yue Lin’s invasive touch earlier, and his lips, slightly swollen, throbbed with a mild ache whenever they were disturbed.

He tried to calm himself, to suppress the lingering feelings from that deep kiss.

Yue Lin had acted out of anger, wanting to retaliate against him—that was all.

From his past experiences, if someone acts without engaging in proper communication, speaking only for themselves, and they hold no real significance to you, then when they offend you, it’s best to either ignore it or kick back hard—like being bitten by a dog. You simply kick it away.

Either way, there’s no sense in tormenting yourself.

But now, Chu Hanjin couldn’t seem to shake off his unsettled feelings.

…How outrageous.

Being kissed like that. If it had been someone else, he might have sentenced them to death, or at least dismissed it as being bitten by a dog. But with Yue Lin, Chu Hanjin’s emotions were floating somewhere between those two options.

He just couldn’t seem to let it go.

The meal was torturous, and even after finishing, Chu Hanjin’s mood remained just as bad. The sun was now shining brightly outside, and as he walked into the courtyard, he noticed Bai Gu standing outside the fence.

Bai Gu seemed to want to come into the yard, but as soon as his hand touched the fence, a bolt of lightning struck his palm, forcing him to step back.

There was a barrier set around the fence.

He looked up and met Chu Hanjin’s gaze directly.

Bai Gu smiled submissively, “Sister-in-law.”

“……”

Chu Hanjin’s face darkened, and he turned away.

Bai Gu, unbothered by being ignored, busied himself walking around the fence. After confirming he couldn’t get in, he sat down under a tree, built a small shelter from firewood, and settled in, waiting for Yue Lin’s instructions.

Utterly servile, completely sycophantic.

Chu Hanjin reached out and touched the fence. A sense of chaos crept along his fingertips. When he took a step forward, he entered an endless void of darkness and confusion, unable to see the way forward, only the brightly lit courtyard behind him.

This was an array deliberately designed to trap someone and block any way out.

After inspecting the array, Chu Hanjin found no exit and returned to the courtyard.

Yue Lin was chopping wood with an axe, and Bai Gu stood a short distance away, full of concern. “Ninth Brother, let me chop it for you?”

Yue Lin ignored him. Bai Gu persisted, “Living in the mountains is inconvenient. If you want to take care of Lord Yue Zhao, it might be better to return to the Demon Realm, where there are more people to serve you.”

Yue Lin paused mid-swing. “Why are you so insistent on convincing me to return to the Demon Realm?”

Bai Gu’s face turned pale, and he looked heartbroken at the suspicion. “Ninth Brother, how could I have any ulterior motives? You’ve been wandering outside for so long, and the Demon Clan is now without a leader. Power has fallen into the hands of other branches. Although I’ve worked hard to maintain order over the years, I’m not strong enough, and the others don’t respect me. After your unfortunate death back then, I took over in your place, managing the affairs temporarily. But now that you’ve returned, the throne of the Demon Lord rightfully belongs to you.”

Yue Lin’s golden eyes remained unreadable. He continued chopping the wood, the sound sharp and precise, as though cutting through bone. Each strike seemed ready to send someone’s head flying at any moment.

A tense string was pulled taut. Bai Gu kept a close eye on Yue Lin’s face, not daring to breathe too loudly.

After a while, Yue Lin’s lips relaxed slightly, and he smiled faintly. “Is that so?”

Cold sweat trickled down Bai Gu’s forehead. “Ninth Brother, why don’t you trust me?”

“I’m not saying I don’t trust you,” Yue Lin replied casually, “It’s just that there were too many people attacking me at that time. It was hard to tell who was friend and who was foe.”

Bai Gu’s face was filled with sorrow. “Ninth Brother, in your heart, you must resent me for that incident—”

Yue Lin interrupted him with a sharp swing of his axe, resting it on his shoulder. “Let’s not talk about the past.”

Bai Gu’s expression brightened with joy, his voice trembling, “Ninth Brother, are you willing to return to the Demon Realm?”

“I never said that.”

Yue Lin turned, his white robes fluttering like snow, and his gaze met Chu Hanjin’s, who had been watching coldly from the balcony.

Chu Hanjin had thought Yue Lin was simply angry with him, reluctant to return to the Demon Realm, and so had brought him here to the mountains. After all, Yue Lin had once been brutally betrayed and killed, harboring a deep grudge against the Demon Clan. But to his surprise, Yue Lin was now engaging with them, even showing signs of reconciliation.

Unwilling to let it bother him, Chu Hanjin averted his gaze.

But before long, a tall figure blocked his view.

Yue Lin approached, gently lifting Chu Hanjin’s chin with his fingertips, leaning in close to examine his lips. “Your lips are broken. Does it hurt?”

His sudden closeness revealed his sharp, handsome features, but his golden eyes held an unsettling tenderness as they carefully observed Chu Hanjin.

“It’s none of your business.”

Chu Hanjin hated this, and with a sharp slap, he knocked Yue Lin’s hand away and turned his face aside.

Yue Lin glanced at the redness on the back of his hand, seemingly deep in thought. He silently placed the axe in the woodshed and began gathering the firewood in the courtyard.

With nothing else to do, he sat under a tree to pass the time.

Chu Hanjin took out a chessboard and played a game of chess by himself. A few feet away, Yue Lin sat, carving a small wooden horse from wood, assembling it into what was clearly a toy meant for a child.

Neither of them spoke a word all morning.

By noon, Bai Gu appeared outside the fence again. “Ninth Brother, I hunted a deer for you. You can roast it for lunch. I’ll leave it by the gate, and you can take it yourself.”

After saying that, he placed the half-alive deer by the fence and returned to his makeshift shelter under the tree.

Chu Hanjin thought Yue Lin would refuse, but to his surprise, Yue Lin casually picked up the deer and brought it into the yard.

Chu Hanjin slammed a chess piece onto the board and turned his head.

…He actually took it.

There’s an old saying, “Don’t fix your shoes in a melon field, and don’t adjust your hat under a plum tree.” If you truly want to sever ties with the Demon Clan, you shouldn’t accept anything from them. Refusing would send a clear message. Otherwise, they might think you’re softening, making it easier for them to manipulate you.

As expected, seeing Yue Lin accept the deer, it wasn’t long before a group of Demon Clan guards stood outside the fence again, bringing all sorts of offerings—fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, and even clothes and makeup kits—piling everything up outside the fence.

Yue Lin paid no mind and brought everything into the courtyard.

Chu Hanjin slammed the chess pieces even harder.

A little while later, the midday sun was blazing. Yue Lin brought out a plate of freshly sliced watermelon, the pink flesh glistening in the sunlight, juicy and sweet.

Yue Lin offered the plate to Chu Hanjin. “Would you like some—?”

Without warning, Chu Hanjin swept his sleeve across, knocking the plate to the ground. The pink juice splattered, some staining Yue Lin’s sleeve, while some dripped onto his hand.

“I don’t want it,” Chu Hanjin said coldly, his voice resolute.

Yue Lin lowered his gaze without a word, staring at the watermelon spilled on the dirt, the overturned plate, and the stains on his clothes. After a long pause, he bent down, picked up the plate, and silently walked to the kitchen.

His retreating figure seemed a little desolate.

For a moment, Chu Hanjin regretted his harsh tone… but he had only meant to reject the food brought by the Demon Clan, not to target Yue Lin.

But now, it seemed he had unintentionally hurt him as well.

This complicated feeling lingered until lunch, when Yue Lin brought the food to the table—roasted deer, stir-fried vegetables with green onions, a fresh mushroom soup, and a plate of fruit to cleanse the palate. His face remained emotionless as he set the food on the table and then quietly left the room.

What did that mean?

…Was he not going to eat with him?

Chu Hanjin hadn’t expected things to deteriorate like this. He didn’t understand what was happening anymore. He only ate some plain rice, as that was the only thing he felt he could manage.

About half an hour later, Yue Lin came back to find the food untouched and now cold.

He glanced at Chu Hanjin but didn’t say anything, simply gathering the leftover food and taking it back to the kitchen.

Neither of them had said a word to each other by this point.

Chu Hanjin remembered that Yue Lin hadn’t eaten lunch.

But now… he didn’t know how to ask.

Forget it.

Maybe Yue Lin had eaten before bringing the food, or maybe he was eating with the Demon Clan, treating Chu Hanjin like an outsider, just throwing some dishes his way.

Thinking along these lines, Chu Hanjin decided not to ask and went to lie down in the chair. The summer heat caused sweat to cling to his clothes, making sleep uncomfortable, and he woke up halfway through feeling overheated.

The wooden house was quiet, and Yue Lin was nowhere to be seen.

Probably with the Demon Clan again.

Fine.

Chu Hanjin went to the kitchen to get some cold water.

But just as he reached the doorway, he stopped in his tracks.

A tall figure sat by the stove, a plate of cold food in front of him. Yue Lin was holding a bowl, scooping cold rice into his mouth.

He hadn’t touched any of the food Chu Hanjin had left, not even a single bite. He was only eating the most basic cold vegetables and rice, leftovers from what Chu Hanjin hadn’t finished.

Seeing this, something pricked at Chu Hanjin’s heart.

Suddenly, he felt ridiculous for having speculated about Yue Lin the way he had earlier.

He took a step forward, the sound of his shoes catching Yue Lin’s attention. Yue Lin turned to look at him, his expression instantly returning to its usual indifference. He stood up and set the bowl down.

Chu Hanjin couldn’t help but ask, “You’re only eating now?”

For the first time since yesterday, Chu Hanjin spoke to him calmly.

Yue Lin seemed surprised, responding simply, “Yes, why?”

The sight of Yue Lin quietly eating cold leftovers made Chu Hanjin feel both soft-hearted and a little sad.

Chu Hanjin asked, “Why didn’t you eat with me?”

Yue Lin answered bluntly, “Simple. I was afraid that if you smashed another plate, and I didn’t dodge in time, I’d get food all over me again. So I left early to avoid having to eat at the same table as you.”

Chu Hanjin knew that wasn’t his real reason, but Yue Lin’s stubborn words made him retort, “Yue Lin…”

The more likely explanation was that Yue Lin thought Chu Hanjin despised him so much that even the sight of him serving food would make him sick. To avoid ruining Chu Hanjin’s appetite, Yue Lin had chosen to leave the room rather than argue. 

The result? Yue Lin waited until after Chu Hanjin had eaten to quietly scrounge for the leftover cold food in the kitchen.

Just thinking about it made Chu Hanjin’s heart feel like it was being lightly tugged by a string.

He hadn’t meant to say anything. He hadn’t felt there was a need to communicate.

But seeing Yue Lin like this now, Chu Hanjin couldn’t hold back anymore. He spoke as calmly as possible, “I don’t eat food brought by people from the Demon Clan. So earlier…”

His ears grew a little warm. “It wasn’t intentional when I smashed your plate.”