“No choice, really. I’ve always been like this, even before,” Lin Qinghen sighed, burying his head slightly into Yin Jiuxiao’s shoulder, making his voice come out muffled. “Back when I used to stay up late, I’d go several nights without being able to sleep.”

That was the truth. In his previous life, his dedication to research had reached an almost manic level, barely sparing time for rest. Compared to that, he had mellowed out quite a bit.

Yin Jiuxiao chuckled, “So now you know you need rest?”

“Well, with me making so much noise, you wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. I know your hearing is sharp,” Lin Qinghen lifted his head and glanced at Yin Jiuxiao, sighing again. “It’s really hard taking care of you.”

His tone carried no hint of complaint, and with them being so close, Yin Jiuxiao couldn’t help but feel that it sounded more like Lin Qinghen was acting a bit spoiled.

As someone who had spent his life as the Sword Master and Demon Emperor, Yin Jiuxiao had never experienced anything like this.

Someone genuinely wanted to take care of him—someone who saw no advantage in him, not even his current blind self.

And Lin Qinghen did so much more than he said. His Die Meng Medicine Hall was slowly taking root, yet he kept a low profile, quietly living with Yin Jiuxiao in this little courtyard.

Yin Jiuxiao, meanwhile, continued his serious act of being blind, and Lin Qinghen looked after him without ever seeming annoyed.

Even though he had noticed some oddities about Yin Jiuxiao, Lin Qinghen never pressed for details when Yin Jiuxiao preferred to leave things unsaid, always leaving room for both of them.

So thoughtful in every way.

And now, lying beside him, nestled in his shoulder, speaking with a hint of spoiled tone, Lin Qinghen was just as caring.

Yin Jiuxiao half-wrapped his arm around Lin Qinghen’s waist, letting the faint herbal scent flood over him, his heart softening as if something had touched him deeply.

Almost instinctively, his tone lightened a bit. “Am I really that hard to take care of?”

“No, no,” Lin Qinghen patted his back, muttering softly, “It’s just that I want too much these days. With how things are, we’ll need to prepare for a better future.”

He had said, “the two of us.”

Yin Jiuxiao held back many thoughts. Lin Qinghen could feel the grip on his waist tighten, followed by a low, almost murmured reply, “Don’t worry; things will get better.”

Just as he was caring for Lin Qinghen, Yin Jiuxiao also had his own way of watching over him.

Later that night, Lin Qinghen didn’t remember much. His usual thrill for research calmed with just a few soft words exchanged between them.

They didn’t talk about research; instead, they spoke more like an ordinary couple, comforting each other and eventually relaxing.

They ended up half-hugging each other as they slept—closer than they had ever been, and it felt perfectly natural.

Lin Qinghen, who’d never been in love before, couldn’t say what type of person he liked, but he thought Yin Jiuxiao was good. After all, they were already married, and while he wasn’t sure if this counted as real affection, his body seemed to be pretty honest about it.

That night, they both slept deeply.

Lin Qinghen didn’t dream, and when he woke up, he felt clearer than ever, without the usual feeling of being trapped in an endless fog of research.

Yin Jiuxiao, surprisingly, woke up later than he did. As Lin Qinghen moved to get up, he felt Yin Jiuxiao, still half-asleep, instinctively tugging him back.

Lin Qinghen noticed how surprisingly strong his grip was.

Before he could react, he was pulled back down.

“Stay a bit longer,” Yin Jiuxiao murmured, his eyes still closed as he didn’t want to let go of the person he’d held all night. His voice was low, “Qinghen…”

There was something in Yin Jiuxiao’s tone that Lin Qinghen couldn’t quite describe, and with Yin Jiuxiao pulling him close, Lin Qinghen found himself blushing for the first time since they were married. He struggled a little but ended up staying.

Lin Qinghen, with his sharp biological clock and self-discipline, decided to break his own rules for him today.

Looking at Yin Jiuxiao’s face, he thought that this man looked especially gentle when he was asleep. Besides, he thought, I’m stuck at a bottleneck right now anyway. No harm in staying put.

But just as Yin Jiuxiao felt fully content with Lin Qinghen nestled against him, something unexpected happened.

They hadn’t lain there long when loud voices started coming from outside. Lin Qinghen heard it too and sensed something was wrong.

This time, Yin Jiuxiao didn’t try to hold him back. Lin Qinghen was fully alert, getting up and heading out.

“Qinghen…”

“Stay put,” Lin Qinghen didn’t look back. “I’ll go check.”

After he left, the peaceful expression on Yin Jiuxiao’s face faded. When he finally got up, his eyes were shadowed with anger.

Who was causing trouble at this hour, disturbing his rest?

Lin Qinghen put on his mask skillfully, and after shutting the door behind him, he immediately saw the intruders.

This courtyard had only ever seen Yin Hengxie’s visits, but this time, three strangers stood there, one in front and two in the back, none of whom looked friendly.

They all had young faces, and judging by their attire, they were likely from the Yin family.

They spotted him from afar.

“Hey, you’re that one who married into the family, right… Lin Qinghen?”

The tone wasn’t friendly.

Yin Jiuxiao’s courtyard had guards posted by Yin Hengxie, yet there was no sign of them now.

They might have been drawn away or were pretending not to notice.

These guards weren’t clueless; Lin Qinghen could see that they often just feigned loyalty.

Besides Yin Hengxie, no one in the Yin family recognized Yin Jiuxiao as the young master.

Yin Hengxie was also barely holding onto his position as young master, and many people could see it. The engagement had previously held down some discontent, but with that gone, the others were restless again.

The younger generation in the Yin family had been vying for the position, often stirring up trouble for Yin Jiuxiao in the past.

Since Lin Qinghen arrived, the Yin family had been preoccupied with significant matters. The power struggle between the Patriarch and the elders had kept everyone quiet, wary of missteps that might lead them to pick the wrong side.

But now that Yin Hengxie had regained some ground, the household was relatively balanced again, so the restless ones had returned.

Lin Qinghen cursed under his breath as the three men approached.

The leader, appearing to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, gave off an aura that hovered between the higher levels of the Mysterious Stage and the Earth Stage.

He gave Lin Qinghen a dismissive look and sneered, “I’m not here for you today. Where’s Yin Jiuxiao?”

Lin Qinghen responded without hesitation, “He’s not here.”

He purposely raised his voice so that Yin Jiuxiao, who was familiar with the courtyard’s layout, would hear him and hide.

The intruder frowned. “Where’d he go?”

“The Patriarch called for him early this morning and sent someone to escort him. He hasn’t returned yet,” Lin Qinghen replied. “If you want to find him, you can go to the Patriarch.”

The man snorted in amusement.

“Liar! The Patriarch left today and didn’t take anyone. And you think you can stop me?”

Lin Qinghen immediately understood; they were here to stir trouble while Yin Hengxie was away. There was no way he’d let Yin Jiuxiao come out now.

He blocked the doorway, refusing to budge.

“The Patriarch ordered Yin Jiuxiao to rest and recover. He personally gave me this instruction, and if anything happens to him, the Patriarch won’t let it go.”

The man sneered, giving Lin Qinghen a mocking look. “And who are you to threaten me with the Patriarch? Besides, who said I was here to harm Yin Jiuxiao? I just came to invite him. The Yin family has a rule; we hold monthly sparring matches to encourage the younger generation to cultivate. It’s all in good fun—nothing too serious.”

He was putting it politely, but the reality of the sparring field was different. Injuries were common, and it was almost impossible to identify who dealt the blow. If Yin Hengxie wanted to investigate, he’d find nothing, and making a fuss over a sparring injury would only seem petty.

Lin Qinghen knew this all too well, and he had no intention of letting Yin Jiuxiao go.

Without further words, they pushed past him and went inside. Lin Qinghen hoped Yin Jiuxiao had already hidden himself.

He’d cleared out a small inner room for experiments, which should be well-hidden.

But when they entered, Yin Jiuxiao was there, seated calmly on the bed.

He was still in his sleepwear, clearly undisturbed.

What’s wrong with him?! Why didn’t he hide!

Lin Qinghen sighed, stepping in front of him and whispering, “Didn’t I tell you they were here to make trouble? Why are you still sitting here!”

“I know,” Yin Jiuxiao squeezed his hand, replying calmly, “I heard it all. I even recognized their voices… old acquaintances.”

“Then why didn’t you hide?”

“If I hid, they’d only give you trouble,” Yin Jiuxiao said, “Don’t worry, Qinghen. I’ll be fine.”

Lin Qinghen assumed that most wouldn’t dare seriously harm Yin Jiuxiao out of fear of Yin Hengxie.

But Yin Jiuxiao was weaker; if he got hurt, he’d suffer.

Even now, Yin Jiuxiao reassured him, “Just wait here for me, Qinghen. Don’t worry. Nothing will happen.”

No one knew what Yin Jiuxiao was thinking.

He hadn’t sought revenge yet, and they had dared come looking for trouble. How convenient.

His courtyard was a good distance from the sparring field, and the Yin family estate was almost empty. No one would be around to see anything.

When the time came, he’d find a chance to break their arms, pull out their tongues, and knock them out for a year or so. No one would know who did it.

Who was the one who dared speak out and disturb his rest? And who was it that pushed Lin Qinghen?

Lin Qinghen had no clue what thoughts lay beneath his husband’s gentle appearance. His only worry was to insist, “If they insist on taking you, I’m going with you.”