This chapter 14 used to be a Valentine's Special (on my blog) and it was originally published on February 14th! Two times fourteen makes it double special! So, I decided to spoil my girls, who love to read this story!

We're now at 10% of the story!

Dongfang Qingcang leaned forward, his sharp eyes fixed on Lina as she recounted the details of her attack. "So, you were attacked," he said, repeating her words slowly, "and then you passed out from exhaustion before you saw the portal in your room." He wanted to be sure that he had understood everything correctly.

Lina slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Mhm. Correct," she said, her voice delicate.

Qingcang furrowed his brow, his mind racing with questions. "Who could have done this to you?" he asked, his voice low and menacing.

Lina shook her head, her long dark hair falling in a straight waterfall around her face. "I don't know," she said.

Qingcang studied her momentarily, trying to gauge her level of sincerity. "You didn't go through with ending your—" he began to ask, but Lina cut him off.

"No! I didn't do it," Lina exclaimed, her eyes widening in horror. "I'm usually cheerful, so I have no idea why I suddenly wanted to do that."

Qingcang felt a sense of relief wash over him. 'So, she isn't that stupid. Good. But I have to keep my eye on her. Just in case,' he thought to himself.

Lina's adorable voice interrupted Qingcang's thoughts, catching his attention. "Oh yes, one thing," she said, her tone hesitant. "I'm tired, and I want to sleep. Where will you sleep?"

Qingcang crossed his arms over his chest and cocked an eyebrow, his expression stern. "Should I repeat myself?" he asked, his voice cold and intolerant.

As Lina looked at him, she remembered all the times that Qingcang had told her that she belonged to him, that she had to sleep in the same room as him, and that she was not allowed to leave his sight. The memories flooded her mind, and she let out a loud screech, causing him to furrow his brows in annoyance.

"What?" Qingcang asked, irritated by Lina's outburst.

Lina looked away from Qingcang, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She could not believe that he was so witless. "I'm not going to share a bed with you, let alone live with you!" she objected.

Qingcang towered over Lina, his eyes burning with an intensity that made her heart race. She could feel the heat emanating from his body, his presence so overpowering that it made her feel small and insignificant. "Why?" he demanded, his tone fierce and commanding. She could see the muscles in his jaw clench as he spoke. "Do you want the dark beings to kill you while I'm not around? Let me remind you why you're still alive," he added, his voice low and dangerous.

Lina tried to speak, but her words came out as a stutter. "Yes, I know. B-but..." she faltered.

"But what?" Qingcang demanded, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at her. He wanted to know why Lina objected to sharing the bed with him.

Lina blushed and stammered, "B-but there is only one bed! And I only have one bed at home. You can't sleep with me here or live with me!"

Qingcang raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Why not?" he asked, his voice softening slightly.

Lina grew more flustered. "Because!" she exclaimed, her cheeks turning even redder.

"Why?" Qingcang pressed, his tone growing more impatient.

"Because!" Lina repeated her answer, causing Qingcang to become annoyed once more.

"Whyyy?" Qingcang demanded again; his voice tinged with anger.

Lina hesitated, unsure of how to respond. She could feel the weight of Qingcang's gaze upon her, his eyes boring into her like a pair of lasers. She knew she had to give him a reason, but she was too embarrassed to say what was really on her mind. "Because... I," she began, trailing off.

Qingcang rolled his eyes. 'Is she trying to play a game with me?' he thought. He scowled at Lina and spoke impatiently, his tone brooking no argument. "Tell me the real reason. Now," he commanded, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger.

'Oh no, not again. I hate it whenever Pretty Eyes orders me to tell the truth!' Lina thought as she resisted the urge to cover her mouth, knowing it would only give away her vulnerability to Qingcang. She knew that he would be able to tell that he was her weakness if she tried to hide it. "Because I'm not your wife, and to sleep and live together freely, we must get married first!" she blurted out, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could think about them. The shock of what she had just said made her want to bury her head in the sand out of embarrassment. She had never felt she would be the proposing-to-a-man type, especially in such an awkward situation. To make matters worse, she had only met him a couple of hours ago.

Qingcang was taken aback by Lina's ridiculous suggestion, almost choking on his saliva. 'Marriage?' he thought as his eye twitched in anger. He had already been offended when she poked him in the chest earlier after he told her that she should sleep with him in the same room for her protection. However, telling him that they should get married just so that they could live together temporarily was beyond an insult. 'She, a Moon Queen?' he thought, offended. 'Does she think so low of me to marry her? I am the Moon Supreme, the strongest being in the three realms, and now I have to get married to her?' He gritted his teeth in anger and declared, "Nonsense!"

Lina felt nervous about what she had said to Qingcang, knowing that he would disagree with her terms, but they were necessary. The tension in the room was noticeable as they glared at each other.

As they faced each other, the silence was only broken by the sound of their breathing. Finally, Qingcang spoke again. "I won't get married to a lowly human!" he yelled arrogantly.

Lina stood her ground, unwilling to share a room with Qingcang if they were unmarried. "And I won't sleep in the same room with you!" she yelled back, matching his angry tone.

The argument between Lina and Qingcang became increasingly heated, and neither of them was willing to back down. His face was stern as he stood his ground, refusing to budge an inch. She was equally determined, and her voice rose as she tried to convey her point.

Suddenly, Qingcang had enough of the bickering and abruptly left the room by teleporting away in front of Lina. His dark aura, shaped like wings, dissipated into the air as he did so, leaving behind red shimmers that sparkled in the light.

Lina rolled her eyes at his dramatic exit, muttering to herself, "So much for his nonsense of keeping me in his sight."

In a way, Lina felt relieved to have told Qingcang what was in her heart and why she had rejected him. She was religious and uncomfortable staying in the same room with a man she was not married to. Although it was an awkward moment for her, she felt relaxed and empowered as a female. Besides, she was single, and Yichen had already found the love of his life, Jianmin.

Dongfang Qingcang flew in the distance, slicing through the wind as he passed further away from Lina's home. His heart was heavy, and his mind was racing with a thousand thoughts, each vying for his attention. He was seething with anger and frustration over her sudden marriage proposal. He was caught in a dilemma, knowing that forcing her to always be with him would only complicate matters. She would cry and feel heavy emotions if he did, forcing him to bear them.

"She wants me to marry her," Qingcang muttered under his breath, the words escaping his lips in a low growl.

Qingcang shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, but it was useless. He knew he had no choice but to protect Lina and keep her safe from the dark beings lurking in every corner. Knowing they could harm her, he could not risk leaving her alone for a few hours.

'I have no choice,' Qingcang thought, clenching his fists as he flew faster and faster. 'I have to be her full-time protector.'

As Qingcang flew, his frustration and anger boiled within him, threatening to consume him. He could not believe that his destiny had taken such a sudden turn. He increased his flight speed and yelled at the top of his lungs, feeling trapped by his suffocating future.

'I'm a ruthless tyrant destined to overthrow the Fairy Realm,' Qingcang thought bitterly. 'Never in my life have I thought that I'd be bound to a weak human.'

This is the first half of chapter 14. The next episode is the rest!