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Lina sat on her bed, cross-legged, and focused on the task at hand. Her diary was open before her, scribbling down the day's events. Dongfang Qingcang was taking a bath in the adjacent bathroom. She had given him a quick tour of the amenities before she began writing, hoping to make him feel at home in her world.

Lina could not help but feel a twinge of disappointment when she noticed that Qingcang had not reacted more enthusiastically to the modern bathroom facilities. She had anticipated that he would marvel at the water pressure or inquire about the technology behind the showerhead, but he had simply nodded and gone to take a bath without a word.

'He's so stoic.' Lina rolled her eyes. 'Oh well, no one's perfect.'

Lost in her writing, Lina did not hear the sound of the bathroom door opening. Looking up, she saw Qingcang standing there, wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist. Lina's pen fell from her hand in response to the rare sight. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in his toned arms, stomach, and chest, with water droplets glistening on his skin. She could not deny that he looked incredibly attractive, and the sudden rush of shyness that swept over her took her by surprise.

'He's so handsome,' Lina thought, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. 'I didn't expect him to look so good.' Qingcang appeared oblivious to his effect on her as he instantly changed into a fresh set of clothes in mere seconds without moving, with only black smoke covering him when he changed with the speed of light. 'C-couldn't he have done that before showing his naked chest to me?' she thought, trying to regain her composure and shake the thought of seeing Qingcang moments before he got dressed.

As Qingcang finished getting dressed, he turned to her and asked, "Are you alright? Why is your heart jumping?" He noticed her emotions as his own.

Lina managed to nod, her cheeks flushing with shyness. "Yes, everything's fine. My heart is...fine," she said, trying to sound casual. 'He's so caring, though,' Lina thought with a smile. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down, realizing that Qingcang was too handsome to live with and that he would be more challenging than she had initially thought. 'He's just a fairy bodyguard, Lina. He protects you in exchange for your help to bring him home.'

"Mhm. Then, let's go."

Lina, on the other hand, struggled to keep her eyes open. She had not slept more than ten minutes since returning to her world. She knew they needed to keep moving, but her body was starting to give up on her. "Why the rush? I haven't slept for more than ten minutes. Can you at least give me a day to recover?"

Qingcang looked at her tired eyes and knew she was about to pass out. His stern eyes turned soft, and he cleared his throat. "Alright."

Lina could hardly believe what she was hearing, and her mind raced with confusion. This was the first time Qingcang had shown any compassion towards her. 'Did I hear it correctly? He finally lets me sleep?' she thought in disbelief. "What about you? Please don't tell me you'll sleep next to me when we're unmarried."

Qingcang's response was immediate and reassuring. "I'll stay up and watch over you," he said, his voice gentle. "I'll keep you safe."

Lina was surprised by Qingcang's sudden shift in demeanor. 'He... did he become sweet after taking a relaxing bath? What happened?'

Qingcang, however, reasoned about their safety. 'When she isn't alert, she could put herself in danger, and we'll both die.'

As Lina pulled the sheet over her body, Qingcang remained vigilant, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger. She watched him with a mix of curiosity and confusion, trying to understand the sudden shift in his behavior, and after a moment of silence, she finally spoke up. "Dongfang Qingcang, can I ask you a personal question?"

Qingcang turned to look at her droopy eyes, his gaze steady and unwavering. "Ask away," he replied calmly.

"Why are you suddenly so gentle to me?" Lina asked, her voice barely above a whisper, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over her.

"Cut the crap," Qingcang's voice was firm once again. "Go to sleep."

Lina let out a small scoff, feeling regretful for asking such a personal question out of the blue. "Fine. Goodnight... I mean, day. I mean... morning..." she stammered, her mind too foggy to form a coherent thought. Qingcang grew increasingly annoyed by her rambling. "Nevermind. I'll go to sleep." She closed her eyes and drifted into a deep slumber.

As Lina gradually opened her eyes from a deep sleep, she met a surprise. Startled, she sat up abruptly and saw a heap of gold bars shining brilliantly, piled up to the ceiling. She could hardly believe her eyes and felt her heart pounding with excitement and confusion.

"What...what are these?" Lina stammered, her voice shaking with disbelief.

Qingcang sat on the chair near a desk and slowly turned his head to her. He looked down, noticing her distress, but remained indifferent. "That's your dowry," he replied monotone, his eyes studying her expression.

Lina was stunned by his response, feeling puzzled as she had never expected such a substantial dowry for a temporary marriage. She knew she was well-off financially, but this was beyond her wildest dreams. "What?"

Qingcang looked down at her and let out a deep sigh. "Is the dowry not enough?" he responded sarcastically, his eyebrow raised as if challenging her.

Lina's mind was whirling, and she could not believe what was happening. "Not at all," she murmured softly, still trying to grasp the situation. She sensed Qingcang was serious. "Thank you," she finally managed to say, her voice still shaky. She lay there for a moment, trying to process everything. 'Didn't he fuss about my terms of not sleeping with him near me when we're unmarried? And now he comes with a huge pile of gold bars as dowry.' She felt perplexed. 'Did he develop feelings for me? I have to remind him that this deal is only temporary. I won't stay married to him! I don't even know him.' Her thoughts were jumbled and confused, and she felt overwhelmed. All she knew was that she was grateful for his protection and unexpected gesture of kindness.

Qingcang offered her the gold. "Take it; it's yours," he said, his voice neutral, as he extended his hand toward the huge pile of gold bars.

Lina was taken aback by the amount of gold Qingcang had given her, and she could not help but think that he loved her deeply. 'He really loves me a lot... This amount of gold is only from lovesick men,' she thought. She had only joked about marriage to get him off her back, but now she was considering canceling their wedding and letting him be. 'I still didn't think he'd really go through with it until now. Come on! He's a fairy! I can't be with anyone other than my kind,' she thought.

Qingcang noticed the strange look that Lina had given him and raised an eyebrow in response. "What?" His deep voice resonated through the room.

"Are you serious about marrying me, Pretty Eyes? Don't you regret your decision?"

"Not at all."

"Why?"

"Hmph. I never explain myself."

Lina could not help but think, 'What the heck? It's just a question!' However, undeterred, she asked again, "Do you really want to marry me?"

Qingcang could not help but think to himself, 'Why is she asking me this? Doesn't she know that getting married is required for her full commitment to opening the portal?' Regardless, he responded, "Yes."

Lina's mind spun as she tried to process what was happening. She watched Qingcang with a mixture of confusion and curiosity, wondering what could have led him to make such a decision. She found herself grasping for any explanation to make sense of the situation. Finally, she spoke up, her voice trembling. "Pretty Eyes, you know that you can refuse marriage, right? I mean, you're not forced to marry me. You do know that, right?"

Qingcang stood up and looked at Lina intently, his gaze unwavering. "My mind is set. We're getting married as soon as possible, and my decision is final."

Lina's heart raced as she realized that Qingcang was not backing down. It was a lot to process, and this realization made her worry that he might have fallen too deeply in love with her.

Qingcang stood tall and confident, his dark eyes piercing as he gazed down at Lina. She was slightly shaken under his intense scrutiny, feeling as if he could see into the depths of her soul. Despite his imposing presence, his voice softened. "Don't you want my protection?"

Lina's heart pounded in her chest, her mind whirling as she struggled to respond correctly. She wanted to accept Qingcang's offer to feel safe, but reason held her back. "I do, b-but..."

Qingcang's expression shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly as he interrupted Lina. "Since you're such a crybaby and don't want me to sleep next to you for your safety, I'd have to marry you."

Lina's heart skipped a beat as she realized what Qingcang was saying. "You're doing all these things, like marrying me, so that you can protect me all the time?"

"Mhm." Qingcang nodded. His gaze was intense, almost hypnotic. "That's right."

She got lost in his dark, mysterious aura. 'No, Lina. Remember, he's a fairy from another world. Don't be bewitched by his sweet words.'

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