Tang Jing had just realized that it was already approaching evening.

The shimmering surface of the river in front of her began reflecting the slanting rays of the setting sun, stinging her eyes, and piercing her heart as well.

It had been over two hours since she and Ye Yuqiao had parted ways.

If Ye Yuqiao were alive, she would definitely have come to find them, but Ye Yuqiao had not.

What did this mean?

Tang Jing dared not think about it, nor did she wish to contemplate it; she only wanted to hurry back to find Ye Yuqiao.

"We just followed the current downstream to get here," she said as she stood up with the help of Xie Xiaofeng.

Her gaze followed the winding course of the river upstream to the furthest point it reached, then, arm in arm with Xie Xiaofeng, she began to make her way back.

She did not know that her current location was twenty-three kilometers away from where they had separated.

Meanwhile, at this very moment, twenty-three kilometers away in a forest,

the scene resembled a disaster, with a large area of trees destroyed. Broken branches and wilted leaves covered the ground, mixing the smell of burning with the nauseating stench of blood, filling the air of the forest that had just experienced a fierce battle.

On the ground, cushioned by several thick layers of debris, aside from the dried crimson bloodstains, there were also the corpses of three giant snakes.

These three snakes were the Seven Step Snake King, the Fire Dragon Snake King, and the Spit Snake King.

In stark contrast to the chaotic brutality here, across the river, the opposite forest still displayed the lush and thriving greenery typical of summer.

Underneath one of these densely foliated trees, Ye Yuqiao was leaning tightly in Chen Hao's embrace, now peacefully asleep after the terror and ordeal she had experienced.

Chen Hao, with his back against the tree trunk, continuously stroked Ye Yuqiao's hair, his brow furrowed, his eyes filled with compassion.

He had thankfully rushed back from the Netherworld in time; otherwise, the one lying in his arms would now be Ye Yuqiao's corpse.

At that thought, he felt a chill in his heart, nearly losing everything.

The Ye Yuqiao in his arms was his everything.

At that moment, he felt a movement in his arms as Ye Yuqiao awoke.

The first thing Ye Yuqiao did upon opening her eyes was to look up at Chen Hao and then she softly, contentedly called out, "Boyfriend."

For her, having Chen Hao by her side was enough to feel satisfied.

"Awake?" Chen Hao gave her a gentle smile and then pressed his forehead against hers, leaving a kiss on her forehead.

After feeling the warmth and gentleness in that kiss, Ye Yuqiao suddenly began to cry again, her voice hoarse as she trembled, "It's so good to have you here."

"No more crying, no more crying!" Chen Hao consoled her with laughter, gently patting Ye Yuqiao's back. She had cried for a long time in his embrace before falling asleep from exhaustion.

He was slightly worried that Ye Yuqiao would become too thin if she continued to cry like this.

"You're a queen, you know. If people saw you crying so pitifully, wouldn't that ruin your reputation?"

"I don't care, if I lose face then I lose face. In front of my own boyfriend, I want to cry if I feel like crying," Ye Yuqiao said, playfully burrowing her head into Chen Hao and being coquettish. Her hands climbed to Chen Hao's cheeks, using her cool palms to feel his real, warm temperature, confirming again that this was not a dream.

Because more than two hours ago, she had completely despaired.

After sending Xie Xiaofeng and Tang Jing into the river, she, surrounded by the Seven Step Snake King, the Fire Dragon Snake King, and the Spit Snake King, did not hold out any hope that Chen Hao would come to save her. Instead, her heart was saying goodbye to Chen Hao.

Back then, she thought that Chen Hao had been taken by King Nanlin Yao, who had stolen the Nether King's Heart, and that he had perished without a trace.

Afterward, as a tide of purple poison gas, green poison liquid, and red flames overwhelmed her, she closed her eyes.

Waiting quietly for death.

In that moment, her mind began to replay everything she experienced with Chen Hao over the past eleven months. Though happiness was brief, she was content. She became immersed in the blissful memories, forgetting everything around her.

Until a familiar voice reached her ears.

"Yuqiao!"

It was Chen Hao's voice.

Ye Yuqiao thought it was just an illusion in her mind.

Suddenly, she felt herself being tightly embraced, suffocating almost to the point where she could not breathe, before she finally opened her eyes.

In an instant, Chen Hao's familiar scent enveloped her, and she saw Chen Hao's downward-turned profile and the Nether King Orchid Heart above his head, symbolizing herself.

She was stunned!

She couldn't believe that she was inside the Nether King Orchid Heart.

"Boyfriend, jerk, is it really you, is it really you?" she asked, too nervous to breathe.

At that moment, Chen Hao let go of her, then gazed into her eyes with a reproachful tone, "Ye Yuqiao, do you have any idea how dangerous it was just now? If I hadn't arrived in time, you would've—"

"Wuuu!" Chen Hao hadn't finished speaking when Ye Yuqiao suddenly burst into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Boyfriend, I thought I'd never see you again, wuuu!"

Her tears soaked Chen Hao's clothes almost instantly. He was suddenly unsure what to do as he watched Ye Yuqiao in his arms cry harder and harder.

Chen Hao didn't know that from the moment he was captured by King Nanlin and brought to the Netherworld, Ye Yuqiao's heart had begun to despair and crumble. She had been holding back until she saw Tang Jing and Xie Xiaofeng swept away by the river.

So Chen Hao also couldn't know how Ye Yuqiao felt seeing him again at that moment.

After crying for a long time, Ye Yuqiao suddenly pinched Chen Hao's back hard with her right hand and said, "Boyfriend, swear to me now that you'll never leave me again, no matter what happens."

"Mm," Chen Hao nodded earnestly and seriously, "I swear!"

Then, Ye Yuqiao cried again, shivering violently.

After a while, Ye Yuqiao pulled away from Chen Hao's chest, lifted her tear-stained eyes to look at Chen Hao, and said nothing.

"It's so good to have you!" she sighed with feeling.

"Me too," Chen Hao seemed to understand something from Ye Yuqiao's eyes, "when I saw the Dark Law King, I thought I wasn't going to make it back."

"The Dark Law King!" Ye Yuqiao was shocked, barely holding back her tears as another fell down her cheek, and then her eyes brimmed with tears once more.

"I didn't realize the situation you were in was even worse than I imagined," Ye Yuqiao said with a trembling voice, "Thank goodness, you still came back, you didn't leave me alone!"

"But you almost left me behind!" Chen Hao's expression darkened.

"I thought you weren't coming back," Ye Yuqiao said, smiling through her tears.

"You should have had faith in me," he responded.

"Alright, alright, my bad, okay? No matter what happens in the future, I will always trust you," Ye Yuqiao said coquettishly, holding Chen Hao's hand and then swiftly changing the topic, "Boyfriend, what about those three snakes?"

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