Feeling that they were on the same page again, Jing Yi decided to solve the puzzle of how to get out of Qiu Ling’s inner self. For that, the most important part should be to figure out what the conflict in Qiu Ling’s heart was and the clue to that had to be somewhere around here.

There wasn’t much to see at the place they were currently at. The most obvious was definitely the woman sitting on the tree trunk. Jing Yi gave her a curious look, once again wondering just who she might be to Qiu Ling.

Now that he looked at her more closely, he noticed that she was quite good-looking. It was just … her expression was blank as if she was deep in thought and didn’t know what to make of all of this. If she had only shown that look for a moment, he wouldn’t have found anything strange about it but her expression hadn’t changed at all since he came here. By now, it was slowly starting to freak him out. Even more so now that he was paying attention to her.

He gulped and then turned back to Qiu Ling, hoping that he would be able to figure out the answer to their problem on his own. He knew his past, after all. "So … who is she?"

Qiu Ling tensed. It couldn’t be … Was his beloved accusing him of having an affair?! No, he couldn’t let that happen! While he knew that woman, there was absolutely nothing between them. Not even a single piece of paper could be filled to describe their relationship. Ah, no, that was wrong. They didn’t have a relationship so what was there to describe? Anyway, this couldn’t be said.

In an attempt to make himself seem innocent, he just denied everything. "Who are you talking about, my love? It’s just us. We’re alone here."

Jing Yi raised his brows. "No, we’re not. There’s clearly a woman —"

Shit. It seemed this didn’t work. He had to use other methods! How about distracting him? "Ah!" Qiu Ling called out and then grabbed Jing Yi by the shoulders, intently staring into his eyes. "That reminds me! My love, I composed a poem for you! How about I recite it for you now?" Qiu Ling’s face was radiating with so much eagerness that there was no doubt that he was trying to evade the topic.

Jing Yi raised his brows a little higher. Was talking about this woman that hard? Who was she? With Qiu Ling not wanting to talk about it Jing Yi was taking an even greater interest in the matter.

Seeing that, Qiu Ling barely repressed a curse. It couldn’t be that he really had to talk about it with Jing Yi, could it? But then Jing He would remember when he woke up. He couldn’t risk that. No, there was no way in hell he could let that happen.

Qiu Ling looked at his beloved and smiled but as amicable as he seemed there was only one thought in his mind: Over my dead body! He would never let Jing He find out about the dark secrets of his past. That would ruin every chance he had of ever marrying him. Naturally, he wouldn’t allow for that to happen after toiling for ten years to make Jing He promise to marry him.

But of course, Jing Yi didn’t want to let the matter go just like this. After all, how would they leave here if Qiu Ling didn’t confront his inner demon? And since he had no idea of the things that went through his lover’s head, he also couldn’t try to address them and just continue his own train of thought. "Qiu Ling? Tell me who she is, alright? What happened to her? I’m sure —"

"Oh! Listen to this!" Qiu Ling flipped him around in his arm so that Jing Yi’s back was pressed against his chest. This way, he faced away from the woman and looked down the stream instead. That should make him forget about her soon, right?

Qiu Ling encircled his waist and bent his head until his lips were next to Jing Yi’s ear. "A flash of blue like water in front of a man dying of thirst, a sound like wind chimes making my heart beat faster, inky-black silk begging me closer to sample, that bothersome word now the sweetest promise."

Jing Yi shuddered at the feeling of Qiu Ling’s warm breath against his skin. His mind went blank and he had problems following what Qiu Ling was saying. Why were his legs suddenly so weak? He felt like he needed Qiu Ling’s arms to stay upright.

Qiu Ling waited with bated breath after he finished his poem but he didn’t get an answer. Mystified, he craned his neck and looked into his beloved’s face. As soon as he saw the blush that had crept up his cheeks and the dazed look in his eyes, a smile broke out on his face.

Ah! His beloved was so touched that he didn’t even know what to say! Words were actually eluding him. How great! This could definitely only be called a victory on all fronts. Not only had he managed to distract him from the unnecessary questions but he had also managed to show his affection and make him feel sweet. What more could he ask for?

Actually … Qiu Ling’s gaze darted from one side to the other. He was especially proud of himself since it wasn’t a secret at all that Jing He was eloquent and composed. Stumping him for words was a task not easily accomplished and he had done it with his love confession! He definitely deserved a bit more of a reward for that than just his beloved’s speechlessness, right? So how about …

"My love, if you’re too touched for words, why don’t you kiss me?" Qiu Ling turned him around again, cradled the back of his head, and gently pressed his lips against Jing Yi’s.