At the entrance of the secret room—
Ye Cheng gently held Qian Renxue in his arms, softly stroking her silky golden hair, just like smoothing a kitten's fur. At the same time, he released his "Divine Light," silently bringing warmth to the girl whose heart had fallen into darkness, driving away the shadows within her.
His actions weren't any form of seduction or mind control—just a simple, soothing flow of divine power. Ye Cheng disdained using mental manipulation to win a woman's heart; such affection would only be a false imitation of true feelings.
Under Ye Cheng's comforting presence, the girl's panicked heart gradually found support. As her rationality returned, she realized her current state and immediately felt a wave of shyness. After all, despite how close they might seem in those future videos, the two of them in reality barely knew each other.
Out of a woman's natural modesty, Qian Renxue should have pulled away immediately. Yet her body, craving this warmth, refused to move. So she simply pretended not to have recovered yet, allowing herself to stay in his embrace a little longer.
Ye Cheng, highly attuned to emotional fluctuations, naturally sensed that she had calmed down. But seeing that she wished to linger, he didn't mind holding such a stunning beauty in his arms a bit longer.
After all, she smelled delightful, and she was so soft and comfortable to hold~
They stayed like that for a while longer.
Eventually, Ye Cheng felt it was time and gently patted her back. "Feeling better now?"
Qian Renxue, who had been clinging tightly to him, lost in the warmth and security of his arms, suddenly came to her senses. She realized she couldn't stay like this forever.
There was something almost magical about this man's presence—so soothing and calming. Just resting against him made her feel drowsy, like lying in a cool, shaded meadow during a lazy summer afternoon, with a gentle breeze brushing past…
All her exhaustion seemed to melt away, and she didn't want to wake from that comforting haze.
"Thank you," she murmured.
Reluctantly, Qian Renxue loosened her grip around his waist, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. With her head slightly lowered, she said softly, "I feel much better now."
"No need to thank me," Ye Cheng smiled and shook his head. "Your grandfather has been successfully revived. The process went very smoothly. He's just still in a deep sleep and needs someone to wake him up. I believe no one is more suited for that task than you."
"Grandpa…"
Hearing this, Qian Renxue grew visibly emotional.
The two of them entered the secret chamber.
Inside, Qian Daoliu had fallen from his suspended state and was now lying quietly on the ground, eyes closed, as if caught in a long, deep slumber, waiting to be awakened.
Seeing her once-departed grandfather alive in front of her, Qian Renxue couldn't contain her excitement. She hurried forward, her voice trembling, "Grandpa, it's me, Xiaoxue! Can you hear me? Grandpa!"
Moved by the familiar voice, Qian Daoliu's eyelids twitched before he slowly opened his eyes. At first, his gaze was unfocused, but when he finally saw Qian Renxue's tearful face clearly, memories surged back into his mind.
Xiaoxue?
Wait, didn't I sacrifice myself?
How can I still see Xiaoxue?
Could it be… she failed to become a god?
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Qian Daoliu noticed something strange. He could feel the immense power within him and his own physical existence—proof that he was very much alive.
But he clearly remembered sacrificing himself…
Was it just a dream?
"Xiaoxue, what's going on?" Qian Daoliu asked hesitantly. "I remember… I sacrificed myself. Why am I still alive?"
Seeing her grandfather's clear, familiar consciousness, Qian Renxue finally confirmed it for herself—he had truly been resurrected.
Having already vented her emotions earlier, she could now explain calmly, "Don't worry, Grandpa. I've become the Angel God now! Your sacrifice wasn't in vain."
"That's good to hear!"
Qian Daoliu let out a deep sigh of relief. His greatest fear had been that something would go wrong. But… why was he alive again?
"Grandpa, it was… him who helped revive you." As she said this, Qian Renxue suddenly remembered Ye Cheng. She quickly introduced him, her face reddening slightly—almost as if she were introducing her boyfriend to her family.
"Oh, I see," Qian Daoliu said.
Looking at his granddaughter's bashful demeanor, an amused smile appeared on Qian Daoliu's face. His gaze shifted to Ye Cheng—full of meaning, as if already regarding him as his future grandson-in-law.
Still, outwardly, he remained polite. "Thank you, City Lord Ye, for your great kindness in bringing me back to life. I'm truly at a loss as to how to repay you…" (He thought privately: Perhaps by giving you my granddaughter.)
Of course, he didn't say that last part out loud.
After thinking about it, he decided it was better to let the young ones figure things out themselves.
From what he had seen in the future videos, these two were destined to end up together anyway. After all, his future great-granddaughter, Klee, had already made an appearance—it was practically written in the stars.
There was no need for him, an old man, to meddle.
"You're too kind, senior," Ye Cheng responded modestly, although he couldn't help feeling a bit awkward under Qian Daoliu's approving gaze.
"I merely offered a helping hand. Even without me, I believe that given some time, Lady Renxue would have been able to revive you herself."
"You're being overly humble," Qian Daoliu chuckled.
He knew Ye Cheng was just being courteous. In truth, resurrection wasn't something so easily achieved. If Qian Renxue could have managed it herself, she would've done so already.
Even if, theoretically, Qian Renxue could one day gain the power to do it, the "period of time" Ye Cheng mentioned wouldn't be just a few months—it could be decades or even centuries. Definitely not something that would have happened so quickly.
Thus, Qian Daoliu's opinion of Ye Cheng was extremely favorable.
Looking at the two young people before him—such a perfect match—he couldn't help but wish they would get married right away and have a talented child he could dote on.
At his age, he had few desires left. Living out his remaining days peacefully, enjoying family and retirement, was all he wanted.
Though his new body had just been created, its aged appearance reflected his own self-image, shaped naturally by his soul. Ye Cheng hadn't deliberately crafted him to look old; it simply turned out that way.
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