Ten Thousand Years Ago — In Their Original World…
At that time, Xue Yunxue was already a senior in her final year at university.
Her days were filled with thesis work, research, and plans for the future. Yet among all that busyness, there was one thing she always looked forward to every week.
Sunday.
Because on that day, someone would usually come to visit her.
Every week, Tian Yu would arrive at Xue Yunxue's dormitory carrying a large box of food. The dishes were always different—sometimes butter shrimp, sometimes spicy squid, sometimes a warm seafood soup.
Among all the siblings from the orphanage where they had grown up, Tian Yu was indeed the best cook.
That day, Tian Yu came again with food.
Xue Yunxue sat at the small table in her room, opening the lunch box with excitement.
But after a few seconds, she noticed something.
She looked up.
"Brother Yu… why don't I see Brother Jun Hao with you today?"
Usually, they always came together.
Tian Yu sat down in the chair across the table and smiled slightly.
"He's working," he replied.
"I heard he got a new job. There's a restaurant that just opened a bit far from here."
He took a bottle of water and drank from it.
"So I guess he hasn't been able to come see you."
Xue Yunxue lowered her head slightly.
"I can only see him once a week," she said softly.
"But it's been several weeks since he came to visit me."
She poked a shrimp in her lunch box with her chopsticks.
"Only you and Brother Jinhang come to see me often."
She sighed quietly.
"I think he has already forgotten about me."
Tian Yu shook his head with a patient smile.
"Try to understand. He might be having difficulties right now."
He looked at Yunxue gently.
"If you want, we can go visit the place where he works next Sunday."
Xue Yunxue's eyes brightened slightly.
"Really?"
Tian Yu nodded.
"Yes."
—
The following Saturday, Jun Hao woke up early in the morning. He had already asked for permission to take the day off so he could visit Xue Yunxue.
Inside the small kitchen of his apartment, he was busy cooking. Today he prepared a large container filled with shrimp and squid dishes—a new recipe he had just learned over the past few days. He had deliberately taken the job at that restaurant because their seafood was famous for being incredibly delicious.
He wanted to learn it specifically for Xue Yunxue.
The weather that day felt strange.
The air was hot.
Much hotter than usual.
Jun Hao boarded a bus heading toward the university dormitory where Yunxue lived. He sat near the window, carefully holding the large food container so it wouldn't spill.
He imagined the expression on Xue Yunxue's face when she saw him.
He hadn't visited the little girl for two full months.
The bus moved slowly through the city streets.
But suddenly—
flashes of light appeared in the sky.
One.
Then dozens.
Massive objects streaked down from the sky at terrifying speed.
Like gigantic projectiles.
People on the streets began screaming.
A few seconds later—
BOOOOM!
The first projectile struck the earth.
A violent explosion shook the city.
Buildings collapsed.
Fire and dust filled the air.
The bus Jun Hao was riding suddenly stopped.
The road ahead was completely jammed.
People rushed out of their vehicles, trying to flee the city as it began to collapse around them. The streets were completely clogged and chaotic.
Jun Hao jumped off the bus and ran with all his strength, trying to dodge the projectiles that continued to fall from the sky like a meteor shower.
He no longer thought about anything else.
The food container he carried had already fallen somewhere behind him.
The dishes he had prepared with so much effort were scattered across the road.
But he didn't care.
Only one name filled his mind.
"Yunxue!"
He ran toward the university dormitory where she lived.
The sky continued to blaze with falling projectiles.
Explosion after explosion shook the city.
Just as Jun Hao was about to reach the dormitory gate—
a massive shadow fell from the sky.
A gigantic projectile struck the ground only a few meters in front of him.
The explosion happened in a single instant.
The earth split apart.
The shockwave tore through everything around it.
Jun Hao's body was ripped apart by the blast.
And in that single moment—
he died.
Without ever getting the chance to see Xue Yunxue again.
-----
Back in the present.
Xue Yunxue stared at Lu Xiao's face with overwhelming shock.
Her dark eyes widened.
Tears slowly gathered at the corners of her eyes.
Her trembling hands lifted and gently cupped Lu Xiao's face, as if afraid that the person before her might vanish like an illusion.
"Is it really… you?" her voice trembled.
"Are you truly the Jun Hao I once knew?"
Her breathing grew uneven as emotions surged within her.
"Did you… reincarnate into this world?"
Her eyes searched deeply within Lu Xiao's crimson gaze.
"How is it possible that you still remember me?"
Lu Xiao did not answer immediately.
Instead, he gently took Xue Yunxue's hands.
Then he slowly kissed the back of her hand, as though it were something precious beyond measure.
"Yes," he said softly.
"I reincarnated into this world."
His red eyes looked at Yunxue with a warmth rarely seen.
"I missed you very much."
The words were simple.
Yet their weight filled the air between them.
Xue Yunxue continued staring at his face.
Lu Xiao's face was handsome and cold, with sharp features and mysterious crimson eyes.
Not a single trace of resemblance remained of Jun Hao's face from her previous life.
"How can you remember me?" Yunxue asked in a near whisper.
"Shouldn't people who reincarnate lose the memories of their past lives?"
Lu Xiao fell silent for a moment.
The gentle sea breeze brushed through their hair on the balcony.
"Yes… normally that would be the case," he finally said.
"But I managed to recover my memories from my previous life."
His gaze returned to Yunxue's face.
He looked at her intently, as if afraid that if he blinked, she might disappear again.
"This face…" he murmured softly.
"For years, it kept appearing in my dreams."
In his new life as Lu Xiao, those memories had first appeared only as faint shadows.
The image of a girl smiling under the sunlight.
The sound of warm laughter.
A pair of eyes that always looked at him with trust.
He searched for her.
For years, he searched for that face.
But the longer he searched, the more the image faded from his memory.
Until one day he learned a rare spiritual technique that allowed him to dig into his past memories. He learned many things from Lin Yuan's father, a priest and guardian of the Eastern Sea.
When he realized there had once been someone incredibly important in his life—someone he had almost forgotten—he searched for her nearly to the point of madness.
In the end, he had almost given up.
He thought it was impossible that Xue Yunxue had been reborn on Planet Qui.
Perhaps she had already ascended to heaven, living as a beautiful celestial maiden.
But when he met Xue Yunxue for the first time…
his heart stopped for a moment.
He looked at her face with confusion.
With doubt.
Was it truly her?
Or merely an illusion created by someone else?
At that time he had even wondered—
perhaps it was just one of Hu Shui's tricks, trying to manipulate him.
But now…
Lu Xiao lifted his hand and gently touched Yunxue's cheek.
His gaze was deep.
"I always knew," he said softly.
"This is truly you… my little Xue'er."
Lu Xiao leaned forward and kissed Xue Yunxue again.
This time not with burning passion—
but with deep, quiet affection.
-----
— Meanwhile, far from the seaside villa —
The atmosphere at their residence was far from peaceful.
Lin Yuan stood in the living room with his usual cold expression.
On the table in front of him—
there was a large glass bottle.
Inside the bottle, a small child was jumping up and down furiously.
That child was none other than Moa.
He pressed both of his hands against the glass wall and glared at Lin Yuan with a flushed face.
"You stinky fish!" he shouted.
"I swear when Sister Xue comes back, you'll regret this! You skinny rotten fish!"
He pointed angrily at Lin Yuan.This mermaid had sealed him inside a glass bottle!
"I'll pluck your scales one by one and sell them at the fish market!"
The stream of insults had been going on for quite a while.
And Moa clearly had no intention of stopping.
"You rotten fish! You salted fish! You—"
"Silence."
Lin Yuan's voice finally cut him off.
The merman frowned.
"Be quiet," he said coldly.
"Or I'll pluck off all your leaves."
Moa immediately glared back, his green eyes blazing.
"Try it if you dare!"
But before their argument escalated any further, Yun Wu—who was sitting on the sofa—let out a long sigh.
His body was still covered in wounds from the earlier battle.
He was wrapping white bandages around his arm and chest, though parts of the cloth had already begun to stain red with blood.
He looked at the glass bottle on the table, then glanced at Lin Yuan.
The corner of his lips lifted slightly.
At last, someone who could match the mermaid's sharp tongue.
"You two are really noisy," he muttered.
Lin Yuan shot him a cold glance.
Meanwhile, Moa continued glaring at both of them with an annoyed expression.
Yun Wu leaned forward slightly, trying a calmer approach.
"Tell me, Moa," he said in a friendlier tone.
"Since when have you known Xue'er? And how did you enter Yunxue's body without anyone detecting it?"
Moa snorted softly.
But this time he did not immediately start cursing again.
Instead, he folded his arms arrogantly, lifting his chin as if speaking to people far more foolish than himself.
"Sister Xue helped me see the world," he said proudly.
"She allowed me to stay inside her body peacefully."
His bright green eyes stared sharply at Lin Yuan and Yun Wu.
"And in return, I promised to help her increase her strength."
He raised his chin even higher.
"Who do you think helped Sister Xue awaken her plant-element power?"
His voice was filled with confidence.
"If not me?"
Lin Yuan glanced at the bottle with a cold expression.
This little tree is very good at bragging, he thought.
The aura emitted by the small creature was indeed strange—not fully human, but not like a normal beast either.
"What exactly are you?" Yun Wu asked.
His tone was calmer than Lin Yuan's.
Moa answered without hesitation.
"I'm just an ordinary little tree."
He shrugged casually.
"Sister Xue and I simply met by chance. After that, we started traveling together."
Inside his heart, Moa snorted.
He would never allow these beastmen to know that he came from the world of Fleur.
If they found out—
things could become very complicated.
Yun Wu simply stared at him for a moment.
This little creature was clearly hiding something.
But before he could ask further—
a shadow suddenly fell from the sky into the courtyard.
WHOOSH.
A powerful gust of wind swept through the yard as Luo Shixin landed.
The eagle man walked into the house with long strides. His face was cold, his aura slightly dark after traveling at high speed.
He glanced around the room.
His brows furrowed.
"That vampire still hasn't brought Xue'er back," he said coldly.
The tone sounded like a complaint…
and a threat.
Yun Wu leaned against the sofa, suppressing the pain from his wounds.
"Relax," he said casually.
"At least Yunxue is safe with him."
Luo Shixin did not respond.
He raised his hand and activated the holographic display from his chakra device.
A green dot blinked on the map.
Its location was far from Wulong City.
Lin Yuan glanced at the screen.
He immediately recognized the coordinates.
"That's Lu Xiao's residence," he said flatly.
"I suppose Yunxue is indeed safe now."
But Luo Shixin's expression became even darker.
Hmph.
Was that vampire deliberately keeping Yunxue there longer?
His gaze then fell on something on the table.
The glass bottle.
Inside it—Moa was sitting with his knees hugged to his chest, still looking annoyed.
"What creature is inside that jar?" Luo Shixin asked coldly.
Yun Wu glanced toward the table.
"This little tree is called Moa," he said.
"He claims to be Xue Yunxue's younger brother who has been hiding inside her consciousness."
Luo Shixin raised an eyebrow slightly.
"You mean this creature has been living inside Xue Yunxue's body all this time?"
"You could say that." Yun Wu shrugged.
Before Luo Shixin could say anything else—
Lin Yuan suddenly spoke.
His tone was calm, but clearly filled with malicious amusement.
"Hah."
He glanced at Luo Shixin with a thin, cold smile.
"You must have thought that at that time it was only you and Xue Yunxue together."
He pointed at the glass bottle.
"You never considered that this creature might have been hiding near Xue Yunxue."
His smile grew thinner.
"Perhaps… he was already peeking at the two of you while you were doing… something."
The room instantly fell silent.
Moa froze.
His eyes widened as he stared at Lin Yuan.
This mermaid is truly a vicious instigator! he cursed inwardly.
Yun Wu also stopped wrapping his bandages.
The mermaid's tongue could truly kill someone.
The room became eerily quiet.
And Luo Shixin's face…
slowly darkened.
Very dark.
His green eyes narrowed sharply as he stared at the glass bottle on the table. The aura around his body turned darker.
Without saying a word, his large hand easily lifted the bottle.
His movements were calm.
But the aura around him was anything but calm.
Inside the bottle, Moa immediately stepped back until his back hit the glass wall.
"I didn't spy on anyone!" Moa protested quickly.
He raised both hands in panic.
"I even put myself to sleep when you two started to—"
But he never finished the sentence.
Luo Shixin violently shook the bottle.
Again.
And again.
The world inside the bottle spun like a miniature storm.
"AAAH—!" Moa screamed.
His small body was thrown from one side to another like a dry leaf in a hurricane.
His head spun.
His stomach churned.
Finally he couldn't hold it anymore.
Bleugh—
Moa vomited inside the bottle.
Yun Wu, who saw this, simply raised an eyebrow slightly.
This eagle man truly had no mercy—even toward a child.
Across the room, Lin Yuan stood with a calm expression.
But a thin smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
A very satisfied smile.
At last, he had managed to get revenge for all of Moa's earlier insults.
Inside the bottle, Moa held his spinning head with a pale face.
In his heart, he swore bitterly.
That stinky fish…
And this damned bird…
One day—
I will definitely get my revenge on both of them!
------
Lu Xiao brought Xue Yunxue back using his private aircraft.
In truth, he could have simply flown while carrying Yunxue in his arms. His vampire speed was far faster than any aircraft.
However—for once, he deliberately chose the slower way.
He still wanted to spend a little more time alone with the girl.
The private jet glided calmly above the blue ocean. The clear sky stretched endlessly beyond the cabin's glass windows.
Inside the cabin, the atmosphere felt warm and peaceful.
Lu Xiao sat casually in the pilot's seat after activating auto-pilot. The control panel before him only displayed a steady flight path.
Xue Yunxue sat on his lap.
Her body leaned lightly against Lu Xiao's chest.
Her fingers played idly with the man's long black hair, twirling several strands between them with curiosity—like a child who had discovered a new toy.
Lu Xiao's right arm wrapped around Yunxue's slender waist, holding her in a relaxed yet protective embrace.
Meanwhile, his left hand held an old, slightly worn book.
Xue Yunxue glanced at it and recognized it immediately.
It was the ancient book given by Lin Yuan's father—Lin Tianhai. The text within it was written in an ancient script understood only by vampires.
Yunxue tilted her head slightly.
"A-Xiao," she called softly.
Lu Xiao lifted his gaze from the book.
"Hmm?"
"Do you think… besides us, there might be other siblings from the orphanage who were also reincarnated into this world?"
The question made Lu Xiao fall silent for a moment.
He slowly closed the book.
His gaze drifted toward the window, toward the endless stretch of white clouds.
"I don't know," he finally replied.
"But even if they were reincarnated into this world…"
his eyes returned to Yunxue.
"I don't think they would remember us."
His tone was calm, but there was a faint sadness hidden within it.
Xue Yunxue lowered her gaze slightly.
She continued playing with Lu Xiao's hair.
"I really want to know where they are now," she said softly.
In their previous life, they had not merely been friends.
They had been family.
Brothers and sisters who protected one another in that small orphanage.
Lu Xiao remained silent for a few seconds.
His arm around Yunxue's waist tightened slightly.
"I think…"
he took a slow breath.
"If they were born into this world…"
"…they must be living well now."
He looked at Yunxue gently.
-------
The aircraft continued gliding peacefully above the sea of clouds.
The sound of the engines was soft and steady, like a distant hum barely noticeable. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the cabin windows, illuminating Xue Yunxue's face as she rested against Lu Xiao's chest, fast asleep.
But Lu Xiao's thoughts were not inside that aircraft.
They had drifted far into the past.
Back to a life long buried by time.
His hand unconsciously stroked Yunxue's hair gently, like an old habit ingrained in his bones.
Back then…
he had liked this girl for a very long time.
Since they were still children in that old, run-down orphanage.
Yunxue had always been different.
She never cried, even though life was harsh.
When the other children fought over food or quarreled with each other, Yunxue would quietly set aside part of her meal for the younger kids.
Sometimes she would also treat their wounds with whatever medicine she could find.
To Jun Hao, who was then just a thin and quiet boy—
Yunxue was like a small, warm light.
He never said anything.
But even as a child, he had already carried a simple thought in his heart.
Someday…
I must become strong enough to protect her.
As they grew older, that feeling did not fade.
Instead, it grew deeper.
Jun Hao always watched Yunxue from afar.
He saw how she studied late into the night to earn scholarships. How she continued to smile even though their lives were never easy.
And the more he watched her—the more he understood.
He could no longer see Yunxue merely as his little sister.
One afternoon, when they were still teenagers, Yunxue sat on the back steps of the orphanage.
The summer wind blew gently.
Jun Hao stood in front of her with an unusually serious expression.
"One day, I will definitely become your husband."
The words came out just like that.
Without preparation.
Without romance.
Yunxue stared at him with wide eyes.
Then she laughed.
A bright, clear laugh.
"You're so strange, Brother Hao."
But Jun Hao did not laugh.
He was completely serious.
His fists clenched slightly.
"I'm serious."
"One day I'll have a job."
"I'll have a house."
"I'll cook delicious meals every day."
His eyes looked at Yunxue with his characteristic stubborn determination.
"And I'll protect you."
At that time, Yunxue had only thought it was a childish promise.
But for Jun Hao—
it was not a joke.
It was the first promise he had ever made in his life.
And he never forgot it.
Not even when he ran through the city streets on the day the world collapsed.
Not even when the sky was filled with projectiles falling like rain of death.
Not even when his body was torn apart by the explosion that struck the ground.
In the final second before his consciousness faded—
the name in his mind remained the same.
Yunxue.
He never even had the chance to keep his promise.
Yet fate had not completely severed that thread.
He reincarnated.
Born again in a different world.
With a different body.
With a different life.
Yet strangely—
that feeling never disappeared.
Even after many years.
After he became Lu Xiao, a noble vampire feared by many.
The same feeling still remained in the same place within his heart.
Lu Xiao lowered his head and looked at the girl sitting in his lap.
His eyes softened.
He gently touched Yunxue's cheek.
In his heart, he thought quietly—
Yunxue…
This time, I will not fail again.
The promise I could not fulfill before…
I will fulfill it in this life.
He may have failed to protect Yunxue as Jun Hao.
But this time—
he would not fail as Lu Xiao.
------
Lu Xiao's private aircraft slowly landed in the courtyard of their residence just as the sun began to sink below the western horizon. Warm sunset light spread across the wide yard, casting golden reflections on the rooftop and the surrounding trees.
The cabin door opened.
Lu Xiao stepped down first, then extended his hand toward Xue Yunxue.
Yunxue took his hand and stepped down calmly.
But the moment she walked toward the house—the three men waiting in the courtyard immediately noticed something.
There was a very clear masculine scent on Xue Yunxue.
The distinctive scent of a vampire.
It was so strong that it almost covered Yunxue's usual soft and fresh natural fragrance.
Luo Shixin, Lin Yuan, and Yun Wu exchanged a brief glance.
They all recognized that scent.
It was Lu Xiao's.
The same question appeared in their minds at the same time.
Did something happen between them?
Luo Shixin moved faster than the others.
Within seconds he was standing directly in front of Yunxue.
His sharp eyes examined the girl's face carefully—as if confirming for himself that she had truly returned safely.
The relief that had been weighing heavily on his chest finally burst free.
Without saying a word—
he pulled Yunxue into his arms.
The embrace was strong.
Warm.
Almost protective.
His nose instinctively inhaled Yunxue's soft, sweet scent.
But a few seconds later—
he caught another scent clinging clearly to her body.
The masculine scent of a vampire.
Lu Xiao's scent.
And it wasn't just a faint trace—
it clung deeply, almost to every inch of her body.
As if the two of them had spent a very long time together.
Luo Shixin's body stiffened slightly.
The relief on his face slowly turned somber.
Did they…
He didn't finish the thought.
Yet even as that uncomfortable feeling rose within him, his eyes drifted to Yunxue's neck.
Faint reddish marks were clearly visible on her pale skin.
Still, he didn't release his embrace.
Instead, he held her even tighter.
Behind them, Lu Xiao's crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
His gaze toward Luo Shixin clearly showed his displeasure.
But he said nothing.
That was when Lin Yuan's voice came from the side.
His tone sounded casual.
Yet it was clearly full of mockery.
"It seems…"
he said while glancing between Yunxue and Lu Xiao,
"…someone had quite a good time out there."
Yunxue blinked.
Before she could respond, Yun Wu had already stepped forward.
His expression was far more serious than usual.
There was obvious guilt in his eyes.
He even ignored the strong masculine scent clinging to Yunxue.
For him, the most important thing was making sure Yunxue was unharmed.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
His voice was low but filled with concern.
He held Yunxue's shoulders and gently turned her around, carefully checking her condition.
His eyes scanned her arms.
Her neck.
Her face.
There were no injuries.
Aside from the strong vampire scent—and the faint red marks on her neck.
Yunxue seemed completely fine.
Yun Wu finally let out a relieved sigh.
"I'm fine," Yunxue replied calmly.
"I managed to escape from Noctar… thanks to Lu Xiao."
Those words slowly drew Luo Shixin's gaze toward Lu Xiao.
Their eyes met.
A thin tension hung between them.
But this time it was different from before.
Luo Shixin remained silent for a moment.
Then his eyes dimmed slightly.
After all—
the vampire had brought Yunxue back safely.
Even though he disliked the fact that Lu Xiao had clearly consummated his marriage with Yunxue…
he could not ignore that fact.
As one of Yunxue's beast husbands—
he could not behave selfishly.
Yet his gaze remained cold when he looked at Lu Xiao.
There was acknowledgment—
but the rivalry between them was clearly far from over.
When Xue Yunxue stepped inside the house, the atmosphere in the living room felt somewhat strange—too quiet, yet also oddly chaotic.
Her gaze immediately fell upon the table in the center of the room.
And there—
a large glass bottle had been casually placed.
Something inside it was moving.
Xue Yunxue's lips twitched violently.
"Moa…?"
She quickly stepped closer.
Sure enough.
The little tree was curled up inside the bottle with a miserable expression, his golden hair messy as if he had just been through a storm.
Without hesitation, Yunxue quickly opened the bottle's lid.
The moment the lid came off—
whoosh!
A soft green light flashed briefly.
The small body inside the bottle transformed.
In an instant, Moa returned to his human form—a beautiful boy about thirteen or fourteen years old. His golden hair fell softly over his shoulders, and his green eyes looked watery as if he were about to cry.
"What did you do to my little tree?" Xue Yunxue asked with displeasure.
Before anyone could answer—
Moa suddenly hugged Yunxue's leg.
His crying burst out dramatically.
"Sister Xueee!"
He sobbed loudly.
"They're bad people!"
"They tortured me while you were gone!"
He clung tightly to Yunxue's leg as if he were truly the victim of a terrible tragedy.
Behind them, Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"I think the word 'torture' is a bit exaggerated," he said flatly.
"We only locked him up because his appearance was suspicious."
He crossed his arms.
"We thought this tree was just pretending to be your younger brother."
Yun Wu, standing beside him, immediately raised his hand.
"Lin Yuan was the one who locked him up."
His tone was extremely honest.
"I didn't touch him at all."
Lin Yuan slowly turned his head.
The look in his eyes toward Yun Wu was very clear.
Traitor.
But Yun Wu simply shrugged as if nothing had happened.
Lin Yuan finally snorted.
"I was only preventing him from escaping."
Then he casually pointed toward Luo Shixin.
"If you want to be angry… you should blame the bird man."
"He's the one who shook the glass bottle over and over."
All eyes instantly turned toward Luo Shixin.
The eagle man's cold face immediately darkened.
He stood upright with a serious expression.
There was not a trace of guilt on his face.
As a soldier who lived by honor—
he did not appreciate the idea that some small creature might have been watching his private night with his partner.
To him—
that little tree deserved a small lesson.
He looked at Moa, who was hiding behind Yunxue, with cold green eyes.
"I believe he saw something inappropriate…"
he said flatly.
"I was simply educating him."
Moa immediately clung to Yunxue even tighter.
"Sister Xue, look!"
"That evil bird isn't even sorry!"
The room instantly filled with a strange tension.
Xue Yunxue's head began to throb.
It seemed the chaos in this household had begun all over again.
Meanwhile, Lu Xiao quietly observed the little tree with a probing gaze.
He had never seen a creature like this anywhere before.
Where did Xue Yunxue meet something like this?
This girl… was truly full of mysteries.