"What nonsense are you saying," Bai Ran sighed softly. "How is Mother's health? Is she feeling unwell in any way?"
Hearing this, Jing Feng shook his head. "Miss Bai, please rest assured, Protector Huan Yan is recovering very well."
She could move freely, essentially like any ordinary person.
"But there is one thing," Jing Feng paused. "If Protector Huan Yan does not stay in a warm place, her hands and feet will become extremely cold."
"If this continues for too long, she might even lose the ability to move."
Bai Ran lowered her gaze. Although her mother had successfully survived, being unable to move clearly indicated that the blood flow within her body was slow, likely due to her not yet having fully adapted.
"Master, don't think about others for now. How are you?" Zhu Que, looking at Bai Ran's still pale face, couldn't help but worry.
Jiang Ye also nodded, echoing, "Yes, Young Master, you are the most important now. Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?"
Zhu Que and the others gathered around her, their gazes tense and worried.
Bai Ran lowered her gaze, recalling the previous illusion. To die without regret...
She was truly in too much pain to think clearly. She clearly had so many people by her side, carefully protecting and cherishing her.
How could she possibly die without regret...
"It's just that my body still aches and prevents me from moving. It's nothing." Her damaged dantian had healed, and her heart no longer felt the sharp pain.
Bai Ran looked up and asked Jing Feng, "Where is Long Jin Han?"
Jing Feng scratched his cheek, averting his gaze. "Your Excellency... Your Excellency he..."
Bai Ran stared at Jing Feng suspiciously. "What happened to him? Did something happen to him?"
Jing Feng waved his hands repeatedly. "No, no! That's not what I meant. Your Excellency is talking with Protector Huan Yan!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Que and the others turned to glare at him. Idiot, Protector Huan Yan had explicitly told them to keep this from Bai Ran!
Jing Feng seemed to realize he had let it slip and quickly shifted his gaze, looking guilty.
Mother is talking with Long Jin Han?
Bai Ran lowered her gaze, seeming to ponder something.
...
In the western room, bathed in the warm sunlight, Huan Yan gazed out the window with gentle, wistful eyes.
"A full one hundred and fifty years..." Huan Yan murmured, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
She had been separated from Ran Ran and the others for a full hundred and fifty years...
"I heard you and Ran Ran are betrothed?" she asked, turning to look at Long Jin Han.
Long Jin Han sat upright, his expression more serious than ever. "Yes, my feelings have never changed."
Seeing his nervous demeanor, Huan Yan's lips curved slightly. "You are the Demon Lord of the Demon Realm. You don't need to be so formal with me, a mere protector."
However, Long Jin Han shook his head, his dark eyes firm and solemn. "You are the young lady's mother, and therefore, someone Long Jin Han must respect. There's no room for casualness."
Hearing this, Huan Yan lowered her gaze and smiled, saying nothing further.
Inside the room, they sat facing each other. Long Jin Han was stiff, his palms sweating.
If Jing Feng and the other subordinates saw this, their jaws would surely drop in astonishment.
The Demon Lord of the Demon Realm, who was always decisive and all-powerful, was actually flustered when meeting his potential mother-in-law, fearing he might say or do something wrong.
"I am old now, and I can't help with anything..." Huan Yan said, her head bowed, a hint of sadness in her eyes.
Without her and Mo Huai An, Ran Ran had still managed to grow into such a powerful person. While this was a good thing, Huan Yan's heart was filled with immense grief.
Long Jin Han pursed his thin lips, his expression complex. "Please don't say that. If I were her, I wouldn't want to hear those words either..."
Huan Yan chuckled softly. "I hope that from now on, Demon Lord, you will take care of her, perhaps even more than I could have."
"She loved spicy food since she was little, she loved flowers, and she loved sitting on the rooftop watching the sun set and the moon rise..."
"But no matter how far she ran, as soon as I called her, she would immediately hold Ze'er's hand and come home..."
Long Jin Han listened quietly, the image of a fiery red figure holding his hand and smiling at him filling his mind.
"I do not object to you marrying Ran Ran. On the contrary, I am quite pleased with this engagement."
Long Jin Han paused, then suddenly raised his head. "You mean you are willing to marry her to me?"
"Mm," Huan Yan smiled and nodded slowly. "I understand Ran Ran's temperament. As long as she likes it, I will not interfere."
...
Outside, Bai Ran, in her wooden wheelchair, was pushed by Jing Feng. From a distance, she saw a figure stealthily lurking by the door, occasionally wiping away tears.
"Father? What are you doing?" she asked, frowning at Mo Huai An.
Mo Huai An turned and was momentarily stunned upon seeing Bai Ran. Then, his face lit up with joy. "Ran Ran! You're awake?"
He hurried forward, circling Bai Ran from all sides. "How is your body? Do you still feel any pain anywhere?"
Bai Ran smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine. I just need some more time to recover before I can walk again."
Mo Huai An looked at Bai Ran with heartache, recalling the scene of her being carried out of the room by Huan Yan.
"You must never do that again, understood?"
Bai Ran nodded. "Okay, I'll listen to you, Father."
"Speaking of which," she turned to look at the tightly closed door beside them, her expression curious. "What were Long Jin Han and Mother talking about?"
To her surprise, Mo Huai An looked away and remained silent for a long time.
"Creak—" The door slowly opened from the inside. Long Jin Han stepped out and his dark eyes trembled slightly upon seeing Bai Ran.
"You're awake? Why aren't you resting more?" His slender figure walked towards Bai Ran. Jing Feng released the wheelchair, and Long Jin Han naturally took over.
At this moment, Huan Yan, inside the room, seemed to have known all along that Mo Huai An was hiding outside the door. "Aren't you coming in?"
Mo Huai An exchanged a glance with Bai Ran. After Bai Ran made a "go for it" gesture, he gritted his teeth and, despite his apprehension, entered the room.
Bai Ran smiled as the door closed again, and then Long Jin Han slowly pushed her away.
"Long Jin Han, what did Mother talk to you about?" she asked curiously, turning her head, only to meet a pair of eyes that seemed to hold a hint of amusement.
"So curious?" Long Jin Han chuckled, his voice deep.
Bai Ran turned her head back, her earlobes turning a suspicious shade of red. "Not at all, just a little bit curious..."
"Your mother pities me and wants me to take another concubine."
Long Jin Han said this with a straight face, and for a moment, Bai Ran was actually fooled.
"One isn't enough, is it? You're strong and healthy, you should find a few more?"
Long Jin Han froze, his expression slightly stiff. This time, it was Bai Ran's turn to laugh.
"As the dignified Demon Lord, you should have at least ten concubines, or perhaps you want even more?"