The Art of Subduing Dragons

Chapter 184

Luo Qingci's heart was shattered by her tears; the joy of finally recognizing each other was completely overwhelmed by heartache.

With tears blurring her vision, she choked out, "How could you let yourself get like this? Haven't you taken care of yourself? You feel so rough to the touch."

Ruan Li could hardly respond through her crying. She straightened up, cupping Luo Qingci's face, and after staring at her for a while, she finally managed to speak, "I'm fine. As long as I see you, everything is okay. Really. Master... I miss you so much. I miss you... It really is you, really you."

Her tears seemed endless. The pain had been buried for too long, already rotting and scabbed over, seemingly healed but deeply embedded in her bones, a sight of misery only she knew.

Luo Qingci wanted to wipe her tears, but her clothes were too dirty. She lifted her hand and then withdrew it, gently patting Ruan Li's back, "I'm here. A Li, don't cry, don't cry."

Ruan Li didn't want to cry and didn't want to make Luo Qingci sad, but she truly couldn't control herself. The despair she had carried for years, almost crushing her, was finally swept away. Her long-hoped wish had come true, and the myriad emotions she felt were beyond words.

Who could understand the pain of reliving every moment with Luo Qingci, replayed in her mind over and over during the midnight dreams?

The sweetness and excitement she remembered, when confronted with reality, felt like a blade piercing her heart.

Even knowing those memories were just illusions, all she had from Luo Qingci were those memories. She clung to them like a miser, savoring them over and over, even if it meant drinking poison to quench her thirst.

When together with Luo Qingci, whether before or after their relationship became clear, she relied on Luo Qingci more, always indulgently enjoying her tenderness and protection. After Luo Qingci's departure, she had become much colder, almost forgetting what it was like to rely on someone.

Now that her sanctuary had returned, the grievances and suffering surged up, she let go of all her restraint and sobbed, "I really... I really almost couldn't hold on. Ten years, I waited for you for ten years. Why did you take so long to come back?"

Her voice lost its earlier coldness, now soft and tender with the familiar warmth and affection Luo Qingci had known. Yet, her words left Luo Qingci frozen.

She thought she must have misheard, and her voice trembled as she asked, "What did you say? How long?"

Noticing Luo Qingci's odd reaction and heightened emotion, Ruan Li quickly changed the subject, "It doesn't matter now. You're back, and that's all that matters."

Luo Qingci felt as if her heart were being torn apart, "How could it be ten years? No... Could it be..."

She asked the system in her mind, "Did the ten years it gave me come from A Li?"

The system didn't know about this matter and could only respond, "From what I see, indeed. It really is like Zhou Paopi."

Luo Qingci found it difficult to breathe, her voice trembling with each breath. She struggled to stay calm, but seeing Ruan Li, all her efforts crumbled. Ten years—how had Ruan Li endured? She could hardly tolerate a day's delay; how had she managed through such a long time?

"Ten years... It's been ten years. I... I'm sorry, A Li. I'm sorry... I came back too late, too late." She couldn't continue; just thinking about it was maddening.

She held Ruan Li tightly in her arms, continuously apologizing through her tears.

Ruan Li was flustered and quickly comforted Luo Qingci, "It's okay, it's okay. Master, don't feel sorry for me. It's all in the past now. I waited, and that makes it all worthwhile."