E Gui’s ears turned red, and the flush on his nose bridge spread like dye, adding a vivid touch of color to his otherwise pale cheeks.
Some called him trash, others called him a demon, but no one had ever called him a treasure.
E Gui’s restless hand climbed onto her body, lingering lightly over her abdomen. "Treasure?"
Xia Miao said, "The one inside is the little treasure. You’re the big treasure."
She leaned close to his ear and whispered, "This is our little secret, okay? I like you way more than the little treasure."
The stray hair on his head swayed back and forth. Though his pale, stiff face lacked expression, it still managed to convey his overwhelming joy.
"Me… more likable… than baby?"
"Of course! You’re the most likable person in the world! If everyone got to know E Gui properly, they’d all be fighting to love you!"
"Don’t want… world’s love. Only… Miao Miao."
Xia Miao’s heart softened. She hugged him and patted his head. "Okay, okay, just my love then. So, can you tell me why you were upset earlier?"
His chin rested on her shoulder, and his lips pressed together again. "Escape room… hate."
Xia Miao understood. "Then we won’t play escape rooms anymore."
He grinned. "Mm. No more."
Xia Miao looked at him seriously. "From now on, if you’re unhappy, don’t keep it to yourself. Tell me right away, okay?"
He lowered his head and stayed silent.
Xia Miao put on a stern expression. "If you bottle things up and make me guess all the time, I’ll get tired and annoyed. And that’ll hurt our relationship."
E Gui lifted his face. "No."
Xia Miao leaned closer, her face almost touching his, and softened her voice. "So whenever you’re unhappy, you have to tell me, E Gui. That’s how we’ll spend our lives together happily."
E Gui nodded. "Want… Miao Miao… whole life."
Xia Miao smiled, her gaze lingering on his eyes. Those clear black-and-white eyes used to be dry, but ever since they got together, they often turned moist and glistening—adorable beyond words.
Unable to resist, she kissed the corner of his eye.
E Gui had been kissed by Xia Miao many times before, but this one reminded him of their first kiss—just a light touch, yet it made his withered heart pound wildly, as if he were dying all over again.
Suddenly, Xia Miao covered her mouth and rushed to the bathroom.
E Gui quickly pushed himself up, hunched over, and chased after her. "Miao Miao… Miao Miao… Miao Miao…"
Xia Miao leaned over the sink, retching a few times but bringing nothing up. The nausea was unbearable, and it took a while for the discomfort to fade.
When she looked up, the disheveled man was circling her anxiously.
"Miao Miao… sick?"
Xia Miao wiped her mouth with a tissue. "It’s just a normal pregnancy symptom. I’m not sick, don’t worry."
"Baby… hurts you?"
Xia Miao nodded. "Scientifically speaking, I’ll feel like this for a while."
E Gui said, "No… baby."
Xia Miao glared. "You were the one who wanted this before. How can you change your mind now?"
E Gui lowered his head, fingers tugging at his clothes. Whatever clever thought crossed his mind, he soon looked up with a spark of brilliance in his eyes.
"I help… Miao Miao."
Xia Miao was puzzled. "How?"
He wrapped his arms around her waist. Before she could react, an icy tail slithered up from her ankle.
Xia Miao went limp in his arms, her face flushed and breath uneven. "E Gui, I’m pregnant, you beast! Can’t you control yourself?!"
Scolded harshly, E Gui shrank back but didn’t retract his tail.
Xia Miao lay weakly against him, still processing what was happening.
Then, with an "awoo," he swallowed a dark mass coiled in his tail.
Xia Miao stared in shock. "...What are you doing?"
E Gui placed her hand on his abdomen and said innocently, "I raise… baby. Miao Miao… no hurt."
Xia Miao: "..."
The next moment, E Gui’s face twisted. He bent over the sink and retched violently.
Xia Miao pinched his arm.
After a brief delay, he said, "Ow."
She wasn’t dreaming!
Had the world gone mad?!
Jiang Du obtained the travel guide from Wen Yaoyao. It indeed marked the route to the White Rose Garden, but it also noted that only those chosen by the white roses were permitted to enter.
This was likely why Ming Buchang, the first to find the guide, hadn’t rushed to the garden—without the qualification, going there meant certain death.
Now that they had the qualification, they eagerly followed the route to the White Rose Garden.
Late at night, Wen Yaoyao instinctively clung to Jiang Du, her only hope.
Fortunately, Jiang Du had loved her for a long time. For her, he was willing to sacrifice himself.
After what felt like hours, they crossed most of Wubai Town and entered the mist-shrouded forest. Following the guide’s directions, they navigated the fog until the scenery suddenly cleared.
White roses covered the hillside, their pure beauty dispelling the eerie atmosphere. It was like stepping into another world.
Wen Yaoyao gasped. "It’s the sea of white roses!"
A white villa stood amidst the flowers, its doors locked tight—requiring a key to open.
Jiang Du sensed that if they found the legendary coffin and obtained the key from the White Rose Lady, they could unlock the door and escape this dangerous world.
Wen Yaoyao pointed excitedly. "There’s a coffin over there!"
She dashed toward it.
In the sea of flowers lay a crystal coffin, inside which rested the skeletal remains of a woman in a white dress.
Legend said the founder of Wubai Town was a noblewoman. The townsfolk had chosen to let her rest here, a testament to her revered status.
On the skeleton’s chest lay a golden key.
Wen Yaoyao eagerly pushed open the coffin lid and grabbed the key. Just as she rejoiced, it was snatched from her hand.
"Jiang Du, what are you doing?"
Jiang Du kept his distance. "Don’t you remember? The rule says only the one who holds the key gets to leave."
But now there were two of them here.
Wen Yaoyao’s face paled. "Jiang Du… are you going to abandon me?"
"Just like how you hid the travel guide and weighed your options between me and Gu Moleng to pick the stronger one—we’re all just acting with our own calculations in mind. Wen Yaoyao, why make it sound like I’ve betrayed you?"
Late at night, E Gui vomited several more times. Xia Miao finally managed to soothe him to sleep, then quietly slipped out of bed. She tiptoed to the desk drawer and pulled out a notebook she had found in the secret room.
She had picked up this notebook in the specimen-filled room without letting E Gui know, hiding it away for herself.
The moment she opened it, dense lines of text assaulted her vision.
"No, no, still not right!
The eyes need replacing, the ears need replacing, even the nose must be redone!
It doesn’t matter how many materials I waste.
My son, I won’t let you leave me. I will bring you back to this world—no matter what."
