manynovel Chapter 3374 The True Self Needs Them
Chapter 3374 The True Self Needs Them
Jun Yichen looked at the kneeling crowd before him but said nothing.
He simply hugged his daughter tighter, gently patting her back with his large hands, as if trying to shield her from all the sadness and heaviness of the outside world.
"Don't be afraid, sweetheart."
Jun Yichen lowered his head and said softly, "They are thanking Xiaoman."
"Xiaoman is a hero, a great hero."
Hu Xiaoman peeked half her head out from his arms, blinked her gray eyes, and looked completely bewildered.
"Heroes? Do heroes get to eat?"
She sniffed, touched her flat belly with her little hand, and said in a pitiful voice, "Daddy, Xiaoman's tummy is hungry... I want to eat that red, round thing that's strung together."
"That... it's sweet and sour..."
Jun Yichen felt a pang of sadness and said, "Okay, Father will take you to eat now."
……
The Demon Palace's sleeping quarters.
Although this area was also affected to some extent, the overall structure remains relatively intact.
Fox Qingye skillfully tidied up a clean spot and laid out the softest cloud silk carpet.
Hu Xiaoman sat on the carpet, holding a cloth tiger in her hand—a toy that Hai Lingling had just taken out of her storage bag.
She turned the cloth tiger over and over, muttering, "Candied hawthorn...candied hawthorn..."
She can't see, so she can only feel around with her hands.
Suddenly, her hand touched Hu Qingye's sleeve.
Hu Qingye remained crouched beside her the whole time, never leaving her side.
Feeling her touch, he quickly grasped her hand.
"Xiaoman?"
Hu Xiaoman tilted her head, her lifeless eyes looking in Hu Qingye's direction, a naive smile on her face.
"Daddy?"
She mistook him for Jun Yichen.
"Daddy, is the candy sweet?"
"Xiaoman's tummy is really hungry."
Hu Qingye felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart tightly, causing him so much pain that he could barely breathe.
She remembered to eat candy, she remembered her father, but she forgot him.
Even if he were right in front of her, even if he were holding her hand, she wouldn't recognize him.
"sweet."
Hu Qingye took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the sob in her throat.
He didn't correct her way of addressing him, but gently rubbed her cheek with his fingertips.
“Very sweet.”
"I'll make it for you."
Hu Qingye stood up but did not call for any servants.
He walked to a corner of the bedroom, where there was a small stove.
He raised his hand, and the Azure Phoenix Flame rose from his palm.
This time, he didn't use the divine fire to kill enemies or to refine pills. Instead, he carefully controlled the heat and began to boil sugar.
The golden syrup churned in the pot, bubbling with large and small bubbles, and a sweet aroma instantly filled the entire bedchamber.
Hu Qingye took out a handful of bright red hawthorns.
These hawthorns have been cleansed by spiritual energy; they are plump and brightly colored.
His slender fingers deftly twirled the knife, carefully removing the hawthorn pits one by one, his movements as focused as if he were carving a rare treasure.
Remove the pits and skewer them.
Then, gently roll it in the boiling hot syrup.
"Fuck-"
The crystal-clear sugar coating instantly enveloped the bright red hawthorns, quickly cooling and solidifying, resembling strings of rubies.
"it is done."
Hu Qingye held a string of candied hawthorns, blew on them gently to make sure they weren't too hot, and then offered them to Hu Xiaoman's lips.
"Xiaoman, open your mouth."
Hu Xiaoman smelled the sweet fragrance and immediately opened her mouth wide, like a little bird eagerly waiting to be fed.
"what--"
"Click."
The sound of crunchy candy shattering rang out.
The sweet and sour taste exploded on her tongue, and Hu Xiaoman's originally dull and lifeless eyes seemed to be lit up in that instant.
She clapped her hands happily, sugar crumbs stuck to the corners of her mouth, her eyes crinkling with laughter.
"delicious!"
"Daddy is so good, Daddy is the best!"
Seeing her so content, Hu Qingye's eyes welled up with tears.
Just then, Hu Xiaoman suddenly stopped chewing.
She stretched out her little hand, which was covered in sugar crumbs, and groped around her neck for a while.
Then, she took out a leaf.
It was a vibrant green leaf with clearly defined veins, strung on a red string and hanging around her neck.
When his soul was weak, it resided in this leaf, which she wore close to her body and nurtured.
Hu Xiaoman handed the leaf to Hu Qingye and said earnestly:
"Father, can we save this candied hawthorn for Big Leaf?"
Hu Qingye was stunned. Looking at the familiar leaves, her throat felt like it was blocked by something.
“Big Leaf?” he asked, his voice trembling.
"Yes!" Hu Xiaoman nodded heavily. "It's... the big leaf that I really, really like."
He seemed very sad.
Hu Xiaoman tilted her head, a look of confusion and heartache on her face.
"Just now in that dark place, although I couldn't see him, I heard him crying."
"He was crying so hard, it was like he was crying his heart out."
"I want to treat him to candied hawthorns. If he eats the candy, he won't be so sad anymore, right?"
Looking at the leaf in her hand and then at her innocent little face, Hu Qingye finally couldn't hold back her tears any longer and they streamed down her face.
She forgot everything.
Forget who he was, forget their vows, forget those unforgettable loves.
but……
In her subconscious, she still remembers a "big leaf" crying for her, and still wants to save the sweetest candy for him.
"Xiaoman..."
Hu Qingye could no longer control himself and pulled her tightly into his arms.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his tears soaking her collar.
"I am your big leaf..."
"Big Leaf will always be with you!"
Outside the bedchamber, Jun Yichen watched the two embracing inside, his hands clenched into fists behind his back, his nails digging deep into his palms.
He looked up at the dim sky of the Demon Realm, took a deep breath, and forced back the tears welling up in his eyes.
"Ah Yao, Yue Shu, Jin Long, Ah Shun, Ah Yu..."
Jun Yichen's voice regained its usual majesty, carrying a chilling edge.
"exist."
Ah Yao and Yue Shu emerged from the shadows.
Ah Yao had changed into a clean red dress, but her burnt white hair still looked a bit messy.
Jinlong held Yu Mengmeng's hand.
Hao Fengyu, Yan Kangshun, and the others clasped their hands in a fist salute, waiting for Jun Yichen to continue.
"Go and inform Lan Hai, Jing Hong, Jin Xing, Xuan Ming, Hao Ren, Yuan Chun, Yun Yuan, Qian He, Fo Ning, Cang Fu, and others in Shi Kong..."
Jun Yichen looked up at the sky.
These worlds were once the worlds of Venus and the Milky Way.
He and Su'er rescued Shi Kong from dire straits.
Previously, the Void Gate was destroyed, making the barriers between the various worlds vulnerable.
These worlds are no longer the stars of gold and silver, but the people in charge of these worlds listen to Jun Yichen and Yang Susu very much.
"Tell them that the Eastern Zhou is in trouble and that I need them."