"Then what about the others..."
Masha was silent for a long time before finally asking this question.
Her pleading eyes made Lin Feng reluctant to tell the truth.
But this concerned Masha's choices for the future, so he had to tell the truth.
"More or less, basically all of them."
This answer was like a bolt from the blue.
Masha didn't say a word, just pushed open the door and left.
After a while, Kandis knocked on the door and came into the room. She lowered her voice and asked quietly: "What's wrong with Masha? She's sitting alone in the living room looking rather pitiful. I tried talking to her but she didn't respond at all."
"Let her be for now. This girl is a little overwhelmed."
Lin Feng told Kandis the whole story.
Kandis frowned as she listened without missing a word.
Then she complained: "You're pretty bold, knowing she can't handle it but still telling her."
"Well you can't lie at a time like this, can you?"
"Then why didn't you tell the truth before?"
"I wanted to tell the truth back then, but the beastkin girl didn't want me to." Lin Feng sighed softly, hugging a pillow and flipping it over and over. "I didn't expect her to actually come looking for me. I thought she'd meet someone she likes in three or five years and then forget me completely."
Kandis laughed softly: "But after finding out you were missing, she left the valley alone and spent five years searching for you."
"During those five years, she lived a wandering life, often going hungry, just to make it easier to find you. She even dyed her conspicuous red hair black."
"One day she received a letter and came eagerly to see the man she loved, only to find out he already had eight hundred wives and had discarded their previous agreement..."
"Doesn't hearing me say this make you feel more guilty?"
Lin Feng gasped.
Not just guilty, it made him want to crawl into a hole.
In this world, only good food and love should not be betrayed.
Lin Feng put on his shoes and went to the living room.
He saw Masha crouching on the sofa while Red Scale jumped and bounced around beside her.
"Stinky dragon, what are you doing?"
"She looks unhappy so I'm trying to cheer her up." Red Scale then twisted her butt with her thick dragon tail spinning like a propeller.
"Alright, go upstairs and sleep with Yuna. Don't kick the blankets off or you'll catch a cold."
"Okay!" Red Scale spread her little wings and flapped a few times, flying directly upstairs.
Now there were only two people left in the living room.
Lin Feng took off his magic crystal bracelet and slowly handed it to Masha.
"You keep it."
She looked at Lin Feng with empty eyes.
Lin Feng took a deep breath and said sincerely after thinking for a while: "I'm sorry, I probably don't match the image you have in mind. I'm just an ordinary person."
"It's not your fault." Masha squeezed out a bitter smile and murmured softly: "I should have asked clearly before."
Now whenever she closed her eyes, images of Lin Feng with other women appeared in her mind.
"I want to go home."
Lin Feng didn't know how to respond to this.
If Masha had made up her mind, Lin Feng would have to take her back to Uncle Ruby personally.
After that, the two fell into suffocating silence again.
After a long while, Masha gently patted his shoulder: "Brother Lin Feng, don't worry about me and go rest. I'll be fine by myself soon, don't worry."
"I may look like a doll, but I'm actually almost thirty. I can handle this." Masha said with a bitter laugh.
Lin Feng could see tears welling up in her eyes.
How could he leave her alone in the living room like this?
"It's okay, I'm not sleepy yet. I'll keep you company tonight."
Hearing Lin Feng say this, Masha didn't try to persuade him otherwise.
The two just sat in silence until late into the night.
Lin Feng felt a steady onslaught of drowsiness.
"The more I think about it, the more I like Brother Lin Feng. I really can't give up our life together. Just imagining having children makes me feel happy."
???
She was just emo a moment ago, now she's already imagining having kids?
He didn't know whether to praise her persistence or her boldness.
"I've been revived, love is love, nothing can stop me." Masha stretched and yawned. "I've been traveling for days without much rest, so I can finally get a good night's sleep today."
Lin Feng recalled Kandis' words again. Images appeared in his mind of Masha climbing over mountain after mountain, dirty and disheveled, just to see the man she loved once more.
"Brother Lin Feng, where are you sleeping tonight?"
"Of course, in my room."
Lin Feng counted with his fingers.
If Red Scale didn't act crazy, Rosa Linda didn't sneak attack, then he'd probably be alone.
"Why do you ask? What are you plotting?"
Masha shook her head with a serious look. "No plots."
"Then can I borrow your bed to sleep? I want a good rest."
Might as well let her take a few bites since it's inevitable.
"Okay."
But when they went upstairs, Lin Feng felt something was wrong.
Masha had locked the door and lit some candles.
Normal people don't sleep with the lights on, right?
"Just tell me straight if you want to do something."
Masha got into bed and fumbled around for a bit before tossing her pajamas out.
?!
Although a little surprised, Lin Feng didn't react much beyond that.
"Then let me get another blanket."
"No." Masha turned her head back and stretched out a hand to grab Lin Feng's pants.
Her face was flushed.
Even with his backside, he knew what she wanted to do.
She hugged Lin Feng from behind and whispered softly in his ear: "Brother, you can't run away this time."
Her hurried breathing tickled Lin Feng's ear.
"Are you clear what you're doing now?"
"Clearer than ever."
"Then there's no turning back." Lin Feng reminded her again.
He wouldn't lose out if something really happened.
It was just that this girl...
"I absolutely won't regret it. If I let you get away today, that's what I'll really regret." Masha plucked up her courage to nibble on Lin Feng's ear while her slender jade fingers squeezed his body.
She was actually using those actions that only existed in her fantasies.
Masha slowly clenched her fists and leaned lightly on Lin Feng's back: "I'm like this already, ruined for marriage. Don't reject me."
Afraid that Lin Feng would disagree, she added: "You said before that you'd give me a chance once I grew up..."
"Are you sure you don't mind?"
Masha was silent, but she nodded firmly in the end.
Since this was the case, Lin Feng understood.
"Okay, don't be so nervous. Relax."
Masha was startled: "What what???"
She had a feeling.
The roles of the hunter and the hunted seemed to have suddenly reversed.