Cheng Min was quite shaken, his reactions were slow, and he would tremble at the slightest disturbance, even developing a fear of the dark. He couldn’t leave Lu Bingxun’s side at all. Whenever he opened his eyes and didn’t see Lu Bingxun, he would break down and cry, running barefoot to search for him everywhere.
Since they returned, Lu Bingxun stayed by Cheng Min’s side without leaving, even when taking a bath, he would stay nearby to watch over his little wife. He was afraid Cheng Min would suddenly have an episode and cry while searching for him.
Lu Bingxun felt heartache for the person in his arms, holding Cheng Min close, kissing and comforting him. He even broke the rule of only allowing Cheng Min to eat a strawberry shortcake once a week, letting him have it every day. But Cheng Min had no appetite at all, curling up in Lu Bingxun’s arms like a lifeless doll, eating whatever he was fed without protest or resistance.
Late at night, Cheng Min woke up from a nightmare, reliving the events of that day, filled with extreme fear, desperately wanting to snuggle into Lu Bingxun’s arms for comfort. But when he turned around, he found Lu Bingxun was gone. Cheng Min lost his mind, tears streaming uncontrollably as he frantically called out Lu Bingxun’s name. His voice echoed in the air before fading away completely.
Lu Bingxun had abandoned Cheng Min, leaving him quietly. Once this thought took hold, Cheng Min threw everything off the bed, followed by the small ornaments on the bedside table. Nothing was spared.
Cheng Min got out of bed, avoiding the mess on the floor, and barefooted, he went to the door, turned the handle, and was about to run out when he bumped into Lu Bingxun. He seemed to be holding something in his hand.
“Why did you come out?” Lu Bingxun was a bit surprised.
Seeing Lu Bingxun, Cheng Min felt like he had found his support, his consciousness slowly returning. He said aggrievedly, “Why did you leave me?”
“Why would I leave you?” Lu Bingxun picked Cheng Min up with one hand, kissed his cheek, and comforted him, “Wife, I just went to get a nightlight.” Then he continued, “Do you like it?”
Hearing this, Cheng Min slowly shifted his gaze to Lu Bingxun’s hand, reaching out to ask for it. Seeing this, Lu Bingxun handed the nightlight to him. Cheng Min held the nightlight like a treasure.
With Lu Bingxun’s constant companionship day and night, Cheng Min’s condition improved. He no longer broke down and cried at the slightest provocation, but he was still afraid of the dark, needing the little star nightlight on every night to fall asleep. He became increasingly attached to Lu Bingxun, unable to be apart from him in body and mind, even though they hadn’t performed the bonding ceremony. He wanted to be in his arms all the time, focusing all his attention on the man. Who knows what it would be like after their soul bond?
Lu Bingxun didn’t notice this, and Cheng Min had long forgotten about it, neither of them mentioning it.
The peaceful days didn’t last long. One morning, Cheng Min, still asleep, was startled awake by a loud noise, shrinking into Lu Bingxun’s arms in fright. While comforting Cheng Min, Lu Bingxun took out his communicator to contact his subordinates. The answer he got was that the camp had been attacked by a group of unknown creatures, and worse news followed—they had been completely exposed. A group of elves was rushing over to capture everyone.
The camp was no longer safe, so everyone had to evacuate before they arrived and head to the real base camp. It was then that Cheng Min realized the camp he had been living in was just a branch, no wonder Lu Bingxun would disappear from time to time.
Cheng Min sat on the bed, his messy blonde hair draped over his shoulders, looking listless, clearly just waking up and not fully alert yet.
“Wife.” Lu Bingxun was amused by his appearance, pinching Cheng Min’s face gently, “It’s not safe here now, we should leave.”
He nodded, yawning, not really caring about what Lu Bingxun said. After all, wherever Lu Bingxun went, he would take Cheng Min with him, so there was no need to worry, as long as he listened and didn’t run around.
Nothing else mattered.
Letting Lu Bingxun dress him and then set him aside to pack the supplies they would need on the road. Cheng Min sat obediently on the bed, legs dangling and swinging back and forth, his gaze fixed on Lu Bingxun, watching his every move. Seeing him pack a few of his favorite dresses and some simple energy supplements, Cheng Min thought of something.
“How long will it take to reach the base camp?” Cheng Min couldn’t help but ask.
“About three days,” Lu Bingxun replied casually while packing, “Why, wife?”
Cheng Min swallowed, a bit embarrassed, “Will I still have snacks during this time?”
“Yes,” Lu Bingxun said, “Do you think I would let you go without?”
Thinking that his afternoon tea wouldn’t be canceled, Cheng Min was in a great mood, shaking his head, “No, hubby treats me the best.”
Since they got together, Cheng Min had been pampered like a precious canary by Lu Bingxun, except for the unavoidable crying at night, it was no different from when he was a young master. Whatever he wanted, he got with just a word.
Cheng Min rarely walked, mostly being carried in Lu Bingxun’s arms. According to Lu Bingxun, it was to prevent Cheng Min from getting tired.
Time was tight, and the supplies on the spaceship were insufficient, with food only enough for some people. But even in such times, Lu Bingxun never thought of letting Cheng Min go without.
Cheng Min’s life didn’t change much, staying in the room, living in luxury, eating fresh fruits, and never missing an afternoon tea.
On the third morning, the spaceship arrived at the base camp. At this time, Cheng Min was wearing a silk robe, nestled in Lu Bingxun’s arms, happily eating cake.
[Destination reached.]
Cheng Min was stunned, looking at Lu Bingxun.
“We’re home,” Lu Bingxun said, rubbing Cheng Min’s face and wiping the cream from the corner of his lips.
Cheng Min nestled in Lu Bingxun’s arms, letting him change his robe to a light pink fitted one. Then, Lu Bingxun kissed Cheng Min in his arms and carried him towards the cabin door.
Even though Cheng Min was Lu Bingxun’s little wife, his identity as an elf couldn’t be changed, and the prejudice humans had against him wouldn’t lessen. Because of Lu Bingxun, they didn’t dare to talk about Cheng Min, but the disdainful looks he received still bothered him.
There were many humans in the base camp, and Cheng Min didn’t want to be carried by Lu Bingxun all the way, facing countless disdain and disgust.
“I want to walk by myself,” Cheng Min tugged at Lu Bingxun’s clothes, his tone soft, pleading with the man, “Can I?”
Hearing this, Lu Bingxun frowned, a bit dissatisfied, “Wife, your stamina is limited, you can’t walk far, let me carry you.”
Cheng Min shook his head, his tone even softer, continuing to plead, “Hubby, can you hold my hand and walk with me? When I can’t walk anymore, you can carry me.”
Hearing the words of the little clinging vine in his arms, Lu Bingxun’s expression softened, and after a moment of thought, he agreed to Cheng Min’s request, “Okay, I’ll listen to my wife.”
Putting Cheng Min on the ground, before Lu Bingxun could reach out to hold his hand, Cheng Min proactively touched the man’s hand, showing a pleasing smile.
He couldn’t let Lu Bingxun be unhappy, or else he would suffer at night.
“Let’s go,” Lu Bingxun said, smiling, holding Cheng Min’s hand tightly, slowing down his pace as they walked out.
But even so, the frail little vine couldn’t handle the exertion, and not long after leaving the spaceship, he was out of breath and couldn’t walk anymore.
Seeing this, the man stopped, turned to look at Cheng Min, without any action.
“I can’t walk anymore,” Cheng Min said softly.
Hearing this, Lu Bingxun raised an eyebrow, ignoring him.
The meaning was clear, Cheng Min wiped the sweat from his forehead, opened his arms to the man in front of him, “Hubby, carry me.”
At this moment, Lu Bingxun finally moved, bending down to pick Cheng Min up, adjusting his position in his arms, and striding forward.
Cheng Min nestled in Lu Bingxun’s arms, motionless.
Fortunately, the base camp was very quiet, not a single person was seen along the way, who knows where they went, and Cheng Min’s biggest worry didn’t happen.
Until they returned to the bedroom, and Cheng Min was placed on the bed, his heart finally settled.
“What’s wrong, wife?” Lu Bingxun noticed Cheng Min’s unusual behavior and quickly asked, “If there’s anything, just tell me.”
Cheng Min shook his head, “Nothing.”
The temperature in the base camp was low, and due to not being used to the environment, Cheng Min caught a cold without noticing. Lu Bingxun dropped his work to take care of his frail little vine, holding Cheng Min in his arms and personally feeding him medicine.
It wasn’t until the sixth day that Cheng Min’s condition improved, his fever had subsided, and his throat was no longer hoarse, but his appetite was still poor. Even his favorite strawberry cake didn’t appeal to him, and he only ate a little to please Lu Bingxun.
The little bit of weight he had gained under Lu Bingxun’s care was gone, back to square one. Looking at his thin self in the mirror, Cheng Min’s mood hit rock bottom, and no matter how much Lu Bingxun coaxed him, he couldn’t cheer up.
That morning, Lu Bingxun was rarely not in the room, who knows where he went, and Cheng Min was alone in bed, constantly looking out the window. He missed Lu Bingxun.
In his torment, Cheng Min waited for a whole hour, but Lu Bingxun’s figure still didn’t appear outside the window. Finally, he couldn’t wait any longer, got out of bed, put on his coat, but instead of leaving through the front door, he opened the window and climbed out.
Since Cheng Min got sick, Lu Bingxun had forbidden him from going out to prevent his condition from worsening. If he left through the front door, humans would definitely come to stop him, making it difficult to leave.
Not far from the camp, there was a magical forest with many precious plants, and instinct told Cheng Min that Lu Bingxun must be there. Thinking of this, Cheng Min tightened his clothes and ran towards the forest against the cold wind.
In a daze, he heard footsteps behind him, probably discovered by the humans in the camp. Afraid of being caught and taken back, Cheng Min gritted his teeth and quickened his pace.
Getting closer, the sound behind him became indistinct, and Cheng Min’s body had reached its limit, but he had no intention of stopping. Finally, he entered the forest.
At this moment, he couldn’t run anymore, collapsing to the ground, clutching his chest and gasping for air. The pampered little vine had never experienced this before.
His chest rose and fell, the white breath he exhaled disappearing into the air, and Cheng Min maintained his previous posture, his gaze falling on a spiritual herb not far away.
During his rest, he felt a chill on his arm, and when he looked, he found a snake crawling up his arm, getting closer to his collar. Cheng Min was terrified, frozen in place.
The cold snake head slipped into his collar, sliding further down, more and more of it going in. He felt like he was going to die.
“What are you doing here?” A large hand reached into his collar, pulling the snake out and throwing it aside. Lu Bingxun, with a dark expression, buttoned Cheng Min’s shirt.
Glancing at the box of ripe magical fruits at his feet, Cheng Min couldn’t take his eyes off it, after all, it was one of the elves’ favorite fruits. It was then that he realized Lu Bingxun had gone to pick fruit for him.
Smelling the sweet scent, Cheng Min unconsciously swallowed, filtering out Lu Bingxun’s reproachful words. Until a sharp pain on his face brought him back to reality, realizing Lu Bingxun was pinching his face.
“Speak,” Lu Bingxun said, “Why did you ignore my words?”
Cheng Min felt aggrieved, but didn’t forget to please the man, crying as he threw himself into Lu Bingxun’s arms, “I just missed you.”
After a long time, he heard Lu Bingxun sigh.
In the end, Lu Bingxun couldn’t bring himself to punish Cheng Min, and the matter was brushed aside without causing any waves. Cheng Min nestled in his arms, eating a magical fruit, his appetite awakened.
“Eat slowly,” Lu Bingxun said, wiping Cheng Min’s mouth with a tissue, “No one here is going to take it from you.”
It was fine if he didn’t say it, but as soon as he did, Cheng Min choked, coughing continuously. Lu Bingxun quickly put down the tissue and gently patted his back.
Having learned his lesson, Cheng Min slowed down his eating, and halfway through, he even offered the fruit to Lu Bingxun, “Try it, it’s really good.”
“Mm,” Lu Bingxun said, taking the fruit from Cheng Min’s hand and swallowing it.
The warm breath on his hand made Cheng Min quickly retract his hand, awkwardly picking up another fruit to munch on. Lu Bingxun wanted to say something, but was interrupted.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
“Come in.”
The door opened, and a man walked in, looking somewhat familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before. He told Lu Bingxun, “A spaceship crashed not far from the camp, and we scavenged some supplies from it.” Pausing, he continued, “We also found a high-level elf in one of the cabins, with some minor injuries.”
Cheng Min paused, looking up at the man.
The man didn’t look at him, continuing to ask, “Brother Lu, what do you plan to do with this elf?”
Lu Bingxun’s gaze remained on Cheng Min, seeing his concerned expression, he couldn’t help but pinch his little wife’s face, “Bring him back and find a place to settle him.”
“Okay.”
After the man left, Lu Bingxun couldn’t help but ask Cheng Min, “What, are you interested in that wild man?”
Cheng Min shook his head, smiling at Lu Bingxun to please him, “How could I be?”
In the camp, Cheng Min was the only elf, and even with Lu Bingxun by his side, he sometimes felt lonely. Although he said otherwise, Cheng Min was curious about the new elf and couldn’t help but want to sneak a peek at what he looked like.
As time went on, his curiosity grew stronger. Unfortunately, Lu Bingxun didn’t seem inclined to tell him, and Cheng Min didn’t dare ask, so he had to find out from other sources.
For several days, he wandered the corridors, trying to find the room where the elf was settled. His efforts paid off when he overheard two human women talking and learned the elf’s exact location.
Not daring to delay, Cheng Min followed the directions he heard and arrived at the door, gathering his courage before slowly pushing it open.
“What are you doing here?” The moment he saw the person, Cheng Min’s smile vanished, replaced by a complex emotion. As soon as he spoke, the elf looked up, and their eyes met.
“Cheng Min.”