Chapter Forty-Five: The Night Is Beautiful

Furina’s dream unfolded in the night. She sat on a bench, chatting idly with Lu Mingfei, while a charming little cat played at the roadside. She chased after the cat, delighting in its playful antics.

But as the game went on, Furina suddenly sensed something amiss. Perhaps it was because she had already experienced such a scene in reality, and—after all—human intelligence surpassed that of a dog. Her gaze shifted directly to the direction from which the servant had attacked her.

She saw him—the man in black!

Why was he here?
Why had Lu Mingfei’s voice disappeared?
This is bad, so very bad. Navillette isn’t here either…
What should I do? What am I supposed to do?
I cannot die, I cannot be exposed.

Furina bit her lip in anguish, watching as the servant rose from the nearby bench and walked toward her. Despair slowly crept across her face. Instinctively, she stepped back, the familiar sensation of hopelessness enveloping her, and tears threatened to burst forth from her eyes.

“Tap, tap, tap…”

The crisp sound of footsteps echoed. The man in black seemed to tread upon Furina’s fragile, helpless heart with every step, leaving it riddled with wounds.

Furina watched as he drew closer, and in an instant, clear tears poured forth. She took a deep breath, crossed her hands over her chest in a gesture of prayer, and cried out with all her might:

“Save me, Lu Mingfei!”

Her voice was loud and resonant, causing even the approaching man in black to pause instinctively. The servant frowned slightly and surveyed the surroundings, his expression puzzled, yet he hesitated not, rushing toward Furina at full speed, reaching out with his sinister hands once more as he had that day.

And in that moment—

A cracking sound resounded; space shattered like a glass mirror. From the fissure in the void, a familiar youth leaped forth.

He landed steadily on the ground, turned his head to glance at Furina behind him, and flashed a sunny, confident smile. At last, he uttered the words he had longed to say, even in dreams:

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you.”

Furina sat dazed on the floor, gazing at the boy who had accompanied her through countless sorrows. Her eyes shone with a dazzling light, but then, worried and anxious, she reached out her hand and called:

“Be careful!”

Lu Mingfei turned around, exposing his back to the man in black. The servant, undeterred even though this was only a dream, gathered a torrent of fire elements in his fist and launched an attack at Lu Mingfei with blistering speed.

But would it really work?

The youth who descended from the heavens turned slowly. The servant’s flaming fist was reflected in his majestic golden eyes. He shouted, angry and imperious:

“Begone!”

The power of his incantation erupted instantly, a terrifying repulsive force slamming into the servant, hurling him violently into the wall.

But… was that enough?

Lu Mingfei closed his hand into a fist, condensing elemental power into a black blade. He gripped the knife and strode toward the servant embedded in the wall, his spiritual domain fully unleashed, crushing the servant’s will and strength.

The servant’s body slid slowly down. She struggled to rise, staring at the youth with gray hair and golden eyes as he raised the black blade. She exclaimed, “Wait—”

The black blade fell instantly.

When it came to those who would harm Furina, Lu Mingfei never hesitated. Whether man or woman, he would cut them down without mercy, even if they fell to their knees and begged. His resolve would never waver.

But… why did that person seem to have a will of their own? It didn’t make sense. Surely her Dream Eater wasn’t powerful enough to pull someone from another world directly into her dream? It was illogical.

Most likely, it was Furina’s imagination. She had conjured that person in her dream as a real being; after all, anything could appear in dreams.

“Fur…”

As Lu Mingfei turned, a blue figure threw herself into his arms, buried her head against his chest, and clung to him tightly, as if afraid he would slip away.

He was stunned for a moment, then smiled, his gaze growing tender and pained. He whispered softly, “I’m here. I’ve come to be with you.”

Soon, muffled sobs rose, dampening his chest as she wept, her embrace growing stronger and tighter.

“These five hundred years have been hard on you.”

Lu Mingfei hugged her back. Though it was only a dream, the sensation was astonishingly real—just like holding Furina in his arms.

What a beautiful dream.

The two remained quietly entwined, the dream world belonging solely to them. No one could intrude. The darkness of night was gradually dispelled, the stars overhead began to sparkle brilliantly, illuminating the sky and painting the world in enchanting hues.

After a long while, Furina’s heartbeat calmed. She slowly released her hold, lifted her head, and gazed at the boy who had saved her in her moment of need. An inexplicable impulse surged within her.

She quickly reached out, wrapping her arms around Lu Mingfei’s neck, drawing her face close to his.

Golden eyes met watery ones for a brief moment. Furina slowly closed her eyes; her lips trembled, as if hinting at something special, beseeching.

“I love you.”

Beneath the night sky, a shower of meteors fell.

…

Much later, the two sat side by side on the bench. Furina’s brows were lowered, her fingers gently pressed to her lips, the corners of her mouth curving upward in recollection of something sweet.

“Hm?”

The familiar sensation came from behind. She looked at the hand draped over her figure, and a satisfied smile bloomed. She closed her eyes, rested her head on the safe shoulder, and savored a happiness she had never known since her birth.

After a long time, Furina slowly opened her eyes, gazed at the gentle rise and fall of her chest, and whispered in the faintest voice, “Lu Mingfei, do you… do you mind that I’m small?”

“No,” he replied.

“Why not?”

“Because this way, I can feel your heartbeat when I hold you.”

Lu Mingfei tightened his embrace, drawing Furina closer, feeling the rhythm of her heart, and said,

“Your heartbeat is so fast.”

“Aren’t you the same?”

…

The next morning, at dawn

The sunlight crept in through the corner of the curtains, slowly climbing onto Lu Mingfei’s face. The warm rays roused the sleeping youth. He opened his eyes slowly, the warmth from the dream still lingering in his heart. He pressed his lips together gently, his gaze growing resolute.

“Lu Mingfei, I dreamed of you last night,” Furina’s shy voice sounded softly.

Lu Mingfei smiled and said, “Yes, the night was beautiful.”

Furina paused for a moment, and then a bold idea suddenly welled up inside her, her cheeks beginning to flush.