Chapter 417: 417: Fang Yuan and Lin Zhaoyue

Three weeks had passed since Fang Yuan returned to the lower realm.

A few things had shocked him during that time, but nothing compared to discovering that Uncle Chen and Matriarch Lin Xi had somehow gotten married... and even had a baby boy together.

After his discover, every single day after that, Fang Mei would continuously look for him to brag endlessly about her little brother and how adorable he was.

And to be fair, she was right.

Still, Fang Yuan genuinely wondered how Fang Mei had managed to hold herself back from mentioning any of this before he met Lin Xi himself, now technically his aunt.

At the moment, Fang Mei was still happily rambling while cradling the baby in her arms.

Honestly... it was not that bad.

Especially when Lin Zhaoyue kept sneaking glances toward the child from the side, clearly wanting to hold him yet refusing to ask.

"Elder Brother, did you know? Fang Da’ai means great love!"

Fang Mei rubbed her nose gently against the baby’s tiny face before nodding seriously.

"You’re definitely going to make all the girls swoon for you in the future!"

Fang Yuan chuckled softly.

That was the fourteenth time she had said that this week alone.

At the side, Lin Zhaoyue suddenly gritted her teeth.

Then, without warning, she stood up.

"Husband," she said stiffly, "I need you to come with me."

Before Fang Yuan could react, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him away.

Behind them, Fang Mei did not even notice they had left, completely absorbed in playing with the baby.

Fang Yuan and Lin Zhaoyue arrived at a secluded area deep within the mountains.

The wind drifted softly through the trees as silence settled between them.

After a moment, Lin Zhaoyue lowered her gaze and quietly asked,

"Husband... when are you going back?"

Fang Yuan stared at her for a few seconds before muttering,

"I don’t want to go back."

Then he looked at her and smiled faintly.

"I wonder whatever happened to the crazy you."

Lin Zhaoyue’s face instantly turned crimson.

She immediately kicked his shin.

"We were all children once!"

She puffed her cheeks and turned away stiffly.

Seeing this, Fang Yuan could not help but feel amused.

Honestly, this was another thing that had shocked him after returning.

For some reason, unlike before, Lin Zhaoyue had started showing restraint.

Although...

Fang Yuan recalled the time he visited Aunt Yueyao and casually carried the child, Fang Nitian in his arms as he congratulated her.

And then that terrifying stare Lin Zhaoyue had directed toward Aunt Yueyao the entire time.

"...Never mind."

Some things were simply impossible to change.

A smile appeared on his face as he asked,

"Do you have any plans after entering the higher realm?"

Lin Zhaoyue hesitated.

"Well... uh... I only thought about meeting you," she admitted softly.

Fang Yuan burst into laughter.

"You captured the World Essence, brought Pill King Tushan into the clan, raised countless clan talents into the Hollow Spirit Realm, united the Three Kingdoms..."

He looked at her with amusement.

"And you did all that in just three years simply to meet me."

He placed a hand over his chest dramatically.

"I’m so touched."

Lin Zhaoyue immediately turned red from embarrassment.

Just as she was about to retort, she suddenly felt a soft peck against her cheek.

Her entire body froze and Fang Yuan chuckled at her stunned expression.

"Why are you so shy?"

He reached out and held her hand before leaning closer with a grin.

"We’ve already gone all the way. Don’t be shy now."

"You’re so unfair..." Lin Zhaoyue muttered softly.

Then she slowly lifted her head and looked directly into his eyes.

"Be honest with me."

Her voice became quieter.

"Why did you suddenly start getting close to me?"

Fang Yuan’s expression paused slightly.

"Before you left for the higher realm, you still treated me like a guest... not like a wife."

She bit her lip lightly.

"But as soon as you came back..."

Her eyes locked onto his. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"You started looking at me with those eyes."

Fang Yuan smiled faintly.

"Do you hate it?"

"N-no."

Lin Zhaoyue immediately looked away.

"I love it."

Her ears were already red.

Fang Yuan fell silent, he wanted to tell her the truth.

That it was because he had seen an alternate future.

A future where he was killed by Fang Tian.

Even now, he still did not know whether what he saw was a prophecy, another timeline, or merely something fabricated by the system.

But he still remembered the details clearly.

[ Divine Grade Reward ]

[ Private Information on Fang Tian ]

At first, he thought it would merely contain weaknesses or hidden secrets.

Instead, it showed him an entire life.

A story about betrayal.

A story where he was ultimately killed by the person he trusted the most.

His own blood brother.

But strangely...

That was not the part he remembered the most.

What lingered in his mind instead was everything before the betrayal.

A warm family, with a son and a daughter.

A Lin Zhaoyue who had become calmer and more mature with time.

A home that genuinely felt alive.

For a brief moment, it felt so real that he almost believed he had truly lived through it.

And then, it all vanished the instant he finished reading the system message.

Only the final line remained engraved deeply within his mind.

’Please change the future with your own two hands and bring your life to a happily ever after.’

"Husband? Husband?"

Lin Zhaoyue’s sweet voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Fang Yuan stared at her quietly before speaking.

"I don’t know if I’ll be able to explain it properly."

He squeezed her hand gently.

"But I want you to know this."

His gaze softened.

"I’ll be genuine. Very genuine."

Lin Zhaoyue visibly looked disappointed for a moment.

But only for a moment.

Because to her, that promise alone already carried immense weight.

Still...

A dangerous glint slowly appeared within her eyes.

"You’ll have to explain it to me one day," she said with a smile.

The expression on her face clearly said she had absolutely no intention of letting the matter go until she was satisfied.

Fang Yuan laughed helplessly.

"Of course."