Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Resolving the Misunderstanding, Expressing Love with a Kiss

The moment Noah ran off, the atmosphere in the banquet hall instantly turned awkward.

Su Yaoyao watched Noah leave, her heart filled with worry and self-blame. An anxious feeling crawled through her. ’I seem to have deeply hurt Noah’s sensitive, fragile heart yet again.’

Just then, Mingye keenly sensed Su Yaoyao’s unease. He leaned in slightly and whispered in her ear, "Yaoyao, why don’t you go check on Noah? His heart is probably a tangled mess right now. He must be in agony."

Su Yaoyao nodded without a second thought, her eyes filled with urgency. She quickly rose, walked over to the Sea Emperor, and curtsied slightly to excuse herself. "Her Majesty the Sea Emperor, I’d like to go check on Noah. May I?"

A smile touched the Sea Emperor’s lips. This was precisely the effect she had so carefully orchestrated. She gave a slight nod of approval. "Go ahead, Holy Female. I hope you two can have a good talk and clear up any misunderstandings."

After receiving permission, Su Yaoyao hurried out of the banquet hall, following the direction Noah had gone. She passed through long corridors and around several exquisitely decorated corners until she finally spotted that familiar, lonely figure in a quiet garden.

Noah was sitting alone on a stone bench, hugging his knees tightly to his chest. His head was buried between them, his shoulders trembling slightly, as if the entire world had abandoned him.

A heart-wrenching pain shot through Su Yaoyao. She softened her steps, as if afraid of startling a wounded fawn, and gently approached Noah, slowly sitting down beside him.

She hesitated for a moment, then reached out with infinite tenderness and compassion. She lightly placed a hand on his shoulder and called his name softly, "Noah..."

Noah’s body went rigid, as if struck by an electric current.

After a long moment, he slowly lifted his head. His eyes were red and swollen, brimming with tears that threatened to spill over at any second, his expression full of hurt and sorrow.

He stared straight at Su Yaoyao, his voice trembling and laced with tears. "Yaoyao, are you really going to marry Big Brother?" His voice was filled with fear and despair, as if he were awaiting the judgment of fate.

A bitter pang shot through Su Yaoyao’s heart, as if a sharp blade had sliced through it.

She quickly said, "Noah, of course not. I never had any intention of doing that. When Her Majesty the Sea Emperor said that, I was stunned too. My mind went completely blank, and I was just trying to figure out how to refuse." Her gaze was filled with sincerity, hoping Noah would understand her true feelings.

A glimmer of hopeful surprise flashed in Noah’s eyes, like a ray of light in the darkness, but it was quickly replaced by doubt.

He looked at Su Yaoyao pitifully and asked, "Really? Yaoyao, you’re not just trying to comfort me, are you? I’m so scared of losing you."

Su Yaoyao gazed earnestly into Noah’s eyes, her expression firm and affectionate. "Noah, why would I lie to you? I know I hurt you terribly when I slapped you. It’s been like a thorn stuck in my heart, and I’ve been unable to forgive myself. I’ve been reflecting on it day and night, and I’ve finally realized something. I really care about you—so much that I can’t imagine a life without you." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Hearing Su Yaoyao’s words, the dam in Noah’s heart instantly broke, and tears burst forth like a rushing flood.

He could no longer control his emotions. He threw himself into Su Yaoyao’s arms and began to sob loudly. "Yaoyao, I thought you didn’t like me anymore! I’ve been terrified every single day, scared I’d never have your love again. I know I can be willful sometimes, and I always make you angry, but I really, really like you. I like you so much I’m going crazy."

Su Yaoyao’s heart ached for him. She gently patted his back, cooing softly as if calming a small, wounded animal. "I like you too, so very much. Hitting you before... that was too impulsive of me. I really regret it. Let’s not hurt each other anymore, okay? Let’s just be together."

Noah lifted his head and nodded emphatically. Tear tracks still stained his face, but he was already laughing through his tears. "Okay, Yaoyao, I’ll listen to you. Actually, that whole thing was my fault. I shouldn’t be so jealous."

Seeing him like this, Su Yaoyao couldn’t help but smile, a smile full of affection and tenderness.

She gently raised her hand and wiped the tears from Noah’s face with her fingertips. "Let’s go back, then. Everyone is waiting for us. The banquet is still going on, and we shouldn’t keep them waiting."

But Noah suddenly reached out and gripped her wrist tightly. With a hint of stubbornness and hurt in his eyes, he said in a small voice, "I... I don’t want to go back."

"Why?" Su Yaoyao looked at him, confused, her eyes full of concern.

Noah bit his lip, hesitated, then mustered his courage. "If we go back, I’ll just have to sit across from you and watch you be all lovey-dovey with Bai Lian and the others. And then there’s that fox, Lucia. You can’t keep your hands off her. It makes my heart ache. Yaoyao, do you only like fluffy things? Do you not care about me at all?"

Su Yaoyao’s heart softened. She quickly replied, "I do like fluffy things, but I love you just as much, Noah. You’re one of a kind in my heart. No one can replace you."

When Noah heard Su Yaoyao say she loved him, a brilliant smile bloomed on his face, as bright as a flower in spring.

It had been so long since he’d been this close to Su Yaoyao. He had missed her familiar, warm scent so much.

Noah could no longer hold back his feelings. He tightened his grip on Su Yaoyao’s wrist, pulling her into a tight embrace. Then, he slowly lowered his head and gently kissed her on the lips.

The kiss was filled with the joy of reunion, deep longing, and endless love.

The sudden, passionate kiss made Su Yaoyao’s head spin. It felt as if the entire world had stopped turning, leaving only their breaths and heartbeats.

She closed her eyes slightly, letting Noah’s tongue wander gently between her lips and teeth, exploring every soft part of her mouth.

Suddenly, she felt something was off. Noah’s octopus tentacles had, at some point, wrapped around her again, slithering up under the hem of her clothes.

Su Yaoyao was slightly startled and instinctively tried to cry out, but Noah’s mouth sealed hers tightly, swallowing her voice in their heated kiss.

In that moment, Noah seemed to have been swept away by love, madly infatuated with Su Yaoyao, unwilling to miss a single part of her body.

His tentacles caressed Su Yaoyao’s skin, both gentle and urgent, as if trying to merge her into his very being.

In the garden, the watery moonlight spilled over the embracing lovers, stretching their shadows long, as if time itself had stopped for them, captivated by their intense love.