CHAPTER 138: CHAPTER 138; NO WAY!

Yueyao arched a brow from the bed, a faint flush creeping across her cheeks as she tensed up and was very nervous, " Just moments ago you said I mustn’t let go, not even in sleep. You... You...."

Her tone was meant to be playful, but it faltered halfway, breaking into a soft stammer.

She was nervous, tense that Yueqin might take offense, that her daughter’s tender heart might suddenly turn cold toward her.

The fear of being rejected made Yueyao’s chest tighten, a fluttering mix of anxiety and longing coiling in her stomach.

She lowered her gaze, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, unsure whether to reach forward or stay rooted where she was.

Her hands itched to get hold of Yueqin’s body and touch her hair, to hold her closer, but even that simple gesture felt charged with stakes she hadn’t dared to measure before.

Yueqin tilted her head, noticing the tension in her mother’s shoulders across the room. Her voice, soft and steady, carried clearly to Yueyao despite the distance. "Mama... it’s okay," she whispered, the warmth in her tone anchoring Yueyao’s spiraling thoughts. "I like it when you hold me. I never want to let go either. Dad is our hero."

Yueyao’s eyes softened, the knot of fear in her chest loosening slightly. She nodded, swallowing the tightness in her throat, letting the reassurance travel across the space between them. Though her arms remained empty, the connection, and their bond, felt just as tangible.

For a moment, Yueyao only listened to the faint sound of Yueqin’s giggles as she nestled further into her father’s arms.

The sound was sweet, pure, and yet it pierced her like a thousand needles. She wanted to be the one holding her, feeling that laughter against her shoulder, but her body remained bound to the bed, weak, hesitant, trapped between yearning and fear.

Her lips parted, as if to call out, but no sound came. The weight of the unspoken pressed down on her, leaving her trembling in silence.

Jin Shuren’s eyes flicked toward her, lingering a second longer than necessary, as though he had noticed her unease.

The corner of his mouth curved, gentle, patient, almost infuriatingly knowing. He shifted Yueqin slightly, resting their daughter more comfortably against his chest, but his gaze didn’t waver.

Yueyao felt her face grow warm under that look, the mixture of teasing and quiet tenderness undoing her defenses. Her pulse quickened, and she turned her head away, biting down softly on her lower lip to steady herself.

He said nothing, letting the intimate moment stretch, the room heavy with the quiet, unspoken promise that no matter what storms had come before, or would come again, here, in this space, they were safe and held together.

Jin Shuren adored Yueqin, she was his life and everything to him.

"Your Daddy is a hero and a savior!" Yes, he saved her from that cage, even though she was in another cage, it didn’t feel that suffocating. She didn’t know how to thank him.

"Mm-hmm!" Yueqin hummed, her grin cheeky. She cupped her father’s face with her small hands. "He always saves me. He is my hero."

Jin Shuren let out a low chuckle, meeting Yueyao’s gaze across the room with something unreadable, then bent his head to murmur to the child, "And who will save me, then? Surely not you? Right?"

Yueqin puffed up proudly. "Of course I will! I will save you from Mama when she glares at you." She whispered the last part conspiratorially, her little hand shielding her father’s ear as though Yueyao couldn’t hear.

Jin Shuren’s lips quirked into a faint smirk, his eyes sparkling with quiet amusement. "Ah, so I see. You have taken on quite the responsibility, haven’t you, little fox?" He nudged Yueqin gently with an elbow, careful not to jostle her.

Yueqin puffed her cheeks, pretending to be fierce. "Of course! I am very brave. I will protect you even from the scary Mama," she declared, wiggling in his arms to emphasize her point.

Yueyao couldn’t help but let out a small, reluctant smile from the bed, her chest warming at the exchange.

Even from across the room, she could see the playfulness in Yueqin’s eyes, the way she mirrored Jin Shuren’s teasing energy, and it made her heart ache with a mix of envy and tenderness.

Jin Shuren leaned closer, lowering his voice in mock seriousness. "Hah! Brave, you say? Well then, little warrior, tell me... if Mama glares at me and I faint in fear, will you carry me to safety?"

Yueqin giggled, her small hands clutching his lap as she shook her head vigorously. "No way! You are too heavy! You will have to crawl yourself!" She pouted dramatically, then peeked over her shoulder at Yueyao, sticking her tongue out just slightly in a teasing gesture.

Yueyao’s lips twitched, a flush rising across her cheeks. She couldn’t help but watch them, the easy laughter, the banter, the warmth that radiated between father and daughter, and feel a pang of longing to be closer, to be part of their little world.

Jin Shuren caught Yueyao’s gaze and, with a silent understanding, leaned back slightly, letting the room fill with soft laughter and playful chatter, knowing she was watching, feeling, and slowly letting herself be drawn into this fragile, tender bubble of family intimacy.

Yueyao’s fingers tightened imperceptibly around the blanket as she watched them.

The sight made her heart warm, Yueqin glowing in laughter, Jin Shuren’s rare smile softening the hard lines of his face, yet a quiet tension wound through her chest.

Her body remembered fear even when her mind told her to stay still. His aura filled the room too easily, like smoke seeping into every corner.

Yet, at the same time, she felt something she couldn’t quite explain, a strange steadiness, like her lungs drawing deeper breath in his presence, as though some weight she hadn’t known she carried was being lifted.