292: Chapter 292 Kissing the Stained Glass

Her family's heirloom was a long spear, which didn't suit her.

Even if it did, there was no telling how many years it would be before that spear was passed down to her.

Her father was the Sovereign, and he was still young.

It would be at least several thousand years before her father abdicated the throne to her.

In several thousand years, she might already have her own Rank Seven weapon—or she might not.

A Rank Seven Origin weapon wasn't something that could be bought with money alone.

Hua Caili toyed with the blade for a long while before reluctantly handing it back to Lin Yun.

Lin Yun didn't take it.

Instead, he took the opportunity to grasp her hand.

Her hand was small and very soft.

Her fingers were slender, her nails rounded, and her palm was warm.

"We're all family; just take it."

Hua Caili's face flushed red.

She struggled for a moment, trying to pull her hand away, but Lin Yun held on tight, and she couldn't break free.

"I don't want it," Hua Caili said, turning her face away, her voice trembling slightly. "It's too precious."

"Precious? It's just a saber."

"You've spent so much time practicing with me; even if there's no merit, there's hard work. Take it."

"I said I don't want it, and I mean it," Hua Caili said firmly.

She was the Ninth Princess and had her pride.

Sparring was sparring; a gift was a gift.

She couldn't accept a Rank Seven Origin weapon just because they had sparred a few times.

That wasn't Hua Caili's style.

The two of them went back and forth for a while.

Looking at her stubborn expression, Lin Yun's heart stirred, and he spoke softly:

"If you really feel bad about it, how about we count this saber as a betrothal gift?"

As soon as those words were spoken, Hua Caili froze.

For an instant, she lost herself, her eyes dazed and her lips slightly pursed.

That sudden shyness and astonishment was breathtakingly beautiful, making Lin Yun's heart skip a beat as he stared in a daze.

After a long while, Hua Caili finally murmured softly, with a hint of difficulty and bashfulness, "This isn't quite right... I am Liuli's elder sister..."

Lin Yun's gaze was warm, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Isn't it even better to add kinship to kinship?"

"Liuli is usually the closest to you, her sister. She often tells me that what she misses most from her childhood are the days when you held her to sleep and played with her."

Hua Caili's voice grew quieter: "Is that so..."

Lin Yun didn't say anything more.

He took a step forward and pulled her into his arms.

Hua Caili's body stiffened for a moment, then went soft.

She gave a symbolic resistance, but put no strength into it.

Her hands were placed against Lin Yun's chest, as if pushing him away, yet also as if touching him.

On the desolate planet, the gray surface was covered in impact craters.

Golden sunlight streamed from a distant star, the light intertwining as it spilled over the two of them and across the gray earth.

Lin Yun held her by the waist; with her armor removed, his fingers could feel the softness of her waist.

Hua Caili's height reached just to his chin, the top of her head brushing against his neck, carrying a faint fragrance.

He looked at her, and she looked at him.

Two pairs of eyes met under the starry sky.

Then, Lin Yun lowered his head and kissed her.

Hua Caili's eyelashes were very long; when she closed her eyes, they cast a small, fan-shaped shadow on her eyelids.

Her lips were very soft, carrying a hint of coolness, like snow that had just begun to melt in spring.

Her movements were very unrefined and clumsy, not at all like someone who had lived for over a thousand years.

This was indeed her first time.

Having lived for over a thousand years, an unmarried woman, the Ninth Princess of the Empire, and a powerhouse of Sixth Order Completion.

She had faced countless enemies, countless crises, and countless moments of life and death.

She had never been afraid.

But now, she was afraid.

Not fear, but the kind of feeling where the heart is about to jump out of one's chest.

Her heart was thumping wildly, so fast it felt like it might explode.

She didn't know where to put her hands, and her body was as stiff as a piece of wood.

Lin Yun sensed her tension.

He slowed his movements, kissing her gently, softly, bit by bit.

The tip of his tongue traced the shape of her lips, gently coaxing her teeth apart.

Hua Caili's mind went blank.

She couldn't think of anything anymore.

She could only feel that kiss, the hands holding her, and the warmth of that person.

After a long time, their lips parted.

Hua Caili leaned against his chest, gasping for air.

Her face was as red as a ripe apple, even her ears were flushed through.

She didn't dare look at him, burying her face in his chest.

Lin Yun held her, his chin resting on the top of her head as he breathed in the fragrance of her hair.

"Caili," he called her name softly.

"Mhm," her voice came muffled from his chest.

"Marry me."

Hua Caili didn't answer.

She simply held him tighter, burying her face even deeper.

On the desolate planet, the wind whistled as it passed through the craters.

The light of the star spilled over the land, dyeing the gray surface golden.

Two figures held each other tightly.

After an unknown amount of time, Hua Caili finally raised her head from his chest.

The previous aura of majesty, holiness, and inviolability had vanished.

In its place was the shyness and tenderness of a young woman.

"You bad man," she whispered, "you tricked Liuli away, and now you want to trick me too."

Lin Yun smiled. "Is that not good?"

Hua Caili shot him a glare but didn't argue.

"That saber," she paused, "I'll accept it. However, it's not a betrothal gift. It's..."

She thought for a long time but couldn't find the right word.

Lin Yun said it for her: "It's a token of our love."

Hua Caili's face turned red again.

She lowered her head and gave a soft "Mhm."

Lin Yun pressed the saber into her hand.

Hua Caili's fingers gently brushed over the blade.

"Does it have a name?"

Lin Yun shook his head. "Not yet. Why don't you give it one?"

Hua Caili thought for a moment and said, "Let's call it... Jinxi. The golden dawn."

Lin Yun nodded. "A good name."

Hua Caili withdrew Jinxi into her Dantian and leaned into Lin Yun's embrace, looking at the distant star.

"Lin Yun."

"Mhm."

"When will you ask my father for my hand?"

"Tomorrow."

"So soon?"

"Is it soon? I feel like it's too slow."

Hua Caili smiled.

She raised her head and looked at his profile.

She had looked at this face many times.

From the first time she met him on Minglu Planet until now, several years had passed.

Back then, he was just a minor Second-Order Martial Artist.

Now, he was already at Fifth-Order Perfection, even more formidable than her.

Time really does fly.

"Lin Yun."

"Mhm."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Thank you for appearing in my life."

Lin Yun looked down at her.

Her beautiful face shimmered with a gentle light under the starlight.

He smiled slightly and kissed her again.

Hua Caili closed her eyes, feeling that tenderness.

On the desolate planet, two figures held each other tightly.