A Little First Love Shock for the Demon Lord - Chapter 27.2

Minglou looked down and thought for a moment. When he looked back up at her, he said unusually calmly, “I don’t understand what you mean.”

She had expected him to be slow on the uptake and replied with a smile, “Then I won’t waste my breath. If you want me to answer your questions—bring me the War God, tied up and gift-wrapped.”

With that, she vanished from the tree.

Minglou frowned. Why is she always bringing up Shen Xuanyi? What is she up to…?

Just as Minglou was deep in thought, Ying Ning stepped out of the courtyard with a bamboo basket on her back.

She wore a light green dress made of thin cloth, her hair tied up with a silver hairpin, while two slender braids hung from either side of her shoulders. On her earlobes were the same jade beads Minglou had seen her wearing the first time they met in the flower field.

Ying Ning never wore makeup nor painted her eyebrows, yet her beauty was striking—almond-shaped eyes, naturally rosy lips, and pearly white teeth gave her an effortless charm.

The moment Minglou saw her, his heart wavered.

He instinctively stepped forward to speak, but Ying Ning only cast him a brief glance before turning away and walking off.

He quickly caught up with her. “Where are you going?” he asked.

“To Aunt Li’s flower field,” she replied plainly, her tone giving no room for further conversation.

Sensing her reluctance to engage, Minglou fell silent. He stared ahead, trying to think of a way to soften her mood. But he had never coaxed anyone before, and no matter how he racked his brain, nothing came to mind. A restless heat rose in his chest—he felt utterly lost.

He stayed close, adjusting his pace just to walk beside her, taking short and careful steps.

Ying Ning soon noticed his odd gait and glanced down, catching him tiptoeing slightly to match her stride.

After a long moment, she finally stopped.

“Why are you following me?” she asked.

Minglou halted immediately and, after a moment’s thought, replied softly, “Didn’t we agree to spend the days together?”

That was true.

Ying Ning raised her right hand to him. “Then… do you want to hold hands now?”

Minglou looked at her delicate, fair hand.

He did want to—but something inside him hesitated. What if, once her problem was resolved, she pushed him away completely?

“I… I’ve been feeling a little unwell lately,” he said awkwardly. “Maybe we can start in a few days.”

Ying Ning nodded. “Alright.” She turned and kept walking.

Minglou quickly followed, his eyes locked on her calm profile, reluctant to look away.

A few steps later, Ying Ning came to a stop again and let out a deep sigh.

Then she turned to him, her expression serious. “Minglou, there’s something I want to tell you.”

Her willingness to talk more lifted Minglou’s spirits. “Go ahead,” he said eagerly.

“I’ve had a strange dream since I was a child.”

Her gaze lowered as she spoke, her voice slow and steady. “In the dream, I’m a child living in a grand house. One day, while playing in the courtyard, a golden light wrapped in black mist suddenly falls from the sky and comes straight at me. I’m terrified, but I can’t escape. In the end, it envelops me.”

As she described the dream, Minglou’s expression gradually turned solemn.

“I don’t feel pain while dreaming, but every time I wake up, I ache—as if the pain lingers in my body. But even through the pain, there’s a faint warmth,” she continued.

Minglou asked quietly, “Why are you telling me this?”

Ying Ning didn’t answer directly. Instead, she said, “I’ve always felt this dream meant something important. I’ve wanted to uncover its truth. Then, that day at Sister Hua’er’s house, when I touched your hand… I felt a strange sense of familiarity with you.”

“Familiarity?” Minglou asked, startled.

She nodded. “Have you never wondered why I trusted you so easily? Why I agreed to follow you into the demon world without hesitation? It’s because I believe you hold the answer to my dream. I didn’t know if it was a good or bad omen, so I didn’t tell you before.”

Minglou fell into deep thought. For a mortal to have recurring dreams like this… could it be connected to her premature death in a past life?

As he pondered, Ying Ning took a step closer, bringing her face suddenly near his.

Startled, Minglou held his breath, tense.

“I think sincerity and respect are the foundation of any relationship,” she said seriously. “I’ve hidden things from you before. That wasn’t sincere of me.”

He didn’t quite follow her meaning at first.

Ying Ning took a deep breath and poured her heart out in one go: “Minglou, I don’t like the way you speak coldly to me. I don’t like the pity you show me for no reason. And I really don’t like being called ‘Xiao

Jinku’! That nickname feels demeaning. It doesn’t respect me.”

Her tone grew heavier as she spoke.

Minglou stared, wide-eyed. This was the first time he had seen such determination from Ying Ning. The first time he realized she disliked that nickname.

“You… I…” He fumbled for words, caught off guard.

Ying Ning turned and marched away without looking back.

Minglou froze, then scrambled to catch up. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” he asked, flustered.

“I was upset,” Ying Ning said bluntly. “But you didn’t notice at all! Later, I convinced myself you were different. That I should be more forgiving. You didn’t mean harm, so I thought maybe I was being too sensitive.”

Minglou asked cautiously, “Then… now? Are we still friends?”

“No,” Ying Ning answered with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You pity me. That’s not friendship.”

Minglou was completely at a loss. He reached out, wanting to stop her, but withdrew his hand in fear that she might slap it away.

Panicked, he blurted, “Fine! I take it back. I swear I won’t ever call you Xiao Jinku again!”

Ying Ning paused, exhaled slowly, and her expression softened slightly.

Then she said calmly, “Words meant to hurt… can’t simply be taken back.”