Can We Get Married First?  96

Chapter 96

Lou Mi sat in the hot water, concentrating, waiting for another wave of memories.

She soaked until she was dizzy and sweating, but the “sequel” she anticipated never arrived.

It was frustrating. What happened after the mouth-feeding? They had already… done it, she had already taken the lead, why was there a gap in her memory here?

Lou Mi felt the pain of a cliffhanger.

It seemed she wouldn’t get the rest of the story.

She got out of the bath, her skin flushed, the scent of the bath bomb making her feel like a blooming rose.

Tonight, this vibrant rose would definitely ravish Chi Lin, the innocent little daisy!

No, wait, Chi Lin was still injured.

Lou Mi was frustrated.

Such a perfect moment for a reunion, and she couldn’t use all her moves! She wanted to act out the “sequel” with Chi Lin right now.

But for Chi Lin’s health, she had to restrain herself…

But cuddling all night was fine, right?

Lou Mi excitedly found her favorite perfume, sprayed it into the air, letting it fall on her like a fragrant mist, then picked up a newly bought nightgown.

This wine-red silk nightgown was even more revealing than the one Chi Lin had criticized before, perfectly accentuating her figure.

After blow-drying her hair, she put on the nightgown and admired herself in the mirror.

Guaren was truly beautiful.

She couldn’t wait to see Chi Lin mesmerized by her.

As Lou Mi walked through the living room again, Lou Lixing and Peng Ziyuan, seeing her attire, stared.

Lou Mi greeted them casually and went to Chi Lin’s room.

Lou Lixing: “Ahem! Should we wear earplugs tonight…?”

Peng Ziyuan smacked him on the head: “What are you thinking?! Those two kids wouldn’t be so indecent.”

The TV was on, but Lou Lixing and Peng Ziyuan weren’t paying attention to the dialogue.

They clearly heard Lou Mi’s sweet voice calling out, “Little Lin,” after entering the room.

Peng Ziyuan quietly took out a pair of earplugs.

“You know,” she said, “we should really start pushing Mi Mi and Little Lin to get married.”

When Lou Mi entered the room, Chi Lin was trying to turn over and lie on her stomach.

The pain seemed to have lessened slightly, the sharp pangs now a dull ache.

Lying on her back made her uncomfortable.

Chi Lin had rarely been injury-free during her years on the battlefield. Her Majesty had nursed her back to health in Shangjing, and those old wounds had gradually faded.

She was experienced in dealing with pain and needed to adjust her position.

Hearing Lou Mi’s voice, Chi Lin looked towards the door. In the dim light, Lou Mi’s long, pale legs appeared, almost taking Chi Lin’s breath away.

“You…” Chi Lin’s gaze was fixed. “What are you doing?”

“What, don’t I look good?” Lou Mi leaned over Chi Lin, her hands on either side of her body, caging her beneath her.

“No… you look beautiful.”

“Especially beautiful?”

“Yes.”

Lou Mi had wanted to tease her, but seeing her uncomfortable posture, knowing that her injuries were hindering her movements, even lying down was difficult, she decided to be gentle.

“Does it hurt here?” Lou Mi gently touched the area near Chi Lin’s shoulder blade.

“Yes.”

“Did you hit the rocks when you were protecting me?”

Chi Lin nodded.

Falling from such a height, even with the water cushioning the impact, must have been incredibly painful.

Chi Lin, usually reserved with her words, was now speaking in single syllables, a clear sign of her discomfort.

“Can I take a look?”

“At my back…” Chi Lin hesitated.

Lou Mi, recalling Xie Buyu’s mention of the emperor-subject roleplay, felt a thrill of anticipation.

She knew how conservative Chi Lin was, her reservedness not just because she was from ancient times, but her inherent personality.

Asking to see her back, which meant lifting her clothes, would definitely make Chi Lin hesitate.

Lou Mi told herself she was only concerned about Chi Lin’s injuries, that she just wanted to check, not to assert her dominance as the Emperor, definitely not…

“There’s probably nothing to see, your body is fine.”

“I just want to check, to be sure.”

“You really want to see?” Chi Lin looked back at her.

Lou Mi nodded firmly.

“Okay…” Chi Lin agreed.

As Chi Lin lifted her shirt, a wave of guilt washed over Lou Mi.

Why was she so obedient?!

Chi Lin’s compliance melted Lou Mi’s heart.

And Chi Lin was older, an older sister…

Lou Mi, once a self-proclaimed “little sister lover,” had now become a “big sister lover.”

Her preferences seemed entirely dependent on Chi Lin.

Chi Lin struggled to reach her back. Lou Mi couldn’t bear to see her strain herself:

“Let me help you.”

“Okay…”

Lou Mi lifted Chi Lin’s pajama top. Her back was smooth and unblemished, confirming that the pain wasn’t from any external injuries.

But whenever she touched the area near her shoulder blade, Chi Lin winced.

Seeing Chi Lin’s discomfort made Lou Mi’s heart ache, and her desire for intimacy felt almost sinful.

She gently lowered Chi Lin’s shirt and lay down beside her, extending her arm:

“Use my arm as a pillow.”

“It’ll get numb.”

“It won’t, come here.”

As she spoke, Lou Mi moved closer.

Chi Lin couldn’t resist and snuggled against Lou Mi’s arm.

The warmth of Lou Mi’s arm against her cheek was comforting.

She wrapped her arms around Lou Mi’s waist, holding her tightly, like a small animal seeking refuge in its owner’s embrace after a harrowing experience, and quickly fell asleep.

Lou Mi hadn’t even had a chance to whisper any sweet nothings.

She had always known Chi Lin was both strong and vulnerable, but she hadn’t realized how clingy she could be.

This silent form of affection was incredibly endearing. She wanted to be held like this forever…

No, for two lifetimes, three lifetimes, for all eternity.

Knowing about souls and reincarnation made one cherish the present even more.

Looking at Chi Lin’s peaceful sleeping face, Lou Mi kept thinking of Chi Lin’s true form.

She wished she could have a relationship with that Chi Lin, she loved that face.

That was the face that truly matched her soul…

No wonder she was so caring.

Remembering the term “Lin Jie,” Lou Mi suddenly realized she hadn’t told Chi Lin about the recovered memories.

She wouldn’t disturb her now, she could tell her tomorrow.

Imagining Chi Lin’s joy, Lou Mi smiled as she drifted off to sleep.

She had expected to dream of her past life, but she slept soundly, remembering nothing.

The next morning, she woke up to see Chi Lin’s sleeping face. They hadn’t moved all night, still in the same position.

Lou Mi wanted to get up and make breakfast for Chi Lin; she would be happy to wake up to a table full of delicious food.

But Chi Lin was holding her so tightly that any movement would only tighten her grip, preventing Lou Mi from getting out of bed.

Was she holding her this tightly because she was afraid of losing her again?

Lou Mi sighed and gently kissed Chi Lin’s lips.

On the third kiss, Chi Lin’s eyes fluttered open.

Seeing Lou Mi’s smiling face so close, Chi Lin closed her eyes again and smiled:

“What are you doing?”

“Kissing you.”

“So energetic this early in the morning.”

“How’s your back? Still hurting?”

Chi Lin moved slightly, her brow furrowing a little.

“Just a dull ache, not as bad as yesterday. It should be fine after another day of rest.”

“It won’t heal that quickly, you’re just saying that to make me feel better. Don’t go to school today, I’ll tell the club, just stay home and rest.”

Chi Lin, indeed feeling a bit lazy, asked, “Is that okay?”

“Of course, don’t push yourself so hard. What do you want for breakfast? I’ll make it for you!”

Chi Lin was starving, her stomach rumbling loudly.

“Vegetable porridge and milk.”

“That’s it? Are you sure you don’t want something more substantial?”

“Do you have smoked salmon?”

“Yes, yes, of course.” Lou Mi suddenly smiled sweetly, leaning closer. “Lin Jie can have whatever she wants.”

Hearing this, Chi Lin gasped and looked at Lou Mi in disbelief:

“What did you just call me?”

“Does Lin Jie want me to say it again?”

Lou Mi had found the title embarrassing, inwardly complaining about the Empress’s childishness, but saying it herself was strangely satisfying. She wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

Chi Lin grabbed her arm, her voice urgent:

“But, didn’t you forget everything?”

“I remembered some things later.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner!” Chi Lin’s outburst triggered a coughing fit.

“Don’t get so excited…” Lou Mi gently rubbed her back. “I wanted to tell you last night, but you fell asleep too quickly.”

“What did you remember?”

Chi Lin’s eyes were sharp, as if expecting Lou Mi to reveal the secret to restoring her nation.

Lou Mi had only wanted to tease her, forgetting Chi Lin’s heavy burden. Her playful banter backfired, and she felt slightly awkward.

She could only tell Chi Lin about the shared flower cake memory. Chi Lin’s face flushed, and she looked away, sighing:

“Why would you remember that? But, it does sound like something you would do.”

“I’ll remember everything.” Lou Mi promised. “Give me some time, just stay here with me, and I’ll focus on regaining my memories!”

“How are you going to do that?” Chi Lin sat up.

“Don’t move, I’ll call you when breakfast is ready.”

“It’s fine, I should move around, it’ll help my injuries heal.”

“I haven’t figured it out yet, but the trip to Dayuan confirmed my identity, and my memories are slowly returning. What’s mine will eventually come back. You just have to be patient.”

Chi Lin sensed a deeper meaning in her words, the “what’s mine” referring to more than just memories.

“I’m fine, and I have plenty of time. No matter how much time passes here, the time in Dayuan remains the same.”

“That amazing?”

“Yes. I’ve verified it myself. Before I traveled here, the Imperial Preceptor said that using the Soul-Chasing Secret Art would incur divine retribution. I spent nine months in this era, and when I returned, he had only recently passed away.”

“But time moves normally here. However long we spent in the abyss, the same amount of time passed here.”

“Even the Imperial Preceptor didn’t fully understand his own secret art, let alone others. Don’t worry, just try to remember, and write down anything that comes to mind.”

“Okay!”

With her identity confirmed, Lou Mi no longer had any reason to be jealous.

Now, whenever the Empress or Dayuan was mentioned, Lou Mi felt a sense of responsibility.

They were united in their purpose.

Lou Mi wanted to bring breakfast to Chi Lin’s room, but Chi Lin refused.

The smell of food would linger in the bedroom, and with Lou Lixing and Peng Ziyuan around, it wouldn’t be appropriate.

She insisted on eating in the living room with everyone. Chi Lin tried to hide her injuries, but Peng Ziyuan noticed.

“What’s wrong, Little Lin? Are you feeling unwell?”

Peng Ziyuan had noticed that Chi Lin hadn’t practiced her martial arts this morning, her movements were slow, and her complexion was pale.

Before Chi Lin could answer, Peng Ziyuan instinctively looked at Lou Mi.

Lou Mi panicked under her gaze.

Why suspect me immediately? It wasn’t her fault!

But Chi Lin had been injured protecting her, so she wasn’t entirely innocent either.

Lou Mi could only accept Peng Ziyuan’s silent accusation.

Chi Lin, supported by Lou Mi, sat down and said to Peng Ziyuan:

“I accidentally bumped my back, it has nothing to do with Sister, I’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

Peng Ziyuan fussed over her, while Lou Lixing whispered to Lou Mi:

“As your father, I shouldn’t say this, but Mi Mi, this is your first relationship, right? I have to remind you of something.”

Lou Mi: “?”

“Little Lin might be strong, but she’s still young. Don’t be too rough with her.”

Question marks floated above Lou Mi’s head.

Old Lou, what were you thinking?! Did you think Chi Lin’s injuries were from her being too rough?

How did he even come up with that?!

But she couldn’t exactly tell them that they had traveled to another dimension last night and Chi Lin had been injured saving her life.

She had just realized that in her father’s eyes, she was a sex-crazed maniac.

Lou Mi scowled: “Old Lou, stop overthinking things! You’ve been distracted since last night, so this is what you were thinking about! Calling you a pervert is an understatement. Now finish your breakfast and go to work!”

Mentioning last night only reminded Lou Lixing of Lou Mi’s strange behavior.

But her indignant response reassured him; this was his daughter, no one else.

Chi Lin asked Peng Ziyuan to call Ms. Qi and excuse her from school, saying she had injured her back and needed to rest at home.

After making the call, Peng Ziyuan decided to stay home and take care of Chi Lin.

“No need, Mother, go to work, don’t let me hold you back.”

“Lou Mi is going to the club today, right? I can’t leave you here alone.”

Lou Mi, packing her things in her room, called out, “I’ll only be gone for two hours, I’ll be back soon.”

Chi Lin finally managed to persuade Peng Ziyuan to leave.

N-T’s CEO was visiting their branch today, and the entire company was in a frenzy of preparation. They couldn’t function without her.

Before leaving, Peng Ziyuan hugged Chi Lin tightly:

“My precious daughter, please don’t get sick or injured again, it breaks Mommy’s heart. You’re my heart and soul, I wish I could take the pain for you…”

Chi Lin: “…Mother, I can’t breathe.”

If it weren’t for her colleagues frantically calling, saying the CEO had arrived, Peng Ziyuan might have continued cuddling her daughter.

Lou Lixing had left early, and Peng Ziyuan also rushed out.

Lou Mi had been hiding at home for days and had to attend the club’s executive meeting today.

If Xie Buyu hadn’t mentioned it in the group chat, she would have completely forgotten.

“Honey.” Peng Ziyuan, after showering Chi Lin with affection, now turned to Lou Mi, hugging her tightly. “I really don’t want to leave you alone, I want to stay with you. You’re so soft and fragrant, have you always smelled this nice? So adorable.”

Chi Lin blushed under her affectionate assault, afraid that Peng Ziyuan wouldn’t leave if she continued, so she gently held her wrist:

“You should go, I’ll be fine resting at home.”

“I can tell, you’re tired of me!”

Chi Lin was about to explain when she saw the affection in Lou Mi’s eyes, there was no hint of anger:

“Even your annoyance is adorable. Tell me, what kind of empress and general are you? Are you a little fox spirit I saved in a past life?”

Chi Lin’s skin crawled: “Please stop.”

“You’re annoyed with me. Sigh, even your annoyance is so elegant.”

Chi Lin: “…”

Lou Mi reluctantly left. Chi Lin insisted on seeing her off to the garage, then took the elevator back upstairs.

Walking around eased the ache in her back.

She brought the letters from the fridge. Some of the pages had flattened out, but the ink was still illegible.

Chi Lin sighed, feeling that fate was fair, she had lost precious mementos, but she had regained her lover.

The current Lou Mi was so similar to Her Majesty, their playful banter and occasional tantrums almost identical.

Finally, they were together again.

Barely five minutes after Lou Mi left, fifty WeChat messages arrived.

Chi Lin listened to the voice messages, barely having time to reply.

Seeing the messages piling up, she could almost see Lou Mi’s excitement.

“Okay, go to sleep, I won’t bother you anymore…” Lou Mi’s last message was soft and gentle.

Chi Lin lay in bed, listening to Lou Mi’s voice as she drifted off to sleep.

This time, she would keep her promise and spend her life protecting Her Majesty.

Lou Mi, sipping coffee and listening to the “50 Must-Listen Love Songs” playlist, arrived at the club.

Two trainees, chasing each other playfully, ran down the hallway, then tripped and fell, tumbling towards Lou Mi.

“What the hell, why were you chasing me! My hand is bleeding!”

“Why were you running? Of course I chased you!”

They continued to bicker and complain. Looking up, they saw HighTowerMiyuki standing before them, her eyes cold.

The two boys froze.

Everyone knew how strict Sister Lou was, demanding not only in training and strategy but also in all aspects of the club’s operations. She wouldn’t hesitate to criticize anyone, even the management.

Sister Lou wasn’t just the queen of Return to Jianghu, but also the queen of ENIAC. The two trainees were practically suffocating under her intense gaze.

Just as they were about to apologize and swear they would never cause trouble in the club again, Lou Mi smiled.

Her smile almost stopped their hearts.

“Rise.” Lou Mi said cheerfully. “Why are you still on the floor? Are you hurt?”

“No…”

“Sister Fu Tu is training you today, be good, and I’ll treat you to dinner later.”

“Okay…”

Lou Mi walked away, still smiling, the two boys staring after her, their eyes glued to her.

“I think I’m dreaming.”

“What was that ‘rise’ about?”

“So gentle and kind, this must be a fake HighTowerMiyuki.”

Lou Mi was the first to arrive at the executive meeting.

Zhuo Jinglan and Huhu, arriving together, were surprised to see her.

“Did the sun rise from the west today?” Zhuo Jinglan teased. “Another fight with your little sister, couldn’t stand being at home?”

As Zhuo Jinglan sat down, Lou Mi suddenly turned around, almost scaring her out of her chair:

“Are you an owl or something?”

Lou Mi placed her coffee on the table, leaned over Zhuo Jinglan’s chair, her hands on the armrests, and looked into her eyes.

“Wh-what are you doing?!” Zhuo Jinglan, who had never been cornered like this in her forty years of life, almost turned green. What was wrong with this ancestor now?

“Did you really have a fight?” Zhuo Jinglan asked.

Lou Mi shook her head: “We fought, but we made up.”

Zhuo Jinglan: “Huh?”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Lou Mi stood up, a shy smile on her face, and walked away.

Zhuo Jinglan: “??”

The meeting was about to begin, the executives had all joined the holographic projection, and Xie Buyu and Fu Tu finally arrived, breathless, and quickly sat down.

Fu Tu sat down a bit too hard, wincing and clutching her back, her expression pained.

Xie Buyu, sitting opposite her, wanted to go over and comfort her.

But the meeting was starting; she couldn’t.

Zhuo Jinglan whispered to Fu Tu, “What’s wrong?”

Fu Tu shook her head, indicating she was fine.

Zhuo Jinglan: “I don’t understand you young people, always rushing around. We have a meeting, all the bosses are here, waiting for you two!”

She had wanted to use Lou Mi’s early arrival as a positive example to lecture Xie Buyu and Fu Tu, but Lou Mi spoke first, patting Fu Tu’s hand gently:

“I understand, sometimes it’s really hard to leave.”

Zhuo Jinglan: “…”

Fu Tu, trembling: “…Sister Mi, please don’t, you’re scaring me.”

The meeting left everyone parched. After the executives left, Zhuo Jinglan kept the Nine Heavens team behind to discuss the upcoming season.

The technical advisors analyzed Nine Heavens’ strengths and weaknesses, and potential improvements to their strategies.

After another hour and a half of discussion, Lou Mi, worried about Chi Lin being alone at home, was restless.

Zhuo Jinglan asked her, “What’s wrong with Little Sister? She’s taking the day off.”

“She has a fever. Don’t push her so hard, she has school and the competition, she’s busy enough.”

“…I was just asking, showing some concern, how is that pushing her too hard? The fans are even more demanding, clamoring for her to stream, even the management is asking me to have her do some PR!”

Lou Mi didn’t understand: “PR? We’re esports players, not celebrities, what PR?”

“Really? Then why don’t you tell that to your CP fans? Your ‘Snow Vegetable’ topic is trending everywhere! Even my niece is asking me for your autographs, pestering me until 2 am for gossip about you two, and it has to be sweet, or she won’t have it. You’re the one posting photos together and wearing matching cheering gear, and now you’re saying ‘what PR’? Are you serious?! You two are enjoying your private moments, while we’re being hounded by the fans! You have the guts to date but not the guts to do some PR, why don’t you come out and give them some candy yourself?!”

Zhuo Jinglan, clearly frustrated, vented her frustrations in one long rant, leaving her breathless.

Lou Mi calmly handed her a glass of water, which Zhuo Jinglan waved away.

“Okay,” Lou Mi sighed. “PR can’t be forced, it’ll be awkward and insincere. Meeting adjourned.”

“…”

Zhuo Jinglan regretted not taking the water; she should have thrown it in Lou Mi’s face.