Her watery eyes, full of yearning and earnestness, gazed deep into the soul of the man in front of her. She gently placed her hand on Wei Chen's hand on the table.

"If you so desire… I will redeem myself and follow you all around the world, my lord." Dream Butterfly said with an earnest smile.

Wei Chen was stunned. In his two lifetimes, this was the first time he had ever received affection that felt this heavy.

Do not get him wrong, he did love his ex-girlfriend. That was why he always felt guilty about the harassment she received because of his career choice.

But…

The affection he had received from her was like any other modern couple who met after seeing each other for a while, talked, enjoyed movies and drinks, and even had a few casual moments in bed. It was the modern kind of affection.

It was never the heavy kind of feeling where a woman would entrust her heart and life wholeheartedly. Yet from Dream Butterfly, he could see and feel in his bones that she could even give her life for him with only a single word.

He was confused.

And also… afraid….

Afraid that he would ruin it like in his previous life. Afraid because he was just a vagabond in this life, and his life might end after eight years. Would she be able to accept that?

One more confusion came from uncertainty. The question born from that uncertainty was… why was she so determined? Why was she so earnest and intense in her feelings?

He did not sense any darkness or malice hidden within her words or eyes. He was sure she was not some kind of yandere type.

But as a modern man, he believed every action and incident must have a reason. Until he understood that reason, he could not wholeheartedly reciprocate her feelings. It was human nature to fear the unknown after all.

"Can I ask you something? And please tell me the truth." Wei Chen asked, his tone and expression solemn. None of his teasing or joking demeanor remained.

"Yes, please ask. I will answer with the best of my ability." Dream Butterfly said.

"Other than your yearning for the outside world, why are you so determined about me? I believe that if you asked, many men would happily redeem you and bring you out. So why are you so determined to have feelings for a rootless man like me?" Wei Chen asked earnestly.

Dream Butterfly's eyes still gazed directly at Wei Chen without any sign of avoidance or embarrassment as she spoke.

"There is no reason. The moment I saw you, this feeling blossomed within my heart. And like a dam unable to hold the vast ocean, it broke and occupied all of my mind. I don't know how to describe it. But… if a fated person is real…"

Her hand that rested on Wei Chen's hand tightened slightly, her cool touch soothing his mind.

"For me… that fated person would be you." Dream Butterfly said.

Hearing this, Wei Chen let out a sigh. He did not know what to make of this situation.

If someone were to burst out of a hidden room and say this was a prank video, he would be very upset.

Wait… had he not done this kind of prank to other people before?

Wei Chen quickly scanned the room with both his spiritual sense and his own eyes, looking for anyone hiding. His paranoid behavior only confused the girl.

"Is there something wrong, my lord?" she asked.

"Er, no… nothing! Hahaha!" Wei Chen covered up his usual nonsense with a laugh.

Dream Butterfly smiled and did not say anything to embarrass him. She cleaned the spilled wine from the cup, then slowly poured him another serving.

Wei Chen asked in a teasing tone, "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"There is a saying that a person's heart becomes more open and their words become more honest once they are drunk. Dream Butterfly also has the selfish wish to hear her lord's heartfelt words." Dream Butterfly said with a demure demeanor.

"Haha, I always speak my mind, unless I don't want to say it." Wei Chen joked.

Dream Butterfly giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "My lord knows how to jest." She paused, then looked at him. "Then, what does my lord's heart wish to convey?"

Hearing this, Wei Chen paused. His hand, which had been reaching for the wine cup, froze midair.

"Right now… I am unsure of myself. Marriage is…" Wei Chen paused, trying to find the right word.

"A very complicated and important endeavor in life." He continued. "Right now, I am just a vagabond, a rootless man. I don't think I can be a pillar of support for anyone."

After hearing his words, Dream Butterfly did not look disappointed. Instead, a sweet smile appeared on her face.

"You are very kind and considerate, my lord. You do not need to worry. I am not someone who would ask for anything beyond my station. I dare not overreach by using your kindness. I am happy to follow you to the end of my short mortal life. If you allow me, I will redeem myself and follow you." Dream Butterfly said with determination.

Hearing this, Wei Chen scratched his head in frustration. This girl was really serious about it.

But… come to think of it, his life might end after eight years if he could not pass the probation. It would be nice to have someone who was not Youqi to help him with the broadcast and talk to him about things other than work.

Because honestly, he did not dare chat casually with underworld denizens about unrelated topics. He knew how busy the Lord of Death and Youqi must be, managing the deaths of people in a world where robbery and killing were everywhere. That was no small job.

As for Mo Xingyao, even though she seemed sincere and friendly toward him, she was still a princess of a large faction. Her opinions might be biased and always lean toward her faction or those aligned with it.

Honestly, he did not want to go all in on the demonic path side. Who knew what would happen to him after that? The broadcast would become much harder if people believed he was fully aligned with the demonic path. Entering the territory of righteous sects to complete future broadcasts would become a pain in the a**.

It would be a pain if he needed to fend off righteous cultivators every time he went to do a broadcast. Worse, if he pissed them off badly, he might be hunted 24/7. That was something he wanted to avoid.

Even so… accepting Dream Butterfly's proposal and letting her redeem herself? If he did that, he would be no different from a gigolo who lured beautiful girls to pay for his meals. And he loathed that type of person the most.

With all of this in mind, he decided to tell her.

"I appreciate your willingness, but… please do not redeem yourself. If you do that, my dignity as a man would take a hit." Wei Chen said honestly. This situation was getting weird.

Listening to him, Dream Butterfly nodded in understanding.

"Then Dream Butterfly will wait here for my lord to come and redeem her himself. Please do not take too long. Dream butterfly is only a mortal and she does not dare face you with a face full of wrinkles." Dream Butterfly said.

"Um… I promise, at most one year. And I will be back." Wei Chen said.

After the promise was made, the two continued chatting. Their conversation was lighthearted, and Dream Butterfly, full of curiosity, asked Wei Chen many things. Wei Chen also reciprocated, telling her many stories and satisfying her curiosity to the best of his abilities.

He even told her some stories he had read in his previous life, from classics like Condor Hero to the ridiculous tale of a rapist with the surname Yun.

As time passed, the four bell strikes were heard from afar. It was the time of the fourth watch, the time when most mortals would need to sleep.

(Author Note: Fourth Watch, Sì Gēng, around 1:00 AM to 3:00 AM. Announced with four strikes of the nightwatch bell.)

Outside the window, the city was dark except for the sector where the sect resided. Only a few lights shone from the windows of mortal homes and buildings.

The sect's area, however, was brightly illuminated. Spirit lamps lit up the sect gate and important buildings within the grounds.

While Wei Chen and Dream Butterfly were still conversing, the door opened and a woman with the exact same face as Dream Butterfly entered the room. She knelt down and bowed to Wei Chen.

Wei Chen was stunned as he looked at the girl who seemed like a carbon copy of Dream Butterfly.

Dream Butterfly appeared slightly awkward, as this arrangement was made by the matron.

"Err… my lord. Let me introduce you." She turned toward the girl who shared her face. "This is Mirror Butterfly… she is my… substitute." As the word substitute left her lips, a red hue appeared on her face.

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