I alone am the Honoured One!

*swoosh* Zhao Tian appeared inside his artifact, and again, with a tear in space, he appeared in the hall.

However, he was quite taken aback to see the two women sitting on the couch and speaking with a book in their hands.

Li Jia and Zhou Hanyue raised their heads and stood up in pleasant surprise. "Husband."

"Tian."

Zhao Tian took a step forward and hugged both of them in his arms, pulling them close against his chest "Jia... and Hanyue, surprised you are here."

With a giggle, Zhou Hanyue tilted her head "Hmm, you were hiding this place from me, and Little Sister Jia brought me here."

Raising his hand, he gently stuck a strand of hair behind her ear "Not trying to hide, dear. I didn't get the right time to tell you..."

Zhou Hanyue's gaze softened at his sincerity, and she nodded "Little Sister Jia showed the enchantment on my ring to enter the artifact. So I know you have no idea of hiding it from me... as you already had the key in my ring."

He let out a chuckle and pulled them closer once more, resting his forehead against Zhou Hanyue's for a moment, then Li Jia's.

It was Li Jia who eventually pulled back slightly "What happened, Tian? Did you know what the problem is in Rui Lian's star..."

Hearing this, he gave a nod "Yeah... Its worse than I imagined."

Concern immediately flashed across Li Jia's face, and even Zhou Hanyue's teasing light vanished.

With a soft sigh, he spoke "I want to tell you about it and spend time... but I am in a rush right now."

"Jia, your ring is still connected to Jade Eclipse Star, right?"

Understanding his urgency, Li Jia gave a confident nod "Yes, Tian, I can take you out."

He then turned to Zhou Hanyue and pecked her lips, his thumb brushing her cheek "Sorry, dear.. I-"

She leaned forward and kissed his lips again, shutting him "You said you are in a rush. Go soon, I will wait here..."

He smiled tenderly as Li Jia and Zhao Tian disappeared from there.

Zhou Hanyue sighed softly and sat back down, picking up the book they had been reading.

...

"Hmm..."

A soft hum slipped past Ji Shuang's lips as warm water streamed down her naked body.

The steam of the shower curled around her like mist, rising in the air and fogging the glass.

Her long, dark hair clung to her back, trailing across her smooth skin as rivulets of water cascaded down her shoulders and spine.

For a moment, she stood motionless with her eyes closed and her body is relaxed beneath the comforting warmth... until she sensed a presence.

Her eyes snapped open.

"…Tian?"

Startled and confused, Ji Shuang immediately shut off the water and reached for the nearest towel.

She hastily wrapped it around herself, securing it across her chest as droplets clung stubbornly to her skin.

Without even drying off, she bolted out of the bathroom and hurried down the hallway, her feet gliding swiftly over the polished wooden floors.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Her heartbeat echoed louder than her steps.

She flung open the front door and there he was.

"Tian."

Her voice trembled with disbelief, and her eyes widened as she looked at Zhao Tian standing there, framed by the setting light behind him.

"…What are you doing here?"

Her tone was caught between shock and disbelief, her damp hair still dripping against the curve of her collarbone.

Zhao Tian gave a small smile and stepped in, gently closing the door behind him."Let me explain-"

But he never got to finish.

Ji Shuang threw herself into his arms, wrapping herself around him with a breathless, trembling hug "Huff... I missed you."

Despite the cold wetness of her body, Zhao Tian's arms moved instinctively, pulling her close.

"I missed you too…" he whispered, his voice muffled in her hair.

After a long moment, she slowly pulled away just enough to look at his face, her fingers pressing lightly against his chest.

"How… how are you here? What happened in Azure Star?"

Zhao Tian's gaze shifted briefly toward her towel, still loosely wrapped and soaked through.

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips "Well… it's a long story. And, you're really… wet right now."

Ji Shuang blinked, then followed his eyes and let out a soft, breathy laugh "Oh- it's fine," she said, brushing a strand of wet hair behind her ear.

"Don't worry. Sit down first."

They moved to the couch and Ji Shuang curled beside him, still damp and towel clinging to her, but her attention wholly on him.

Zhao Tian took a deep breath. Then slowly, he began to speak...

The fall into the Rupture.

The truth about Rui Lian's fate.

To his talk with Rui Yuying

Ji Shuang listened in silence.

Her face slowly lost color and her fingers trembled as they curled into the fabric of the couch.

When he finally finished, the room was quiet once more.

Then, with a single blink, a tear escaped her eye and slid down her cheek.

She turned toward him and gently cupped his face with both hands, her thumbs brushing his jaw with care "G-Glad you're alright…"

Zhao Tian looked into her trembling eyes and reached up to hold her wrists. "I promised you I wouldn't enter a Rupture again..." he murmured.

Shaking her head, she replied "You didn't choose to enter it… You didn't break your promise."

Then, her touch softened as she leaned in and kissed his cheek "I'm really, really happy you're alive, Tian."

He let out a slow sigh and smiled faintly "I'm lucky to have you."

Then, gently, he raised his hand, and his palm glowed with soft, fire-elemental energy.

He ran his hand through her damp hair with slow, combing motions as the elemental fire evaporated the water with soothing care.

Ji Shuang leaned into the motion and closed her eyes, the stress of the moment slipping away as he continued drying her hair.

She rested her head on his shoulder, the towel still wrapped tightly around her, though now almost dry.

Zhao Tian's other hand rested on her head, patting her tenderly.