Ah Li and I were having dinner.
The food was simple.
But the atmosphere felt warm.
She picked up a piece of fish and put it in my bowl.
"Eat more," she smiled softly.
"You've been exhausting yourself lately."
I nodded, about to respond—
When the glass window suddenly vibrated.
I looked up.
Dark clouds rolled across the sky outside,
shot through with faint golden light.
The sunset vanished.
The room dimmed in seconds.
And a strange pressure
filled the air.
"This isn't right…"
Ah Li frowned, putting down her chopsticks.
Before she could say more—
A blinding golden light exploded.
The living room window shattered.
Glass flew everywhere.
A freezing wind howled into the room.
And there—
floating outside—
Was an old man
in a yellow Taoist robe,
holding a white whisk.
His eyes were sharp as blades.
His voice, cold and distant.
"Demon."
"Prepare to be destroyed."
Before we could react,
a talisman in his hand burned with golden light
and shot straight at Ah Li.
It struck her chest.
She was thrown backward
and fell hard to the floor—
Her body curling in pain.
"Ah Li!" I shouted, rushing toward her.
But a massive force blasted me away.
My body slammed into the wall.
Pain exploded through my back.
Blood spilled from the corner of my mouth.
I could barely breathe.
"Who are you?!"
I forced myself up, glaring at him.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
The old man slowly floated into the room.
His feet never touched the ground.
A suffocating pressure spread from his body.
"I am Daoist Huang,"
he said coldly.
"All demons are disasters.
They exist only to bring harm."
"She is a fox spirit."
"Her true nature will eventually surface."
"Today, I eliminate her
in the name of heaven."
He raised another talisman.
Golden symbols ignited again.
He was about to strike.
"STOP!"
I lunged forward,
wrapping my arms around his leg.
My voice cracked from rage.
"You say demons are evil, right?!
Then LOOK at her!"
"She's done nothing wrong!"
"She never hurt anyone!"
"She saved me more times than I can count!"
"Who gives you the right
to lump her in with beasts like that?!"
My hands trembled violently
as I clung to his robe.
Every word I spoke
felt like it was torn straight out of my chest.
His movements paused.
He looked down at me.
For a second—
His gaze shifted.
A trace of hesitation passed through his eyes.
"You fool," he said slowly.
"A demon is a demon."
"Even if she is harmless now…
one day, she may change."
"To allow her to live
is to invite future disaster."
"Enough!"
I gritted my teeth.
My forehead pressed to the floor.
My hands still gripping his robe.
"If you want to kill her—
then kill me first!"
"If she ever becomes what you fear—
then it means I failed her!"
"But right now—she's innocent!"
"And I won't let you touch her!"
Silence froze the room.
Even the air itself
seemed to hold its breath.
Daoist Huang stared at me.
His expression unreadable.
After a long moment—
he slowly lowered the talisman.
"Hmph…"
"You are blinded by feelings."
"But since you insist…"
He turned away.
Floating toward the shattered window.
"If you truly believe she won't harm anyone…"
"Then pray… she never reveals her true nature."
His figure vanished
into the night sky.
Like he had never been there.
The room fell silent.
Only heavy breathing remained.
Mine.
And hers.
"Lin Han…"
Ah Li whispered weakly.
Her voice was trembling.
"I'm sorry…
You got hurt because of me…"
I wiped the blood from my lips
and forced a faint smile.
"No."
"This isn't your fault."
"As long as we're together…"
"We'll make it through."
Her eyes quivered.
Shimmering red.
But she didn't say another word.
Moonlight leaked through the cracked curtains.
Falling across her pale face.
And in that moment—
I made a silent vow.
No matter what came next…
No matter how dangerous this world became…
I would never let anyone
harm her again.
Because she wasn't just my miracle—
She was my anchor.
My faith.
My reason.
But deep down…
I knew.
This silence?
It was just the calm before the storm.