The cramped cave kept getting colder, making Lucian Vane twist around restlessly. But the worst part was the fire blazing inside him, driving him half-crazy. He yanked his clothes off, only to shiver and pull them back on a moment later.
He kept going back and forth, until he finally lost it and yelled, "You two—just come at me together!" Ugh, he couldn't take this anymore. This cave was hell. He had to get out, ASAP.
But Adrian Night didn't even spare Lucian a glance; all his anxious attention was on Ivy Shen cradled in his arms.
"Hey, can I get some of that warmth too?" Lucian eyed Adrian's purple tail, all wrapped around Ivy. He wanted to squeeze in and steal some heat, but Adrian just ignored him.
"Let's see how long you last—your tail's already freezing up," Lucian muttered. He thought about wrapping himself up in his own tail, but every time he tried, it just stuck to the ice and made him even colder. Watching Adrian tough it out, he wanted to squeeze in for warmth too.
"Xin'er..."
"I'm fine," Ivy replied, snug in Adrian's arms. She instantly felt much warmer, but she knew Adrian was enduring the freezing cold for her.
"Good, as long as you're okay," Adrian breathed a sigh of relief.
"Adrian, can you tell me—why did you really stay by my side?" Suddenly, Ivy wanted a straight answer.
Adrian shuddered, then smiled honestly. It was time to come clean. "Yes, I did have a purpose at first. I wanted to meet him through you, and I hoped the Ice Palace could unite the Jianghu." His words left Lucian completely stunned.
"You're the master of the Ice Palace?" Lucian was clearly shocked. No wonder Adrian wasn't suffering as much as him in this freezing cave—he'd grown up in that kind of environment!
But Ivy wasn't surprised at all. Ever since regaining her memories, she'd had her Shadow Guards investigate Adrian thoroughly. Still, his honesty caught her off guard.
"Xin'er, that was just my old plan. But after meeting you, everything changed. At first, you just seemed kind of clueless and cute—I can't even describe it. But when I saw you fall off that cliff with him, my heart actually hurt. After that, I kept replaying those days in my head. I didn't know what I felt—was it love? Was it a crush? I couldn't say. All I know is I liked you," Adrian said, his deep eyes locked on her as he spoke earnestly.
Lucian Vane was floored. "Wait, you're the Ice Palace master? No wonder you can handle the cold so well—it's like you were born for it. Guess that's why you're not half as miserable as I am!"
Ivy smiled faintly. After all this time together, how could she not know his feelings? But with all her grudges and enemies, could she really afford to talk about love?
"Xin'er, both he and I truly love you. I know you don't fully trust either of us, but that's okay. We'll always stay by your side, no matter what," Adrian declared. For once, there was no jealousy—he even spoke for Lucian. Adrian knew Lucian genuinely loved her too.
Seeing this, Ivy looked at him and asked, "But you know how dangerous it is around me..."
"Do you think I'm afraid of death?"
Ivy frowned. "I can't promise you'll be the only one by my side." She hadn't even finished her big plans yet, and she already owed two guys her heart—could he really handle that?
Ivy's so perfect, of course she's gonna attract a crowd. I'm not gonna be selfish and demand you only stay with me—because I know all those guys love you too. All I ask is that you save a tiny spot in your heart for me, okay? Honestly, for the big bad Ice Palace master, that's already way more humble than anyone expects.
"Adrian..."
"Please trust me," Adrian said sincerely. But honestly, when there are six husbands lined up behind him in the future, will he still be this generous?!
He probably never thought their love life would need a schedule. Now he's pounding the wall in regret for not keeping an eye on all those other guys who popped up out of nowhere!
Lucian Vane burst out, "What is up with this world? You're the Ice Palace master, and now you're all tangled up with another guy—actually, more than one?! Seriously, what is happening?!"
Hearing this, Ivy's heart melted a little. She slowly reached out and touched Adrian's cheek. "Adrian, can I really trust you?"
Adrian gripped her hand tightly and nodded. "Trust me!"
Finally, Ivy beamed. "Adrian, I want you to know—the aphrodisiac barely affects me. When I was in your arms, I already used my inner strength to suppress it. But now, suddenly, I feel something again. I want you to know, it's not the drug stirring me—it's you!"
Adrian was absolutely stunned by her words...
*****Explanation******
(Meta Note: Chill, folks! This isn't a repeat of Lucian's last aphrodisiac disaster—it's just a plot device to get Adrian and Lucian working together as brothers-in-arms. No more drama like that coming up, promise! Turns out, they do have something in common after all. LOL)