Chapter 76 - Seventy-Four: The Promise They Could Not Steal

Chapter 76: Chapter Seventy-Four: The Promise They Could Not Steal

The golden leaves continued falling.

One landed gently on Lin Yue’s shoulder.

Another settled on Shen Rui’s hand.

The third—

floated toward Lumi.

She caught it.

The leaf dissolved into golden light.

Lumi smiled.

"They’re happy."

Lin Yue looked at her.

"Trees can be happy?"

"The World-Tree can."

Shen Rui smiled.

"Then I suppose it approves."

Lin Yue glanced at the ring on her finger.

Her smile returned.

"I think so."

For a brief moment—

everything was peaceful.

Too peaceful.

Aster’s voice interrupted.

"Warning."

Lin Yue sighed.

"Of course."

Shen Rui laughed.

"I knew it wouldn’t last."

The First Attack

The World-Tree suddenly dimmed.

The golden leaves stopped falling.

The wind disappeared.

Then every light in the Golden Space went out.

Lin Yue immediately stood.

"What happened?"

Aster answered:

"External interference."

"From Elara?"

"Confirmed."

Lumi’s face became pale.

"She found us."

A deep pulse passed through the ground.

The fields trembled.

Water rippled.

Animals became restless.

Then—

every crystal communicator activated simultaneously.

A woman’s voice filled the Golden Space.

Calm.

Beautiful.

Almost gentle.

"Lin Yue."

Lin Yue stared at the nearest crystal.

"Elara."

The voice laughed softly.

"So you know my name."

"You made sure I would."

"I wanted you to understand."

"Understand what?"

"You have mistaken freedom for safety."

Lin Yue’s expression hardened.

"And you have mistaken control for protection."

Silence.

Then Elara replied:

"You sound like the old Keepers."

Lin Yue looked at Lumi.

"Is that supposed to frighten me?"

"No."

A pause.

"It is supposed to warn you."

The Price of Freedom

Images appeared.

Cities.

Villages.

Farms.

Markets.

People.

Then—

the images changed.

A drought.

A flood.

A crop failure.

A disease outbreak.

A collapsed bridge.

A factory accident.

A famine.

A war.

Elara’s voice continued.

"You believe people should choose their own future."

Lin Yue watched the images.

"Yes."

"Then you accept their mistakes."

"Yes."

"Their suffering."

"Yes."

"Their deaths."

Lin Yue became silent.

Elara’s voice softened.

"I do not."

Lin Yue looked toward the crystal.

"That doesn’t give you the right to control them."

"It gives me the responsibility to protect them."

"No."

Lin Yue’s voice became firm.

"It gives you a reason."

The crystal flickered.

Elara stopped speaking.

Lin Yue continued:

"But having a reason doesn’t give you permission."

Shen Rui’s Hand

Shen Rui stepped beside her.

He didn’t interrupt.

He simply took her hand.

Lin Yue glanced at him.

His thumb brushed gently across her knuckles.

The ring caught the golden light.

Elara noticed.

"You are engaged."

Lin Yue’s expression changed.

"Yes."

"To him?"

Shen Rui answered.

"Yes."

Elara laughed softly.

"Interesting."

"What?"

"The Keeper has chosen attachment."

Lin Yue frowned.

"He isn’t an attachment."

"Then what is he?"

Lin Yue looked at Shen Rui.

He looked back.

"My partner."

Shen Rui smiled.

"And soon, my husband."

The Golden Space became strangely quiet.

Lumi immediately sparkled.

Aster announced:

"Marriage status: pending."

Lin Yue covered her face.

"Not now, Aster."

Elara’s Warning

Elara’s voice returned.

"You believe love makes you stronger."

Lin Yue answered:

"It does."

"It makes you vulnerable."

"Of course."

"Then I will use it."

Shen Rui’s expression hardened.

Lin Yue squeezed his hand.

"Try."

Elara laughed.

"You think courage is enough."

"No."

Lin Yue looked directly at the crystal.

"Trust is."

The connection abruptly ended.

The Silence Afterward

For several moments—

nobody spoke.

Then Shen Rui said:

"She knows about us."

Lin Yue nodded.

"Yes."

"She’ll use it."

"I know."

He looked at the ring.

"Then we make sure she can’t."

Lin Yue smiled.

"How?"

"We don’t hide it."

She looked at him.

"What?"

"Our relationship."

He continued:

"If she believes she can control us by threatening what we love, she needs to understand something."

"What?"

Shen Rui looked at her.

"Love isn’t something she can use to control us."

Lin Yue smiled.

"Because?"

"Because we choose each other."

The Wedding Question

Lumi floated closer.

"Does this mean you’re getting married?"

Lin Yue laughed.

"Yes."

"When?"

Shen Rui looked at Lin Yue.

She looked back.

"When the crisis is over."

Lumi frowned.

"You said that last time."

"We’ve had several crises."

"Exactly."

Shen Rui laughed.

"We’ll need to choose a date."

Lin Yue smiled.

"Soon."

Lumi’s eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Can I help?"

Lin Yue immediately became suspicious.

"What kind of help?"

"Flowers."

Shen Rui smiled.

"That sounds harmless."

Lumi nodded enthusiastically.

"I also know several magical creatures who can provide music."

Lin Yue’s expression changed.

"No explosions."

Lumi hesitated.

"...Probably."

"Lumi."

"Fine."

The Family Meeting

The engagement could not remain secret.

Within a day—

the news spread through the Lin household.

Lin Yue’s relatives arrived.

Some cried.

Some laughed.

Some immediately began discussing wedding arrangements.

One elderly aunt hugged Lin Yue.

"At last!"

Lin Yue blinked.

"At last?"

"You two have been acting like a married couple for months."

Shen Rui coughed.

Lin Yue turned red.

"We have not!"

The aunt smiled knowingly.

"You travel together."

"Yes."

"You work together."

"Yes."

"You argue together."

Lin Yue paused.

"Yes."

"You worry about each other."

Lin Yue looked at Shen Rui.

"...Yes."

The aunt smiled.

"Then what exactly have you been waiting for?"

Lin Yue had no answer.

Shen Rui quietly said:

"The right time."

The aunt laughed.

"There is no right time."

She patted Lin Yue’s hand.

"There is only the time you choose."

A Different Kind of Preparation

The wedding preparations began.

But Lin Yue refused extravagance.

"No palace."

Her relatives protested.

"No giant banquet."

More protests.

"No mountain of expensive gifts."

Even louder protests.

Shen Rui tried to support her.

"She has a point."

Everyone turned toward him.

He immediately realized his mistake.

One aunt smiled.

"Excellent."

"What?"

"You two can argue about the wedding together."

Lin Yue laughed.

Shen Rui sighed.

"I walked into that."

The Farm Wedding

Lin Yue finally proposed something simple.

A wedding beneath the World-Tree.

Fresh flowers.

Food grown from their own fields.

Music from local villagers.

Clothes made by the household.

A small gathering.

No excessive ceremony.

No unnecessary wealth.

Just family.

Friends.

Farmers.

Workers.

The people who had helped build their new world.

Shen Rui agreed immediately.

"I like it."

Lin Yue smiled.

"So do I."

Lumi immediately began planning flowers.

Aster began calculating seating arrangements.

Lin Yue quickly disconnected Aster.

"No."

"But efficiency—"

"No."

The Private Promise

That evening—

Lin Yue and Shen Rui walked through the farm.

The moon was high.

The fields were quiet.

He looked at her hand.

The ring still rested there.

"You haven’t taken it off."

"Of course not."

"Good."

She smiled.

"Did you make it yourself?"

"Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"The metalworker helped."

Lin Yue turned the ring.

"Why wood?"

He smiled.

"Because you’re always building something."

She looked at him.

"And the gold?"

"Because no matter how much you build..."

He gently touched the ring.

"You should remember your own worth."

Her eyes softened.

"That was surprisingly romantic."

"I’ve been practicing."

She laughed.

Lin Yue’s Fear

After a moment—

she became quiet.

Shen Rui noticed.

"What?"

"I’m afraid."

He stopped walking.

"Of Elara?"

"Yes."

She looked toward the World-Tree.

"But not because she can destroy things."

"Then what?"

"Because she might make me choose."

"Choose what?"

"Between protecting everyone..."

She swallowed.

"...and protecting the people I love."

Shen Rui was silent.

Then he took both her hands.

"You don’t have to make that choice."

"But what if—"

"No."

His voice was firm.

"You’ve spent your whole life believing every problem has to be solved by sacrificing something."

Lin Yue looked at him.

"Sometimes it does."

"Then we’ll find another way."

"And if there isn’t one?"

"Then we face it together."

She stared at him.

"You make everything sound simple."

"No."

He smiled.

"I make sure you don’t face complicated things alone."

The First Kiss

Lin Yue’s eyes softened.

"Shen Rui."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For staying."

He smiled.

"I told you."

"You did."

She stepped closer.

Then—

she gently kissed him.

It was brief.

Tender.

Almost shy.

When they separated—

Shen Rui looked stunned.

Lin Yue laughed.

"What?"

"I wasn’t expecting that."

"You proposed to me."

"Yes."

"And you weren’t expecting a kiss?"

"I was expecting to wait longer."

She smiled.

"Then you should learn to expect surprises."

He laughed.

"I’ll try."

The Wedding Bell

The next morning—

the first wedding bell rang.

Lin Yue looked outside.

"What?"

Lumi stood in the courtyard.

She had decorated the World-Tree with tiny glowing flowers.

"I practiced."

Lin Yue smiled.

"You did a beautiful job."

Lumi beamed.

Shen Rui joined them.

He looked at the tree.

"It looks incredible."

Lumi bowed dramatically.

"Thank you."

Aster appeared.

WEDDING PREPARATION: 43% COMPLETE.

Lin Yue groaned.

"We still have days left."

"Correct."

"Stop counting."

"Understood."

A pause.

44%.

"Aster!"

But Beneath the Celebration...

Far away—

inside an ancient control chamber—

Elara watched the wedding preparations through the network.

She did not look angry.

She looked thoughtful.

On the screen—

Lin Yue and Shen Rui stood beneath the World-Tree.

Together.

Happy.

Free.

Elara whispered:

"So this is what you chose."

Behind her—

the military archive continued activating.

But she did not order an attack.

Not yet.

Instead—

she opened an older file.

One that had been sealed for thousands of years.

PROJECT: HEARTLINE.

Elara placed her hand against the screen.

"Let’s see whether love can survive the truth."

The file opened.

Inside was a single image.

Lin Yue.

But not the Lin Yue everyone knew.

An older record.

A forgotten identity.

A connection to the Golden Space that Lin Yue herself had never known.

Elara smiled.

"You really don’t remember, do you?"

The Secret of Lin Yue

Back beneath the World-Tree—

Lumi suddenly dropped from the air.

Lin Yue caught her.

"Lumi!"

Lumi’s eyes were wide.

"I saw something."

"What?"

She looked toward Lin Yue.

"Your memory."

Lin Yue froze.

"My memory?"

"Yes."

"What about it?"

Lumi trembled.

"It wasn’t created when you entered the Golden Space."

Shen Rui stepped closer.

"What does that mean?"

Lumi looked at both of them.

"You were connected to the Golden Space before your transmigration."

Lin Yue’s face went pale.

"That isn’t possible."

Lumi shook her head.

"I thought so too."

"Then what happened?"

Lumi whispered:

"Someone erased your memory."

Silence.

Lin Yue stared at the World-Tree.

The golden leaves began falling.

One.

Two.

Three.

Then—

every leaf turned silver.

A hidden message appeared among the branches.

PROJECT HEARTLINE: MEMORY RESTORATION AVAILABLE.

Lin Yue’s heart began pounding.

Shen Rui took her hand.

Whatever truth was coming—

he would face it with her.

And beneath the World-Tree, with their wedding only days away—

Lin Yue realized that the greatest mystery of her life had never been the Golden Space.

It had been herself.

To be continued...