I am Guhuoniao, not an umbrella demon, please do not disturb me.

They walked and stopped along the way, and compared to the people around them, they were more like passersby. They did not participate in any activities, nor did they join in the fun or chat with others. They did not attract the attention of others wherever they went.

"Let's go sit by the river."

Bai Qingyu held Zhen Tian's hand and spoke.

"Ah."

Upon arriving at the riverbank, Bai Qingyu found it impossible to sit on the grass due to the rain over the past two days. Instead, she took Zhen Tian directly onto a large boat docked at the riverbank. They sat close together on the deck, enjoying the night breeze and bathing in the moonlight. Here, they felt neither too noisy nor too far from the city to feel cold.

Not far away, people were squatting on the shore releasing lanterns with their wishes and blessings written on them. They would then knead dough into the lanterns, and their wishes would come true when the lanterns sank and the dough was eaten by the fish.

Of course, it's just a traditional custom, and it's not actually that magical.

The entire river was covered with lanterns, twinkling like the Milky Way.

Bai Qingyu bringing Zhen Tian here was the final and most crucial step.

She was waiting, waiting for fireworks to be set off in the city.

This fireworks display was created by cultivators, so it was quite spectacular and perfect for a confession of love.

We've been waiting for this day for a long time, and it even came somewhat suddenly.

Bai Qingyu had never thought of this before coming to Jiangnan; it was only after hearing about the Water God Festival that this idea came to her.

Their lives had always been very ordinary, and Zhen Tian probably never expected things to turn out this way.

Bai Qingyu counted down in her mind as she watched Zhen Tian looking up at the moon with a gentle smile on his face. Suddenly, she stood up and sat down in front of Zhen Tian, ​​taking his hands in hers before he could look at her.

Courage isn't something you always have.

Given her usual personality, she would never do something like this, which is why she needs this environment to create the right atmosphere.

Zhen Tian's eyes shifted from initial confusion to anticipation tinged with shyness. Her heart was pounding, yet she remained fixed on Bai Qingyu's gaze, never looking away.

Bai Qingyu took a deep breath, and her anxious heart strangely calmed down at that moment, though she didn't know if it was true calm.

"This may be a bit sudden, but I've had these words in my heart for a very long time. I've always wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how to tell you. Actually, I've been running away from it myself, I've been running away all along."

"I don't know when this feeling appeared, but when I realized it existed, I was actually panicked at first. I didn't know what the future held, and I didn't know if I could give you happiness."

"I don't even know what you think of me deep down, whether I'm just an older sister or some other kind of person."

"In this world, female demons only fall in love with one man, one male demon. There are countless love stories like this, but there has never been a story that tells what happens when a female demon falls in love with another female demon."

"I've never seen what happens when two succubi get together."

"I...I might be rambling a bit, but anyway, I want to tell you that I've never seen the ending of this kind of story, so I think I should write my own ending!"

"So, Makoto, stay by my side forever, not as sisters, but as partners!"

When Bai Qingyu said this, her eyes were very firm, and her tone was just as firm. No matter how uneasy or flustered she was, and how much she wished she could disappear into the ground, she had to be firm at this moment.

Normally, this scene should be something to be happy about or surprised about, but after she finished speaking, Bai Qingyu saw that Zhen Tian was crying.

For a fleeting moment, Bai Qingyu felt a pang of disappointment and regret. She knew that once she said those words, no matter the outcome, it would directly change her relationship with Zhen Tian. There were only two possibilities: either they would become closer and truly be together, or a thick, insurmountable barrier would be created, forever separating her and Zhen Tian.

My regret lies here: why did I have to go and confess my feelings to her?

Isn't it good to maintain the old relationship?

In the end, it's all about self-pity, which isn't good for either of them.

There was even a moment when Bai Qingyu questioned why she had done this.

In that short time, Bai Qingyu's feelings were so complicated that they were hard to describe. However, Zhen Tian's tears were not meant to reject her. Instead, after letting go of her hand, he grabbed her shoulders with both hands, leaned forward, and pressed his cherry lips against hers in Bai Qingyu's shocked gaze.

A fragrant breeze wafted towards her, and Bai Qingyu's eyes widened involuntarily, her pupils contracting. The soft touch on her lips was unmistakable, instantly turning her previously chaotic mind into a blank.

Like riding a roller coaster, all that's left to think about is...

It should have been her turn to take the initiative, but unexpectedly, she was outmaneuvered by Zhen Tian.

However, this feeling is actually quite nice.

Fireworks exploded behind us, their dazzling light illuminating half the night sky, a scene of breathtaking beauty.

On the river, on a boat, two female demons embraced and kissed, as if in a dream.

Bai Qingyu spoke from the heart, and her words were quite different from the lines she had prepared a couple of days ago, to the point that they sounded somewhat nonsensical.

As she said, she herself didn't know when she fell in love; it was probably just a case of feelings developing over time.

Girls like Zhen Tian might not fall in love at first sight when you first meet them, but you'll unconsciously grow to like them after spending time with them.

In Bai Qingyu's eyes, Zhen Tian had almost no flaws. She was gentle, generous, and understanding. He never saw her get angry, and she would always support him from behind. The key was that she didn't just blindly support him; she would patiently and gently offer suggestions. In front of outsiders, she would never make him lose face. And so on and so forth, she had so many advantages.

The key thing is that this girl is also quite good at taking care of children!

You can tell how clingy Bai Xiaoya is.

And also, home is wherever she is.

Volume Two: The Journey of the Demon Book: Chapter Seventeen - The Battle of Arakawa Erupts

Time seemed to lose its meaning at this moment. It felt like only a minute had passed, but then a whole hour had gone by. Bai Qingyu remained in this embarrassing position, her mind blank. Fortunately, after an unknown amount of time, Zhen Tian took the initiative to get up.

There was a slight sense of loss and melancholy in my heart, but after noticing Zhen Tian's gaze, that feeling completely disappeared.

That kiss didn't signify an end, but rather a brand new beginning.

Zhen Tian looked at Bai Qingyu, her eyes less shy and more courageous. To be honest, when she took the initiative to kiss Bai Qingyu just now, she didn't know what she was thinking. She just felt that she should do it and that the time was right.

A thousand words remain unspoken in my heart, yet suddenly they seem less important.

A single glance speaks louder than a thousand words.

The fireworks continued behind them. Bai Qingyu remained silent, as did Zhen Tian. She sat back down next to Zhen Tian, ​​her right hand reaching behind her back to hug her shoulder. Zhen Tian leaned against Bai Qingyu in return.

They leaned on each other, silently looking up at the dazzling and beautiful fireworks in the sky.

All I can say is that I made the right choice in selecting this opportunity; the atmosphere here is simply amazing.

After confessing their feelings, both she and Zhentian were in a strange state, with a thousand words in their hearts but no way to express them, just like a newlywed bride.

This fireworks display perfectly bridged the gap in the process, and once the fireworks ended, my mind calmed down and I was no longer so flustered.

The fireworks display lasted for about five minutes, making it quite a continuous spectacle. Bai Qingyu felt she was growing to love Jiangnan more and more; putting aside the local customs and culture, the atmosphere was truly exceptional.

As soon as the fireworks subsided, Bai Qingyu was about to speak when Zhen Tian spoke first.

"Sister, those words should be directed at you from my perspective. Your appearance changed my life. If it weren't for you, I would probably be dead by now."

"I can only feel the warmth of home when I live with my sister."

"Actually, I don't know when my feelings for my sister changed. I'm sure that at first I just regarded my sister as family, but slowly, I don't know when it happened, I found that my mindset had completely changed. It was no longer the simple feeling of being a family member that made me feel at ease, but rather I would often feel flustered."

"I wanted to say something to my sister, but I didn't know how to start. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I would ruin our relationship and we would never be able to go back to how we were at the beginning. So I deliberately avoided it and didn't dare to face my own heart. I was greedy for the life I had before and afraid of losing it."

Leaning on Bai Qingyu's shoulder, Zhen Tian spoke softly. In a sense, she and Bai Qingyu shared the same mindset. They were both afraid that once the relationship was clarified and this unspoken understanding was broken, the relationship would change drastically, and they would never be able to go back to their past lives.

With this mindset, feelings can only grow silently but will never sprout.

"Me too, I'm afraid of losing things, afraid of facing reality."

Bai Qingyu was filled with emotion. She and Zhen Tian never had any dramatic stories or life-or-death separations. Their lives were just ordinary and mundane, and a relationship slowly emerged under these circumstances.

So looking back, although she and Zhen Tian were very close, she had always been deliberately avoiding certain things.

These things refer to any activity that leads to the growth of feelings, such as the date with Masami in the cherry blossom grove a few years ago.

At that time, I did have some thoughts in my mind, but they weren't that strong. So when I dared to invite Masami to see the cherry blossoms, I didn't feel any pressure at all. I even wanted to take the initiative to deepen our relationship.

However, relationships also have their limits, and it's easy to get stuck at that point.

She started to become timid and hesitant, afraid of losing the relationship. She began to have many thoughts and overthinking, wondering whether Zhen Tian could accept the relationship or if Zhen Tian would reject her, and whether she could go back to her previous life.

This is the biggest problem arising from the gradual development of feelings over time in a peaceful life: always being greedy and always worrying.

Thankfully, I succeeded today, so I don't have to think about so many things anymore.

The surroundings gradually quieted down. Bai Qingyu chatted with Zhen Tian, ​​listening to Zhen Tian talk about her golden feathers. After learning that Zhen Tian could use the golden feathers in conjunction with her soul to unleash a doubled attack, her answer was simple.

No matter what situation arises, she's always there to step up. Just pretend this tactic never happened and don't use it.

Bai Qingyu's answer was exactly what Zhen Tian expected, and he didn't say anything more.

As they chatted, Bai Qingyu brought up the topic of children.

“Zhen Tian, ​​when we first arrived, Xiao Yao asked us to have a younger sister for Bai Xiaoya. I thought about it for a while and it was indeed possible. The idea that girls can't have children with each other is just for ordinary people.”

"We are demons, and not just any demons, but demons with considerable strength."

"I know magic and have demonic power. Maybe I can use these to achieve my goal. Then we can prepare an embryo, fuse the essence and blood of both of us, and nurture it with our life force every day. One day we will succeed!"

This is the future, and Bai Qingyu herself cannot be sure what the future holds.

But she is now full of hope and enthusiasm for the future.

They all adopt other people's children; when will they have their own biological child to raise?

Of course, whether it's adopted children or biological daughters and sons, it will be handled the way it should be, and there will definitely be no favoritism towards either side.

Besides that, Bai Qingyu was also thinking about something else.

If I and Zhen Tianzhen were to have a child, it certainly wouldn't be in human form.

Both she and Zhen Tian were genuine demons. Zhen Tian had a snake's body and bird's wings, while she had a crane's body and phoenix's tail. What would their child look like?

She really couldn't imagine what the child of Ubume and Itsumade would look like.

But since they're all bird demons, there shouldn't be any problems, right?

What if you actually give birth to a baby that doesn't look like a freak?

Amidst these questions, Kazuma and Shinichi walked home, chatting and laughing all the way.

Today is a day that Bai Qingyu will remember for a lifetime. Regardless of the process, the result is quite satisfactory.

"I don't know if the children are asleep or not."

When they arrived at her doorstep, Bai Qingyu opened the door with a smile.

Hearing the commotion, the four little snakes, Xiao Yao, Yu Zhuan Jin, and Xiao Ya quickly huddled together and pretended to be asleep.

The four of them got together and, besides gossiping about Bai Qingyu, also told ghost stories. However, each time the story didn't go very well. Just when the atmosphere was finally lifted, Bai Xiaoya, that little girl, would always ask a question after the ghost appeared.