But upon receiving his mate's compassionate gaze, Yin Jiang exhaled slowly. He was healthy now, with a mate and cubs. He was no longer that pitiful male from before, whose life hung by a thread, stripped of all dignity and barely clinging to life.
He chuckled softly, wrapped an arm around Si Shuo's waist, and kissed her on the forehead. "Shuo'er, I'm fine. I was just thinking that if I hadn't met you back then, I'm afraid I'd be nothing but a pile of white…"
Si Shuo pressed both hands over his mouth and turned her head to spit theatrically. Her eyes were sparkling as she said, "Yin Jiang, don't say such foolish things! There are no 'what-ifs' in this world. The fact is, you're standing right here in front of me, alive and well!"
Yin Jiang smiled and nodded, hugging her tightly. His past was too painful, like an indelible brand seared into his very bones, a memory he would carry for a lifetime.
