"In love and marriage, it is important to maintain self-worth. When you enter the besieged city, remember that at least the city is still accompanying you." - I always preach, I have all the cliches.

After dark, we continued our night march for another three hours, and the hour hand on the watch pointed to half past nine.

Anyway, as long as we follow the path along the Gray Mountain, we won't get lost even if the forest is dense. Unless some strange monsters appear, there are really no wild animals that can threaten us.

It's time to sleep at this time. I chose a slightly open spot and started setting up the tent. When I first used a tent, I really didn't know where to start. Fortunately, boys have the nature of tinkering with things, and quickly I understood that as long as the support of the wooden sticks is secure, the tent is almost completed.

Starting a fire was initially a tricky task, but now I have become proficient in it. First, you need at least one dry and flammable material, such as paper or cloth. Then you light it with a match, and then just blow, don't stop. It's even more convenient if you have oil or candles.

By the time I gathered some firewood, it was already ten o'clock. My wife sat by the campfire, watching me throw small branches into it.

"Are you going to sleep?"

She asked me softly.

"I don't want to sleep."

"Then I won't sleep either."

Ah, as expected, I still wanted to talk to her about something, but I didn't know where to start.

"Wife, if you're tired, go to sleep first."

"I'm not tired, I'll stay with you."

"Wife, do you have anything you want to say to me recently?"

"Uh, nothing."

"You really don't have to be like this."

I took the index finger that she deliberately placed on my chin. This kind of behavior is a bit too "girly". If you are more strict, it can be classified as deliberately acting cute.

"Ah..."

She took hold of my hand, placed it under her nose, and pressed my hand against her lips.

That's enough, don't be like this anymore.

I drew my hand back, adjusted my posture, and stared into her eyes. But her gaze suddenly became flickering, as if she had thought about something, and her upper body leaned over to start kissing my neck.

"Don't do this...listen to me, don't do this."

I pushed her away, with a little force, and my expression was definitely not joking.

"Are you angry...?"

"No."

"I'm sorry."

Why apologize? I didn't think you did anything wrong at all.

She shrank back, and whenever I wanted to reach out, she always kept her distance from me like a dog that had offended its master.

I just need some time to organize my thoughts, but the darkness of the night doesn't seem to want to wait for me, it's about to devour her.

"Wife, I..."

"I know, I'm dirty, right..."

How many times have I had auditory hallucinations since encountering the succubus? How can such subtle words come out of her mouth?

"Who taught you this phrase?"

"No, I said it myself."

Can a monster's emotional intelligence really reach this level?

No, I have always underestimated her. It's not just me who has grown after all this time.

I finally understand why our love has remained unstable despite going through so many hardships. It's because we don't truly understand each other!

Does she know about my past? Does she know my views on the present and the future?

Do I know about her past? Do I understand her views on me, or even herself?

It's been almost a year, and we hardly know anything about each other.

Perhaps knowing each other's past and understanding each other's views won't change our material life, but it is a process of sincere treatment.

There have been too many times, too many times when I couldn't ask her thoughts, or she didn't say her thoughts.

Monsters are indeed strange and sometimes hard to understand, but I have relied too much on my own guesses. Looking back, haven't we repeatedly expressed the thought of "I don't want to leave you"? Can that be called love?

We really need an adventure of truth or dare, or maybe just guessing.

"You're not dirty, give me your hand."

"No..."

"I'll count to three, give me your hand quickly."

"..."

"Three."

Counting is useful, maybe because I've never used this trick before. Medusa reached out her hand, and I followed along, grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards me.

It's been a long time since I used my tongue to pry open teeth.

She grabbed my collar with her other hand, telling me that she really didn't want to be apart from me.

We kissed until her whole body relaxed, and then I let go.

"Tell me, where are you dirty?"

"I..."

"If you don't tell me, then I'll slowly ask you~"

Kissed her forehead.

"Here?"

Kissed the tip of her nose.

"Here?"

Kissed her lips.

"Here?"

Chin, earlobe, little snake, neck, shoulder, chest, back of the hand.

Nape, spine, waist, fingertips, lower abdomen, elbow, tail.

"Nowhere is dirty."

When I looked up, she suddenly burst into tears and threw herself into my arms.

"Raul, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"Tell me, my beloved wife, I'll listen to whatever you say."

There's an ancient Chinese saying: saying it out loud makes it harmless.

The weather in this season is perfect for sitting by the Songhua River and enjoying the breeze, even though there is no Songhua River, I have a Medusa who is about to open up and speak from the heart.

"I've been with other men before, you must feel uncomfortable."

"Oh? So what?"

"So..."

I took the luggage off and placed it in front of a big tree, and we sat side by side.

"So you feel dirty yourself?"

"Yes. Well... I feel like you must think so too, right?"

I pulled out a water bottle and filled it with a liter of Nvai Dum wine. If we don't drink, I feel like we'll still be hiding some secrets. Let's just say everything we want to say tonight.

"Do I look like Zheng Chenggong to you?"

"Zheng Chenggong?"

When Zheng Chenggong was in Taiwan, his mother was violated by the Qing soldiers. Do you know what this national hero did? He dissected his mother's body and kept rinsing it with water, because he felt that his mother was "dirty".

Am I going to do the same and dissect Medusa because she has been with other men, and then rinse her with water?

A person with liberal tendencies definitely does not have straight male cancer.

"To be honest, I can't not care about this kind of thing."

I took a big sip of wine and continued.

"Because I care about this, does that mean I have to leave you?"

"Or do you feel sorry and want to leave me?"

She gave me a negative answer, and I handed her the wine bottle, and she took a big sip too.

"Do you think I haven't considered this?"

"You've been with another man for such a long time? Have you ever thought about staying with one man forever before?"

It's not a great skill to deceive an inexperienced little girl. Any man with normal emotional intelligence can do it.

I'm having a love affair with a creature whose thinking is close to humans but deviates from them. It's not just emotional intelligence that I rely on, there are too many things I need to be open-minded about.

I didn't get her first time physically, but I gained her first sincere emotional connection.

Maybe someone would say, at least those men "touched" my wife.

Heh, if men use the number of "touches" as a measure of their qualifications, then all ducks must be life mentors. Although, on this point, I'm not qualified to comment on others either. I've "touched" more women than I can count with both hands.

Also, in this world, for a Medusa, besides me, who else would care about her past?

She drank a lot of wine again, and I quickly snatched the wine bottle back.

"Drink less, what will I drink if you drink it all?"

"Do you really not feel uncomfortable?"

"No, what really makes me uncomfortable is that even though you have me, you're still with other men."

"You mean that period of time?"

"I wasn't there during that time, you drove me away."

"I know... so I'm sorry, it's my fault..."

The thought of divorce did make me feel pain, but today is the day to clarify everything.

"I didn't mean to blame you. I just want to ask, can you find the same feeling as being with me from any other man? Have any other men smiled at you after being caught by you?"

"I can't find it. No one is like you."

"So, since the day I came back, I have stepped on all the men before you."

"......"

"Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand."

"Don't blame yourself anymore. If I can't accept your past and forgive your mistakes, I wouldn't be able to accept you. What I want is our future, including every day from tomorrow."

I lit a cigarette and handed it to her. It doesn't matter, even if I burn the forest today.

As long as from now on, there is only me in your life.

"But even if you don't hate my past, I am still a monster. I won't become a human, not now or in the future."

"Why are you always thinking about becoming a human? Will I be happy if you try to please me by acting like a woman?"

"I think at least it can make you feel a little better."

"It won't."

Slightly intoxicated, the atmosphere was just right. I moved my butt and chose a comfortable sitting posture.

"Let's do this, tonight we will be a man and a woman who are meeting for the first time."

"What do you mean?"

"You are Medusa who went out hunting, and I am a lost human who met you here."

"And then?"

"And then we are both interested in each other and start sitting down to chat."

"Humans don't do that."

"But I just happen to be a human who does that."

"Well, what should we talk about then?"

"Any questions you want to know, any questions I want to know."

"No lying allowed?"

"No lying allowed."

"Okay, let's start!"

Playing truth or dare with a Medusa is definitely not boring.

Clearing my throat, straightening my collar, I chose a social-specific smile and extended a hand to Medusa.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Sasha."

"Hello, Mr. Raul."

My wife shook hands with me and nodded.

"Ladies first, Ms. Sasha, please ask your question first."

"No, it's your turn, Mr. Raul."

"No, I insist."

"Okay then, my question is... when was the first time you had sex with a woman?"

I like this question, and I can tell she's drunk. But it's not that simple to tell my romantic history in another world's language in front of her.

"Well, can we change the question?"

"No~ way."

"Then I have to tell the truth~"

"Well, I'm listening."

Checking the time for the last time tonight, I put the pocket watch back in my pocket.