Click.

Chen Yanyu slid in her room card, closed the door, and bounded lightly onto the large hotel bed.

She hugged a pillow, kicked off her shoes, and rolled around for a bit, her long legs curled up beneath her shorts.

Curled up alone on the bed, her silver hair splayed softly across the sheets, Chen Yanyu’s clear golden eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.

Just like someone who saves their favorite bite of food for last.

There were so many places she wanted to visit.

She used to watch idol dramas and found herself fascinated by so many spots. Even something like an internet café made her want to sneak in and try it.

She just thought… it would be so much better if he was with her.

There were too many people outside, and that made Chen Yanyu nervous.

People’s gazes varied—many lingered on her legs, hips, chest, or her striking face behind sunglasses. Their repressed heat made her uneasy.

She thought of that moment when the boy grabbed her wrist without warning.

Such a forceful move, yet it gave her a strange sense of peace she couldn’t explain.

As she was thinking, she suddenly heard the doorbell ring.

She thought she was imagining things.

Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong.

Chen Yanyu lifted her little face in disbelief and looked toward the door. A strand of silver hair slipped over her forehead.

“Coming, coming!”

She scrambled off the bed in a panic, not even bothering to put her shoes on. Her dainty little feet, wrapped snugly in white socks, padded across the floor as she ran to the door.

Who could it be?

Luo Qingchuan?

No way, right?

But… she hoped it was him.

Please let it be Luo Qingchuan! Maybe something happened at school and he’s here to take me to a movie!

Her heart thudded wildly as she nervously opened the door.

She saw someone—someone cute. Very pretty.

“Hello, my name is Lu Chuning.”

Standing at the door was a smiling girl in her teens.

Her hair was styled into side twin-tails, and she wore a black dress with white patterns. A black waistbelt accentuated her delicate frame. She looked like a porcelain doll, with a pink bow at her collar. Her rose-tinted eyeliner gave her an alluring yet pure look.

“P-Please come in!”

“Sorry for the sudden visit,” Lu Chuning said as she walked into the room and sat down on a chair.

It was the first time Chen Yanyu had a stranger visit her. She shut the door and hurriedly came back over, nervously pulling out a bottle of juice to offer the young little meimei.

A guest… maybe not a friend, but still a guest!

How was she supposed to host someone again...?

Chen Yanyu’s mind kept racing.

She’d imagined so many times what she’d do when a friend came to hang out—how to be thoughtful and welcoming.

Lu Chuning was briefly stunned.

Because Chen Yanyu took the drink back.

Then the little dragon girl opened the fridge and pulled out a box of yogurt.

“For you.” Chen Yanyu smiled sweetly and gently. “Little guniang, what brings you to jiejie?”

She really wanted to squish Lu Chuning’s soft-looking cheeks.

Lu Chuning hesitated, then reached out to accept it, smiling. “Aren’t you wary of me?”

“You don’t look like a bad person.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re pretty. I think pretty people can’t be bad.”

In idol dramas, the good guys are always the good-looking ones!

Lu Chuning paused, straw poking into the yogurt box, staring at Chen Yanyu who sat sweetly at the edge of the bed.

So her worldview just followed her aesthetics?

The Dragon King’s daughter was nothing like she expected.

But that would make things a lot easier.

Lu Chuning crossed her legs—despite being a little girl, she sat with casual elegance while sipping her drink and asking:

“What do you think of Luo Qingchuan?”

Straight to the point.

And instantly, Lu Chuning watched as Chen Yanyu’s snow-white cheeks flushed pink, like cherry blossoms dusted across her face—utterly adorable.

“Luo Qingchuan?!” Chen Yanyu’s fingers clenched. “He’s really nice… Do you know him?”

Lu Chuning’s youthful, charming face smiled slightly. “Luo Qingchuan is my disciple.”

Chen Yanyu sensed something off. Her gaze sharpened, golden eyes swirling with a rising storm.

She stood up abruptly, speaking clearly and forcefully. “I don’t believe you. You’re lying. You’re a bad person.”

“No one will accompany me in eternal life.” Chen Yanyu remembered Luo Qingchuan once saying that.

Arcs of electricity crackled around her body, making her appear almost divine.

“Why lie to me? What do you want?” Her delicate frame now radiated icy authority, like bolts of lightning dancing under a stormy sky.

Lu Chuning’s smile stiffened. With a helpless sigh, she said, “It’s true I haven’t started teaching him yet. But I mean you no harm. It’s just my duty—I needed to ask you a question for peace of mind.”

“What question?”

“You already answered.”

Lu Chuning walked to the door, turned back, and gave the wary Chen Yanyu a final smile.

“Thanks for the yogurt, Chen jiejie. In return, I’ve decided to take you as a disciple too… I think it’ll be interesting.”

And with that, Lu Chuning left.

“Who wants to be your disciple?!”

Chen Yanyu’s aura completely faded. She suspiciously ran to the door and peeked outside—only to find the mysterious, adorable girl had already vanished.

…… …… ……

Rain still shimmered across the campus pavement.

The sun was fully risen. A new day had begun.

Luo Qingchuan walked Su Yingxue to her classroom and stood in the hallway, watching her for a moment.

After parting from him, she returned to her cool, elegant self—completely different from the lively, ever-changing girl she was around him.

Sitting alone at her desk, she quietly opened her book. Her expression was serious, tinged with a faint sense of distance.

She was cold.

Like a snowflake drifting alone through the chaos of the world, or a distant moon that could be admired but never touched. She stirred both awe and a sense of unworthy longing.

Luo Qingchuan started walking upstairs—but just before reaching his own class, he turned back for a glance.

At the entrance to Class 7, a figure slipped quietly into the room.

Unbothered, Luo Qingchuan entered Class 2, Year 5.

“Ancestor, I think Luo Qingchuan noticed me!”

Zuo Tian sat squinting in his seat, head slightly lowered.

A hoarse, ancient voice echoed in his mind, calming his doubts: “You’re only at Qi Refining Level 9. He only glanced your way. A normal person wouldn’t sense that.”

“No, Ancestor, I really think he turned on purpose—to look for me!”

Zuo Tian clenched his teeth, uneasy. “It’s just a feeling.”

Like a beast’s primal instinct—irrational, yet terrifying. The kind of chill that comes from spotting a natural predator in the jungle.

As if fate itself whispered to Zuo Tian: Yes. He’s already sensed you.

As if heaven and earth were affirming his intuition. His blood ran hot, and he whispered to himself:

“I’ve been found out.”

“Ancestor, the Truth-Breaker Mirror rated Luo Qingchuan highly. His spirit is unusual… I got careless.”

Zuo Tian kept his head low, fists clenched.

“I should’ve hidden better. Shouldn’t have been so obvious.”

“Your cautiousness only reveals how much your heart is still trapped in fear—by Su Yingxue’s shadow,” the ancestor sighed heavily. “Kill him.”

“I could leave him severely injured, crippled, or even in a coma for life—but I don’t want to kill him. That would mean I’ve reached the end of the road, forced to abandon all pride.”

The ancestor’s lingering soul fell silent for a few seconds, then spoke gravely, “That’s fine. Su Yingxue’s deep emotions will still be shaken. When will you make your move?”

Zuo Tian’s breathing calmed, and he finally made up his mind.

“Tonight.”

Because he knew exactly what he was about to do—

Zuo Tian wanted to keep his dignity. Preserve the pride that made him stand above others.

He opened his palm and stared at the lines across it, as if peering into layers of fate.

“Luo Qingchuan, for the sake of destiny’s greater purpose… both of us must pay a price.”

Zuo Tian slowly clenched his fist.

Everything was under control. He had already seen the future.

……
……
……
(P.S.: Only one update today. My eyes are a bit blurry. Not in the best shape — Xiao Nan)