They Had No Such Thing as Pure Friendship

Chen Ye tapped the Chronospace Diary as he read its contents, a thoughtful look on his face.

This was the information he'd learned from the fragments, and so far, every bit of it had been correct.

As for entering the intermediate Rising Spirit Platform and taking first place later on, those were things he'd have to make happen himself.

Of course, as long as he confirmed the information was true, the rest was easy to guess.

Xu Xiaoyan, Leng Yaozhu, and Yuanen Yehui's favorability toward him would definitely rise quickly.

As the diary updated, the Chat Group, which had gone quiet, became lively once more.

Dai Yun'er: "This diary updates so slowly. When will it get to our part? When will it mention anything about the Star Luo Empire?"

Xu Xiaoyan: "I don't know, but tomorrow I can help everyone figure out whether the diary is real."

Yuanen Yehui: "@Xu Xiaoyan, is Chen Ye really that strong? Shrek's team is really powerful in the Eastsea competition!"

"You don't know? Shrek has a genius this time. He's incredibly strong, and their team leader is a Soul King!"

Na'er: "@Yuanen Yehui, is the Genius Youth Class going this time?"

Yuanen Yehui: "Yep, yep! Are you going too?"

Na'er: "Maybe. I'm pretty interested in this Chen Ye."

Inside the Sea God Pavilion, a young girl sat on the grass, her beautiful purple eyes fixed on the diary in her Spirit Sea. A curious expression crossed her face.

"Interesting. Who exactly is Chen Ye? I can clearly sense that Gu Yue likes him."

"If he's caught Gu Yue's interest, he must be extraordinary. Sigh, I'm starting to miss my big brother Wulin."

Na'er rested her face in her hands, looking thoughtful.

Perhaps because of the diary, she had forcibly regained her memories right from the start.

Na'er didn't feel the same adoration for Tang Wulin that she had in the original timeline.

Instead, she was simply moved by how much the boy had cared for her.

At the Forging Master Association, Mu Xi leaned against a forging table, reading the diary in her mind and the messages in the Chat Group. Her expression shifted between light and shadow.

"Xiao Chen, do you have someone you like? Never mind. You're still so young. I should wait a little longer."

Mu Xi's eyes held a trace of melancholy as she read the information, especially Xu Xiaoyan's earlier claim that she was his fiancée.

That single detail had been enough for both Gu Yue and Mu Xi to figure out who Xu Xiaoyan was, but neither of them had said anything in the group.

Yet as Mu Xi watched Xu Xiaoyan chatter away in the group, she found Gu Yue more threatening.

"I don't know what Xiao Chen thinks of Xu Xiaoyan, but there probably isn't anything serious between them."

"On the other hand, that girl named Gu Yue—I've only met her once, but Xiao Chen clearly cares about her a lot."

A rare trace of jealousy appeared on Mu Xi's face. But when she thought about how old she was, her spirits sank again.

Mu Chen had just pushed the door open when he saw his daughter looking downcast. Confused, he flicked her on the head.

"What are you thinking about? Why aren't you at school today? You're here learning forging again."

"Isn't Xiao Chen coming over tonight?" Mu Xi rubbed her head and looked up at her father.

Mu Chen paused, first nodding, then shaking his head. "They're going to the Rising Spirit Platform tomorrow, so they won't be coming over tonight."

"I see. Then I'll head back to school." Mu Xi nodded, then turned and walked out without another glance at her father.

Mu Chen scratched his head, puzzled, but before he could say anything, Mu Xi stopped and looked back at him.

"I want to go to the Rising Spirit Platform too. Could you message Xiao Chen and ask him to take me along?"

"That might not be a good idea. Those kids are going there to train..."

"If you don't ask, I'll tell Mom about the stash of money you've been hiding." Mu Xi's voice was perfectly calm.

At his daughter's words, Mu Chen felt as if the sky had fallen.

"Fine, fine! I'll contact your little brother Xiao Chen tonight and tell him to take you along tomorrow!"

"Honestly, you silly girl. If you throw yourself at him like this, he won't appreciate you."

Mu Chen sighed. Mu Xi rolled her eyes at him, her face full of disdain. "I wonder who chased after Mom shamelessly back then. You kept at it until you won her from Uncle Zhenhua."

Mu Xi shut the door behind her. At the sound, Mu Chen's face turned awkward.

"Your mother and I are truly in love!"

At the Chen Family home, Chen Ye read the messages in the Chat Group and felt genuinely helpless.

Aside from the initial discussion about him, the group had spent the rest of the time chatting about everyday things, with a few girls discussing cosmetics.

Dai Yun'er and Xu Xiaoyan, in particular, were practically best friends already.

Dai Yun'er: "@Xu Xiaoyan, Number Three, is your fiancé handsome? As the protagonist of the world, is he especially good-looking?"

Xu Xiaoyan: "He's all right. Just going by his looks, he definitely counts as handsome."

"But we're still young, so we haven't grown into our looks yet. Who knows if he'll be handsome when he's older?"

Dai Yun'er: "Let me tell you, that new guy at our academy, Long Yue—the one mentioned in the diary—is pretty handsome. And he's five years older than me!"

"I think he might like me. He pays special attention to me."

Yuanen Yehui: "Maybe he sees you as a little sister. Didn't you say he and your brother are good friends?"

Dai Yun'er: "Is it the kind of affection an older brother has for his younger sister? Or the kind a younger brother has for his older sister? Does anyone really believe that kind of pure affection exists?"

"Come on, seriously? For a pair of unrelated siblings, the only possible feeling between them is romantic love!"

Gu Yue: "Is everything you said true?"

Seeing the sudden message from Gu Yue, Dai Yun'er looked puzzled but still replied.

Dai Yun'er: "Hello, Number One. Of course it's true! Especially if a guy keeps calling you 'big sister' and things like that—he's definitely fallen for you!"

In her luxurious bedroom, Dai Yun'er lay on her stomach and blinked.

After chatting for the past few days, she'd pieced together the general truth: almost everyone in this diary group was a girl.

Aside from Number One and Number Six, who had never spoken, she could tell that all the others were girls.

Even Number Seven, the one who'd first invited them to meet, was most likely a girl too.

In the girls' dormitory, Gu Yue lay silently in bed, her Spiritual Power focused on the message Dai Yun'er had sent. She pressed her red lips together, looking lost.

"Does Chen Ye really like me? But... I can't be with him."

"My heart feels so unsettled. What is this feeling? Why am I so restless...?"

Gu Yue furrowed her brow and turned slightly to look at Xu Xiaoyan beside her.

At the same time, a notification sounded from the diary.

Compared to Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan was clearly much more interested in the topic.