An Accidental Encounter with Zhu Zhuqing

The mere mention of the name Yu Xiaogang made Mu Qian feel an inexplicable sense of revulsion.

It was truly because the original work had left him with no good impression; in his view, this man was calculating and scheming, yet cowardly, weak, and devoid of any sense of responsibility.

If he didn't provoke him, then fine, they could just mind their own business and stay out of each other's way.

Otherwise, Mu Qian wouldn't mind teaching him a proper lesson.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, a crisp sound interrupted Mu Qian's train of thought; it sounded like a palm striking a table.

Following the sound, Mu Qian was struck by another wave of surprise.

He had been too busy eavesdropping on others' conversations earlier to notice that an acquaintance was sitting in the hall.

It was a girl with a stunningly beautiful face, looking even younger than himself. Her skin was as delicate as white jade, her long black hair draped over her shoulders, and she wore a cat-ear-style hair accessory atop her head.

The girl's pair of black eyes were exceptionally bright, deep as a silent starry sky. She stood up slowly and walked toward the restaurant exit, her face devoid of any expression.

Only the gloom, mixed with despair and indifference in her eyes, betrayed the turmoil within her heart.

As she stood, her curvaceous figure was fully revealed. Her limbs were symmetrical and slender, and her pair of delicate, snow-white legs moved gently, tugging at the heartstrings of countless boys.

Yet, no one dared to approach her. In fact, the crowd didn't even dare to fix their gaze upon her, as if this girl were some kind of terrifying beast whose presence would bring them endless trouble.

The moment he saw the look in the girl's eyes, Mu Qian felt a sharp pang in his heart.

It was an indescribable coldness, devoid of a single trace of vitality, containing only thick, heavy despair.

"Zhu Zhuqing..." Mu Qian murmured to himself.

She was wearing the uniform specific to the junior academy rather than the black leather outfit from his memories, which was why Mu Qian, having not observed her closely, hadn't noticed her earlier.

Even though it was their first meeting, this girl who refused to bow to her fate in his memories still touched his heart.

"Interesting." Mu Qian crossed his arms over his chest, watching her retreating figure without rashly chasing after her.

If he could, he wouldn't mind giving her a hand.

Of course, there was a bit of selfishness in this on Mu Qian's part.

He really didn't want to see a beautiful, blooming rose ruined by that guy Dai Mubai.

If one were to talk about being pure-hearted, Mu Qian wasn't much better, but at the very least, he understood one thing: responsibility.

As long as a woman became his, he would never abandon her, no matter what—unless he hadn't even touched her to begin with.

And what about Dai Mubai?

He didn't know how many girls the man had toyed with before, and what had been the ultimate fate of those girls?

Perhaps it was just a fling, perhaps it was deliberate indulgence; regardless of the reason, it had nothing to do with Mu Qian.

Everyone had the right to choose their own way of life; he simply looked down on such people.

On the streets of Star Luo City, Zhu Zhuqing walked in a daze, like a shell without a soul.

She didn't know where she was going. Even though the lights were brilliant, she could still feel an endless, bottomless darkness, much like her own life, in which she could see no future.

Originally, there had been someone with the same fate not far from her, struggling and resisting alongside her in the muddy whirlpool, allowing her to feel at least a glimmer of warmth.

At least, there had been a sliver of light in her heart...

But now, her fiancé, that cowardly man, had fled the center of the whirlpool.

Zhu Zhuqing had experienced hardships since childhood, and her mind was more mature than most. She knew better than anyone what this meant.

He had abandoned his right of inheritance, abandoned his responsibilities, and in doing so, he had also abandoned Zhu Zhuqing.

Since he had given up on that cruel struggle for power, even if she struggled and refused to yield, it would be difficult for her to resist the malice coming from the entire empire.

She couldn't forget the decisiveness and indifference in his words before he left. From that light, airy tone, Zhu Zhuqing had felt for the first time exactly where she stood in his heart.

It seemed that her life was utterly insignificant to him.

Zhu Zhuqing smiled self-deprecatingly, her eyes revealing an inexplicable irony.

"The ending seems to have been set in stone..."

She didn't have much affection for this fiancé, but she had placed strong hope in him.

Yet now, that ethereal expectation had shattered along with his flight.

Relying on her refusal to accept her fate and her resistance, Zhu Zhuqing's cultivation had already reached level twenty.

Such cultivation could be called outstanding among her peers; she hadn't even graduated from the junior soul master academy, yet she had already met the graduation requirements for an intermediate soul master academy.

Even so, what did it matter? At this moment, she had the thought of giving up the struggle for the first time.

Only today did she finally understand why her family had been dragging their feet on helping her obtain her second soul ring...

"Woof woof~"

Just as Zhu Zhuqing was immersed in her sorrowful emotions, her heart unable to stop doubting her future and her life, she was abruptly blocked by a cute, wine-red puppy.

"Little puppy, are you mocking me too?"

Zhu Zhuqing crouched down, gently stroking the puppy's fur, her posture displaying a charm that shouldn't belong to someone of her age.

The puppy sat affectionately at her feet, rubbing its fluffy head against her, looking inexplicably cute.

Watching the puppy's docile appearance, for some reason, she felt a sense of peace and tranquility she had never possessed before.

Ever since her Martial Soul awakened four years ago, she had never felt a shred of warmth from her own family.

Therefore, even the slightest bit of affection was enough to melt her cold heart.

"Little puppy, come with me from now on, okay?" When she asked this, even Zhu Zhuqing didn't notice that her tone carried a hint of pleading.

The puppy froze for a moment, then quickly shook its little head, its paws scratching against the marble floor as if trying to express something.

"You're saying no, that you already have an owner?" Zhu Zhuqing asked in surprise, her eyes filled with a touch of disappointment.

"Woof~ woof woof~" The puppy nodded its head repeatedly.

She felt like she had gone mad, actually being able to understand what a dog was trying to say.

"Alright then, what a pity." Zhu Zhuqing sighed softly.

"To have a pet like you, your owner must be very happy, right?"

The young girl stood in the corner of the wall, whispering to herself; it seemed only the shadows in the corner could provide her with a sense of security.

"Who's there!"

Suddenly, as if she had sensed something, Zhu Zhuqing crouched slightly like a threatened cat, scanning her surroundings with vigilance.

Without realizing it, she had wandered into a remote corner.

The scene around her was unfamiliar; even having lived in Star Luo City her whole life, she had never been to this place before.

"Damn it!"

Zhu Zhuqing cursed under her breath, unable to help feeling annoyed.

The things she had heard today had been an unprecedented shock, causing her to let down her guard for a moment.