Drawing Lots Result (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Zhu Zhuqing stared blankly at Lin Yi's retreating back. She hadn't been competing against Godwind Academy; in that moment, she had felt death.

She was still alive?

Lin Yi's last words were branded into her mind like a searing mark: "From this day forward, your life is mine. You are now my woman."

The words carried an undeniable possessiveness, yet they also stated a fact she couldn't refute.

"Miss Zhu, how are you feeling?" a clear, gentle voice sounded beside her.

Zhu Zhuqing tilted her head slightly and saw Ye Lingling standing by the bed, her demeanor elegant, her face veiled.

She recognized this auxiliary-type soul master from Heaven Dou Royal Academy, who possessed the top-tier Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul.

"I'm... alright. Thank you," Zhu Zhuqing's voice was hoarse and weak.

Ye Lingling gently shook her head. "No need to thank me. It was mainly Lin Yi, the team leader, who expended a great deal of soul power and mental energy to clear your meridians and mend your shattered bones. Your injuries were extremely severe, with fractured ribs and damaged meridians. If not for the leader's extraordinary methods, you might have..." She didn't finish, but the implication was clear.

She paused, then continued, "The people from Shrek Academy came by earlier, but Lin Yi, the team leader, and Chief Meng Shenji saw them out.

The leader said... said that since he saved you, you are no longer one of Shrek's people.

You need absolute rest now. Don't move around carelessly, or the bones that were just set might dislocate again."

After hearing Ye Lingling's words, Zhu Zhuqing fell into a long silence.

No longer one of Shrek's people...

The phrase echoed repeatedly in her mind.

She thought of her time at Shrek, the faint ties of the engagement with Dai Mubai, the sisterly affection with Ning Rongrong, the sweat and laughter shared while training and fighting with Tang San, Oscar, and the others... Those had been rare glimmers of light in her otherwise bleak life.

But this injury felt like a splash of ice water, waking her up.

For the team's victory, she could give her all, even risking injury.

Yet, she hadn't expected the team, or rather, the Grandmaster's decision, to force her onto the stage using forbidden medicine while she was still severely injured.

Even more unexpectedly, when she truly faced mortal danger, the one who extended a helping hand was Lin Yi, whom they had always considered an "enemy."

Were companions important?

Yes. But that was on the premise of mutual cherishing and protection.

Were rankings and victory important? Also yes. But that shouldn't come at the cost of a team member's health and future.

If Feng Xiaotian's final blow had been even slightly more precise, or a bit stronger, she might be a cold corpse right now.

There had been students in the Soul Master Tournament who had been defeated and injured...

Having gone through this brush with death, she finally realized that all hatred, all obsessions, all desires to prove herself, all family matters, all arranged marriages, seemed so pale and powerless in the face of life.

Being alive was good, better than anything.

A sense of unprecedented confusion and exhaustion washed over her.

She didn't know where she was going, how she would face her former companions, or how she would face Lin Yi, who had forcefully saved her and domineeringly claimed her.

The next day, Ning Rongrong, carrying some nourishing soup, quietly arrived at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's encampment to visit Zhu Zhuqing.

Due to Ning Rongrong's status as the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the fact that Lin Yi also knew her, the guards at Heaven Dou Royal Academy did not stop her.

Seeing that Zhu Zhuqing's complexion was still a little pale but her breathing was steady, clearly out of mortal danger, Ning Rongrong let out a long sigh of relief, a genuine smile appearing on her face. "Zhuqing, it's truly wonderful that you're alright! We were almost scared to death yesterday!"

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Ning Rongrong's concerned eyes, her heart warming slightly, and nodded gently. "Yes, I'm fine now."

Ning Rongrong sat by the bed, holding Zhu Zhuqing's hand, and said in a low voice, "Zhuqing, come back with me.

Everyone is very worried about you. We at Shrek won't abandon any of our companions!"

As if fearing Zhu Zhuqing might have reservations, she quickly added, "Besides, the draw for the semifinals is out!

Martial Soul Hall Academy will face Star Luo Royal Academy, and our Shrek... will face Heaven Dou Royal Academy! The match isn't for another half a month, so your injuries should be mostly healed by then. We still need your strength!"

Ning Rongrong's tone carried anticipation and a hint of barely concealed nervousness.

She knew Zhu Zhuqing's feelings for Shrek and believed in the bonds between companions.

However, after hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing didn't respond immediately.

She remained silent, her gaze lowered, looking at the hand Ning Rongrong was holding.

Go back? Continue fighting for Shrek?

Against... Heaven Dou Royal Academy?

Against Lin Yi, who had just saved her life?

If it were before, she would have unhesitatingly chosen to return to the team.

But now, her heart was in turmoil.

The warmth Shrek had once given her clashed fiercely with the cold reality exposed by this injury.

The team needed her strength... but what had the team given her when she needed it?

Was it the decision that worsened her injuries?

Or their helplessness when she was on the brink of death?

She raised her head to look at Ning Rongrong, her gaze complex and her voice still weak, yet tinged with a hint of detachment: "Rongrong, thank you for coming to see me. But I'm sorry, I cannot return yet... I need time to recuperate, and I also need to... think things through properly."

The smile on Ning Rongrong's face froze. She looked into Zhu Zhuqing's eyes—eyes that had regained their cold clarity, yet seemed deeper and more inscrutable than ever before—and her heart skipped a beat.

She suddenly realized that this time, Zhuqing might truly be... different.

"Zhuqing, you..." Ning Rongrong wanted to persuade her further.

"Let me be alone for a while, Rongrong." Zhu Zhuqing interrupted her softly and closed her eyes, clearly unwilling to discuss it any further.

Watching Zhu Zhuqing, whose mind was evidently made up, Ning Rongrong opened her mouth, but in the end, could only let out a helpless sigh. She placed the medicinal soup on the bedside table and left, looking back with every step.

Inside the room, Zhu Zhuqing was once again left alone. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, her gaze filled with struggle and confusion.

The semifinals in half a month, Shrek versus Heaven Dou Royal Academy... what was she to do?

Night fell, and the clamor of Martial Soul City gradually faded into silence.

Zhu Zhuqing lay on the soft bed; although her injuries had been stabilized by Lin Yi's extraordinary methods, her body remained weak, and waves of soreness and dull pain from the healing process radiated through her meridians and bones.

She kept her eyes open, gazing at the cold moonlight spilling in through the window. Her mind was in turmoil, with Ning Rongrong's words from the day and Lin Yi's cold declarations echoing repeatedly.

Just then, the door was pushed open gently, and a familiar figure walked in—it was Lin Yi.

He appeared to have recovered somewhat from his meditation, yet a trace of imperceptible fatigue still lingered between his brows. Without a word, he walked straight to the bedside and, as if performing a routine task, extended his palm. A gentle Snow Lotus soul power, mixed with pure life essence, flowed out like a warm spring, once again enveloping Zhu Zhuqing's injuries to nourish her meridians and accelerate the knitting of her bones.

That warm and powerful energy flowed through her body, effectively easing her discomfort and bringing an indescribable sense of peace.

Zhu Zhuqing felt it all in silence. It was not until Lin Yi's treatment came to an end and he prepared to withdraw his hand that she spoke softly, breaking the silence of the room.

"Thank you... thank you for saving me." Her voice was very light, carrying the weakness of one recently recovered from severe injury, yet it was perfectly clear. This was the first time since waking up that she had formally thanked him.

Lin Yi's movements paused slightly, and he lowered his gaze to look at her. Under the moonlight, the girl's pale face appeared exceptionally fragile, yet those cold eyes now reflected a faint light, complex and difficult to decipher.

A faint, almost indifferent curve touched the corner of his mouth, and his tone remained flat and rippleless: "No need for thanks. I did not save you for free."