Sealed in Dust

Ye Xinglan looked at Yun Jingheng, who was sitting upright with a thunderous posture, and asked, "Aren't you going to see them?"

"No, what's there to see?"

Yun Jingheng leaned against the headboard, his hands behind his head, and his legs swinging slightly.

"Then can you get off my bed?!"

Ye Xinglan's voice rose an octave, her fingers gripping the sword hilt until her knuckles turned white.

Yun Jingheng glanced down at where he was sitting— Ye Xinglan's bed. The bedding was neatly folded, and the pillows were placed upright. He was sitting at the foot of the bed, with his feet still on the ground, but his buttocks were indeed on the sheets.

He thought for a moment, then said, "No."

Ye Xinglan took a deep breath. "Why?"

"Because your bed is softer than mine."

Yun Jingheng swung his legs again. "Try it yourself. The mattress my mom put on for me was too thin; it was uncomfortable. This one is just the right thickness, with the perfect balance of softness and firmness."

Ye Xinglan's lips twitched. "That's my bed!"

"I know."

Yun Jingheng nodded. "I didn't say it was mine."

Ye Xinglan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again.

"Yun Jingheng, get down here."

"... no."

Ye Xinglan stared at him, her fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

The two faced off for three seconds. Suddenly, Ye Xinglan released her fist, walked to the bedside, bent down, grabbed Yun Jingheng's ankle, and pulled him out sharply.

Caught off guard, Yun Jingheng slid off the bed and landed on his bottom on the floor.

"WC--"

Before he could react, Ye Xinglan grabbed the blanket and wrapped herself up like a cocoon, turning her back to him.

"You sit on the floor, the bed is mine."

Her voice came from under the covers, muffled.

Yun Jingheng sat on the floor, looking at the bulging cocoon on the bed, and remained silent for a while.

"Ye Xinglan, how old are you?"

"Anyway, she's a few months older than you."

"If you're older, you should give way to me."

"No."

Yun Jingheng stood up, patted his pants, walked to the bedside, and reached out to pull the blanket over himself.

Ye Xinglan wrapped herself up even tighter, curling up into a ball like a cat with its fur standing on end.

Yun Jingheng tried to pull her away a couple of times but couldn't budge her, so he simply pressed his whole body against hers, lying next to her through the blanket.

"Then I'll lie here."

Ye Xinglan's body stiffened for a moment. "Yun Jingheng, get up."

"I can't."

Do you believe I'll cut you with a sword?

"I don't believe it."

Ye Xinglan suddenly threw off the covers, sat up, her face flushed, whether from sullenness or anger, it was hard to tell.

She glared at Yun Jingheng, and Yun Jingheng looked back at her. The two were very close, close enough to see the curve of each other's eyelashes.

Ye Xinglan's breath hitched, and she shrank back slightly. "You... stay away from me."

Yun Jingheng didn't move, looking at her, then suddenly smiled, "Ye Xinglan, your ears are red."

Ye Xinglan covered her ears immediately, "No!"

"It's become famous."

"No!"

"It's really popular."

Ye Xinglan raised her foot and kicked Yun Jingheng in the shoulder.

Yun Jingheng leaned back, rolled off the bed, and sat on the floor.

He rubbed his shoulders and looked at Ye Xinglan.

Ye Xinglan wrapped the blanket around herself again, turned her back to him, her ears turning red, and said, "If you come up here again, I'll really chop you up."

Yun Jingheng sat on the floor, leaning against the edge of the bed, looking up at the ceiling.

"Fine, fine, really... I lent you everything, and you didn't even offer anything in return. I'm already being lenient by not making you massage me..."

"Why not?"

"Um?"

"Didn't I call you Brother Yun before?"

Yun Jingheng paused for a moment.

He turned his head and looked at the bulging cocoon on the bed.

Ye Xinglan's voice came from under the covers, muffled and tinged with unease.

His lips slowly curved upwards, curving so high it looked almost irritating.

That doesn't count.

Ye Xinglan suddenly threw off the covers, revealing half her face, and stared at him.

"Why doesn't it count?"

"Did you call it that voluntarily?"

Ye Xinglan opened her mouth, her face turning even redder.

"... You forced me to do it."

That means it was involuntary.

Yun Jingheng leaned back against the edge of the bed, his hands behind his head, looking quite self-righteous. "Calling someone involuntarily doesn't show sincerity."

Ye Xinglan stared at him for three seconds, then took a deep breath.

"Yun Jingheng, don't push your luck."

"I didn't. I was just stating the facts."

Yun Jingheng tilted his head and looked at her with a smile, "It only counts if you call out to her willingly."

Ye Xinglan pulled the blanket up, covering half of her face, leaving only her eyes showing.

Those eyes stared at him for a long time.

Then she closed her eyes, pulled the blanket over her head, and shrank back into her cocoon.

"Dream."

"Whispering sound."

"Alright, alright, stick your head out and let's get down to business."

Ye Xinglan pulled the blanket down, revealing half her face, and looked at him warily, "What important matter is it?"

Yun Jingheng sat up straight, his expression becoming more serious. "You should transfer to another class."

Ye Xinglan was stunned for a moment, "Transfer to a class? Transfer to what class?"

"Transfer to first grade."

Yun Jingheng counted on his fingers, "Look, you're in the Genius Class now, and I'm in first grade."

"You already know the curriculum for the Genius Class, not to mention the first-year material. You skip class every day to come see me, why don't you just transfer here and save yourself the trouble of asking for leave?"

Ye Xinglan stared at him for two seconds, "Are you serious?"

"Seriously."

Yun Jingheng nodded, "Think about it, if the two of us team up, there won't be anyone in the first and second grades who can fight us."

Ye Xinglan's lips twitched. "Just because of this?"

"Isn't that enough?"

Yun Jingheng replied matter-of-factly, "Don't you want to be invincible?"

Ye Xinglan paused for a moment, then pulled the blanket up to cover her chin. "... I don't want to."

Yun Jingheng was taken aback. "Why?"

"Because I'm bored."

Ye Xinglan's voice came from under the covers, "You're invincible, so what? Nobody will fight you anymore. What's the point of practicing swordsmanship then?"

Yun Jingheng thought for a moment, "Then I won't just beat everyone in the world, I'll beat everyone in the first and second grades. Above that are the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grades, the Inner Court, the teachers, the elders, and my dad."

Ye Xinglan looked at him and smiled, "Your father is Limit Douluo."

"Yes, that's why there will always be rivals."

Yun Jingheng smiled as well, "You always have room for improvement."

Ye Xinglan didn't say anything, but pulled the blanket up to cover her face.

After a moment of silence, her voice came from under the covers, muffled, "I'll think about it."

Yun Jingheng smiled. "Okay, you can consider it."

When the door to the Confidentiality Room was pushed open, Long Yeyue was sitting by the window.

The setting sun shone through the window, falling on her and turning her white hair golden.

She held a yellowed book in her hand; the words on the cover were blurred, but her fingers gently caressed the spine, as if she were touching something precious.

Tang Yinmeng stood at the door, holding a file in her hand.

She originally came to store files; the Confidentiality Room contained many years' worth of intelligence records from the Sea God Pavilion, and she would come to organize them every few days.

But she didn't expect anyone to be here at this time, and she certainly didn't expect that person to be Long Yeyue.

Long Yeyue hasn't been involved in specific affairs for a long time. She spends her days drinking tea, reading books, and occasionally giving pointers to the younger generation at the Sea God Pavilion.

She shouldn't be in a place like this, Confidentiality Room.

"Elder Long? What's wrong...?"

Tang Yinmeng walked in, placed the teacup on the table, and her gaze fell on the yellowed book. "Are you looking for something?"

Long Yeyue raised her head and glanced at her.

That glance was calm, but Tang Yinmeng's steps suddenly stopped.

It wasn't because of any sharpness in their gaze, but rather their wariness.

It's that kind of vigilance that feels like "you're getting close to something you shouldn't be."

Tang Yinmeng's hands tightened slightly. She had known Long Yeyue for many years, since she was a child.

Long Yeyue had never looked at her like that before, never.

"Elder Long?" Her voice softened, tinged with uncertainty.

Long Yeyue stared at her for a few seconds, then looked away and continued flipping through the book.

"Nothing much. Just looking for some old things."

Tang Yinmeng stood still, not daring to take another step forward.

She watched Long Yeyue's hands turning the pages of the book; those hands were steady, just like always.

But she noticed that Long Yeyue was turning the pages much slower than usual, as if she was looking for specific content or confirming something.

She hesitated for a moment, then spoke, "You've been searching for so many years, what exactly are you looking for?"

Long Yeyue's fingers paused for a moment. She didn't look up, but remained silent for a while.

"Meng girl, how long have you been at the Sea God Pavilion?"

Tang Yinmeng paused for a moment, "Twenty-three years."

"Twenty-three years."

Long Yeyue repeated herself, her voice very soft, "In twenty-three years, how many times have you seen me come to the Confidentiality Room?"

Tang Yinmeng thought for a moment, "This is the first time I've seen it with my own eyes."

"Then you should know," Long Yeyue raised her head and looked at her. The wariness in her eyes had faded, replaced by a faint, indescribable emotion.

"I didn't come here today for tea."

Tang Yinmeng fell silent.

She looked at Long Yeyue, and Long Yeyue looked at her too.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Tang Yinmeng looked away first.

"Elder Long, do you need me to help you find it?"

Long Yeyue shook her head, "No need."

She closed the book, stood up, and tucked it under her arm. "You go about your business."

She's gone.

She stopped when she reached the door.

"Meng girl."

"Um?"

"Don't tell anyone about what happened today."

Tang Yinmeng looked at her, "Including the Pavilion Master?"

Long Yeyue paused for a moment, then added, "Including the Pavilion Master."

She's gone.

The door closed, and the footsteps faded into the distance in the corridor.

Tang Yinmeng stood there, staring at the closed door, for a long time.

Moonlight Sword...? It wasn't Martial Soul thousands of years ago...