The room was quiet for a moment.
Then, Xie Xie was the first to open.
"Phew--I can finally rest!"
He jumped out of the cabinet, moving his somewhat stiff body, with a look of joy on his face as he survived the disaster.
"I thought I was going to die from exhaustion in Spirit Ascension Platform today... Those Soul Beasts are so scary. If I hadn't run so fast, I would have been overtaken by a Hundred-Year Soul Beast..."
He spoke nonchalantly, with a hint of fear in his tone.
Tang Wulin also stood up from the cabinet. He walked up to Zhong Shenxiu, with concern in his clear eyes.
"Shenxiu, are you okay? You look... very tired."
His voice was gentle and filled with genuine concern.
Zhong Shenxiu glanced at him and shook his head slightly.
"It's okay."
Those same two words.
Tang Wulin opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but finally closed it.
He knows the character of Zhong Shenxiu.
He is taciturn, never explains, and never complains.
If he doesn't want to tell, no one can ask.
"Then let's go back."
Tang Wulin ultimately just said this.
Zhong Shenxiu nodded and stood up from the cabinet.
Gu Yue followed.
She walked beside Zhong Shenxiu without speaking, just staying with him quietly.
Those black eyes looked at Zhong Shenxiu's profile from time to time, with complex emotions in their eyes.
The group of people walked out of the room, walked into the elevator, went up, walked out of the elevator, walked through the corridor, and returned to the first floor of Spirit Pagoda.
The splendid hall is still magnificent, and the murals on the dome are still magnificent. But at this moment, no one is in the mood to appreciate it.
When I walked out of Spirit Pagoda, it was already noon outside.
The sunshine at noon in winter is not very hot, but rather warm.
The light at this moment shines on the streets of Eastsea City, giving everything a layer of warmth.
Pedestrians passed by in a hurry on the street, soul-guided cars shuttled continuously, and the sounds of vendors hawking could be heard in the distance, mixed with the aroma of food, forming an ordinary city picture.
But for the six people who had just left Spirit Ascension Platform, this ordinary city picture had an indescribable sense of intimacy.
The group of people walked in silence, no one spoke.
Zhong Shenxiu walked in the front, his steps were neither fast nor slow, and his back was still straight.
But from his slightly lowered eyelids and slightly heavy breathing, we can still see that he is tired at the moment.
Gu Yue followed him, her eyes drifting to the side of his face from time to time.
She is observing.
Observing this guy interested her more and more.
From the first time they met, she felt that Zhong Shenxiu was not simple. Those light golden vertical pupils, the aura that was totally inconsistent with her age, and the oppressive feeling that made people afraid to look directly - all of these reminded her of one word: similar.
But now, she saw the other side of Zhong Shenxiu.
Tired Zhong Shenxiu.
Silent Zhong Shenxiu.
And...
Ever since Spirit Ascension Platform came out, I have been thinking about Zhong Shenxiu.
What is he thinking?
Gu Yue is very curious.
Very curious.
She bit her lower lip and finally spoke.
"Zhong Shenxiu."
Her voice was very soft, with a hint of testing.
Zhong Shenxiu tilted his head slightly and glanced at her.
There was still calmness in those light golden vertical pupils.
But Gu Yue noticed that something seemed to be surging beneath the calmness.
"What's the matter?"
His voice was still very light, so light that almost no emotion could be heard.
Gu Yue Take a deep breath and muster up your courage.
"Tomorrow... do you want to go out for a walk?"
She paused and then added, "I know a very good dessert shop. Their Blue Silver Grass cakes are particularly delicious. There is also a Soul Tool store with many interesting gadgets. We can go and have a look..."
She said, with a hint of expectation in her black eyes.
Zhong Shenxiu looked at her.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Then, he shook his head.
"No time."
Two words.
Simple and neat.
Gu Yue's smile froze on his face.
She stared blankly at Zhong Shenxiu, the light of expectation dimming little by little in her black eyes.
Then--
Her cheeks puffed up.
"Hmph!"
Gu Yue snorted heavily, turned away, and stopped looking at him.
That beautiful and refined face was now filled with the three characters "unhappy".
Zhong Shenxiu glanced at her but said nothing.
He just withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.
His pace is still neither fast nor slow, his back is still straight, and his eyes are still as calm as water.
It was as if everything just happened was just a gust of wind blowing by, meaning nothing.
Gu Yue stood there, looking at his back, stamping his feet angrily.
"Idiot! A piece of wood! A guy who doesn't understand the charm!"
She complained crazily in her mind.
This guy...
He actually refused?!
How can you refuse so simply?!
Didn't even say "next time"?!
"I'm so angry!"
Gu Yue gritted his teeth and stared fiercely at Zhong Shenxiu's back.
But that silhouette has gone further and further away, with no intention of looking back.
Tang Wulin stood not far away and had a panoramic view of this scene.
He looked at Gu Yue's angry appearance and Zhong Shenxiu's retreating back, and a complex emotion surged in his heart.
There is distress.
There is unwillingness.
There is also a hint of... sourness that I can't explain.
Although she always ignored him and although she always set her sights on Zhong Shenxiu, he still couldn't help but want to get close to her, want to talk to her, and want to see her smile.
Even just looking at it from a distance, he felt satisfied.
And now, seeing her being rejected by Zhong Shenxiu, he felt... a little secretly happy?
No, that's not right.
Not secretly happy.
It's an opportunity!
Tang Wulin took a deep breath, clenched his fists, mustered up the greatest courage in his life, and walked towards Gu Yue.
"Ancient...Gu Yue."
His voice was trembling and his cheeks were slightly red.
Gu Yue turned his head and looked at him.
There was still a trace of unresolved anger in those black eyes.
Tang Wulin felt nervous at that look, but he had an arrow on the string and had to shoot. He bit the bullet and stammered:
"I don't know... you will... tomorrow..."
Before he finished speaking, Gu Yue had already spoken.
She glanced at Tang Wulin and said angrily:
"No time!"
Then, she turned and left.
That pace is faster than Zhong Shenxiu.
That back view is even colder than Zhong Shenxiu's back view.
Only a gust of fragrant wind and a fallen leaf were left, floating in front of Tang Wulin.
Tang Wulin stood there, his whole body petrified.
He opened his mouth and stretched out his hands in an inviting posture, motionless.
A gust of wind blew by, blowing up his hair, blowing up the corners of his clothes, and blowing up the broken glass in his heart.
"Pfft--"
An unsuppressed laughter came from the side.
Xie Xie didn't know when he had come over. At this moment, he was covering his mouth and shaking his shoulders.
"Hahahaha--"
He finally couldn't help it and laughed loudly.
That laughter echoed in the empty streets, it was extra loud, extra... deserving of a beating.
Tang Wulin slowly turned his head and looked at Xie Xie.
His eyes were full of despair.
Xie Xie had enough laughter, walked up and patted Tang Wulin on the shoulder.
"Tsk tsk tsk-"
He smacked his lips and shook his head, looking like someone who had come before.
"Wulin, listen to my advice."
He paused and said seriously:
"Being a licking dog has no future. (`∀´)Ψ"
Tang Wulin's face turned redder.
"I... I'm not a dog licker..."
He defended weakly.
Xie Xie rolled his eyes.
"You're not a licker? Then what are you? (￣_￣|||)"
He counted on his fingers:
"Gu Yue likes Zhong Shenxiu, can't you tell? The way she looks at Zhong Shenxiu is like a cat looking at a fish, her eyes want to stick to her. The result? Zhong Shenxiu doesn't even look at her, but she still moves up as usual. What is this called? This is called dog licking!"
He pointed at Tang Wulin again.
"What about you? You know that Gu Yue likes Zhong Shenxiu, but you still try to get close to him. What is this called? This is called dog-licking!"
Tang Wulin: "..."
He was speechless.