Lin An opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but swallowed his words before they came out.
He gritted his teeth, took Shadow Brake by the hand, and turned to leave.
The crowd parted on its own, making way for them.
Every gaze was nailed to their backs.
The exquisitely handsome boy and the woman who seemed as noble as a goddess descended to the mortal realm walked away side by side.
Even from behind, they were so perfectly matched it was breathtaking.
Ouyang Zixin stared blankly at Shadow Brake's retreating figure. Her lips moved, but no words came out.
There was no comparing herself to her.
Not at all.
Her figure, her looks, that sacred aura... She wasn't even worthy of standing in front of her.
In that moment, her pride, her beauty, and her title as the campus belle shattered completely.
She gave a bitter smile and quietly turned to leave.
Meanwhile, Gu Yue watched helplessly as Lin An opened his dormitory door.
She watched helplessly as it closed in her face.
"Thud."
It was a soft sound.
Yet it detonated in her mind like a nuclear bomb.
Snowflakes fluttered down~~ the north wind howled~~
"No... Lin An..."
Dizziness hit her hard. Her knees buckled, and she pitched forward.
At last, her tears broke through the dam.
Big drops rolled down her cheeks, hit the ground, and burst into sprays of water.
"Why... I'm the one destined to be your lover..."
"How could you... do this to me?"
She collapsed onto the floor, her long silver hair spilling around her. She looked as though every last bit of strength had been drained from her.
The thought of Lin An sharing a bed with that woman tonight, of them making love...
"Pfft—"
Gu Yue's vision went completely black.
Her body slumped to the side.
The next moment, a shadow appeared beside her without a sound and caught her securely.
Di Tian looked at his master in this state, the corners of his mouth twitching with heartache.
His gaze shifted to the tightly shut door, killing intent surging in his eyes.
"Master," he said in a low voice. "Should I bring the Dragon Queen back by force?"
Leaning against his arm, Gu Yue took a long while to recover enough to open her eyes.
Tears still clung to her lashes, and her eyes were red, but a hint of clarity gradually returned to their depths.
She stared at the door and stayed silent for a long time.
"No need."
Her voice was hoarse, but her tone was strangely calm.
It was the kind of calm before a storm that sent a chill down one's spine.
"Let's go back first."
She had realized it by now.
That woman was no ordinary person.
That aura, that indifference, that unfathomable depth—even Gu Yue couldn't see through her. Her soul was at least at the god level.
Gu Yue wasn't certain she could win in a direct confrontation.
But.
Her dragon scale was still with Lin An.
She had pulled that Reverse Scale off herself and engraved it with the purest spatial array.
No matter where Lin An was, she could sense him.
No matter what danger he faced, she could reach him in an instant.
If things truly came to the point of no return—
Her eyes turned cold, a glint flashing through her violet pupils.
Even if she had to break his legs.
Even if she had to imprison him deep in Star Dou.
Even if he hated her for the rest of his life.
She would still take him back.
Supporting herself with Di Tian's arm, she rose to her feet.
Without looking at the door again, she said simply,
"Go."
Their figures silently vanished from the corridor, as though they had never been there.
The corridor remained quiet for several seconds.
Only then did the onlooking students dare to draw deep breaths.
Some patted their chests, some wiped away cold sweat, and others muttered that "the pressure just now was terrifying."
Xie Xie squeezed out of the crowd. He glanced toward where Gu Yue had vanished, then at Lin An's closed dormitory door. His expression looked like that of someone who'd finally given up after days of constipation.
He nudged Tang Wulin, who stood frozen beside him.
"You... aren't you going after her?"
Tang Wulin didn't move.
He stood there like a wooden stake driven into the ground.
His face showed little expression, but the eyes that were usually so bright now seemed veiled in ash.
He stayed silent for a long time.
Then he shook his head.
"She doesn't need me."
His gaze fell on the door.
"And Lin An... doesn't seem to need me either."
He tugged at the corner of his mouth, trying to smile, but failed.
"I think... I've been dumped."
When he said that, the cowlick on top of his head drooped completely. He looked like a little dog, soaked through by the rain and abandoned.
Xie Xie opened his mouth, wanting to say, "When were you ever in love?" But seeing Tang Wulin like that, he couldn't get a single word out.
In the end, he merely reached out and clapped Tang Wulin firmly on the shoulder.
"All right. I'll keep you company, brother."
He paused, then added,
"Try to let it go. Someone like Lin An isn't someone we can pine after. We should be grateful if we can leech a little cultivation buff from hanging around him."
Tang Wulin forced a smile.
It looked even worse than crying.
"I know. I just wanted to stay by his side... Even being ordinary friends would've been enough."
As he spoke, his tears suddenly wouldn't stop.
He wasn't bawling. They simply streamed down his face without a sound.
"Boohoo... Xie Xie... I feel like I'll never love again..."
He wiped his face with the back of his hand, but only smeared the tears around.
A snot bubble emerged, and he looked utterly wretched.
Xie Xie sighed without a word, put an arm around Tang Wulin's shoulders, and led him toward the stairs.
The students in the corridor gradually dispersed.
But little groups still gathered here and there, their appetite for gossip undiminished.
"Who was that woman just now? Her presence was overwhelming. She's definitely someone important."
"Obviously. Didn't you see her fly down from the sky? She floated in midair, without her feet touching the ground. There wasn't even a trace of Soul Power fluctuation. That kind of control means she's at least a Titled Douluo."
The speaker lowered his voice.
"She might even be a Super Douluo."
"That makes sense. Lin An is an important figure from Ming Capital. It's no surprise he has a beauty like that by his side. Sigh, people like them are way out of the league of nobodies like us."
Someone chimed in bitterly, "One meal costs her a hundred and ninety thousand. Your Soul Ring costs seventy thousand. What are you going to pine after her with? Your life?"
A wave of self-mocking laughter rippled through the crowd.
Ouyang Zixin walked at the back. Listening to the chatter, she slowed down with every step.
Suddenly, she felt ridiculous.
Just a few days ago, she'd confidently added him as a friend, thinking she had a chance.
Only after seeing that woman today did she understand what it meant to be worlds apart.
She unpinned Lin An's profile picture in her communicator, then pinned it again.
She unpinned it once more, then pinned it again.
In the end, she couldn't bring herself to delete it.
Inside the dormitory.
The moment the door closed, Lin An let out a long breath.
He released Shadow Brake's hand, leaned his back against the door, and rubbed his brow hard with one hand.
"Sorry you had to see that."
"There's no need to apologize."
Shadow Brake stood in the middle of the room, her face expressionless.
Her moon-white qipao clung to her figure, gleaming like glazed porcelain beneath the light.
Her pinkish-purple hair fell to her waist, making her face look too beautiful to be real.
Her gaze was empty, like the eyes of an exquisite doll.
Lin An pointed to the bed.
She walked over and sat down, placing her hands on her knees. Her posture was so proper it seemed stiff.
Lin An walked up to her and gently pressed both hands against her forehead.
The touch beneath his fingertips was cool and smooth. It didn't feel like human skin, more like some kind of fine bone china.
"Close your eyes. Relax."
Shadow Brake lowered her eyelids.
The next moment, a warm purifying force flowed from Lin An's fingertips.
Rainbow-colored light bloomed between them. Iridescent ripples spread like water, filling the entire room.
Before you continue