Gu Yue's eyes lit up in an instant.
She nodded vigorously.
Then she immediately moved closer, pressing tightly against Lin An's arm as if afraid he might run away.
Lin An lowered his eyes to look at the arm she had latched onto, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
But this time, he didn't push her away.
The three of them took the Island Ring Train to the Spirit Pagoda.
There weren't many people in the carriage.
But nearly everyone's gaze drifted over, beyond their control.
Two boys and one girl.
All three had exceptionally striking looks.
The silver-haired girl's eyes were red, and she had clearly been crying. Yet she stubbornly pressed her lips together, staying close to the boy beside her.
That boy was even harder to look away from.
His features were exquisite, his skin so pale it was almost translucent, and a faint trace of helplessness lingered between his brows.
The other boy beside them kept his head down the whole time, doing his best to make himself blend into the air.
The girl's swollen purple eyes stayed fixed on the boy beside her.
She didn't speak or make a fuss.
She just stared at him with a pitiful, wronged expression.
Like a kitten that had been scolded by its owner, then crept back over to beg for a pat, with the shy, sweet awkwardness unique to a young body.
Someone silently marveled to themself.
That kid really had no idea how lucky he was.
A girl that beautiful was crying over him. If it were me, my heart would have broken already.
Lin An couldn't take being stared at any longer.
He sighed and raised a hand, gently placing it on Gu Yue's head.
His fingers slipped through her cool silver hair and settled on her crown, rubbing it softly.
"All right."
"You're a grown dragon, and you're still crying."
"It's just a piece of cake, isn't it? I'll buy you one later."
Gu Yue's body trembled slightly.
She raised her head. Her purple eyes were still misty with tears, but she did her best to put on a haughty expression.
"Hmph..."
"Don't think a few sweet words will win me over that easily."
She puffed out her cheeks and turned away from him, presenting Lin An with her back.
"This queen is angry."
"And I won't be easy to appease."
She put on quite a show.
But her hand quietly reached around behind her and cautiously pinched the hem of Lin An's clothes.
Lin An didn't respond.
His gaze rested on the view beyond the train window.
The morning light over Eastsea City spilled across the coastal buildings.
It wasn't as bustling as Ming Capital, but it had the distinct charm of a harbor city.
It would make a nice place to visit.
Gu Yue: "..."
This wasn't how she imagined it.
Wasn't he supposed to come over and comfort her?
She puffed out her cheeks, feeling so aggrieved she could hardly stand it.
But her body was more honest than her mind.
Little by little, she edged back over and pressed herself against Lin An again.
Shoulder to shoulder.
Arm to arm.
Her fingers clutched his clothes, inching upward a little at a time.
In the end, her whole hand was wrapped around his sleeve.
His profile was all that reflected in those purple eyes.
The Dragon Queen's profile was so pretty.
Her eyelashes were so long.
Her skin was almost transparent in the sunlight.
So beautiful.
Damn it.
Why was this body growing so slowly?
She wanted to grow up already.
"Honey, what are we going to the Spirit Pagoda for this time?"
Suppressing the possessiveness roiling in her heart, she asked in a soft voice.
"Didn't I tell you already?"
"To help Xie Xie get a Soul Ring."
Lin An kept looking out the window, his tone faint.
Gu Yue tilted her head.
Leng Yaozhu had indeed mentioned last night that Lin An was going to buy a rare Space-Time Type Soul Spirit.
But at the time, Gu Yue had been so immersed in her sorrow that she hadn't really listened.
Only now did she suddenly remember one detail.
"But..."
"Why did Teacher say that the Soul Spirit you want to buy is worth five hundred million?"
Five hundred million.
What kind of Soul Spirit could sell for that much?
Her heart suddenly clenched.
Could it be that he was going to give it to Xie Xie?
Lin An didn't answer.
He simply watched the cityscape rushing past outside the window, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
Heaven's Favor.
What a terrifying thing.
A Space-Time Type Soul Spirit he'd never heard of before had simply fallen into his hands.
And it just happened to be in Eastsea City, just happened to be at the Spirit Pagoda, and just happened to appear when he needed it.
The unseen hand of fate was pushing every chess piece into its destined place.
Seeing that Lin An was ignoring her again, Gu Yue gritted her teeth in frustration.
But she didn't dare lash out.
Teacher had told her to be a magnanimous woman.
Be magnanimous, be magnanimous.
She repeated it to herself three times, took a deep breath, and pushed the sourness back down into her heart.
The Spirit Pagoda stood in the center of Eastsea City, a towering spire that pierced the clouds.
Its body was built from white-gold Soul Tool alloy, reflecting a cold gleam in the sunlight.
A massive Soul Spirit formation hovered above the tower, turning slowly as it gave off a gentle halo of energy.
It was the heart of the entire Soul Master system in Eastsea City.
Every day, countless Soul Masters came from all directions, carrying their life savings and hoping to exchange them for a Soul Spirit they had set their hearts on.
The first-floor reception hall was packed with people.
A long line snaked in front of the windows for white ten-year Soul Spirits, mostly made up of low-ranking Soul Masters dressed in plain clothes.
The exclusive passages for purple thousand-year Soul Spirits and even black ten-thousand-year Soul Spirits, by contrast, were much quieter.
They were thresholds ordinary people couldn't hope to cross in a lifetime.
The elevator climbed steadily.
Xie Xie stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the city below grow smaller and the clouds sweep past outside. His legs were starting to go weak.
"S-so high."
He was a native of Eastsea City and had known about the Spirit Pagoda since childhood.
But he had never been to a floor this high.
He was now in the top-level section, where ordinary people couldn't even get an appointment.
The carpet beneath his feet was so soft that his shoes sank into it.
A faint fragrance drifted through the air.
The antique Soul Tools displayed along both sides of the corridor were each worth a fortune.
"Hmph."
A cold snort came from behind him.
Gu Yue folded her arms, raised her chin, and glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
"Country bumpkin. Hick."
Xie Xie: "..."
He was angry, but didn't dare say anything.
The three of them entered the VIP lounge on the top floor.
The hall was jaw-droppingly spacious, with ceilings ten meters high.
Projections of all kinds of rare Soul Spirits adorned the four walls.
From white ten-year Soul Spirits to black ten-thousand-year ones, each was sealed in a crystal vessel, giving off a glow that was either gentle or fierce.
The staff had been waiting for them for some time.
The moment the attendant saw Lin An, they hurried forward respectfully, bowing deeply.
"Young Master Lin An, the Pagoda Master is already waiting for you in the VIP lounge."
"Lead the way."
Lin An nodded, his tone calm.
The VIP lounge was on the seventy-second floor of the Spirit Pagoda, more than four hundred meters above the ground.
One entire wall was made of floor-to-ceiling glass, offering a view of nearly all of Eastsea City.
The harbor, the streets, and the Island Ring Train tracks spread out below like a miniature painting.
Xie Xie walked into the room and glanced out the window. His legs went completely weak.
He grabbed the wall, his face pale.
Leng Yaozhu sat in the seat of honor.
Her reddish-brown hair was pinned into an elegant bun, and she wore a black uniform that accentuated the curves unique to a mature woman.
When she saw Gu Yue enter pressed close to Lin An, her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
She was so exasperated she could hardly believe it.
She'd said so much to Gu Yue last night, and it had all been for nothing.
How had she gone back to acting like such a simp again?
Before you continue