The night breeze drifted gently, and the ripples on the lake slowly settled.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin's figure vanished completely into the night, and the suffocating pressure of a Titled Douluo surrounding them dissipated entirely.
Silence returned to heaven and earth.
Ao Yin let out a soft breath, and only then did his tense body finally relax.
His confrontation with Sword Douluo had appeared calm and effortless, but in truth, every step had been fraught with danger.
The slightest loss of composure or hint of cowardice would have been seen through at once by Sword Douluo.
Fortunately, he had held steady.
Not only that, he had unexpectedly earned Sword Douluo's favor.
Ao Yin subconsciously raised his hand and looked at the wound in his palm, torn open by the Seven Kill Sword's sword qi.
The blood had long since stopped flowing, but the overturned flesh still looked gruesome and glaring.
He shook his head. "My defense is still too weak!"
Then he looked down at Ning Rongrong in his arms, intending to carry her back to the girls' dormitory first.
But just as Ao Yin was about to look away, a pair of clear, lively glazed eyes opened without warning.
Ning Rongrong—was awake.
Their eyes met.
The air instantly grew strangely quiet.
Ao Yin's pupils contracted slightly, and his heart skipped a beat.
"Y-you heard everything?"
As soon as the question left his mouth, he found it somewhat helpless.
Every word of his and Sword Douluo's attempt to pair them together had drifted into Ning Rongrong's ears.
Moonlight fell across Ning Rongrong's fair face. Her cheeks had already been stained with a faint blush, the tips of her ears burning, and her eyes and brows were filled with unconcealable shyness.
She gently pursed her lips, her voice soft and sweet,