Night, dormitory.
Outside the window was complete darkness, and the room was utterly quiet.
Huo Yuhao sat on his bed with his back against the wall, gazing calmly ahead.
He did not begin meditating immediately after washing up, as he usually did.
Ever since returning from the assessment arena that afternoon, he had remained in this nearly deathly state.
None of his usual gentle warmth, tinged with a hint of sunlight, remained.
This left Wang Dong, across from him, feeling rather restless.
Wang Dong hugged her knees and sat on her bed, watching him.
For some reason,
she felt that Huo Yuhao was very strange right now, like a powder keg that could explode at any moment, yet also like a puppet whose soul had been drained away.
After hesitating for a long time, she still could not hold herself back.
"Hey."
Wang Dong called out softly, a trace of concern showing in her pink-blue eyes.
"What exactly happened to you today?"
Huo Yuhao turned his head.
His calm gaze fell upon her face.
"I'm fine."
There was not the slightest fluctuation in his voice.
Hearing such a perfunctory answer, Wang Dong frowned.
"Stop trying to fool this young master."
Wang Dong snorted and curled her lips. "You usually smile like some hopelessly nice guy, but today you've got such a cold face, like someone owes you several million Gold Soul Coins."
She had wanted to say something comforting, but when the words reached her lips, they instead became her habitual, tsundere teasing.
Seeing Wang Dong's awkward yet concerned expression, Huo Yuhao said nothing.
Huo Yuhao said nothing.
He leaned back against the wall again and closed his eyes.
Memories surged forth like a tide.
His thoughts uncontrollably returned to an afternoon when he was five years old.