The "Accident" in the Assessment

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the assessment hall, casting slanted patches of light across the polished floor. A taut silence hung in the air. Gu Yue's fingertips felt faintly cold. This should have been her moment to shine—an assessment of the precision of her spiritual power and elemental control, a field she had immersed herself in for years and taken absolute pride in.

But now, the familiar elemental fluctuations that usually obeyed her every command seemed tightly gripped by an invisible hand, struggling and crashing through her meridians. A searing pain surged up from deep in her stomach with every heartbeat, violently battering the limits of her endurance. The spicy hotpot she had indulged in at lunch to vent her frustration over failing had now turned into countless red-hot steel needles stabbing densely into her abdomen. Cold sweat beaded at her temples. Gu Yue bit down hard on her lower lip, nearly tasting the rusty tang of blood, before she barely managed to maintain a calm exterior.

"Begin the assessment, Gu Yue." The chief examiner's voice was utterly flat.

She took a deep breath and tried to focus. With the slightest movement of her mind, the finest wisp of wind element should have separated like threads of silk, tracing intricate circuits across the testing panel. Yet the moment that faint elemental stream left her body, it flickered like a dying candle in the wind before abruptly collapsing. Then an even more violent cramp exploded from the center of her abdomen, as if a hand were viciously wringing her intestines.

"Ugh..." A muffled groan slipped from between her clenched teeth. Gu Yue suddenly hunched over, her fingers spasmodically clutching her stomach as her knuckles instantly turned white. The light of the testing crystal flashed wildly before finally freezing on a glaring red "F."

"Assessment terminated. Gu Yue, unqualified." The cold verdict fell like the final straw, crushing the will she had been desperately holding together.

An overwhelming sense of grievance crashed over her. Her eyes instantly stung and swelled, and hot tears nearly spilled free. She kept her head lowered, her long hair falling to conceal her face, which had gone pale in an instant. All she wanted was to vanish from this suffocating place of judgment.

Just as the humiliation was about to crush her, a warm, broad embrace steadily caught her from behind. Tang Wulin smelled of sunlight and faint sweat. He asked nothing, only swiftly and gently drew her into his arms. One hand wrapped around her shoulders and back, while the other patted her back again and again, steady and unhurried, as though soothing a frightened little animal.

"It's okay, Gu Yue. Look at me." His voice was low, carrying an unquestionable warmth that pierced through the surrounding noise and the buzzing in Gu Yue's head. "It's only an assessment. What does failing once matter? At worst, we'll retake it! I'll practice with you. I'll make sure you pass!" His strong arms supported her wavering body, his solid presence becoming the only anchor in the chaos. At last, Gu Yue's taut nerves snapped. Pressing her forehead against his warm chest, the sobs she had held back for so long silently soaked into his shirt.

Night fell, and the lingering fragrance of dinner filled the house. Gu Yue curled up on the soft sofa in the living room. At dinnertime, the dining table had somehow become an insurmountable barrier to her. The greasy smell of food, mixed with the turmoil still churning in her stomach, made her dread even looking at it.

Tang Wulin returned carrying a small bowl of soft, thick white porridge, wisps of steam still rising from the rim. He crouched beside the sofa until his gaze was level with hers. "Eat a little, okay? It'll feel worse if your stomach is empty." There was not the slightest pressure in his tone, only pure concern.

Gu Yue said nothing, merely lifting her eyes slightly. Damp traces still clung to her long lashes. Tang Wulin scooped up a spoonful of porridge, carefully blew it cool, then cautiously brought it to her lips. The warm scent of rice lingered beneath her nose. Gu Yue obediently opened her mouth and took it in. The thin warmth slid down her throat, temporarily smoothing out a trace of the spasmodic pain. With Tang Wulin holding the spoon, she swallowed mechanically, every bite feeling like the completion of a difficult task.

From the direction of the dining table came exaggerated chewing and the crisp clatter of bowls and dishes. Holding his bowl, Xie Xie was wolfing down food while deliberately raising his voice at Xu Xiaoyan. "Tsk, the braised pork you made today is incredible! Rich but not greasy, and it melts in your mouth! And these salt-and-pepper shrimp—crispy outside, tender inside. They smell amazing! Ah, I'm stuffed, I'm stuffed, but it was worth it!" Every sentence was accompanied by a loud burp. Xu Xiaoyan wore a helpless expression, while Xie Xie's look of utter satisfaction as he feasted was practically a silent mockery of the person on the sofa, who could neither eat properly nor bear the sight of food.

Gu Yue's hand tightened, and her knuckles turned white again. The discomfort in her stomach grew sharper under the deliberate provocation, while Xie Xie's face, practically emblazoned with the word "happiness," only added fuel to the fire. Grievance and unwillingness coiled around her like poisonous vines. She abruptly turned her head away, refusing to look in that direction or meet Tang Wulin's worried gaze.

"I... I don't want to eat anymore." Her voice was as soft as a sigh, heavy with a nasal tremor. Her body went limp. No longer resisting, she allowed herself to sink completely into the warm, dependable chest behind her. Like a young animal seeking shelter, she closed her eyes. Exhaustion and pain quickly dragged her consciousness into a murky darkness. Only Tang Wulin's steady hand supporting her arm and his low, continuous murmurs of comfort remained.

Tang Wulin shifted slightly so she could lean against him more comfortably, one hand still guarding above her stomach, gentle warmth passing from his palm. He looked up toward the dining table and met Xie Xie's teasing expression that said, "I know nothing." Tang Wulin helplessly shook his head, so faintly it was almost imperceptible. Then he lowered his head, gently resting his chin atop Gu Yue's hair, silently guarding this brief moment of peace.