Gu Yue's Jealousy, the Silver Dragon King's Tit-for-Tat Confrontation

The sea breeze suddenly turned biting, carrying a trace of icy chill as it swept across the lake. Before Tang Wulin could release Na'er's arm, he keenly sensed a familiar yet intensely oppressive surge of soul power coming from behind him. Uncontainable fury roiled within it like a long-dormant volcano on the verge of eruption.

He instinctively turned around and saw Gu Yue standing beneath a willow tree not far away. Her fitted purple combat outfit outlined her slender yet upright figure, while the wind tossed her dark hair. A layer of frost covered her brows and eyes. Her gaze was fixed on Tang Wulin and Na'er embracing, and those eyes, once clear as glass, now seemed tempered in ice—so sharp they nearly cut through the air. The elemental power swirling around her stirred restlessly, causing the temperature around them to plummet.

Tang Wulin's heart tightened. He instinctively released Na'er and wanted to step forward to explain, but Gu Yue's icy gaze stopped him. "Tang Wulin," she said, her voice trembling faintly though it remained as cool as ever. The jealousy and anger in her tone could no longer be concealed. "After returning from Thousand-Day Dragon Burial, the first thing you did was reunite affectionately with an old acquaintance? It seems the thousand days of tempering at Burial Dragon Cliff failed to wear away the tenderness in your bones."

Na'er lifted her head from Tang Wulin's embrace. The tears on her face had not yet fully dried, but the vulnerability from before had already vanished, replaced by determination. She gently caught the edge of Tang Wulin's clothes and stepped forward to stand beside him. Meeting Gu Yue's gaze calmly, without the slightest retreat, she said, "Sister Gu Yue, Brother Wulin has only just returned and has had a hard journey. I was simply welcoming him home. There is no need for us to hide the bond between us."

"No need to hide?" Gu Yue gave a cold laugh and slowly stepped forward. With every step, the bluestone beneath her feet seemed to frost over. "Na'er, don't forget that he is Tang Wulin, a companion who has faced life and death alongside me. You're merely relying on having known him in childhood to seize every advantage here. Do you think that's fair?"

"Fair?" Na'er's gaze narrowed slightly. Her tone remained calm, yet it carried an edge. "Feelings have nothing to do with fairness. They only concern the heart. I waited for Brother Wulin for three years, hoping for his return here every day. My feelings are no less than anyone else's. Sister Gu Yue, you may have faced life and death with him, but you have never truly answered his feelings, have you?"

"Whether I answer him or not is none of your business!" Gu Yue's aura suddenly sharpened as the elemental power around her began to churn. A purple radiance flowed over her fingertips. "Tang Wulin, tell me. Over these thousand days, who was truly in your heart? Was it Na'er, who only knew how to wait behind you, or me, who fought beside you and shared life and death with you?"

Caught between the two of them, Tang Wulin felt as though his head were splitting. He looked at the anger and hurt in Gu Yue's eyes, then at the determination and grievance in Na'er's. His heart was a tangled mess. Gu Yue's words were like a blade piercing the softest part of his heart. During the days of Thousand-Day Dragon Burial, he had indeed often thought of fighting alongside Gu Yue, of her strength and decisiveness. Yet he could not deny that Na'er's waiting and concern had been an important force that carried him through those difficult years.

"Gu Yue, Na'er, don't be like this." Tang Wulin tried to ease the tension, his voice helpless. "I've only just come back. There are many things I want to tell you both. Let's calm down first, okay?"

"Calm down?" Gu Yue raised a brow, her eyes still sharp. "Tang Wulin, you have to make yourself clear today! Who does your heart truly favor?"

Na'er looked at Tang Wulin as well, anticipation and unease in her eyes. "Brother, I know this is difficult for you, but I only want to know one thing. In these past three years, was there ever a moment when you thought of me?"

Looking into the two pairs of utterly different yet equally burning eyes, Tang Wulin felt as if his heart were clenched tightly by two hands, making it hard to breathe from the pain. He took a deep breath, his gaze passing over their faces in turn. His voice was exceptionally solemn. "Gu Yue, you are my most important companion. The life-and-death experiences we shared are the most precious memories of my life. Na'er, you are the sister I hold closest to my heart. I have always remembered your waiting and your concern. Over these thousand days, my heart held both the passion of fighting alongside Gu Yue and my longing and concern for Na'er. I cannot choose between you, because each of you holds an irreplaceable place in my heart."

The moment he finished speaking, Gu Yue's expression darkened and the cold around her intensified. "Irreplaceable? Tang Wulin, feelings have never been a multiple-choice question. An answer like that is nothing but avoidance!"

A flash of disappointment crossed Na'er's eyes as well, but she soon regained her composure. Gently taking Tang Wulin's hand, she spoke firmly. "Brother, I won't force you, but I won't give up either. I will keep waiting for you until you truly understand your own heart."

Gu Yue stared at their clasped hands, the anger in her eyes nearly igniting. She suddenly raised her hand, and a purple beam of elemental light instantly gathered at her fingertips. Yet just before it could shoot forth, she forcibly stopped it. Seeing the conflict in Tang Wulin's eyes, the rage in her heart gradually gave way to helplessness. She knew that no matter what, she could not bear to truly hurt him.

"Tang Wulin, I'll give you time to think it through. But I hope you understand that some feelings, once missed, can never return." Gu Yue's voice softened slightly, though it still carried a trace of stubbornness. "I'll be waiting for you in the dormitory. If you figure it out, come find me."

With that, she did not look at either of them again. Turning away, she left, her purple figure quickly vanishing among the willows. Only a lingering icy presence remained, refusing to disperse from the air.

Na'er watched Gu Yue's departing figure and softly sighed. Turning to Tang Wulin, she looked apologetic. "Brother, I'm sorry. Did I make things difficult for you?"

Tang Wulin shook his head and gently rubbed her hair, his voice tired but still tender. "It has nothing to do with you. This is my own problem. I've made you suffer."

The wind over Sea God Lake rose again, carrying a desolate chill, and even the ripples on the lake seemed to dim. Tang Wulin looked in the direction Gu Yue had gone, then at Na'er beside him. His heart was filled with confusion and conflict. He knew this sudden confrontation was only the beginning, and that he had to make a choice soon. Otherwise, he would only hurt more people.

Gu Yue's retreating figure had vanished deep within the willow grove, yet the icy aura she left behind lingered like countless fine needles piercing Tang Wulin's heart. He stared in that direction with knitted brows, his fingers unconsciously tightening as if even the warmth in his palm had dropped. After returning from Thousand-Day Dragon Burial, he had imagined countless reunions, but he had never imagined that two people he cherished so deeply would be driven into opposition like this.

"Brother," Na'er softly called, her voice carrying a cautious hint of probing. She released his hand, her fingers curling slightly. "You should go find Sister Gu Yue. She must be very hurt right now."

Tang Wulin turned to look at her. Na'er had lowered her eyes, and her long lashes cast faint shadows across her eyelids. There was a trace of loneliness on her face, but she still forced out a gentle smile. Her thoughtful manner only deepened the guilt in his heart. Raising a hand, he tucked the loose strands of hair by her cheek behind her ear, his fingertips brushing her cool ear. "Silly girl, I've wronged you. How could I leave you behind to go find her?"

"I haven't been wronged," Na'er said as she looked up, the sadness in her eyes replaced by determination. "I know how Sister Gu Yue feels about you, and I know you two have shared many things from the past that I could never be part of. She was so angry just now because she cares about you too much. Go check on her quickly. Don't let her sit alone and overthink." She paused, then added, "I'll wait for you here. Once you and Sister Gu Yue have talked things through, we'll go eat grilled meat skewers together, okay?"

Tang Wulin looked into her clear eyes, his heart overflowing with mixed emotions. Na'er's tenderness and consideration flowed through his heart like warmth, yet they made his dilemma all the harder. He knew she was right. Gu Yue had to be feeling terrible, and with her fierce temperament, bottling it up alone would only make her suffer more. But he could not bear to leave Na'er just like that. She had waited three years for him. Now that they had finally reunited, he only wanted to stay with her a little longer.

"Na'er," he said in a low voice, a faint hoarseness he could barely conceal, "thank you." He did not know what else to say beyond those three words. Her deep understanding and tolerance only made him feel that he owed her more.

Na'er smiled and shook her head. "There's no need to thank each other between us. Go on, or Sister Gu Yue will really get angry." She gave his arm a gentle push, her tone urging him onward.

Tang Wulin took a deep breath and nodded. "All right. I'll be back soon. Wait here for me. Don't wander off, and be careful." He reminded her again and again, his gaze lingering on her face for a long time before he turned and hurried in the direction Gu Yue had left.

As Tang Wulin watched his hurriedly departing figure, Na'er's smile gradually faded. A complex emotion flashed through her eyes—loss, worry, but more than anything, determination. She walked to the shore of Sea God Lake and bent down to look at her reflection in the water. The girl in the reflection had gentle features, yet there was an unwavering persistence hidden within them. She murmured softly, "Brother Wulin, I won't give up. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you."

The lake water rippled gently, blurring her reflection just as her thoughts were now in turmoil.

Elsewhere, Tang Wulin strode quickly through the tree-lined paths of Shrek Academy, countless thoughts running through his mind. He remembered the days he had fought alongside Gu Yue, her heroic bearing on the battlefield, the vulnerability and dependence she occasionally revealed. He remembered that during Thousand-Day Dragon Burial, whenever he stood on the verge of collapse, aside from Na'er's smile, it was Gu Yue's resolute gaze that would appear in his mind.

He had always believed that what he felt for Gu Yue was the bond of companions and the trust forged through life and death. But until just now, when he saw the anger and hurt in her eyes, he suddenly realized that this bond had long since changed without his noticing, mixed with too many emotions he could neither name nor explain. As for Na'er, the concern and protectiveness rooted in his heart since childhood had, through three years of waiting and longing, settled into a deep affection that he could not let go of.

Love truly was the hardest thing to understand.

Before long, he arrived beneath the student dormitory building. Gu Yue's room was on the west side of the third floor. Looking up, he saw that the window was tightly shut and the curtains drawn closed, revealing nothing within. Yet he could vaguely sense a suppressed elemental power radiating from the room.

Tang Wulin took a deep breath, composed himself, and entered the dormitory building, heading up to the third floor. The hallway was quiet, with only his footsteps echoing through the empty corridor. When he reached Gu Yue's door, he raised his hand, only to stop just before knocking.

What should he say? Should he explain his relationship with Na'er, or tell her how he felt? He did not know. His answer by Sea God Lake had clearly not satisfied her, yet he truly could not make a choice between them.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally knocked gently on the door. "Gu Yue, it's me, Tang Wulin."

There was no response from inside. Only the suppressed elemental power grew stronger, nearly bursting through the door.

Tang Wulin did not give up. He knocked again, his voice carrying a trace of pleading. "Gu Yue, open the door. Let's talk this out properly, okay? What happened just now was my fault. I shouldn't have made you angry."

Still, there was no response.

He leaned against the cold door, his heart full of helplessness and frustration. He knew Gu Yue was still angry, but he had no idea how to calm her down. Thousand-Day Dragon Burial had made him fearless before powerful enemies, but when faced with emotional entanglements, he was as helpless as a child.

"Gu Yue," he said softly, exhaustion in his voice, "I know you don't want to see me right now, and I know you're hurting. But I hope you can understand that you truly are very important to me. Over these thousand days, I often thought of the days we fought together, of how you were injured protecting me, of how you never said anything but always cared for me in silence. I remember all of it. I've never forgotten."

He paused, then continued, "Na'er... she waited for me for three years. I carry a responsibility and concern toward her that I cannot cast aside. I know this is unfair to you, but I really can't make a choice. Gu Yue, give me some time to think it over properly, okay? I don't want to hurt either of you."

The room remained utterly silent, as if no one were inside.

Tang Wulin sighed. He knew that no matter how much he said, he could not move Gu Yue at this moment. He slowly lowered his hand and turned to leave, intending to wait until she had calmed down before speaking again.

But just as he turned, the door creaked and slowly opened.

Gu Yue stood behind it, her dark hair loosely draped over her shoulders, her purple combat outfit slightly disheveled. Her eyes were faintly red, and she had clearly just been crying. Looking at Tang Wulin's back, she asked in a hoarse voice, "Were the things you just said all true?"

Joy rose in Tang Wulin's heart. He immediately turned to face her. "They were. Every word was true."

Gu Yue's gaze locked onto his eyes, as if trying to confirm the sincerity behind his words. After a long while, she finally sighed softly. The anger in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by exhaustion and helplessness. "Tang Wulin, you really are an idiot."

"Then I'm your idiot. During Thousand-Day Dragon Burial, was that white-haired woman really you?" Tang Wulin asked with some resolve.

"What white-haired woman are you talking about?" Gu Yue panicked slightly. "What are you talking about? Nonsense." Her eyes began to dodge his.

But only Tang Wulin knew that she was Gu Yue—the Gu Yue who had deeply loved him in their previous life, also known as Gu Yuena. "Tomorrow is the Sea God's Fate Matchmaking Conference. I'm leaving first." His face reddened as he turned and walked out of the room.

Gu Yue's face instantly turned red. "You jerk, get out!" Yet in her heart, she thought, I'm sorry, Tang Wulin. I have my own mission. I can't stay by your side anymore.

Meanwhile, Tang Wulin thought, Gu Yue, this time, I definitely won't let you leave. I know about your mission.