Kiss of Destiny: Defying Fate

The evening breeze still carried the lingering warmth of their touching lips. Tang Wulin held Gu Yue close, even his fingertips trembling slightly. That kiss that had shattered destiny had almost made him believe he could hold her tightly in his palm like this, never again asking about the past, the wager, or the blade hanging above their heads, ready to fall at any moment.

He had known all along.

A long, long time ago, he had vaguely sensed it—the subtle yet tense bond between Gu Yue and Na'er, the pull hidden in their eyes, born from the same root. Until one accident, when he heard it with his own ears and confirmed it himself—

There was a wager between them.

A wager with him as the stake and their souls as the chips.

If, at Sea God's Fate, he chose Gu Yue first, Gu Yue would win, and Na'er would be devoured and return to the Silver Dragon King's true body.

If he chose Na'er first, Na'er would win, and she would be able to remain by his side as an independent soul.

This matter was like a poisoned needle, piercing his heart day and night.

He did not dare speak of it, ask about it, or face it.

He desperately avoided it, desperately pretended to know nothing, desperately maintained a fragile balance between the two of them.

He had thought that as long as he said nothing, chose no one, and remained impartial, that wager would never come.

Until that night at Sea God's Fate.

He could no longer suppress his feelings. Before everyone, he said those burning words to her: "I like you."

At that moment, he won love—and personally signed Na'er's farewell letter.

"Wulin."

Gu Yue gently pushed him away and took a slight step back. She had not been devoured by her origin, nor had she lost control. Her gaze was still that of the Gu Yue who belonged to him, but the pain in her eyes was sharper than ever.

The hand hanging at her side clenched tightly. Her voice trembled softly, yet was exceptionally clear:

"I won."

Tang Wulin shuddered violently, his blood freezing in an instant.

What was meant to come had come after all.

The words he feared most still slipped lightly from her lips.

"I know."

He spoke, his voice hoarse beyond recognition. Every word seemed to be forcibly squeezed from his throat.

"I... knew a long time ago."

Gu Yue suddenly looked up, her eyes full of shock.

She had never imagined that he had known about the wager all along, that he had known choosing her meant giving up Na'er.

"You knew..." Her throat tightened, her heart seeming to be clenched viciously by a giant hand. "You knew that if you chose me, Na'er would..."

"I know." Tang Wulin closed his eyes, scorching tears rolling down uncontrollably. "I knew everything."

"I knew the terms of the wager, knew your rules, knew that if Gu Yue won, she would devour Na'er..."

"I knew that choosing you meant sending her away."

He understood more clearly than anyone.

Precisely because he understood, he had struggled countless times at Sea God's Fate.

Precisely because he understood, that confession had weighed so heavily that it had nearly crushed him.

But emotion had ultimately defeated reason. He still chose Gu Yue without hesitation.

Not far away, Na'er's figure slowly appeared.

She held no fear and no resentment. She simply stood there quietly, her transparent body giving off a faint, soft glow in the night.

She looked at Tang Wulin, her eyes brimming with tender reluctance and a trace of relief.

"Big Brother," she called softly.

"I lost."

Tang Wulin suddenly opened his eyes. His golden pupils were bloodshot, tears surging wildly and blurring his vision.

He charged forward like a madman, but Gu Yue instinctively stopped him.

"Don't go over." Gu Yue's voice trembled. "The contract has already begun. It can't be stopped."

"Even if it can't be stopped, I'll stop it!" Tang Wulin roared, his voice heart-rending. "That's Na'er! She's my little sister! She's the person I swore to protect for my entire life!"

"I know I chose you. I know I won the wager. But I never wanted to win this way!"

"I don't want you to devour her! I don't want the complete Silver Dragon King! I don't want any power or destiny!"

"I only want both of you to live! To stay by my side!"

Gu Yue watched him collapse, and her heart shattered inch by inch.

How could she want this?

Winning the wager and becoming the complete Silver Dragon King had been her mission for countless years.

But at this moment, she felt that this victory was more painful than being cut to pieces.

"I have no choice." She closed her eyes, two clear tears sliding down. "This was the contract made when we split apart. It is an agreement of the soul, not something I can stop just because I want to."

"I won, so I must accept her existence and let her return to the true body."

"I don't want that!!"

Tang Wulin suddenly dropped to his knees, his knees smashing heavily into the ground as shattered stones flew.

He raised his head and stared fixedly at Gu Yue. Tears poured down as his voice became utterly humble:

"Gu Yue, I'm begging you... don't devour her."

"The wager doesn't count. The contract doesn't count. I chose you, I like you, but I can't trade Na'er's disappearance for that!"

"If you want to become whole, I'll help you. If you want power, I'll give it to you. Whatever you want, I'll give you..."

"I'm only begging you—don't consume Na'er. Don't let her disappear..."

Na'er slowly walked before him, gently crouched down, and reached out her transparent hand to wipe away the tears on his face.

Her fingertips were slightly cool, gentle enough to break one's heart.

"Big Brother, don't cry."

"From the very beginning, I knew this would be the result."

"In your heart, Gu Yue always came first."

She raised her head and looked at Gu Yue, her smile calm and relieved:

"Gu Yue, I will keep our agreement.

From now on, take good care of Big Brother for me. Don't let him be lonely. Don't let him be sad."

As her words fell, Na'er's body began turning into specks of silver starlight, slowly drifting toward Gu Yue.

There was no resistance, no struggle—only the gentleness of calmly keeping her promise. Gu Yue shuddered violently as the power of the contract deep within her soul tugged at her madly.

She had won.

She had won his heart, won a complete body, won the mission of countless years.

But as she looked at Tang Wulin collapsed on his knees, as she looked at Na'er gradually fading, she felt that she had lost completely.

Starlight Entangled around her fingertips. The fusion was about to begin.

Tang Wulin reached out, yet could grasp nothing. He could only let out a desperate, suppressed sob.

At that critical instant, Gu Yue suddenly opened her eyes. The last trace of hesitation in them shattered completely.

What she had wanted was never the Silver Dragon King's completeness, never supreme power, never the mission of destiny that had spanned countless years.

What she had wanted had always been him.

The young man who would cry for her, hurt for her, and break down for her.

The person she would risk everything to protect from harm. If this completeness had to come at the price of crushing his heart—

Then she would rather remain incomplete forever.

The Soul Contract roared, ancient will shrieked, and the power of her origin lashed back madly. Yet Gu Yue merely gritted her teeth and, at the cost of her own divine soul, forcibly severed the fusion power pulling Na'er's soul toward her!

"Urgh—"

A groan suppressed to the limit burst from her throat. Her face instantly turned pale as paper, her entire body shaking violently as a streak of bright red blood slowly seeped from the corner of her lips.

That was the agonizing pain of defying the Soul Contract, the price of tearing apart and reforming her divine soul. Yet she stood straight, not retreating even half a step.

The silver starlight that had been about to fade suddenly paused, then flowed back like a receding tide, gathering once more into Na'er's figure.

The girl stared blankly at her, tears instantly filling her eyes.

"Gu Yue... you..."

Tang Wulin froze in place, as though struck by lightning, even forgetting to breathe.

He looked at that swaying yet still stubborn figure, at the glaring blood on her lips, and his heart exploded madly in his chest.

She had stopped it.

For him, she had truly defied fate, nullified the wager, and borne all the backlash.

"I won't devour her."

Gu Yue swayed, her voice soft yet resolute. Every word struck his heart. "The wager—I void it."

"I won't become the complete Silver Dragon King."

She raised her eyes to him, tenderness and affection filling them:

"I only want to be your Gu Yue."

"As long as you aren't sad, don't hate me, and don't leave me...

Even if I remain incomplete forever, even if my divine soul suffers the backlash forever... I accept it."

Before she could finish speaking, she could no longer hold on and collapsed softly.

"Gu Yue—!!"

Tang Wulin rushed forward like a madman and pulled her tightly into his arms. Scorching tears surged forth. This time, they were no longer tears of despair, but of heart-wrenching anguish and the wild joy of having regained what he had lost.

"Fool... you big fool..."

"Why are you so foolish..."

Gu Yue leaned against his chest and weakly raised a hand to wipe away his tears. Her voice was as soft as the wind:

"Because... I couldn't bear to see you cry."

"And I couldn't bear... to let you lose her."

Not far away, Na'er was already weeping. She gently stepped forward and grasped Tang Wulin's sleeve.

There was no victory or defeat, no devouring, no fading away.

This wager named destiny had ultimately lost to love.

The night was gentle, and the waters of Sea God Lake rippled softly.

Fate had once seemed impossible to defy. From now on, they would insist on—defying heaven itself.