Surviving the Catastrophe, a Kiss Beneath the Corridor Seals Their Love

Less than three days had passed since Shrek Academy's great catastrophe.

The smoke had cleared, no ruins remained, the three Rank 12 fixed soul cannon shells had been completely dismantled, and every infiltrating evil soul master had been eliminated. The Eternal Tree's greenery once more enveloped the entire academy. Yet everyone who had personally experienced that crisis still carried lingering terror deep in their hearts.

They had come so close to Shrek being reduced to a sea of flames.

They had come so close to being separated forever from those by their side.

That was why the warmth held in their palms at this moment felt so incomparably precious.

The corridor behind the Sea God Pavilion was quiet and deserted. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves, scattering mottled shadows across the ground. A breeze drifted past, carrying the fresh fragrance of grass, trees, and life. Tang Wulin and Gu Yue walked side by side, both now fully grown, tall and poised, their temperaments blending naturally together. Their fingers were interlocked, and even their breathing seemed perfectly in sync.

They had just bid farewell to the Seven Monsters and Na'er in the plaza. At last, only the two of them remained.

Tang Wulin suddenly stopped.

He turned his head and looked deeply at the girl beside him.

His golden eyes churned with relief at surviving the disaster, the cherished devotion of two lifetimes, and the lingering fear of having nearly faced a separation of life and death. Whenever he closed his eyes, he recalled the suffocating pressure of dismantling the bombs, the terror that the shells could detonate at any moment, and the despair of losing the person before him forever should he fail.

Shrek had been saved.

But he had nearly lost her forever.

Those emotions had been piling up in his heart, heavy and burning, until he could no longer suppress them.

Gu Yue froze slightly beneath his gaze. Her silver-gray eyes flickered, and the normally cool, detached expression on her face inexplicably became a little flustered. She lowered her eyes slightly, her long lashes trembling as her voice drifted out as softly as the wind.

"What's wrong? Why did you suddenly stop..."

Before her words had fully faded—

Tang Wulin suddenly raised a hand and gently grasped her wrist, his grip tender yet carrying an unyielding firmness.

In an instant, Gu Yue was lightly pulled toward him, her back softly yet inescapably pressed against a cool wooden pillar beneath the corridor.

Thump—

It was a faint sound, yet it seemed to strike directly against both their hearts.

Tang Wulin stepped forward and firmly enclosed her between himself and the pillar.

The broad shoulders and back of a grown man shut out all the light from the outside world. His uniquely warm, steady scent instantly enveloped her. One hand braced beside her ear, the muscles of his arm taut as his golden eyes lowered and locked onto her. His gaze was so scorching that she had nowhere to hide.

The distance between them abruptly closed, close enough for their breaths to mingle, close enough for him to see the fine down on her skin.

Gu Yue's body instantly stiffened.

Her silver-gray eyes flew wide open, then lowered in helpless panic the next moment, unable to meet his gaze.

A faint blush rapidly spread across her cool, beautiful face, from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. Even her slender neck was tinged with a soft pink.

She instinctively clenched the hem of her clothes, her fingertips trembling slightly as her long lashes fluttered in quick agitation. The Silver Dragon King, who usually commanded the elements and overawed all living beings, now resembled a helpless little rabbit caught in an enclosure.

"Wu, Wulin..."

When she spoke, her voice carried a faint, almost imperceptible tremor. Her usual composure and indifference had vanished without a trace, leaving only a young girl's shy softness. "This... is outside..."

She had never been so flustered.

Nor had she ever been so embarrassingly shy before him.

Tang Wulin watched the tips of her ears turn red, watched her evasive gaze, watched her long lashes tremble nervously, and his heart was instantly filled with tenderness and love. He bent slightly, gently resting his forehead against hers. His breath was faintly warm, and his voice deep and hoarse, trembling with the lingering fear of surviving the disaster and the depth of his devotion.

"I know. But I'm afraid that if I wait any longer, I'll go crazy."

"Gu Yue, when I was dismantling those bombs that day, I was terrified—afraid I wouldn't come back, afraid I would never be able to look at you like this again, afraid I would never be able to touch you again."

His voice was soft, yet its sincerity made her heart ache.

Gu Yue's breath caught sharply.

She raised her eyes and once again collided with his golden gaze. It was filled with lingering fear, deep affection, and the wild, desperate cherishing of something nearly lost and regained.

Her heart instantly melted into water.

Amid her shyness, another layer of heartache and bitterness emerged.

She had been afraid too.

Afraid something would happen to him in the underground pipes.

Afraid the shells would explode and heaven and earth would collapse.

Afraid that after waiting for tens of thousands of years, it would all still amount to nothing.

All the panic, shyness, fear, and relief intertwined, making her whole body go slightly weak. She could only lean against the pillar behind her to barely remain standing.

"I..." She wanted to speak, only to discover that her voice was so soft it was nearly inaudible. Her cheeks burned fiercely, and even her breathing became cautious.

Tang Wulin could no longer restrain himself.

He lowered his head, and his kiss fell heavily upon her.

It was not a gentle touch, nor a tentative peck.

It was the loss of control after surviving disaster, the rightful, profound love after Sea God's Fate, and the mad cherishing of something nearly lost and regained.

The instant their lips met, warmth and softness exploded between them, pouring out every unspoken fear, longing, concern, and deep affection.

Gu Yue shuddered violently.

Her silver-gray eyes closed completely, her long lashes trembling softly against her lids. She was shy to the utmost, yet she did not evade him in the slightest. She instinctively rose slightly onto her toes and lightly gripped the front of his clothes. Her fingertips turned white from the force, as she passively yet completely surrendered to his kiss.

Her ears were so red they seemed ready to bleed, and her heart pounded wildly in her chest, nearly bursting free.

The cool and proud Silver Dragon King, in his embrace, was so shy that even her breathing became soft.

The wind stopped.

The leaves fell still.

The world held only their heartbeats and tenderness.

The kiss lingered until both of them were breathing faintly hard before Tang Wulin slowly released her.

Their foreheads remained pressed together.

Gu Yue's cheeks were bright red, her eyes shimmering with moisture, her lips faintly flushed. Her entire body was soft between the pillar and his embrace. With her head lowered deeply, she was too shy to look up at him, and her voice was as quiet as a mosquito's hum.

"You... you suddenly..."

Tang Wulin laughed softly, his voice warm and gentle. He reached out and lightly drew her into his arms, resting his chin atop her hair as he felt her shy, burning warmth.

"Sorry, I couldn't hold back."

"But I missed you too much. I was too afraid of losing you."

Gu Yue quietly leaned against his chest, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat. Her shyness gradually faded, leaving only tenderness and peace in her heart. She gently raised her arms around his waist and buried her face against his chest, her voice soft yet incomparably resolute.

"I won't leave you."

"Never."

The corridor was quiet, and the sunlight was gentle.

Shrek was safe, and the lovers held each other close.

That kiss after surviving the catastrophe, shy and burning hot, became the most moving mark of their love across two lifetimes.