A Startling Ripple on the Lake of the Heart

The stone steps of the Xie residence stretched beneath her feet like a passage leading into the mortal world. Yun Zhiyu walked ahead, her ink-black hair swaying softly in the damp air. Her moon-white jacket was dusted with the fine debris of the library, glowing gently in the morning light.

Xie Xie followed half a step behind her. His brown-gold hair had become completely gray and dusty, making him look like a puppy that had just crawled out of a coal pile, yet his dark green eyes still burned with lingering excitement.

Xie Xuan waited in the manor's main hall. He had changed into a dark blue robe, and the pressure he had exuded upon their first meeting had diminished considerably, though the solemnity between his brows remained. When the two emerged, his gaze paused briefly on Xie Xie's face before falling upon Yun Zhiyu's calm profile, carrying an indescribable mixture of scrutiny and expectation.

Yun Zhiyu stopped three steps before him. "Patriarch Xie!" Her voice stirred a faint echo through the spacious hall.

"After the finals, you will see whether your choice regarding Xie Xie was correct."

There was no explanation, no preamble, no false courtesies. There was only that firm, concise statement, like a sword drawn from its sheath and driven straight into Xie Xuan's mind.

Xie Xuan's pupils contracted slightly. He opened his mouth, as though he wanted to ask something, to confirm something, but under Yun Zhiyu's deep brown gaze, he swallowed every word.

Those eyes were too calm, calm like a bottomless lake. At its depths lay a reassuring certainty, along with an awe-inspiring dominance that permitted no doubt.

"I believe in you, Miss," he finally said, his voice low as though making an oath. "The Xie Family will await your news."

Yun Zhiyu nodded slightly and turned to leave. Xie Xie paused where he stood, then looked back at his father. A complicated emotion flashed through his dark green eyes—guilt, anticipation, and the relief of finally being understood. He opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. He ran after Yun Zhiyu and out of the main hall.

East Sea City was at its liveliest around noon.

Yun Zhiyu and Xie Xie crossed the mountain road where the Xie residence stood, descended the winding stone steps, and rejoined the city's clamor. Shops lined both sides of the streets. The horns of soul-guided cars mingled with vendors' cries into a noisy symphony, while the air carried the scent of fried food and some unknown flower.

"Class Monitor," Xie Xie leaned closer, his dusty head particularly conspicuous amid the crowd, "should we buy something to bring back? With Gu Yue's temper, if you return empty-handed..."

He did not finish, but Yun Zhiyu understood.

Her gaze swept over the shops on either side of the street before settling on an old pastry shop.

The place was famous for its handmade chestnut cakes. The amber-colored pastries were decorated with candied osmanthus blossoms, gleaming warmly beneath the display lights. She recalled Gu Yue's focused expression when peeling chestnuts, and the occasional almost doting gentleness that flashed through those black eyes, deep as ancient pools.

"This one." She pointed to the chestnut cakes. "Pack two portions."

Then she turned to the sugar-roasted chestnut stall next door. "And three pounds of these."

Xie Xie watched from the side, surprise flickering through his dark green eyes. The Yun Zhiyu he knew had always been aloof and distant, like a lonely moon hanging high in the heavens. Yet now, she was picking out snacks in the marketplace to please someone. The contrast made him grin.

"Class Monitor," he edged closer, teasing in his voice, "you're really..."

"Really what?" Yun Zhiyu turned her head. Behind her deep brown contacts, her violet vertical pupils narrowed slightly, carrying a trace of danger.

"Really considerate!" Xie Xie immediately changed his words, shaking his brown-gold head like a rattle drum. "I mean, Nianbing likes sweets too. There's a sugar painting stall over there..."

"I know."

Yun Zhiyu had already turned toward the sugar painting stall. She remembered where it was, remembered the gray-haired old man, remembered Wu Nianbing's smile as she narrowed her eyes while biting into a sugar dragon.

That smile reminded her of her younger sister in distant Shrek City. It reminded her of Yun Zhishu occasionally looking out the window while reading beneath the Tree of Life. To her, the people of Zero Class had never been merely classmates.

The sword-obsessed Ye Xinglan, the honest Li Zhi, the quiet Yuan En, Yun Zhishu's gentle brows and eyes—those faces had woven themselves into a warm net in the depths of her memories. And now, Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, Wei Xiaofeng, Wu Nianbing, Gu Yue, and Tang Wulin, who stood by her side, were quietly being drawn into that net as well. They were friends, close friends, and even more so, a group of younger brothers and sisters.

She thought of her experiences across two lives. She thought of the lonely soul who had died in a car accident in her previous life, and the warmth of being embraced by Yun Ming and Yali in this one. More than anyone, she understood the taste of loneliness. More than anyone, she cherished these lively, noisy bonds that made her feel alive.

Sugar paintings, chestnut cakes, sugar-roasted chestnuts, dragon's beard candy, candied plums—the snacks piled into a small mountain in her hands before Xie Xie stored them away in his soul-guided storage device. The two passed through the bustling crowd and headed toward East Sea Academy.

The academy gates were especially quiet in the afternoon. Fallen leaves along the tree-lined path were swept up by the autumn wind, spinning through the air before drifting softly down. Yun Zhiyu's steps paused slightly as she rounded the last corner—

Gu Yue stood beneath a plane tree just inside the gates. She wore the academy's standard uniform, her ordinary black hair and black eyes glowing softly beneath the autumn sun. Her hair was not dyed black like Yun Zhiyu's, but naturally dark with a trace of brown, like ancient wood steeped in time. Her black eyes were like bottomless ancient pools, but now a thin layer of ice covered them as she coldly watched the two figures emerge from the corner.

Her expression was dark—not in the literal sense of her complexion, but with a chilling gloom that seemed to rise from her very bones. Wind elements silently swirled around her, rolling the fallen leaves on the ground into a small vortex before viciously shredding them apart. Water elements condensed into tiny ice crystals in the air, glinting dangerously beneath the sunlight.

Xie Xie's pupils shrank abruptly. He recalled what had happened outside the dormitory last time, the shudder of being watched by death, and the nearly tangible killing intent Gu Yue had carried when she stepped out from behind the tree. His agility attack system instincts were pushed to their limit in that instant. His brown-gold hair nearly stood on end as his entire body turned into a green blur—

"Class Monitor, good luck! I'm going to find Wulin and the others to share the snacks—"

His voice still lingered in the wind, but he had already vanished at the end of the tree-lined path, leaving behind only a few crushed leaves and the soul-guided storage device in Yun Zhiyu's hand, suddenly much lighter.

"..." Yun Zhiyu stared in the direction Xie Xie had vanished, the corner of her mouth twitching involuntarily.

She slowly turned around and met Gu Yue's gaze. The chill in those black eyes was like a tangible blade, ready to dissect her inside and out. Instinctively, she raised the bag of snacks in her hand, as if it were a gesture of goodwill—or some instinctive defense.

"I brought these for you." Her voice was softer than usual, carrying a cautious, almost ingratiating note she had not even noticed herself. "Chestnut cakes, and sugar-roasted chestnuts."

Gu Yue's gaze lingered on her face for a long time. It seemed as though she wanted to pierce through the deep brown contacts and stare directly into those violet-gold vertical pupils. Under that scrutiny, Yun Zhiyu felt her cheeks grow slightly hot. The raised bag hung awkwardly in midair, like an embarrassing offering.

Then, a crack appeared in the ice within Gu Yue's eyes.

The crack was tiny, like the first ripple quietly blooming over a frozen lake in spring, yet it spread at a visible pace. Gu Yue tilted her head slightly. The coldness in her black eyes faded somewhat, replaced by an indescribable, almost helpless indulgence.

"...Put them down." The two words were so flat that no emotion could be heard in them, yet Yun Zhiyu felt as though she had been granted a pardon. She hurriedly stuffed the bag into Gu Yue's hands. Their fingertips brushed during the exchange, bringing a hint of coolness, a hint of softness, and an electric numbness that made her heart race.

The two walked into the academy side by side. Fallen leaves crunched softly beneath their feet, like ancient whispers. Gu Yue walked beside Yun Zhiyu, her black hair and black eyes glowing softly in the autumn sunlight, forming a strange contrast with Yun Zhiyu's dyed ink-black hair—one was naturally profound, the other purely disguised, yet beneath the afternoon light, they blended into a harmonious scene.

"Where are we going?" Yun Zhiyu asked lightly, as if asking about the weather. Gu Yue did not answer, only quickening her pace slightly. Her steps were neither hurried nor slow, but carried an unquestionable certainty, like a cat familiar with its territory as she headed straight toward the single dormitory area.

Yun Zhiyu's single dormitory room was at the end of the corridor. It was not large, but everything was neatly arranged. A potted devil's ivy sat on the desk by the window, its leaves gleaming warmly in the autumn sun. The bed was tidy, the quilt folded into a square block—a habit ingrained in her bones from her previous life.

A piece of calligraphy hung on the wall, personally written by Yun Ming: "Tranquility Leads to Great Distances." Its brushwork was vigorous, carrying a carefree spirit that transcended the mundane world.

Gu Yue stepped into the room first. Her movements were natural, so natural that it was as if she had repeated them countless times. Her black eyes swept across the room before finally settling on the potted devil's ivy, and an almost imperceptible softness flashed through her gaze.

She turned around and sat on the edge of Yun Zhiyu's bed, her hands folded over her knees, her posture upright as though she were conducting some sort of ritual.

"You..." Yun Zhiyu had just begun to speak.

"I'll stay with you for the rest of today."

Gu Yue interrupted her, her voice calm yet unquestionable. It was not a request or a discussion, but an announcement bordering on a declaration. Her black eyes looked directly at Yun Zhiyu, complex emotions churning within them—indulgence, tenderness, and a heart-stirring, almost obsessive focus.

Yun Zhiyu's forehead throbbed. She opened her mouth, wanting to refuse, wanting to explain, wanting to say that she still had an appointment at the forging room, soul power meditation, and Purple Demon Eyes cultivation to do—but under Gu Yue's gaze, all her words became a silent sigh. She tacitly agreed. Like a cat that had been gently soothed into obedience, she closed the door and sat in the desk chair beside Gu Yue.

A strange stillness filled the room. Autumn sunlight poured through the window, casting mottled shadows across the floor. The devil's ivy leaves swayed gently in the breeze, producing a faint rustling sound. Gu Yue sat on the bed, her black hair and black eyes glowing softly in the shifting light, like a statue steeped in time, so quiet she seemed almost transparent.

Yun Zhiyu sat at the desk, unconsciously rubbing the Star Ring with her fingertips.

She thought of Xie Xie's martial soul evolution. The awakening of the Space-Time Dragon required dragon blood as a catalyst to activate the dormant power of space and time deep within his bloodline.

Within the system space, she possessed mountains of dragon essence blood—Torch Dragon Golden Blood, Winged Dragon Heartblood, and even blood from higher existences—but those bloodlines were too domineering, too pure. Xie Xie's current body could not withstand them at all. What he needed was ordinary dragon blood, diluted and gentle dragon blood that a human body could gradually absorb.

Her gaze drifted unconsciously toward Gu Yue. The main consciousness of the Silver Dragon King, a fragment of the Soul Beast Sovereign—countless dragons served beneath her. Given her status, obtaining some ordinary dragon blood would be effortless.

Yun Zhiyu knew that. She even understood Gu Yue's foundation better than Gu Yue herself did. But why did she want to ask her?

Yun Zhiyu could not explain it herself. The dragon blood in the system space was sufficient. She did not need anyone's help. Yet as she looked at Gu Yue's quiet profile, at the almost gentle glimmer that occasionally flashed in those black eyes, an indescribable impulse spread through her heart—

Did she want to show that she needed her?

Did she want to reveal weakness before her, to please her, to forge an even closer connection?

Or was it...

Yun Zhiyu did not dare think any further.

She cautiously glanced at Gu Yue. Gu Yue was lowering her head and fiddling with the bag of chestnut cakes, her black eyes focused as if she were conducting a precise soul-guided experiment. Sunlight fell across her from the side, gilding her lashes with a faint golden edge. She looked like some fragile, precious porcelain.

"Um..." Yun Zhiyu spoke, her voice softer and hoarser than she had expected. "Xie Xie's martial soul evolution... may need dragon blood as support."

Gu Yue's movements paused almost imperceptibly.

"Ordinary dragon blood will do!" Yun Zhiyu's voice grew quieter and quieter, like a snail retreating into its shell.

"It doesn't have to be good stuff. Ordinary blood is enough..."

The last note of her voice vanished into the air like a snowflake falling upon a lake, stirring no ripples.

Silence. Long, suffocating silence.

Yun Zhiyu felt her heart pounding violently in her chest, like a trapped beast frantically battering its cage. She lowered her head and stared at her fingertips, not daring to look at Gu Yue's expression.

She was afraid of seeing disappointment in those black eyes, seeing indifference, seeing the heartbreaking distance of, How did you know I had it?

Just when she thought Gu Yue would not speak—

"Okay." The single word was as light as a feather falling onto water, yet it carried a heart-stirring tenderness.

Gu Yue raised her head and looked directly at Yun Zhiyu. Complex emotions churned in her black eyes—indulgence, affection, and an almost humble devotion that seemed to say, As long as you ask, I'll give you anything. The corner of her lips lifted in an almost imperceptible curve. That smile was exceptionally soft beneath the autumn sunlight, like a plum blossom suddenly blooming in winter.

"What do you want?" she said, her voice so soft it was nearly a whisper. "I'll give you all of it."

Those words were like thunder, exploding through Yun Zhiyu's mind.

She abruptly raised her head and met Gu Yue's gaze. The emotion in those black eyes was too intense, so intense that she could not breathe, think, or escape.

That was not the loyalty between friends, nor the mutual aid between companions. It was something deeper, more dangerous, more heart-stirring—Yun Zhiyu was afraid.

The fear came without warning, yet surged like a tsunami. She feared she did not deserve this exception. She feared she would hurt the person before her. She feared her arrival would change the original ending. She feared that distant, still-unarrived future—Shrek's destruction, the Tang Sect headquarters being ruined, the Federation hawks taking power, the Abyssal War—she feared she would ultimately be powerless to change any of it, feared that Gu Yue would become another sacrifice in that catastrophe.

What frightened her even more was the realization that she was sinking into it—sinking into this indulgence, this tenderness, this almost obsessive affection that said, As long as you ask, I'll give you anything.

Across two lives, aside from her family at Shrek Academy, no one had ever treated her this way. The feeling of being treasured, needed, and held at the tip of someone's heart was like a fatal poison, leaving her to struggle again and again between clarity and surrender.

"No need," she heard herself say, her voice sharp as though scraped by sandpaper. "I have it. Thank you!"

She nearly shouted the words, then fled.

Like a young beast driven into a corner by a hunter, she suddenly rose to her feet. The chair scraped harshly across the floor. She did not dare look at Gu Yue's expression, did not dare face the confusion and pain that might appear in those black eyes after being hurt.

She practically rushed out of the dormitory without looking back. Her ink-black hair drew a frantic arc through the air, while her moon-white jacket flashed beneath the corridor lights before disappearing around the stairwell corner.

Gu Yue was left alone. She sat on Yun Zhiyu's bed, her black hair and black eyes glowing softly in the autumn sun. The chestnut cake in her hand still retained Yun Zhiyu's warmth. Candied osmanthus blossoms dotted the amber pastry, shining warmly in the light and shadow.

She did not chase after her. She only sat quietly, like a statue forgotten by time.

Wind elements silently circulated around her, gathering Yun Zhiyu's lingering scent into her palm before slowly dispersing it. Water elements condensed into tiny ice crystals in her eyes, only to be forcibly pressed down by an even stronger power. They became a soundless, transparent tear that slid down her cheek and fell onto the chestnut cake's paper bag, spreading into a small dark stain.

"...Idiot."

She spoke softly, almost to herself, carrying a helplessness bordering on affection and an unspeakable pain that had sunk into her bones.

Outside the window, the autumn sunlight remained bright, and the devil's ivy leaves swayed gently in the breeze. Yet inside the room, something deeper quietly shattered amid the faint ripple of dragon blood and the startling disturbance upon the lake of the heart, then quietly reformed again—like a seed buried in frozen earth, waiting for the delayed awakening of some distant spring.