Zhu Zhuqing Saw Dai Mubai

Little Mo Yu, ahead of her, could not keep up with her suddenly quickened pace. With her little hand being held, she stumbled twice and asked in a clear, puzzled voice:

"Sister Qing, slow down! I can't keep up! And your face is so red. Are you sick with a fever?"

The child's innocent question instantly deepened Zhu Zhuqing's embarrassment. Her heartbeat quickened slightly, and she could only walk faster, not daring to turn back and answer.

Lin Chen followed behind, watching the girl's somewhat hurried figure, when an unusually clear thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.

She... really does seem to treat me a little differently.

The moment that thought arose, Lin Chen hurriedly shook his head to cast it aside, smiling bitterly to himself.

An illusion. It must be an illusion. We've just been spending too much time together lately, and everyone's been teasing us too much. That must be why I've gotten such an absurd idea into my head.

He suppressed the flutter in his heart and quickened his pace to catch up with them. Together, they left the academy gates and entered the bustling streets of Suotuo City.

Traffic streamed along Suotuo City's streets, shops stood in rows, and pedestrians flowed without end. It was far livelier and more prosperous than a small frontier town.

All manner of snacks, accessories, and everyday necessities dazzled the eye. Vendors' cries rose and fell, filling the streets with the warmth of everyday life.

To appease the lively Little Yu'er, Lin Chen first took her to a roadside snack stall and bought a skewer of the local specialty: bright red, glistening candied fruit. It resembled ordinary tanghulu, and its sweet, delicate fragrance filled the air.

The familiar sight stirred something in Lin Chen's mind. He bought two more skewers and gently offered one to Zhu Zhuqing.

"Try it. It's a local specialty."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly, thanked him softly, and reached out to take it.

Lin Chen bit off a piece. The soft, tender fruit melted in his mouth, its mingling sweetness and tartness almost indistinguishable from the candied hawthorn skewers of his previous life. The familiar flavor instantly stirred countless memories, bringing a trace of warmth to his heart.

The three ate their sweets as they strolled along the street, preparing to pick out toiletries, clothes, and other necessities one by one.

But just as they passed through the busiest stretch in the center of the street, Zhu Zhuqing abruptly stopped, her entire body freezing in place.

Her gaze fixed firmly on the entrance of a luxurious, elegantly decorated high-end hotel across the street.

Her clear eyes instantly dimmed. Her gentle expression froze, and all the warmth in her gaze faded, replaced by utter desolation and coldness.

Lin Chen keenly noticed the change in her. Following her gaze, he looked up and immediately read the hotel's sign—the Rose Hotel.

At that moment, a dashing young man dressed in white stood conspicuously at the Rose Hotel's entrance.

Tall and handsome, with blond hair falling to his shoulders and a flamboyant, unruly air, he was none other than Dai Mubai, who had only recently arrived in Suotuo City.

Dai Mubai had an arm casually wrapped around a pretty young woman, his manner intimate and rakish, a careless smile playing at his lips.

He lowered his head to laugh and chat tenderly with her as they slowly walked side by side into the Rose Hotel, their behavior flirtatious and unrestrained.

Lin Chen was slightly surprised.

He had thought that, having just arrived in Suotuo City, Dai Mubai would rein himself in for a while and settle into his new surroundings.

He had never expected that, in just a few short days, this heir to the Star Luo Imperial Family's crown would fully revert to his old womanizing ways, frequenting hotels night after night and indulging in sensual pleasures.

Feigning ignorance of the circumstances, he turned toward Zhu Zhuqing's troubled face and gently probed, "What's wrong? Do you know that person?"

Zhu Zhuqing stiffened slightly and quickly withdrew her gaze, forcibly suppressing every emotion in her eyes. She appeared calm again, but her faintly trembling fingertips betrayed her state of mind.

She shook her head gently, her voice low and dull, with a barely perceptible rasp. "No. I mistook him for someone else. I thought I'd run into an old acquaintance."

Just then, the idle conversation of two greeters at the hotel entrance reached their ears clearly.

"I really envy rich people like that. They live so freely, without a care in the world."

"You mean that blond young gentleman just now? I've been seeing him for nearly half a month. He spends every night at our Rose Hotel. And the thing is, he has a different girl on his arm every day. He changes women more often than he eats. What a born womanizer."

Every word of their scattered chatter pierced Zhu Zhuqing's heart like a dense shower of icy needles.

All her steadfast devotion, her desperate flight toward him, and the grievances she had silently endured seemed to become one enormous joke in that moment.

To escape her family's strife and pursue that faint glimmer of hope, she had fled alone across a thousand miles, suffering all the hardships of a life on the run.

Yet the person she had remained devoted to, the person she had struggled to reach, was reveling here night after night, enjoying women and pleasure without ever sparing her the slightest thought or feeling the least guilt.

Overwhelming disappointment and desolation swept through her. Zhu Zhuqing silently clenched her left hand, her fingers curling inward and her knuckles paling, so tightly that her nails nearly dug into her palm.

Her face grew increasingly pale and shadowed. Her cool, clear eyes lost every trace of light, leaving only endless coldness and dejection.

Beside her, Little Mo Yu keenly sensed Zhu Zhuqing's low spirits. Blinking her bright, lively eyes, she asked softly in confusion:

"Sister Qing, you look so pale. Do you feel bad? Are you sick?"

The childish question pulled Zhu Zhuqing back to the present. She took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the hurt and disappointment churning within her. Unclenching her hand, she managed a faint smile and said softly:

"I'm fine, Yu'er. Don't be scared. I'm doing well. Let's keep shopping."

With that, she stepped forward first. Yet her steps had lost their earlier lightness, and her slender figure looked forlorn, carrying an indescribable loneliness and sorrow.

Lin Chen quietly watched her desolate figure, his gaze deepening with understanding.

At that moment, the last thread of attachment Zhu Zhuqing held toward Dai Mubai and her family's marriage arrangement had likely shattered completely, vanishing like smoke in the wind.

And that also meant this future God of Speed had come over completely, entirely, to his side and that of Spirit Hall.

Lin Chen quietly followed behind the two figures, taking in every shift in Zhu Zhuqing's emotions.

He understood the whole truth and knew the disappointment, bitter disillusionment, and self-mockery she felt at that moment, yet he could say nothing.

Some knots in the heart could not be undone by even a thousand words of comfort from others. Only by gradually seeing things clearly and making peace with them oneself could one truly let go and grow.

So Lin Chen chose silence. He offered no unnecessary words of comfort, merely slowing his pace and quietly following Zhu Zhuqing and Little Mo Yu, keeping them silent company and giving her ample room to work through her emotions.

Up ahead, the mischievous Little Mo Yu seemed entirely unaware of the subdued atmosphere. Still brimming with enthusiasm, she chattered nonstop.

"Sister Qing! Look at those sugar figurines over there! They're so pretty!"

"And those little hair clips over there! They're all sparkly. They'd look super pretty in your hair!"

"Were you unhappy just now because the tanghulu was too sour, Sister? Then let's have sweet little cakes later!"

A child's thoughts were pure and simple, her words innocent and carefree. Her clear, sweet voice kept ringing through the street like a ray of bright, warm sunshine, slowly piercing the gloom shrouding Zhu Zhuqing's heart.

Little Mo Yu's vitality seemed to possess an invisible, infectious power. Her pure, untainted delight steadily washed away the hurt and coldness weighing on Zhu Zhuqing's heart.

Amid that stream of childish chatter, Zhu Zhuqing's tense shoulders slowly relaxed. The stiffness in her face gradually softened, dispelling her shadowed expression and the desolation in her eyes.

She lowered her gaze to the little girl skipping beside her, her eyes full of joy. The bitterness knotted within Zhu Zhuqing's heart quietly dissipated, and a faint smile slowly returned to her lips.

That smile was gentle and unclouded. Stripped of all coldness and disappointment, it glowed once more with living warmth.