In the End, He Still Lost!

Lu Chi looked up at him. Zhou Mingyuan's expression was calm, but Lu Chi noticed the faint bluish shadows beneath his eyes, as though he had not slept well for several days. Zhou Yuan's injuries, the Zhou Family's reputation, Zhou Yanbai's silence—all of it weighed on him. Yet he stood there with his back straight, as if nothing had happened, telling a boy a year younger than himself, "You did well."

"Zhou Yuan—" Lu Chi began.

"His arm can move now." Zhou Mingyuan interrupted him, his voice quiet. "When Elder Chen came to change his dressing this morning, he had him try making a fist. He could do it. Elder Chen said the poison was completely cleared, and the damage to his meridians was lighter than expected. If he recuperates properly, he'll recover in two months."

The tension in Lu Chi's heart suddenly eased. It did not loosen gradually; it snapped loose all at once, like a string stretched taut for too long being lightly plucked by a finger—buzzing once, then going slack.

"Thank you," Zhou Mingyuan said.

Lu Chi froze. "What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for not using hidden weapons against him today." Zhou Mingyuan spoke with complete seriousness. "You had plenty of chances to ambush him, but you didn't. If you had, you would have become just like him, and I wouldn't be waiting here for you." With that, he patted Lu Chi's shoulder. The force was light, yet it carried weight, like a hand telling him, You did the right thing.

Zhou Mingyuan turned and left. His dark blue figure quickly vanished into the crowd at the training grounds' entrance. Lu Chi stood where he was, staring in that direction for several breaths, until Ning Xiaohe lightly tugged at his sleeve.

"Come on. Let's