A Heart Stirred

"Mm..."

Tang Wulin's consciousness drifted hazily, as though he were floating in the Golden Ocean.

The seawater surrounding him was wonderfully warm, making him feel incredibly comfortable.

If he could, he truly wanted to sleep here forever.

But he could not. He still had things to do.

He had to protect his companions, protect Wang Dong, protect Big Brother, protect...

"Yutong..."

Tang Wulin forced his eyes open, only to find himself meeting a pair of lively eyes filled with gentle warmth.

For some reason, Huo Yutong was leaning over him. Their faces were less than a fist's width apart, close enough for them to count each other's eyelashes.

It had happened too suddenly. For a moment, both their bodies froze, unable to move from that position.

Huo Yutong's eyes were beautiful. Looking at his own reflection in them, Tang Wulin could not help feeling as if there were only the two of them left in the world.

Time slowly passed. Warm breath continuously slipped from between Huo Yutong's soft lips and brushed against Tang Wulin's mouth, inexplicably quickening his heartbeat. The atmosphere gradually turned intimate and alluring, while Huo Yutong's gaze became somewhat unfocused.

Tang Wulin spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.

"Yutong, you..."

"!"

Hearing his voice, Huo Yutong finally came to her senses. She hurriedly sat up straight, looked away, and explained in a flustered voice, "I thought I heard you calling my name, so I leaned closer. I didn't mean anything else. Don't misunderstand."

Anything else? Misunderstand what?

She looked utterly guilty.

"...Mm."

But faced with her aura, Tang Wulin could only nod. Otherwise, judging by how red her cheeks were, steam might start rising from the top of her head.

Besides, he needed to calm down a little too.

Because of what had just happened, he found Huo Yutong's lips possessed an astonishing charm that made it hard for him to look away.

If things had continued in that state, what would have happened?

Just imagining it made his mouth go dry, and his body temperature gradually rose.

He hastily forced himself to shift his gaze from Huo Yutong's pink lips and looked around.

He was familiar with this place. He had brought Huo Yutong here just two days ago.

This was Shrek Academy's infirmary.

Tang Wulin breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed they had been saved.

He lay on a pristine white hospital bed, while Huo Yutong, dressed in a matching Patient's Gown, sat obediently on a stool beside him.

He steadied his breathing and asked Huo Yutong, "Yutong, what happened after I passed out?"

"Mm?"

Huo Yutong answered reflexively. She was touching her lips, seemingly lost in thought, and the dazed look on her face made it clear that she had not heard his question.

Tang Wulin had no choice but to repeat himself.

"I want to know what happened after I passed out."

"Oh." This time, Huo Yutong heard him clearly. She removed her hand from her lips and said, "Not long after you fainted, the academy's reinforcements arrived. None of us were hurt; we were all rescued safely. I heard the people who ambushed us were taken away too. They should be able to interrogate them and get answers soon."

"That's good."

Having gotten his answer, Tang Wulin let out a breath of relief.

It was enough that everyone was safe.

Come to think of it...

"Yutong, how long are you planning to keep holding my hand?"

Ever since he had woken up, he could feel a cool little hand tightly clasping his own.

Her hand was soft and small, and it felt very comfortable in his grasp, making him reluctant to let go. But holding hands forever did not seem quite right either.

Hearing that, Huo Yutong wore an expression like she was Sulking and puffed out her cheeks. "You don't like me holding your hand?"

"That's not it."

If anything, he rather liked it.

"Then that settles it." Huo Yutong gave a soft huff. "Just let me hold it properly."

"..."

Tang Wulin did not know how to respond, and silence briefly fell over the room.

He had the feeling that after waking up this time, Huo Yutong's attitude toward him had changed somewhat.

More specifically, she had become more soft and sweet.

The old Huo Yutong had still carried a little of a Sister's bearing around him. It had always felt as though an older sister were looking after her Younger Brother.

But that feeling had now vanished completely. Not only had she stopped putting on airs around him, but she also seemed to want to act spoiled with him, making him see Na'er's shadow in her.

That made him rather concerned. Had something happened while he was unconscious?

After a long silence, Huo Yutong suddenly spoke.

"Wulin, do you know? I was really scared this time."

"Mm."

That made sense.

Huo Yutong was only an eleven-year-old girl, after all. Faced with powerful enemies who had come to assassinate her, there was no way she would not be afraid.

Yet, as if she had guessed what he was thinking, Huo Yutong said, "Do you think I was frightened by those assassins, afraid of being killed? No. That wasn't it."

Her grip on Tang Wulin's hand suddenly tightened. Through her palm, Tang Wulin could feel her trembling.

"What I was afraid of was you dying in front of me. The moment I thought you might leave me too, I couldn't think about anything anymore."

After Huo Yun'er passed away, she had been left alone in this world.

Now, she had finally found someone who knew her past, someone willing to be angry for her and help her seek revenge. If even he left her side, she would break down.

She could endure darkness and cold, but after finding a fire that brought warmth and light, she could no longer imagine a life without it.

"Yutong..."

Feeling the tremors coming from Huo Yutong's small hand and seeing the fear shaking her eyes, Tang Wulin instantly understood why she refused to let go of his hand.

It was because it made her feel safer, because touching his skin allowed her to more tangibly feel the fact that he was still alive.

Tang Wulin's heart warmed. He raised his other free hand, placed it on Huo Yutong's head, and slowly stroked it.

Whenever Na'er was afraid in the past, this was how he comforted her.

Huo Yutong's eyes widened for a moment. Then she pressed her lips together and allowed Tang Wulin to slowly stroke her hair.

When Huo Yun'er had still been alive, this was how she had comforted her.

For a time, the room fell quiet. Only the chirping of birds outside the window drifted in now and then, bringing a hint of life to the room.

Huo Yutong clenched her little hand, biting her Lower Lip tightly as though enduring something.

Yet under Tang Wulin's gentle caresses, she could not hold back any longer. Large tears began spilling from her eyes.

She released the hand she had been gripping and threw herself onto Tang Wulin, sobbing.

"Wah... I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's all because I'm too weak. If I were stronger, you wouldn't have had to suffer like this at all. I'm sorry..."

She apologized again and again, grieving over her own weakness.

These were the feelings she had truly wanted to tell Tang Wulin. While he had been unconscious, her worry for him had burned at her heart every moment.

Tang Wulin said nothing. He merely continued soothing her gently, warmth in his eyes.

It was not just Huo Yutong who found reassurance in him. He did too.

He had traveled alone to Ten Thousand Years Ago, penniless and without family or friends. When he had been helpless, she had reached out to help him, keeping him from dying in the perilous Star Dou Great Forest.

Without her, he never would have met Beibei and Tang Ya, never would have joined the Tang Sect, and never would have entered Shrek Academy.

This time was the same. Without her support, he would have died at the hands of that Soul Emperor long ago.

She relied on him deeply, but was he not equally reliant on her gentleness?

The two of them were the same. They were simply relying on each other.

A side note

Mission accomplished~

Little Lady Huo was really easy to win over. At the start, truly no one treated her well. At a time like that, as long as someone showed her even a little kindness, she, starved of affection, would rush toward them like a moth to a flame.

The key was that she was incredibly devoted too. Once she set her heart on someone, she would never change, exactly like her mom.

She was practically the easiest woman to win over on the Douluo Continent. (laugh)