When Ai ting and Seres stepped out of their exclusive training room one after the other, the sky outside the door had already grown completely dark.
A deep purple night blanketed Ruo Academy, and the distant streetlights flickered on one by one, casting a dim yellow glow upon the houses.
Just thinking about having to return to their downtown residence in such circumstances filled Ai ting’s heart with a deep sense of unease.
He frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping across the heavy darkness in the distance.
Right now, the Rufus Family must be eyeing Seres with hostility for having “killed” Rufus.
Though his own strength was quite good among his peers and Seres was even a full-fledged member of “Starlight,” facing possible retaliation from a family with such deep foundations was dangerous.
The enemy was in the dark, while they were exposed—one misstep, and they could face unpredictable peril.
On the other hand, if they stayed inside Saint Diyashi Academy, their safety would be greatly enhanced.
The academy’s higher-ups would never sit idly by if something happened to one of their painstakingly cultivated “Starlight” members; they would surely provide rigorous protection.
All things considered, keeping Seres at the academy was undoubtedly the safest option for now.
Besides, she was also one of the key “heroines” in his mission—he couldn’t afford any mistakes with her, no matter what.
“Seres, given the situation right now… you’d best stay in the academy for a while. It’s much safer.”
Thinking this, Ai ting stopped and turned to Seres, his tone serious as he made the suggestion.
“Mhm, you’re right.”
Seres thought for a moment at his words, then gently nodded, her ice-blue hair fluttering slightly in the night breeze.
Two figures stepped out.
Three men moved into a triangular formation to surround her.
They wore black clothing and masks, as if melting into the night itself.
Aside from them, Bai Nian could sense several other gazes from farther away, watching this direction—a different group.
The silence was terrifying; there was no exchange between any of them.
Bai Nian stood her ground, quietly watching the three men approach her step by step.
She knew clearly that these were people sent by the Bai Family to kill her, so she wouldn’t play the fool and ask them who they were.
When the enemies were only five meters away, Bai Nian’s body suddenly sprang into action.
“When I was named a ‘Starlight’ member before, the academy assigned me a private student dormitory among the resources they provided. I just haven’t gone to see it yet… but now is the perfect time to move in.”
“That’s even better.”
Ai ting felt a wave of relief as Seres accepted his suggestion, a faint, comforting smile appearing on his face.
Now that Seres was settled, he was ready to leave, nodding to her.
“Well, I’ll just…”
Before he finished speaking, he turned and started to walk toward the academy’s main gate.
Just then, a slightly cool and soft hand suddenly reached from behind, gently grabbing his wrist.
Ai ting paused, surprised, and turned around—only to see Seres’ cheeks tinged red, her eyes filled with a hint of worry.
“Aiting… when it comes to potential danger, we’re both in the same situation, aren’t we? That ‘Olivia’ illusion we met earlier definitely saw you too. Whoever’s behind her will target you as well.”
She paused, her voice dropping lower, tinged with a little shyness.
“I heard… my dormitory is pretty spacious… do you want to… stay there with me too?”
Ai ting immediately felt that something was off.
It wasn’t that Seres had any bad intentions—rather, within the girl’s words, aside from genuine worry, there was also a faint, indistinct expectation and ambiguous emotion.
In other words, Seres’ motive for holding him back by the wrist wasn’t entirely pure—it wasn’t just about worrying the Rufus Family might attack.
So what deeper meaning was hidden there?
“When I was named a ‘Starlight’ member before, the academy assigned me a private student dormitory among the resources they provided. I just haven’t gone to see it yet… but now is the perfect time to move in.”
“That’s even better.”
Aiting felt a wave of relief as Seres accepted his suggestion, a faint, comforting smile appearing on his face.
Now that Seres was settled, he was ready to leave, nodding to her.
“Well, I’ll just…”
Before he finished speaking, he turned and started to walk toward the academy’s main gate.
Just then, a slightly cool and soft hand suddenly reached from behind, gently grabbing his wrist.
Aiting paused, surprised, and turned around—only to see Seres’ cheeks tinged red, her eyes filled with a hint of worry.
“Aiting… when it comes to potential danger, we’re both in the same situation, aren’t we? That ‘Olivia’ illusion we met earlier definitely saw you too. Whoever’s behind her will target you as well.”
She paused, her voice dropping lower, tinged with a little shyness.
“I heard… my dormitory is pretty spacious… do you want to… stay there with me too?”
Ai ting immediately felt that something was off.
It wasn’t that Seres had any bad intentions—rather, within the girl’s words, aside from genuine worry, there was also a faint, indistinct expectation and ambiguous emotion.
In other words, Seres’ motive for holding him back by the wrist wasn’t entirely pure—it wasn’t just about worrying the Rufus Family might attack.
So what deeper meaning was hidden there?
“When I was named a ‘Starlight’ member before, the academy assigned me a private student dormitory among the resources they provided. I just haven’t gone to see it yet… but now is the perfect time to move in.”
“That’s even better.”
Aiting felt a wave of relief as Seres accepted his suggestion, a faint, comforting smile appearing on his face.
Now that Seres was settled, he was ready to leave, nodding to her.
“Well, I’ll just…”
Before he finished speaking, he turned and started to walk toward the academy’s main gate.
Just then, a slightly cool and soft hand suddenly reached from behind, gently grabbing his wrist.
Aiting paused, surprised, and turned around—only to see Seres’ cheeks tinged red, her eyes filled with a hint of worry.
“Aiting… when it comes to potential danger, we’re both in the same situation, aren’t we? That ‘Olivia’ illusion we met earlier definitely saw you too. Whoever’s behind her will target you as well.”
She paused, her voice dropping lower, tinged with a little shyness.
“I heard… my dormitory is pretty spacious… do you want to… stay there with me too?”
Aiting immediately felt that something was off.
It wasn’t that Seres had any bad intentions—rather, within the girl’s words, aside from genuine worry, there was also a faint, indistinct expectation and ambiguous emotion.
In other words, Seres’ motive for holding him back by the wrist wasn’t entirely pure—it wasn’t just about worrying the Rufus Family might attack.
So what deeper meaning was hidden there?
The last time a conversation like this happened, someone ended up getting pushed down onto a bed.
Ai ting wasn’t so dense as to not understand; he vaguely realized the implication, which left him momentarily at a loss, not knowing how to respond to the invitation.
As Ai ting hesitated, Seres inched even closer, tilting her face up to look at him.
Her gaze softened further, revealing a hint of loneliness and unease.
She gently added in a soft voice,
“Just… keep me company, okay, Ai ting? I… feel so uneasy being alone in such a strange place.”
Her gaze was just like that time at her house, when she’d invited Ai ting to “share the bed.”
Her clear ice-blue eyes shimmered, full of a fragile charm that was hard to resist.
A girl this beautiful, making such a pitiful face—few men in the world could steel their hearts enough to refuse her.
“You’re right… it really isn’t safe outside.”
Seeing the clear anticipation and faint dependence in Seres’ eyes, Ai ting sighed softly and nodded, compromising at last, then gave a wry smile.
“All right, I’ll accept your invitation.”
Even though Ai ting understood Seres’ unspoken “meaning,” he tried not to think too deeply about it.
He chose to treat it as a gesture of goodwill between companions, a sincere concern for his safety—perhaps that would help them both feel more at ease.
“Then let’s go!”
Seres’ eyes immediately lit up as Aiting agreed, her happiness radiating uncontrollably across her face, her lips curving into a captivating smile.
She gently shook the hand still holding Aiting’s wrist, her voice brightening.
Saint Diyashi Academy did offer fully-equipped dormitories for ordinary students, but to highlight the special status of “Starlight” members, their residences weren’t mixed in with the general dorms.
Instead, they occupied a separate area at the academy’s most scenic end.
This territory, reserved for Starlight members, was an exceptionally quiet and beautiful place.
Lush green hills rose behind it, with gardens crafted and maintained by exquisite magic, winding paths, and rare flowers exuding a delicate fragrance.
The entire atmosphere was tranquil and elegant, perfectly conveying a sense of mystery and nobility.
The Starlight dormitory area covered a vast expanse.
In the visible range, there stood seven uniquely designed, lavish villas, each distinct but none lacking in refinement or luxury.
The spacing between them was carefully planned—enough privacy for solitude, but not too far to prevent necessary social contact among the members.
Ai ting and Seres walked side by side along a tree-lined path toward the dorms, smooth cobblestones underfoot.
The area was silent; they met no one else on the way.
When they passed by an Artificial Lake as clear as a mirror, the ripples on its surface reflected the brilliant moon and scattered stars above, sparkling in the night breeze.
The scenery was as lovely as a painting.
Seres couldn’t help but stop, drawn in by the sight before her.
“So beautiful.”
Seres stood quietly by the lake, her ice-blue eyes fixed on the moonlit surface, sighing softly in genuine awe.
The bright moonlight spilled over her like liquid silver, bathing her in a pale glow.
The night wind lifted several strands of her long blue hair, making them shimmer like silk in the moonlight.
In the darkness, Seres looked slender and graceful, her delicate features like those of a moonlit spirit descended to earth—so beautiful she seemed almost unreal.
She subconsciously lifted her delicate hand to tuck a windblown strand behind her ear—a simple gesture, but in the moonlight it appeared especially elegant and charming.
That scene was truly breathtaking.
Ai ting gazed at Seres in the moonlight, momentarily dazed, and nodded unconsciously, murmuring a response.
“Yeah… it really is beautiful.”
But those words weren’t only about the lake and the mountains in the moonlight—they were, from the bottom of his heart, praise for the girl beside him who seemed to have become one with the night.
Moonlight, a beautiful girl, tranquil scenery—such pure and perfect things. In his previous life, filled with scheming, smoke, and bloodshed, Ai ting had never had a chance to quietly appreciate such peace.
In the past, Aiting had been through too many intrigues and life-and-death struggles, his nerves always stretched tight.
It had been so, so long since he’d simply immersed himself in a peaceful night like this.
In truth… staying in a world like this… might not be so bad?
Just then, a sudden thought arose in Ai ting’s heart, completely unbidden.
The moment it appeared, he was shocked.
Since being reborn into this Mission World, this was the first time his firm resolve to return to the Original World wavered so clearly.
Ai ting immediately noticed and shook his head forcefully, as if to drive out this “dangerous” idea.
What was he thinking?
Hadn’t he fought so hard all this time precisely to complete his mission, gather enough points, and return to the Original World to fulfill his unaccomplished wishes?
If he wavered now, what would all those past struggles and sacrifices mean?
Seres didn’t notice the flicker of struggle and oddness on Ai ting’s face.
Her attention lingered on the contours of his lips, recalling the feeling of kissing them earlier that afternoon in the training room.
Her cheeks flushed pink once more.
Amid the romantic atmosphere, she couldn’t help but fantasize.
If… if only Aiting would reach out, pull her into his warm embrace, then lower his head and give her a deep, lingering kiss—how wonderful would that be…
Seres even felt that if Aiting really did that, she would gladly offer everything—body and soul—to him, with nothing held back.
However, reality always runs counter to a girl’s fanciful dreams.
Aiting had already recovered from his brief trance and self-reflection.
He took a deep breath of the cool night air and broke the silence with a steady voice.
“Let’s head back, Seres. If we stay out here too long, you might catch a cold.”
“. . . Okay.”
Seres was drawn back to reality from her daydreams, a subtle trace of disappointment flashing in her eyes.
Still, she nodded and replied softly.
For a moment, a faint disappointment welled up in her heart, like moonlight scattered by the breeze across the lake.
She stole a glance at Aiting’s defined profile out of the corner of her eye, her small lips involuntarily pouting, carrying a hint of petulance and grievance even she hadn’t noticed.
Why… why was it that just by quietly standing beside her, Aiting could so easily unsettle her heart, throw her into confusion?
And… at this very moment, just what was Aiting thinking?
If… she was the only one feeling troubled and anxious about this blurry, stagnant relationship between the two of them…
That thought made Seres feel a little unwilling.
If that were the case… it would be just too unfair.
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