"Together..."
"Had they confirmed their relationship before?"
Mu Xi's face showed surprise, yet it didn't seem entirely unexpected. She visibly froze for a moment, murmuring to herself.
Beside her, Yuanen Yehui felt the same way, a sour taste rising in her heart. If one listened closely, they might even hear the sound of something shattering...
It was the sound of a breaking heart.
"Luo Chuan, let's go first."
"We should go find Na'er."
At this moment, Gu Yue didn't show much emotion. She merely smiled faintly, cast a calm glance at Mu Xi, then gently took Tang Luochuan's arm and spoke softly.
Luo Chuan didn't have a girlfriend...
Hmph, as if!
She had been too embarrassed to bring it up before, and this big idiot hadn't confessed either, so she hadn't been too assertive. But from now on, she felt she could afford to be a little more bold.
"Mm, alright."
"Everyone, go rest first. We'll take our leave now."
Tang Luochuan didn't refuse. He gave Gu Yue a tender smile before addressing the others with a laugh. Under everyone's gaze, he turned and walked in another direction.
"Our Gu Yue..."
"Sure is possessive of me, huh."
As they walked, Tang Luochuan glanced at the girl beside him and chuckled lightly.
"Hmph, don't flatter yourself."
Hearing this, Gu Yue snorted softly. But despite her words, her grip on his arm didn't loosen in the slightest.
"Don't tell me you don't like it!?"
She huffed.
Her possessiveness toward Luo Chuan...
Had always been off the charts, okay!
"I do."
Tang Luochuan laughed heartily, nodding as his gaze drifted toward the distant Sea God Island.
During their time away from the academy, Na'er had missed them terribly, asking every single day when they would return. Now that they were back, of course, they had to go see her first.
And as for that so-called "special challenge" Yun Ming had mentioned—he had been looking forward to it all along!
Now that they were back, it probably wouldn't be long before it happened.
"..."
Meanwhile, on the other side, Yuanen Yehui's eyes remained fixed on the departing figures of the two, her emotions far from settled. Mu Xi was no different.
Anyone among them could have guessed that the one most likely to end up with Luo Chuan was Gu Yue. And now, that had been confirmed.
They just hadn't expected that, in the short span of a final exam, the two would make it official upon their return.
If only they had taken the exam with everyone else!
"Now, it's really..."
Mu Xi's expression stiffened, and she couldn't help but sigh subconsciously. Life was truly unpredictable—full of twists and turns!
Zi Xin might be happy now, but her dear friend here? Her heart was shattered...
"Si Duo, did Luo Chuan confess to Gu Yue during the final exams?"
Yuanen Yehui was clearly thinking more deeply than Mu Xi. She immediately turned to Wu Siduo and the others and asked.
At this point, there were two possibilities: either they had gotten together during the exams, or they had been together for a while already.
Clearly, she leaned toward the former.
"No."
"We don't know the exact timing either."
Wu Siduo wore a faint smile as she shook her head.
"It wasn't during the exams..."
"So, they were already together before..."
Yuanen Yehui's mood sank, yet it felt inevitable. After all, the relationship between the two had been incredibly close from the start—any closer, and it might have exploded.
But watching Wu Siduo's reaction, she felt another wave of confusion. Laughing? She was actually laughing?
And it wasn't just Wu Siduo. Nearby, Ye Xinglan and Xu Xiaoyan didn't seem the least bit downcast. Instead, they remained composed, which only deepened Yuanen Yehui's bewilderment.
If she remembered correctly, setting Wu Siduo aside for now, both Xu Xiaoyan and Ye Xinglan...
They had strong feelings for Luo Chuan. Yet here they were, smiling even after his official announcement. Had they truly let go?
At this point, even Mu Xi noticed something was off, her eyes brimming with curiosity.
"We don't know the exact timing either. Luo Chuan-ge personally told me that he, Gu Yue-jie, and Na'er are together now."
"Yehui-jie, Mu Xi-jie, we'll head back to rest for now. We won't be joining you later."
Xu Xiaoyan chimed in cheerfully. Among them, as the one who had invited Luo Chuan-ge out, she clearly held the most authority on the matter.
"He personally told you...?"
Yuanen Yehui nodded, but the next moment, her expression froze, her eyes widening slightly.
"Wait."
"He's together with Gu Yue and Na'er?"
Beside her, Mu Xi couldn't suppress her emotions either, blurting out the question.
If it had just been Gu Yue, neither of them would have been shocked—it was practically a foregone conclusion. But it wasn't just her...
Na'er too!
It was no secret among them that Na'er wasn't Luo Chuan's biological sister. Yet, none of them had ever imagined that he would...
"No wonder the first thing Luo Chuan did after returning wasn't even going back to the dorm—he went straight to Na'er. So that's why..."
In that instant, Mu Xi's eyes brightened, her mood visibly lifting. Slowly, her thoughts began to wander.
If Luo Chuan could accept Na'er, did that mean... he might accept others too?
The thought eased Mu Xi's earlier anxiety. She lifted her head, silently cheering herself on.
Mu Xi! You can do this! You're the best!
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
"Achoo—"
Tang Luochuan sneezed, momentarily confused.
Was someone thinking about him? It couldn't be Gu Yue—she was right beside him. So then...
"I'll be there soon, Na'er."
A faint smile played on his lips as he quickened his pace.
Of course, Tang Luochuan had no idea that, aside from Wu Siduo, Ye Xinglan, and Xu Xiaoyan, two more girls had now set their sights on him.
"Luo Chuan-gege!"
"You're back!"
At the Inner Court, Na'er, who had been waiting on Sea God Island for some time, spotted their figures from afar. Her eyes instantly lit up, an irrepressible smile gracing her lips as she spoke softly.
"We're back."
Tang Luochuan and Gu Yue approached, smiling as they replied.
"Did you miss me?"
Tang Luochuan gently stroked her hair, his voice tender.
"Of course!"
"I've missed you so much—"
As she spoke, Na'er threw herself toward Tang Luochuan, nestling into his embrace with an irrepressible smile on her face.
Wasn't it only natural for her to miss Brother Luo Chuan? Besides, she'd heard from Sister Gu Yue that in front of other girls, Brother Luo Chuan had introduced her as his girlfriend...
Hehe~ So happy!
Perhaps many girls were the hard-to-please type, but she clearly wasn't one of them.
"You've been spending all your time with Sister Gu Yue before. These next couple days, I want you to make it up to me."
Na'er blinked and stated bluntly.
"Of course, I promise."
Tang Luochuan nodded with a smile.
"Luo Chuan, Gu Yue, you're back."
At that moment, accompanied by laughter, two figures appeared before them—the first being Yun Ming, with Holy Spirit Douluo Ya Li by his side.
"Pavilion Master, Holy Spirit Douluo."
Seeing them, Tang Luochuan immediately greeted respectfully.
"You two..."
"I never expected you'd visit ten cities together. I thought you'd focus on training during this time."
Yun Ming looked the young man up and down, his face full of amazement as he clicked his tongue in wonder.
After all, he'd told them he'd arrange a special challenge for the two later, yet...
You just went out all fresh and carefree?
"Hahaha, traveling to different cities with companions is a unique experience in itself. If we trained all the time, we'd miss out on something."
Tang Luochuan replied solemnly, making Yun Ming nod repeatedly—there was truth to that.
Beside him, however, Na'er couldn't help but pout. Whether they'd broadened their horizons or not, she didn't know, but...
Sister Gu Yue had practically turned into a smug cat—that much was true!
She didn't even need to guess—Sister Gu Yue must've gone sightseeing in every city with Brother Luo Chuan.
After all, the two wouldn't waste even a second on so-called challenges!
At times like these...
Na'er really, really wanted to go too!
The thought made her even more aggrieved.
"After such a short trip, I'm sure you and Gu Yue won't feel any pressure. I'll give you three days, and after that..."
"I'll take you to the examination site."
Yun Ming led them into the wooden cabin, then smiled faintly, his gaze settling on the two as he spoke plainly.
"Might I ask, Pavilion Master... what exactly is this examination?"
Tang Luochuan couldn't help but ask, his face brimming with curiosity.
"You'll find out when you get there. Oh, by the way, the examination site is called the Seven Saints Abyss, though those who've been there call it..."
"Devil Island."
(End of Chapter)