“Here, hold this.”
Luo Qingchuan stepped before Chen Yanyu and pressed something into her hand.
“What is this?”
“A lollipop,” Luo Qingchuan said softly, swapping hers for a Heavenly Path lollipop. “If it hurts later, bite down hard on it.”
Tilting her head, Chen Yanyu’s eyes welled with tears. “Do I have to? I-I’m scared of the pain…”
“Your neck can’t stay like this forever…” Luo Qingchuan sighed helplessly.
“Maybe it’ll get better on its own?” Chen Yanyu murmured, quietly taking the lollipop.
She suddenly remembered spying on—no—
tailing!
Yes, tailing the boy to the park.
Back then, he’d pulled two lollipops from his pocket—strawberry and milk-flavored.
Why did he even have them?!
Chen Yanyu had always been curious. Now she could finally taste it.
Too afraid of pain to resist, Luo Qingchuan had no choice.
So.
“I’ll massage your neck a bit to relax the muscles,” he said gently.
“Yes, yes, yes!”
After careful adjustment, Luo Qingchuan settled deep into the sofa. Chen Yanyu sat lightly before him, her long slender legs pressed together—almost nestled in his lap.
Morning light bathed her fair, delicate skin, making her glow.
His hands cradled her swan-like neck. A slight downward glance might reveal the soft skin beneath her collar.
Eyes fixed on her neck, his fingers applied gentle, gradual pressure.
“How’s it feel? Tell me if it hurts. I’ll go lighter.”
Her silvery-white hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, carrying a faint shampoo scent.
Chen Yanyu turned her head, delicate fingers tearing the wrapper. She placed the lollipop between her soft pink lips, eyes lighting up. “So sweet! Orange!”
Luo Qingchuan facepalmed. “I asked if it hurt.”
“Not at all!” Chen Yanyu finally noticed their closeness. The warmth of his fingertips on her neck brought a faint blush to her cheeks, a strange warmth spreading through her.
Her hands formed shy little fists on her thighs, covered by the shirt hem.
“Not hurting?” he asked again.
“It doesn’t hurt… You’re very gentle,” she whispered.
Crack—
In one swift motion, Luo Qingchuan pressed firmly.
“Uwaaah!!!”
Chen Yanyu arched her head back, forehead pressing his chin.
“Y-you shameless! Ambush!” Her wide, innocent eyes glared up at him, words muffled around the lollipop.
Caught off guard, her whole body tensed, fingers digging into her palms.
Then…
“Huh?”
Chen Yanyu stood, silently rolling her neck side to side.
“All better?” Luo Qingchuan smiled.
“Mm…”
Even her ear tips flushed red.
She lowered her head, embarrassed by how dramatically she’d feared the pain.
“I’ll head to school first.”
He picked up his phone, walked to the door, and began lacing his shoes.
From their talk, he knew Chen Yanyu wouldn’t attend the aptitude test yet—her enrollment wasn’t finalized. She’d join the Pathseeker Class later as a transfer student.
“Your clothes are hung up. Change if you like. Keys are on the coffee table. Leave whenever you’re ready,” he said while tying his laces.
Standing, he turned—and saw Chen Yanyu already beside him.
Her eyes glistened. “You… you’ll come back tonight, right?”
Luo Qingchuan smiled. “Of course. This is my home.”
He lived alone in the villa after a minor rift with his family—mainly his older brother.
Chen Yanyu wanted to say, *I’ll wait for you here…*
But too shy, the words stayed trapped.
After a night of warmth, facing parting, she bowed her head. Tears threatened again, but she held them back, afraid of annoying him. Her luminous eyes shimmered.
Luo Qingchuan paused, then smiled softly. “Don’t cry.”
That was all.
“Mm…”
He pushed the door open.
“Luo Qingchuan.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
He turned.
Biting her lip, she smiled. “The movie… don’t forget.”
“Okay.”
The door closed behind his gentle reply.
Tears streamed down Chen Yanyu’s face—large and small, like falling pearls. A deep sadness swelled within her; her petite chest rose and fell with quiet sobs.
She pinched the slightly oversized shirt sleeves, wiping her cheeks, then turned toward the living room to find her clothes on the balcony.
The faint moisture blooming on the pure white cuffs resembled soft rain drifting across a boundless Qingchuan—gentle and melancholic, like Yanyu herself.
... ... ...
Su Yingsnow stood in the school’s spacious gymnasium, eyes fixed blankly on the entrance.
*Not here yet… Still not here?*
Polished wooden floors. Over thirty Pathseeker Class students stood separated by gender.
At the center, a small table draped in red cloth held two objects:
A crystal ball shimmering with starlight, as if cradling a universe.
An antique square bronze mirror, its surface hazy and indistinct.
“This Student Luo… late on his very first registration day?”
Beside the artifacts stood three figures: two men, one woman.
Left: a refined white-collar woman in urban chic.
Right: a stern-faced man around thirty, expression cold and unreadable.
Center: a young man in a simple white Taoist robe, hands clasped behind his back, warm smile on ordinary features. He had spoken.
Su Yingsnow wanted to explain for Luo Qingchuan…
But a voice cut in: “Teacher Lu, you may not know—Student Luo rarely attends school. Shall I @ him in the class group?”
The speaker was Yang Jin.
Beside him, his friend—a pale, handsome youth with messy hair—frowned slightly.
Zuo Tian stayed silent but glanced at Su Yingsnow.
She kept her gaze on the door, slender brows lightly furrowed—an elegant, distant fairy.
Zuo Tian’s heart trembled. His face paled further.
*Last night…*
Cold night breeze. Zuo Tian sat alone on the rooftop, cultivating the mysterious technique from the Golden Tower.
One minute: Qi Gathering complete.
Minutes later: Qi Refining Second Layer.
Ten minutes: Third Layer.
…
Three hours: Seventh Layer.
Then—a brilliant lightning bolt shot from the city’s outskirts toward the heavens.
The overwhelming aura of the Foundation Establishment lightning washed over him. Zuo Tian’s spirit quivered. He *should* have feared that radiant light—even a second’s distraction would’ve slowed his breakthrough.
*“To shake heaven and earth… one day, I too can achieve this.”*
A surge of bold resolve flared. Emotionally stirred, he unexpectedly broke through to Qi Refining Eighth Layer.
An hour later—
Foundation Establishment failed. Blood spilled from his lips.
He still heard the ancient voice booming like a grand bell:
“Fear resides in your heart.”
“Child, you already have a heart demon.”
“Speak. What exactly… are you afraid of?”
Zuo Tian sat under the starry sky, eyes wide, trembling violently.
He still saw Su Yingsnow’s sword strike—
Grazing past him, piercing the tall tree, as if it could split him in two.
“Only by slaying the fear in your heart can you unleash your full potential. Only then will your path shine boundlessly.”
“How?”
“The leaf covers your eyes. Pluck it away.”
“Must I kill Su Yingsnow?!” Zuo Tian’s composure cracked. “No… I can’t. Maybe Luo Qingchuan instead…”
“I meant *defeat* her once, you fool.”
“Ancestor’s wisdom is profound. This disciple was foolish.”
...
