Chapter 42

The massive stone door slowly closed, and no one noticed that the corpse of the dragon behind the door had not disappeared.

No one knew that this place had become the final resting place of the stone dragon. For a long time afterward, no player met the requirements to unlock the final dungeon.

The dragon, with its gold and jewels, slept here for eternity.

With the dragon slain, the dragon’s lair was sealed. The entrance to the “Jealous Love,” “Demonic Love,” and “Forbidden Love” dungeons returned to normal. Yan Ning, carrying the unconscious Lu Fengfeng, entered the Jealous Love dungeon.

All live stream rooms except Yan Ning’s main perspective had been closed. Many viewers wanted to know why Number One was carrying Number Two into the Jealous Love dungeon, and the number of viewers in Number One’s main perspective room surged.

On the first floor of the Shengyi Tower, the live stream area, which had originally seen viewers leave after the competition ended, suddenly shifted. Upon hearing that Number One’s main perspective was still streaming, many who had been leaving turned around and rushed to the main perspective room.

There were no seats available, so they stood in the aisle, eager to see what Number One intended to do with Number Two.

Yan Ning carried Lu Fengfeng, walking from the first stage to the foot of the healing pool mountain without stopping to rest.

Someone couldn’t help but comment, “She’s walked so far without even getting winded. Her stamina is a bit exaggerated, isn’t it?”

The person next to them responded, “Look at how she slayed the dragon. A sword that big and that thick dragon head, and she took off two heads with one swing. Carrying a man with her bare hands doesn’t seem so exaggerated, does it?”

“It looks like she’s planning to carry him up the mountain to the healing pool to let him soak and recover?”

“Well, there’s nothing up there except the healing pool. But since Number Two is still unconscious, if he doesn’t wake up when they get to the mountain, do you think Number One will help him change clothes?”

The voices gradually became more gentlemanly, though it wasn’t that anyone had any particular thoughts.

They had started watching a game live stream, not expecting to get so absorbed in the teenage romance. Without realizing it, they had fallen into the trap. Just imagining the two interacting in a changing room made them a little excited.

Yan Ning carried Lu Fengfeng to the top of the mountain, bypassed the healing pool, and went straight to the changing room.

As she entered the men’s changing room carrying him, the viewers’ smiles grew wider as the familiar, pleasant scene unfolded.

Two minutes later, the two flying robots that followed into the changing room were driven out. With a “bang,” the door was tightly shut.

The viewers expressed their regret, but the next second, the changing room door opened again.

Yan Ning carried Lu Fengfeng out and sent him directly to the shower room next door, then returned to the changing room to get some clothes.

The two flying robots attempted to follow into the shower room but failed.

Viewer A: “Huh? She just took clothes from the men’s changing room and then went into the women’s changing room again?”

Viewer B: “Could it be what I think it is?”

Viewer C: “This is exciting!!!”

Yan Ning entered the shower room and patted Lu Fengfeng’s face. His expression was peaceful, and he seemed like he wouldn’t wake up anytime soon.

So, she didn’t hesitate and directly took off his clothes to check the wound on his back.

Hmm, there was only a small needle mark. He probably belonged to a race with strong self-healing abilities, by the time she checked, the wound had already healed.

Not worrying about the wound anymore, she carried him into the shower room, preparing to wash off the bloodstains on his body.

He had been too close to the stone dragon at the time, and when she slayed the dragon, dragon blood splattered all over him—on his face, hair, and clothes.

Yan Ning’s gaze was calm, her movements swift. After applying shower gel, she cleaned all the bloodstains off his body.

When the foam was washed away, Yan Ning noticed a strange red mark on Lu Fengfeng’s chest.

A rose-shaped strange mark made her pupils contract.

So that’s what it is. No wonder he wanted the dropped items from the side quest. She remembered that kind of fruit had the power to dispel curses.

Yan Ning suddenly realized something about Lu Fengfeng. She had a rough idea of why he frequently fell in and out of relationships.

After being together, she also discovered that his personality wasn’t as frivolous as the rumors said, sometimes, he could be quite innocent.

She had always felt that something was off, and now this question was finally answered.

The rose-shaped mark on Lu Fengfeng’s body likely came from a curse called ^[1]“The Beauty That Topples a Nation” (傾國傾城) is a phrase commonly used in Chinese literature and culture to describe an extraordinarily beautiful woman whose allure is so powerful … Continue reading“The Beauty That Topples a Nation,” a very ancient and vicious curse.

Yan Ning knew about this curse because someone she once knew had been cursed with it, and that person later took their own life right in front of her.

Ignoring the sadness that suddenly surged in her heart, she lowered her head and cleaned the foam off Lu Fengfeng’s body, then dressed him.

After placing him on the reclining chair in the partition, Yan Ning took off her clothes and quickly washed off the dirt and blood from her own body.

“They’re out! They’re out!!!” The viewers were even more excited than the people involved when they saw the shower room door open from the inside.

“Ah—she really changed his clothes! Damn!”

“Not only changed his clothes, but also cleaned him up! Number Two is clean now! Damn *2”

“But, I’m not clean anymore. laughs and cries.JPG”

Yan Ning circled around the healing pool and found a place with steps, holding Lu Fengfeng as she descended slowly into the water.

She sat on the steps, with half of her body submerged in the warm water.

Lu Fengfeng lay back, soaking in the warm water. She gently supported his head, making sure water didn’t get into his ears.

About ten minutes later, Lu Fengfeng’s eyelids fluttered. Yan Ning quickly embraced him and tentatively called out, “Fengfeng?”

His long, thick eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and after a few moments, his eyes slowly opened. A layer of mist covered his slender, almond-shaped eyes, and his voice was low and hoarse, filled with confusion. “Ningning? Where am I?”

He moved his hands and feet carefully, feeling the warmth around him, with slight ripples in the water.

“I brought you to the healing pool. Can you sit up?”

Lu Fengfeng’s hand formed a loose fist, feeling his strength returning, though he was still a little weak. The healing pool truly lived up to its reputation.

He used his strength to sit up and looked down at the clothes on his body. “You… changed my clothes?”

Yan Ning smiled and nodded. “Mm, I also gave you a bath.”

“Uh…” Lu Fengfeng froze for a moment, his expression subtle, but his slightly furrowed brows revealed a trace of despair. “Did… did you see anything?”

Yan Ning tilted her head, thinking about what he meant, then nodded. “Mm, I saw it.”

She thought he was referring to the mark on his chest.

A faint blush quickly spread across Lu Fengfeng’s cheeks and earlobes, eventually reaching the corners of his eyes, turning his face a soft pink. He lowered his gaze, staring at his fingers submerged in the water. “…You… you can’t do this in the future.”

“Mm?” Yan Ning saw his face turn redder and couldn’t help but reach out to touch his forehead. He quickly blocked her hand, and she was surprised. “What’s wrong? Your face is so red. Are you sick?”

Lu Fengfeng lowered his hand and moved to the side like a frightened bird. “I’m fine. I just soaked for too long… it’s a bit hot.”

“I see. If you’re not feeling well, you should tell me,” Yan Ning moved a little closer to him. “Let’s soak a little longer. Once your body feels better, we’ll try the ‘True Love Test’ again.”

Lu Fengfeng remembered that they still needed to try the “True Love Test.” He had come all this way specifically for that stage.

“Mm… mm, okay.”

Yan Ning looked at him with a puzzled expression. “What’s going on with you? Why are you acting so tense all of a sudden? Don’t like that I gave you a bath?”

Lu Fengfeng nearly fell into the pool. He waved his hand. “No, no. Maybe I soaked too long, and my brain’s a little foggy. Let’s go up.”

He couldn’t take it any longer. Was this a test from the gods?

Just thinking about the things Yan Ning did for him while he was unconscious made his heart race uncontrollably, almost as if he couldn’t handle it anymore.

“By the way, when I was coming up from the foot of the mountain, I practiced the princess carry. I’m already very skilled at it. If you need, I can carry you over,” Yan Ning suddenly said.

Lu Fengfeng’s feet slipped, and Yan Ning caught him, preventing him from falling.

He shakily asked, “You… who did you practice with?”

“With you. You were unconscious the whole time, so I carried you up,” Yan Ning said matter-of-factly.

Lu Fengfeng raised his hand to his forehead, feeling the deep malice of the world.

Princess carry… bathing… being seen…

Social death in three steps!!!

“What’s wrong with you?”

Lu Fengfeng covered his face and waved his hand. “You… give me a moment, I need to adjust.”

“Okay.” Yan Ning sat by the edge of the pool, occasionally splashing the water with her foot, waiting for him to recover from the unknown shock.

After about five minutes, Lu Fengfeng walked over and patted her on the shoulder. “I’m fine now, let’s go.”

Yan Ning stood up obediently. The two of them changed their clothes again and headed to the final stage of the “Jealous” dungeon—The Guardian God’s Bone Tree.

It is said that the Guardian God’s Bone Tree is a plant cultivated by a priest from a certain planet. If lovers are truly connected and kiss beneath the God’s Bone, the tree will bloom.

This plant only blooms when it encounters true love. After it blooms, it immediately bears fruit, and the resulting fruit is extremely rare and valuable.

Some say that eating the God’s Bone fruit can grant immortality, while others say it can detoxify and protect against all poisons.

There is another legend that the priest cultivated this God’s Bone tree to help his beloved break the curse on them, so the fruit of the God’s Bone can also dispel curses.

When Yan Ning and Lu Fengfeng stood under the Guardian God’s Bone Tree for the first time, they didn’t expect the final stage to have such a straightforward request.

The two of them felt flustered inside. Their gazes met for a second, and it felt like they were about to catch fire.

They stood with their backs to each other on opposite ends of the tree trunk, taking deep breaths repeatedly. After mentally preparing for ten minutes, they closed their eyes and, with a sense of reckless abandon, exchanged a quick kiss—touch and parting in an instant.

As for the Guardian God’s Bone Tree, not only did it not bloom, but even the leaves didn’t tremble.

At this moment, the two of them stood under the Guardian God’s Bone Tree again. Lu Fengfeng, still reeling from the recent series of shocks, had a face as red as a beet. He seemed even more nervous than the last time.

Since Yan Ning had learned the reason Lu Fengfeng wanted the God’s Bone fruit, she had thought of many things, but in the end, they all boiled down to one thought—she must help him obtain the God’s Bone fruit.

She took a step forward, gently took his hand, and looked into his eyes, her voice soft and tender as she said, “Fengfeng, look at me.”

Lu Fengfeng, his gaze unsure where to settle, obediently met her eyes—eyes as beautiful as cat’s pupils—and waited quietly for her to speak.

Yan Ning slightly lowered her gaze, a smile spreading from her eyes to the corners of her lips, sinking deeper. Her calm yet gentle voice slowly expressed her feelings: “I like you.”

“Eh?” Lu Fengfeng’s jet-black pupils dilated, and he clearly saw his own shock reflected in Yan Ning’s eyes.

But Yan Ning didn’t give him a chance to speak. She stood on tiptoe, gently closed her eyes, and pressed her soft, cool lips against his.

Lu Fengfeng instinctively stepped back. He didn’t know what was happening to him, but his heart felt like it had drunk alcohol—pounding, burning, intense—and then, as if suddenly drunk, his footing became unstable.

He took a half-step back, but Yan Ning tightened her grip on his hand, took a step forward to catch up with him, and their lips and teeth met, not giving him any chance to escape.

The lush Guardian God’s Bone Tree swayed gently in the wind, and suddenly, at the fork of a delicate branch, a small pink bud emerged.

Gradually, the pink bud grew larger and its color deepened.

When the bud turned a deep red, “Pop—” it burst open into a large flower.

The moment the petals bloomed, a strange fragrance filled the air.

Yan Ning opened her eyes, looked up at the God’s Bone flower above her, and said with joy in her voice, “Look, it’s blooming.”

Lu Fengfeng’s heart was still pounding uncontrollably. His gaze did not fall on the God’s Bone flower but instead turned toward her.

What exactly was this feeling?

He wanted to hold her hand and keep walking forward, to hide her away and not let anyone see her, to lay himself bare in front of her, and make her eyes and heart only focus on him.

Yan Ning reached up to pluck the red fruit that had bloomed from the God’s Bone flower and placed it into Lu Fengfeng’s palm. “Here, our promise is fulfilled.”

Lu Fengfeng suddenly felt like he had dropped from the clouds to the ground. He looked at the fruit lying in his hand, a trace of bitterness curling at the corners of his lips. “Yes, our promise is fulfilled.”

Yan Ning let go of his hand and walked in the direction of the mountain’s foot. “Let’s go, it’s finally over!”

—

The two of them descended the mountain and returned to the place where they had first boarded the cruise ship.

The cruise ship, which had set sail a few days ago, was now parked at the coast. Sese, Tutu, and Zhao Xiaojue were standing on the beach, waiting for them to approach.

When Sese and Tutu saw Yan Ning, they immediately went up to greet her. “Ningning, you’re back! Congratulations, you got first place!”

Zhao Xiaojue also walked forward. “Everyone else has already gone on board to rest. You two should head up as well. Your room is the same as before, and your things are there. You can rest for now.”

Yan Ning and Lu Fengfeng boarded the ship and went to their respective rooms, not saying goodnight to each other as they usually did.

Their promise was fulfilled, and their relationship came to an end.

Yan Ning returned to her room, lay down on the soft bed. Despite feeling utterly exhausted, she couldn’t fall asleep.

Holding the blanket, she stared at the white wall, letting her thoughts drift. She thought of Yan Wan. She should have boarded the ship by now.

During the dragon slaying, she released her mental power, which later caused the suppressor to break and her mental energy to explode.

Her mental power swept over Yan Wan and detected a system similar to 007, though slightly different.

The exact details were unclear, but this system was likely what Yan Wan relied on.

Now that she knew what was behind Yan Wan, Yan Ning no longer felt as panicked as before. She also wanted to wake 007 as soon as possible.

Thinking of this, she sat up from the bed and calculated that her money should be enough.

With 2 million plus the 500,000 bonus, along with the income from this live stream (though the exact amount was unclear), the total should be close to 3 million.

She could make a deposit and order the battery now, as it wouldn’t arrive until a month later.

If she was still short of money by then, she could sell some stones or look for another part-time job during this period.

Yan Ning called Qin Xian and ordered the battery.

But since she was on the ship, she couldn’t pay the deposit. Qin Xian agreed to help her place the order first, and she could pay when she returned.

The ship arrived at B City in the middle of the night, and Uncle Zheng’s car was already parked at the port.

She wasn’t sure if this had been planned from the beginning or if it was intentional.

Yan Ning got into Uncle Zheng’s car to go home, while Yan Wan got into the car parked behind Uncle Zheng’s. That car was also driven by their family’s chauffeur, Chen, who usually picked up and dropped off Yan Wan.

Almost everyone else was driven home in Shengyi’s special car.

When they returned to the old Yan family house, it felt like she had been away for a long time, even though it had only been a few days.

Aunt Chen had cooked a lot of food, and when she saw them enter, she immediately set the table in the dining room.

Yan Ning went straight upstairs to her room. After dropping off her luggage, she changed into comfortable pajamas and curled up in bed.

—

Next door to Yan Ning’s room.

Yan Wan was throwing a tantrum in her room, cursing nonstop, with the floor in chaos.

At first, the system tried to console her, but gradually, it fell silent, letting her vent.

In fact, it hadn’t expected the finals to end so badly.

That woman, Yan Ning, was terrifyingly strong. Just being probed by her mental power made him tremble all over, unable to move.

“Think of a way! I have to torment her, make her wish she were dead, just like Yan An!” Yan Wan’s vicious voice rang out.

The system frowned in disgust, trying to suppress its impatience as it spoke, “You can’t make a move right now. The loss from this finals is too severe. Not only did you fail to achieve your goals, but your reputation has also dropped significantly.”

“I don’t care! I can’t stand it any longer!” Yan Wan pounded the bed.

“Or… you could apply pressure through the people around you?” The system suggested.

Yan Wan’s gaze wandered as she searched her mind for someone to use, and a name appeared.

Her brows lifted, and her expression turned manic.

Yan Ning, it’s all your fault, you pushed me to this point.

—

Lu Fengfeng didn’t take the car arranged by Shengyi. After everyone else had left, Hei Jing slowly arrived.

Lu Fengfeng got into the car, closed his eyes, and leaned back on the soft cushion, his face full of fatigue.

Hei Jing held a cigarette in his mouth, glanced at him, and deliberately asked, “You got the Divine God’s Bone Fruit, but you don’t seem very happy?”

Lu Fengfeng opened his eyes, glanced at him, and said nothing.

Hei Jing felt uncomfortable and continued, “If it were me, I wouldn’t be happy either. You went to get something to break the curse, almost didn’t get it, and almost lost yourself in the process. What were you thinking? Are you just some naive kid who’s never seen a woman before?”

“Ah, you really are!” Hei Jing’s tone was filled with frustration.

Oaths were as important to Lu Fengfeng as they were annoying to Hei Jing.

Lu Fengfeng remained silent, and Hei Jing kept complaining: “So what now? Did you tell her about yourself? Will she accept you?”

“After watching the final match today, that Stone Dragon was the real deal, right?”

“A woman who can easily kill the Stone Dragon, there can’t be many like her in the stars. Knowing that she’s not ordinary puts my mind at ease a little.”

“Maybe we can use her…”

“We’re done.” Lu Fengfeng stared out the window, finally speaking.

“Huh? What do you mean ‘done’? The competition’s over?” Hei Jing was confused, feeling an ominous premonition in his heart.

“Yan Ning and I are done.” Lu Fengfeng turned to look at him, exhaustion in his eyes.

“You—” If he could, Hei Jing really wanted to punch Lu Fengfeng at that moment, but he restrained himself, wanting to understand the situation. “Why? The Sea Demon illusion is broken, and the Yushen Bone tree has bloomed, and now you’re telling me you’re breaking up?”

“It was always a deal, and now the deal is over.” Lu Fengfeng rubbed his brow, “I’m really tired. Let’s talk about this later.”

Hei Jing was almost furious, but in the end, he slammed his hand on the steering wheel and still took Lu Fengfeng home.

—

The next day, during the May Day holiday, there was no need to go to school.

Yan Ning slept until nearly noon, and after waking up, she called Qin Xian to set a time and then went downstairs.

The house was still as quiet as usual. Yan Wan and Yan Yu, who usually liked to stay downstairs, weren’t around.

Aunt Chen saw her come downstairs but didn’t ask if she wanted to have a meal, as she usually did.

Yan Ning simply changed her shoes and went out.

Aunt Chen heard the door close, stood up, and looked outside, muttering to herself, “Dressed up so fancy, not even eating at home, what’s she going out to do now?”

Yan Ning took a taxi to Qixi Plaza, took the elevator upstairs, and went to Qixi Supermarket again.

From a distance, she saw Qin Xian sitting in the rest area, seemingly reading a book. She walked over to greet him, “Mr. Qin.”

The man looked up, it wasn’t Qin Xian, but another person she knew.

The man was surprised when he saw her, “Yan Ning, what are you doing here?”

“Qin Li, is this store yours?”

Yan Ning thought about it for a moment. The names “Qin Xian” and “Qin Li” were quite similar.

Looking carefully, Qin Li did resemble Qin Xian somewhat. Could Qin Li be Qin Xian’s son?

“Is Mr. Qin your father?” Yan Ning asked casually, still thinking it over.

Just as Qin Xian, who had stepped out for a moment, came back in and heard this question, he froze for a second, and his face suddenly became awkward. “Do I look that old?”

Qin Li’s face also turned awkward. He couldn’t help but reach out and lightly pat the air in front of Yan Ning, though he didn’t actually touch her. “What are you talking about? That’s my brother!”

“Uh… sorry.” Yan Ning was stunned for a moment, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

Qin Xian knew that Yan Ning was here to pay the deposit. Although he was indeed a bit offended, thinking of the huge amount of money about to be deposited, he decided to generously forgive her.

“It’s fine, I’m not too concerned. Miss Yan, so you know my younger brother?”

Qin Xian had watched the live stream, but since he was busy managing the store, he didn’t go to the scene. He watched the whole thing online and focused mainly on his younger brother, Qin Li.

At this moment, when he saw Yan Ning, he didn’t immediately associate her with the game contestant.

“Bro, she’s the Number One contestant, Ningning, from the finals. Didn’t you know?” Qin Li was quite surprised by this.

Since this morning, he had received so many messages from both familiar and unfamiliar friends, all asking about Yan Ning.

He thought his brother watched the live streams every day, so when he realized that he and Yan Ning knew each other, he figured it out.

Yan Ning noticed Qin Xian’s awkwardness, waved her hand, and helped him out of the situation, “I actually came here today to pay the deposit. Let’s take care of the business first?”

“Yeah, alright.” Qin Xian stood up to get the receipt.

Qin Li waved her over, “Come sit. By the way, what are you buying from my brother?”

“A battery.” Yan Ning didn’t hide it.

“You’re the one buying the K2 battery?” Qin Li’s voice suddenly rose. Realizing he was too excited, he moved closer to Yan Ning and whispered, “What do you need that for? Do you know how to use it?”

“…Hmm.” Yan Ning wasn’t quite used to him being so close, so she leaned back slightly to create some distance.

Qin Xian returned, and Yan Ning paid the deposit, took the receipt, and stood up to leave.

Suddenly remembering something, she turned back to Qin Li and said, “By the way, there’s something I need your help with.”

“What is it?”

“Could you lend me the textbooks from the first year of high school for a few days?”

“Sure, but why do you need the high school books? Aren’t you in first year of middle school?”

“If you still have the textbooks from second and third year of middle school, could you lend me those too? I’ll return them in a few days.”

Yan Ning didn’t explain what she needed them for, but Qin Li generously lent her the textbooks from all three years of middle school as well as the first-year high school textbooks.

Uncle Zheng drove to pick up Yan Ning, originally thinking she just wanted to go out and buy some clothes or something. He didn’t expect her to come back with two boxes of old books.

Uncle Zheng helped her move the books into Yan Ning’s room.

Yan Ning remembered that she had promised to return the books in a few days, so she immediately sat down at her desk and began reading.

Because of her mental powers, her memory was exceptional, and she hardly ever forgot anything after reading it once.

Moreover, she had never studied middle school or high school textbooks, but as long as she read them once, she could grasp the content easily.

Yan Ning became so absorbed in her studies that she didn’t notice how quickly time passed.

Someone knocked on the door. She glanced at her phone and realized it was already 8 PM.

“Ningning, are you asleep?” Tang Minrou’s voice came through.

She’s back?

Yan Ning got up to open the door and saw Tang Minrou, her expression calm. “Mom, what’s up?”

Tang Minrou was wearing a bathrobe with a towel wrapped around her head, looking like she had just come home, washed up, and came to find her.

She looked at Yan Ning with a gentle gaze and raised her hand to pat Yan Ning’s head. “I just got back and wanted to check on you. I’m about to go downstairs for dinner. Do you want to join me?”

“Hmm, sure, I haven’t eaten yet.” Yan Ning walked out and casually closed her room door.

“You haven’t had dinner yet? What happened? Didn’t Auntie call you for dinner?” Tang Minrou took Yan Ning’s hand and led her downstairs, her beautiful brows furrowing slightly as she looked with some reproach at Aunt Chen, who was setting the table. “Ningning said she hasn’t eaten dinner yet. Didn’t you call her?”

Aunt Chen’s expression changed. Yan Ning had come home last night, went straight upstairs without saying a word.

Earlier that day, when she saw Yan Ning coming downstairs, she deliberately didn’t call her, and as a result, Yan Ning had gone straight out.

She thought the young lady from the countryside was too soft to speak up and secretly felt a bit smug.

Unexpectedly, that evening, as soon as Tang Minrou returned, this girl went and complained.

She felt uneasy but kept her demeanor humble and docile: “I’m sorry, Madam. It was my neglect. Since Miss Ning had been staying in her room and didn’t come out, I assumed she had gone to sleep, so I didn’t call her for dinner.”

Tang Minrou furrowed her brows, instantly knowing it was just an excuse. This Auntie really had no sense. Even though she didn’t feel particularly close to Yan Ning, the girl was still like flesh from her own body.

She and Yan Zhengjun, both so busy, had managed to make time to travel all the way to a remote mountain area to bring her back. Yet, Auntie had treated Yan Ning this way while they were not home.

Tang Minrou felt this Auntie was truly not very bright. Irritated, she spoke directly: “Put the food on the table first. Tomorrow, pack your things and leave. I’ll pay you five times your salary.”

Aunt Chen hadn’t expected the usually gentle and easygoing Tang Minrou to directly fire her. Fear finally surged within her, and she lowered her head, intending to speak up for herself.

But Tang Minrou didn’t want to hear it. She waved her hand for Aunt Chen to leave.

Turning to Yan Ning, Tang Minrou said with a serious tone: “You silly child, when the Aunt at home isn’t attentive, why didn’t you tell Mom?”

Yan Ning lowered her head, furrowing her brows, and replied calmly: “It’s not a big deal. I was reading in my room this afternoon and forgot.”

“Even when reading, you can’t forget to eat. You must be really hungry now, huh? Come, eat with Mom. After dinner, we’ll have a chat,” Tang Minrou said softly, serving Yan Ning a bowl of soup and placing it in front of her.

Yan Ning felt strange at how suddenly gentle Tang Minrou was being, but couldn’t find anything off about it, so she quietly ate.

After dinner, the two sat on the living room sofa, eating the fruit platter that Aunt Chen had cut while chatting. Most of the conversation was Tang Minrou asking questions and Yan Ning answering, mostly about school and some small matters in life.

After sitting for a while, Yan Ning began to sense that Tang Minrou was running out of topics to discuss. Out of consideration, she stood up: “Mom, I’d like to go back to my room and read for a bit. You should rest early.”

Tang Minrou’s expression froze for a moment, then she gently smiled and patted Yan Ning’s hand: “Okay, I’m sorry for disturbing you. Go ahead.”

Watching Yan Ning’s figure as she went upstairs, Tang Minrou’s smile faded, and she couldn’t help but think: I really can’t seem to like this child.

After Yan Ning went upstairs, she received a contact message from Shengyi.

She was the only winner of this competition, and aside from the prize money, she could have one wish granted.

The message from Shengyi was to inquire about her wish. Yan Ning didn’t hesitate and quickly sent over the decision she had already thought of.

Less than five minutes later, a reply came saying they would arrange it as soon as possible.

—

On the last day of the May Day holiday, Yan Ning unexpectedly met someone at the hospital.

Tang Minrou had returned home this time and stayed for three days.

After firing Aunt Chen, she observed the new aunt for another two days.

On the third day, she received a phone call, hurriedly packed her bags, and knocked on Yan Ning’s door: “Ningning, would you like to come with me to see your younger sister?”

Yan Ning didn’t know she had a younger sister, so without much thought, she agreed: “Mm, okay.”

Then, she saw Yan An at the hospital.

Tang Minrou explained that Yan An and Yan Yu were twins, with Yan An being born a few minutes later than Yan Yu.

In the hospital room, Yan Ning saw the frail Yan An. At that moment, she felt like she was seeing another Gu Tian, with a similarly petite and frail body and the same sweet and charming smile.

“Hello, Yan An. I’m Yan Ning,” Yan Ning introduced herself seriously.

After her failed private interactions with Yan Yu, she secretly felt a sense of frustration. When meeting her twin sister, her reaction was a little stiff.

She heard that Yan An had to live in the hospital due to heart problems.

Yan Zhengjun and Tang Minrou, in their spare time from work, had traveled the world seeking doctors to find a cure for Yan An.

“Are you my Sister Ningning?” Yan An seemed to sense Yan Ning’s nervousness, holding her hand with a gentle and expectant light in her eyes.

Yan Ning felt the small hand in hers, which was so delicate it seemed almost all bones, and her emotions were complex. At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel that although they were twins, Yan An was so much cuter than Yan Yu.

“Mm, I’m your Sister Ningning,” she replied gently.

“That’s great, I finally have an older sister. Sister Ningning, do you have time to visit me at the hospital again?” Yan An, being so thin, had particularly large eyes that gazed at Yan Ning without blinking. Her smile was pure and innocent.

Yan Ning’s heart softened, and she nodded, responding, “Mm, okay. I’ll come visit you when I have time.”

After leaving the hospital, Tang Minrou went straight to the airport for another business trip.

After meeting Yan An, Yan Ning roughly understood what her mother had been busy with.

She didn’t know exactly what heart condition Yan An had, but the medical technology in the star system was much more advanced than on Earth, so perhaps there was a way to treat Yan An.

If 007 were around, it should be able to assess Yan An’s condition.

At this moment, Yan Ning sincerely hoped that 007 would recover soon. She didn’t dislike Yan An, and if she could help her, she would do everything she could.

What Yan Ning didn’t know at that time was that, even if she didn’t want to help, her parents had already made a decision for her.

—

After the May Day holiday ended, Yan Ning’s life returned to the peaceful routine it had been before the competition.

Like usual, she got up early, avoiding the time when Yan Wan and Yan Yu had breakfast together. Then, she had Uncle Zheng take her to school and drop her off at the school gate.

That day, Yan Ning noticed many eyes on her, and there were faint whispers from the people around her.

She looked up, and everyone immediately turned their attention elsewhere, as if they hadn’t been looking at her at all. The buzzing whispers faded away, and the situation felt similar to when she had just transferred to this school.

It was probably just people mocking her, but Yan Ning had gotten used to it, so she didn’t think much of it and prepared to enter the school.

“Hey—Dragon Slayer!”

Someone suddenly shouted from behind, and Yan Ning heard it but didn’t think they were calling her.

“Yo—Dragon Slayer!” At that moment, someone walked past her and shouted at her.

Yan Ning looked up, but it wasn’t someone she knew.

The guy seemed surprised that she looked up. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, then suddenly said to her, “You looked super cool slaying the dragon that day.”

Without waiting for her response, he turned and quickly ran away.

After that, as Yan Ning made her way from the long staircase at the school gate through the playground to her classroom, she encountered many people calling her “Dragon Slayer.”

The way they looked at her was completely different from before the holiday. Although they were still smiling, the emotion in their eyes was unlike anything she had seen before.

Yan Ning sat down at her desk, and Qiao Yingxue and Shi Lei immediately turned to talk to her.

Shi Lei was especially excited. He directly interrupted Qiao Yingxue and leaned on Yan Ning’s desk with starry eyes. “Yan Ning, you’re back! Congratulations on getting first place in the individual competition!”

Yan Ning smiled and accepted the compliment. “Thank you.”

“Yan Ning, do you know? You’re really popular right now!” Shi Lei seemed particularly excited.

“Popular? What do you mean?” Yan Ning asked, confused.

After the individual competition, she had made arrangements for the battery and communicated with Shengyi, then spent all her time reading at home. She had no idea what had been happening outside these past few days.

“Come on, don’t tell me you still don’t know?” Shi Lei’s expression was exaggerated. Yan Ning’s news was so outdated, even the village network wasn’t this behind.

“What’s going on?” Yan Ning felt completely bewildered all morning.

“It’s because you were so outstanding on Angel Island No. 4, and your dragon-slaying video accidentally leaked. Now there are tons of your fans both online and at school,” Qiao Yingxue quickly spoke up before Shi Lei, explaining the whole situation in one breath.

Shi Lei had been brewing for a long time, ready to speak, but his lines got stolen by Qiao Yingxue. He felt annoyed but didn’t dare to say anything.

Qiao Yingxue continued, “And there’s another piece of news. Because of this competition, the school belle’s ‘young lady’ image is starting to crumble. Although not many people at school know about your relationship with her, there are already rumors.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Ning’s eyes showed a hint of interest.

After the individual competition, she hadn’t seen Yan Wan again. Even at home, they hadn’t crossed paths.

Yan Wan always seemed to cleverly avoid meeting her. In order to avoid running into Yan Ning, Yan Wan had been eating in her room these past few days.

With Aunt Chen’s example in mind, the new aunt was extremely cautious and made sure they came downstairs for every meal. If they were unwilling to come downstairs, she would also pack up their food and bring it to their rooms.

Shi Lei sat nearby, remained quiet for a while, but couldn’t help but move closer. “Yan Ning, how were you so amazing on the island? That dragon-slaying video—your moves, your aura—I’ve watched it dozens of times already. Have you ever practiced martial arts?”

Yan Ning laughed at him and thought back to when she first joined class 7, grade 5. Her age had been exposed, and Shi Lei had particularly looked down on her.

Now, everything had changed.

She shook her head, then nodded. “Well, sort of.”

“Yan Ning, what’s going on between you and Lu Fengfeng? Why didn’t you tell us about it?” Shi Lei brought up the topic about the island, and Qiao Yingxue finally remembered to ask about it.

She thought of herself as a good friend of Yan Ning’s, and the fact that Yan Ning hadn’t told her about this was quite a blow.

Yan Ning lowered her gaze, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I didn’t have a chance to tell you.”

Her hands, placed on the desk, gradually clenched. She had deliberately avoided thinking about it these past few days. All her free time was spent reading, and once she finished, she would go to sleep.

She didn’t look, think, or touch anything related to the island. Over time, it seemed like those things had happened a long time ago, and she even began to forget them little by little.

It was just self-deception. As soon as the topic came up, the memories of being with Lu Fengfeng would play in her mind like a movie.

The time was still too short. She needed more time to organize and let go of that memory.

“So, who chased whom? Who confessed first?” Qiao Yingxue asked.

Yan Ning thought for a moment and hesitantly replied, “Chase? Hmm, I think he brought it up first. As for confessing, I think I was the one who said it first.”

“Eh? When he was chasing you, didn’t he say he liked you?”

Yan Ning shook her head.

“Then did you agree to be with him?”

Yan Ning nodded.

“That’s not right!” Qiao Yingxue suddenly became a bit angry. “What’s up with Lu Fengfeng? How could he do that? Yan Ning, you’re spoiling him too much.”

“Huh?” Yan Ning felt like the conversation was drifting in a strange direction.

“Yan Ning, do you think he tricked you?”

Who chases a girl without confessing first and waits for the girl to confess?

“It’s okay,” Yan Ning decided to steer the increasingly strange conversation back on track. “We’ve already broken up.”