A gust of cold wind swept across the ground, lifting a few dry leaves into the air.

Yin Yin swore that her intentions were kind. She only wanted to ease the tense atmosphere.

But the look Mo Lingya gave her…… really did resemble what Gu Chenyan had said. He looked at her like she was an idiot.

Just a single glance from Mo Lingya had crushed Yin Yin’s dignity into the dust.

What the hell?!

What’s with that look in your eyes? Don’t think I’m afraid just because you’re holding a sword to my neck!

……

Okay, fine. I’m scared.

Yin Yin stared at Mo Lingya’s face, now mere inches away. His skin was so flawless that not even a single pore could be seen.

She thought it must feel really nice to touch.

“What are you thinking about?” Mo Lingya parted his thin lips and coldly spat out the words.

Yin Yin’s hand trembled involuntarily. She forced a couple of awkward laughs. “I’m thinking…… I’m innocent.”

“Innocent?” Mo Lingya let out a cold snort. “So you’re the one who stopped Ling Long from leaking Yanyan’s information?”

Yin Yin: “……”

When did she ever say something that suicidal?!

Even if she did, there was no way he should know about it!

“You two really are good friends.” Mo Lingya said with a faint, indifferent smile. “Yanyan, come with me, or she dies.”

Damn it! Why was it always her who suffers when someone else screws up? 〒▽〒

Yin Yin wept rivers of tears in her heart.

“Maybe the one who dies will be you.”

Ling Long’s voice suddenly cut in from the side, and the anger simmering in his tone was like a storm brewing on the horizon.

He glanced at Yin Yin, but his amber eyes revealed no emotion at all. “Why do you always get caught?”

Yin Yin: “……”

That’s what I’d like to know too, damn it.  (:з」∠)

The longsword in Mo Lingya’s hand pressed even closer to Yin Yin’s neck. “Want to take a gamble?”

Ling Long’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“This has nothing to do with her! Let her go!” Gu Chenyan’s voice suddenly rose in urgency as she shouted at Mo Lingya.

He looked at her, but his grip did not waver in the slightest. “Like I said, come with me.”

Gu Chenyan clenched her fists and bit her lip hard, clearly locked in an intense inner struggle.

“I don’t have much patience.” The sharp tip of the blade gently tapped against Yin Yin’s neck— just enough to leave a thin line of blood.

Yin Yin instinctively wanted to cry out in pain, but when she saw Ling Long’s expression instantly darken, she forced herself to stay silent.

Ling Long’s gaze locked onto the fresh wound on Yin Yin’s neck, where crimson blood still beaded and spilled out.

Sensing the killing intent emanating from Ling Long, Mo Lingya raised an eyebrow, his expression faintly excited.

Mo Lingya was reputed as the greatest martial artist under the heavens, but Ling Long’s martial arts remained completely unreadable to him.

In truth, he had long wanted to cross swords with this unfathomable leader of Zhuwang.

Pervert!

Why are you staring at my crush like that? What are you trying to do?!

Even in this situation, Yin Yin couldn’t help but worry about Ling Long’s innocence. She hadn’t forgotten the wildly popular MoLing fanfics in 《All Splendor Fades》.

“Mo Lingya!” Gu Chenyan suddenly shouted through gritted teeth. “You’re only dragging me back because I embarrassed you by running out on the wedding, right? What kind of man talks about love or marriage when he doesn’t even have a heart? You only love yourself! Why don’t you just marry yourself?!”

Yin Yin: “……”

Wasn’t that a bit too heavy?

But honestly, it kind of suits a freak like Mo Lingya.

Mo Lingya was momentarily distracted by Gu Chenyan’s words. Just as Yin Yin prepared to go bite his hand, the world spun around her. A sudden numbness overwhelmed her body, even making it hard to breathe.

Her head grew heavier, her vision blurred more and more, and finally, she fainted right into Mo Lingya’s arms.

Mo Lingya never dreamed Yin Yin would suddenly pass out. In that stunned moment, something shot toward his wrist with incredible speed and accuracy, nearly knocking the sword from his hand.

The next instant, his arms were empty. Ling Long had already flashed to his side and carried Yin Yin away.

“Master!” Sang Ze and Du Qianqian rushed to them.

Yin Yin’s whole body was burning hot, but her face was as pale as paper. Even her pulse was faint, as if it could disappear at any moment.

Ling Long stared at Mo Lingya and ground out the words through clenched teeth, “What did you do to her?”

Mo Lingya frowned. “I didn’t do anything.”

“What’s wrong with Master?” Sang Ze clutched Ling Long’s sleeve in panic.

“She’s been poisoned.”

Everyone present was stunned by those words.

Ling Long’s fingers swiftly tapped several points on Yin Yin’s body, sealing key acupoints and protecting her heart meridian.

Then he scooped her up and darted into Xue’er’s house, placing her gently onto the bed.

“I’m heading up the mountain to find Jia Qing right now. Take good care of her. And try not to move her.” Ling Long instructed Du Qianqian and the others before striding toward the door.

As he passed Mo Lingya standing at the entrance, he paused for a beat.

“If you dare touch her again, I’ll make sure Xuehen disappears from the Jianghu forever.”

“Oh?” A flash of cold amusement crossed Mo Lingya’s eyes. “That’s something to look forward to.”

Ling Long cast him one final glance before swiftly ascending the mountain.

Mo Lingya watched his departing figure, drifting away like a wisp of white cloud, a strange glint flickering in his eyes.

Such elegant footwork.

He found himself increasingly eager to fight him.

His gaze then fell on Yin Yin, still unconscious on the bed. If he used her as leverage, he would surely be able to enrage Ling Long with ease.

That thought stirred a hint of curiosity in him. Ling Long always appeared indifferent and dispassionate, as though nothing in the world could catch his interest. What, exactly, did he see in this woman?

Her face was decent enough, but her personality…… a lovestruck fool mixed with a complete idiot.

Mo Lingya silently gave Yin Yin a big red X in his mind.

────ρя


Yin Yin felt unbearably hot, as if a dozen furnaces were burning her all at once.

Her mind was hazy, but she could clearly sense her body growing lighter and lighter, until it felt as if she had shed the shackles of flesh and floated weightlessly in the air.

Everything around her grew still. The searing heat that had just moments ago scorched her now receded entirely.

Her eyelids twitched, then slowly opened with great effort.

She had to stifle a gasp.

She was back in the apartment she used to live in— 90 square meters, two-bedroom, finely furnished, facing south, with convenient transportation. It was a real gem of a place.

She stood in the living room, dazed for a moment, her gaze unconsciously drifting toward Ji Ting’s bedroom.

Sure enough, as she had expected, the door was slightly ajar.

A strange laugh bubbled up in her throat. What was the meaning of this?

This was already the third time she had dreamed something like this. But each time, just before she could get close to the computer, she would miraculously wake up.

If this wasn’t a bug in some game, then……

The deity of transmigration must be toying with her.

She took a deep breath in the living room.

If she woke up again without seeing anything, she swore that next time, she would do everything in her power to wake herself up— and never foolishly open that door again!

As she stepped toward Ji Ting’s room, Yin Yin felt a strange sensation in her heart.

It was as if the gears of fate had begun to turn and could no longer be stopped.

The room was dark, but Yin Yin had grown used to that. If she opened the door and saw Ji Ting inside surfing the internet, she’d probably feel even more out of place.

She glanced at the computer, its screen glowing faintly with a cold light, her gaze sharp as a hunting leopard.

This time, no matter what, she was going to see what was on that screen!

With a sense of sacred determination, Yin Yin crept closer to the computer, barely daring to breathe.

The room was deathly quiet. The only sound she could hear was her own pounding heartbeat.

Thump. Thump.

She swore she hadn’t been this nervous even the first time she told a lie.

With a swift pivot on her toes, she stood in place, her eyes fixed intently on Ji Ting’s computer screen.

And what did she see?!

She had expected a chaotic mess of formulas, symbols, foreign languages, or charts she couldn’t understand. But it was none of those things.

The screen was clean. The content? It was so simple that even a primary school student could understand it.

It was the original manuscript of 《All Splendor Fades》!

Yin Yin stumbled back several steps in shock before collapsing onto the bed.

The author of 《All Splendor Fades》 was Ji Ting?!

This— this— this was unbelievable!

Ji Ting, a doctoral graduate from a top university, a pillar of the nation, a model elite of society— she kept her door shut all day not because she was conducting some anti-human, anti-social research, but because…… she was writing romance novels?!

This discovery completely shattered Yin Yin’s worldview.

Not only shattered, it made her deeply concerned for the future of the country.

She sat on the bed, taking several deep breaths until her chest finally stopped heaving so violently.

She recalled how, during past conversations, Ji Ting had once casually asked her what kind of guy she liked.

So that was…… for the character setting of the male protagonist in the novel?!

……

Which meant, Ling Long had been created based on her preferences?

Aww! No wonder he was her dream man!

That thought suddenly sent a thrill of excitement through Yin Yin.

Now that she knew Ji Ting was the author of 《All Splendor Fades》, all the over-the-top plot twists in the novel finally made sense.

After all, asking a science PhD to write a romance novel— it was almost cruel.

She just felt a little guilty now. If she had known Ji Ting was the author, she would have been gentler in her critiques.

Sigh. Ji Ting must have felt awful. 🙁

Her body began to feel weightless again, and the scenery before her eyes blurred. She vaguely heard the sound of running water, crisp and pleasant to the ear.

When she slowly opened her eyes again, a pair of clear amber eyes met her gaze.

“You’re finally awake.”

Ling Long’s voice, almost a sigh, drifted gently into her ears.