Chapter X

Though the cooperation had been settled, neither side had signed a contract or sworn an oath—swearing an oath in the game would invoke the supervision of the main deity, Nuwa, and breaking it would bring severe punishment. Yet both sides tacitly chose to trust each other. On one hand, neither party’s interests were threatened, and the cooperation actually benefited them both. On the other hand, they shared a common enemy—the Undying Dynasty. So even without any binding agreement, they would still cooperate by unspoken understanding. But if something greater arose, if the stakes exceeded the value of their partnership, Drunken Beauty’s betrayal would come in an instant.

Lin Shenyue watched With the Wind leave and asked curiously, “Don’t we really need to sign a contract or something?”

Ye Jue chuckled. “Contracts can be torn up at any time—they don’t carry much real weight. Using an in-game oath would have consequences that are too severe. At the end of the day, this is just an exchange of interests. As long as our interests align, we can still cooperate. But the moment they diverge, we could be at each other’s throats in an instant.”

Lin Shenyue looked dazed for a moment, then spoke with subdued emotion. “Is there really nothing in this world but interests? No room for feelings?”

Ye Jue was silent for a while, then sighed. “I don’t want to say this, but aside from relatively pure forms of love, family affection, and friendship, about ninety percent of human interactions are built on interests. Some even say that romantic love itself is just two people meeting each other’s needs. I don’t entirely agree, but I have to admit there’s truth in it.”

Lin Shenyue’s expression fell. She thought back to her past life, to those so-called friends. Now that she reflected on it, they had only drawn close to her because she had always been lavish with her spending.

Xu Linglong couldn’t hold back anymore. She strode forward and said, “Hey, don’t be so alarmist. At least in my view, pure friendship still exists in this world. Yue’er’s parents treat her with genuine love.”

Ye Jue realized he had misspoken. He had been thinking about the betrayal of his girlfriend in his past life, and the words had slipped out before he could stop them. But then he remembered those guild members who had never abandoned him, and finally he said quietly, “You’re right. I just failed to see that person’s true nature.”

Sensing the sudden drop in Ye Jue’s tone, Xu Linglong didn’t know what to say. Lin Shenyue understood, though. Ye Jue had briefly explained that he was a reincarnator, but she didn’t know the specifics. Still, from his words, she could tell he had been betrayed by someone close to him and reborn because of it. Thinking of her own bizarre way of transmigrating, Lin Shenyue didn’t feel so bad anymore.

“Every darkness in the world has its corresponding light,” Lin Shenyue said, lost in memory. “The two complement each other. Neither can be missing. Don’t sink into the darkness. Just take a gentle step forward, and you’ll find that the world of light is right before your eyes. You just can’t see it.” She was recalling words her grandmother had spoken to her long ago. In her past life, when she was very young, her parents had been too busy and left her in the care of her grandparents. They loved her dearly, but they didn’t have the energy to watch her every moment. Once, she had sneaked out to play, and some other children had bullied her, mocking her for not having parents who cared. She had gone home dejected and told her grandmother about it. Her grandmother had smiled gently and told her these words. She hadn’t understood them at the time, but she had memorized them clearly.

Ye Jue fell silent. Since his rebirth, his greatest wish had been revenge. Heaven Guild had dragged him into the darkness, and he wanted to drag them down with him. He thought back to the days since his return and sank into deep contemplation.

Xu Linglong looked at Lin Shenyue in astonishment, then grabbed her and hugged her roughly. “Little Yue’er, I can’t believe you said something so profound! You surprised me.”

Lin Shenyue was caught off guard. She had vivid memories of Xu Linglong’s lethal hugs. At moments like this, survival was more important than enjoying the embrace. She struggled frantically to free herself, gasping, “Linglong, are you trying to suffocate me?”

Xu Linglong pouted. “Yue’er, you’re not the same as before. You used to be gentler.”

The corner of Lin Shenyue’s mouth twitched. Was she supposed to hug Xu Linglong back and comfort her? The problem was, if she did that, she’d be suffocated in seconds.

Seeing the look of terror on Lin Shenyue’s face, Xu Linglong felt a bit awkward. She glanced off into the distance at Divine Wind and Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze, whose gazes were wandering everywhere, and muttered under her breath, “Honestly, what’s the use of having such big boobs? All they do is give dirty old men an eyeful.”

Lin Shenyue was speechless. “There are plenty of people who envy you for them. And here you are, complaining.”

Xu Linglong stared at Lin Shenyue’s chest for a moment, then grinned. “Yue’er, don’t tell me you’re one of those people who envy me.”

A shadow crossed Lin Shenyue’s face. She couldn’t believe that for just a split second, she really had felt a twinge of jealousy. That realization stunned her. She had actually felt envious of Xu Linglong. Did that mean she was starting to accept her own identity?

Seeing Lin Shenyue’s expression shift, Xu Linglong chuckled and whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry, little Yue’er. You’ll develop too.” Though not to my size. Xu Linglong left that last part unsaid, afraid of discouraging her. In truth, Lin Shenyue was already eighteen, and her chances of further development were slim—she had already passed her prime growth period.

Lin Shenyue was about to lose her mind. After hearing that, she actually felt a little relieved. She glanced down at her almost-flat chest and said stiffly, “I’m not jealous of you at all.”

Xu Linglong looked at Lin Shenyue’s tsundere expression and couldn’t resist the urge to pull her into another hug and squeeze her.

While Lin Shenyue was dodging Xu Linglong’s deadly embrace, Ye Jue finally snapped out of his reverie. Since his rebirth, his goal had been to overthrow Heaven Guild. Though protecting his parents was part of it, revenge had become his obsession. In this life, Heaven Guild had clashed with him, but they hadn’t yet threatened his parents’ lives. Maybe one day they would have that intention again, but he believed that by then, he wouldn’t be the same pushover he was in his past life. Even though he still planned to deal with Heaven Guild first, before they came looking for trouble, he would focus on the present.

Ye Jue took a deep breath, stepped forward, and interrupted the girls’ horseplay. His tone was serious. “Yue’er, thank you.”

Startled by his sudden solemnity, Lin Shenyue averted her gaze from his and said softly, “I just spoke off the cuff. If it actually helped you, I’m glad.”

Ye Jue smiled. It was the first time since his rebirth that he felt so lighthearted.

Xu Linglong glanced at him and muttered, “I don’t know what just happened, but he doesn’t feel so gloomy anymore.”

It wasn’t just the two of them who noticed the change in Ye Jue. Divine Wind and Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze also sensed it from a distance. If before, Ye Jue had given off a suffocating pressure, now he wasn’t exactly radiating sunshine, but there was no longer that oppressive aura around him. The brooding darkness that clung to him had lifted.

Divine Wind whispered to Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze, “Looks like Peerless Karma Fire’s spring is coming.”

Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze clicked his tongue. “A lolicon, huh. Guess his tastes are something else.”

Divine Wind smacked his lips and chuckled. “Legal lolis are hard to come by. Wonder if Karma Fire can seize the opportunity.”

Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze said abruptly, “Do you feel it? Both Karma Fire and Yue’er have this strange aura. It’s like under the pull of that aura, it’s hard for anyone else to get between them. Even Exquisite Heart.”

Divine Wind waved a hand dismissively. “Maybe it’s destiny.”

Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze dropped the subject and nodded. “Maybe.”

Lin Shenyue sensed that Ye Jue’s gaze had changed. It was different from before, and she couldn’t bring herself to meet it. Xu Linglong noticed her discomfort and immediately stepped in front of her, blocking her from view. She said bluntly, “It’s not that easy to take Yue’er away from me.”

Lin Shenyue felt even more awkward. “What are you talking about? There’s nothing between us yet. Why are you so worked up?” In her heart, Ye Jue was more of a kindred spirit than a lover.

Hearing that, a shadow passed over Ye Jue’s eyes. In his past life, he had agreed to date that woman, but something had always felt missing. He had gone along with it more because he didn’t want to disappoint a guild member than because he truly liked her. Now he finally understood—he hadn’t really been in love. In this life, he did have feelings, but from the way Lin Shenyue and Xu Linglong talked and carried themselves, their family backgrounds were clearly no ordinary affair. Winning Lin Shenyue’s heart would not be easy.

But then, his expression hardened with resolve. Since he had met her, he would fight for her. No matter the outcome, as long as he did everything he could, he wouldn’t regret it. If he didn’t even have the courage to try, then this rebirth would have been wasted.

Completely unaware that she had become a target, Lin Shenyue was still troubled by Ye Jue’s earlier gaze. It had made her heart race, but she couldn’t understand why. Too inexperienced with matters of the heart, she simply gave up trying to trace the source of that feeling.