Chapter 26: Acting Once Again
The Aftermath of the Fall
A loud thud echoed as something heavy hit the ground. Yu Li, as if suddenly realizing something, finally turned to look back.
“…Tch.”
Seeing the scene behind her, Yu Li let out a displeased click of her tongue. Lin Mu lay sprawled on the ground, unharmed but seemingly unconscious, being hoisted up single-handedly by a young man in a white coat.
The young man shot Yu Li a look of exasperation, as if he knew something, but he said nothing. He merely shook his head and carried Lin Mu away.
“Well, that’s a bit of a shame… but… it doesn’t matter. After all… the goal has been achieved.”
A trace of icy intent flickered in Yu Li’s eyes, but she had no intention of doing anything further. The teachers, realizing the situation had escalated, were now rushing to the plaza to disperse the crowd.
A Cold Confrontation
Amid the chaos, Yu Li quietly approached Lan Yi. Lan Yi, having witnessed everything, was slumped on the ground, her legs trembling.
Yu Li reached out, gently touching Lan Yi’s delicate face, leaning down slightly to stare into her chaotic blue eyes.
“Senior… nothing in this world… happens without a reason.”
Yu Li’s tone was cold, her words incomprehensible to Lan Yi. Those eyes, which had always felt warm to her, now carried an endless chill.
This left Lan Yi utterly bewildered. Everything had been fine before they came here—so why had it all changed so suddenly?
Before Lan Yi could react, Yu Li withdrew her hand from her face. In an instant, that bright, cheerful smile returned to Yu Li’s face, her eyes no longer cold but filled with warmth.
Yet this only made Lan Yi feel a shiver down her spine.
“Thank you, Senior, for playing along with me. I had a lot of fun!”
Yu Li’s voice brimmed with joy, as if she were just a lively, innocent girl.
“Play… acting…?”
Lan Yi instinctively repeated the two words that slipped from Yu Li’s mouth. They reminded her of their first meeting, when Yu Li had used her acting skills to deceive Ye Sheng and save herself.
So, today’s date was all an act… or perhaps… it had been fake from the very start…
A Shattered Aura
Crack—
It was as if something shattered, though no one else could hear it—except Yu Li.
Even Yu Li was somewhat surprised. A flood of Lan Yi’s emotions surged forth, so intense that even her blue protagonist aura began to crack, as if it couldn’t bear the strain.
“This is… quite unexpected…”
Though Yu Li wanted to keep observing Lan Yi’s reaction, reality didn’t allow it. The teachers were approaching, and Lan Yi’s emotions were on the verge of overwhelming Yu Li as well.
“Well then… Senior Lan Yi, today’s date ends here. Next time… if there is a next time, it’s your turn to ask me out, okay?”
Yu Li chuckled lightly, curtsied with a lift of her skirt, and walked past the stunned Lan Yi without a second glance.
After Yu Li left, a teacher finally noticed the situation and rushed over to help Lan Yi up.
Lan Yi’s expression was dazed, oblivious to the teacher’s concern and questions, as if she had suffered a great shock.
The teachers assumed she was frightened by someone jumping off a building and took her to the infirmary.
A Friend’s Concern
A blonde girl stood beside a car, her expression anxious. The next moment, her eyes lit up, as if she’d finally seen the person she was waiting for.
“You’re so slow! Where were you today? You skipped an entire day of classes!”
Ai Xinglan’s face shifted from worry to accusation as she confronted Yu Li.
“You just told me to wait for you after school, then disappeared all afternoon without explaining anything. If you don’t give me a good reason, don’t even think about—Yu Li?!”
Ai Xinglan was about to say more, but Yu Li suddenly collapsed into her arms.
“You’re burning up! You idiot, Yu Li, you’re sick—why didn’t you say anything?!”
Ai Xinglan could feel Yu Li’s body was scalding, her temperature still rising.
“…Feng, we need to get to the hospital!”
“Wait… Xiao Ai… I’m fine…”
“You can barely speak, and you’re saying you’re fine?!”
Ai Xinglan’s brows furrowed. She couldn’t understand why Yu Li was being so stubborn with her.
“I’m really fine… I just need… a safe place to rest…”
Yu Li struggled to lift her head, giving Ai Xinglan a weak smile to reassure her, but the next moment, small black flames flickered across her body. Her summoned beast, Liuli, appeared uncontrollably and collapsed nearby.
Ai Xinglan scooped up the unconscious little fox and looked at Yu Li in her arms. This didn’t look like just an illness.
A Race Against Time
“This is…”
“Miss, Miss Yu Li’s ability is mutating again. We need to get her back home quickly—there’s a stabilizer there. Something could go wrong if we stay out here.”
Feng, who had been watching, suddenly spoke up, her expression unusually serious. She swiftly took Liuli from Ai Xinglan’s hands and helped Yu Li into the car.
Ai Xinglan didn’t hesitate and quickly got in beside Yu Li.
Once inside, Yu Li seemed to relax and fainted. Tiny black flames enveloped her entire body, yet Ai Xinglan still held her hand tightly, her eyes filled with worry.
“Miss, hold on tight.”
Feng’s expression was deadly serious, a strange glint in her eyes. With a quick word, she started the car.
The engine roared to life. What was usually just a private car for school commutes now tore through the wind at breakneck speed.
Feng drove with all her might, never slowing down regardless of the road conditions. They reached the house in less than half the usual time.
A Ruined Realm
The once resplendent palace now lay in ruins. A massive spear hovered in midair, as if capable of piercing the heavens. The palace walls, shattered by the spear, floated in place, as though time itself had frozen in that moment.
A black-haired girl slowly opened her eyes, looking around in confusion. She clearly didn’t belong here.
Lan Yi’s outburst of emotions had been too intense, a chaotic mix of dependency, fear, and everything in between.
Since awakening her ability, Yu Li had never experienced emotions of such intensity. Her ability had been overwhelmed by Lan Yi’s emotions, pushing it to the brink and triggering its evolution.
Frowning at the unfamiliar scene, Yu Li felt something was wrong.
She should have woken up in Ai Xinglan’s home, yet here she was, inexplicably in this place. Even Liuli, who was part of her ability, was nowhere to be seen.
If her ability was evolving, Liuli should be evolving too—and should be here with her.
With that thought, Yu Li took a step forward, heading toward the ruined palace.