Chapter 127
Chapter 127
Today, Clear Spring Academy received two pieces of heartbreaking news.
First, an outsider had crushed a member of the academy’s Elite Program.
Second, Su Xiaoyue had a boyfriend.
Compared with the second piece of news, hardly anyone paid attention to the first.
Su Xiaoyue’s mysterious boyfriend was apparently far more explosive than any discussion about the school’s dignity.
Many people had heard rumors that Su Xiaoyue had a boyfriend back home… but most assumed they were baseless gossip, or simply an excuse she used to reject suitors.
Only after seeing the video of her flying into Qin Lan’s arms did they finally give up all hope.
What followed was an extreme sense of injustice.
Incidentally, the boys weren’t the only ones who felt that way… There were also certain female students with particular tastes.
They had created their own group chat at the academy, much like the Su Xiaoyue Admirers’ Alliance back in high school, and happily called Su Xiaoyue “Mommy.”
“Mommy is so cool…”
“Hit me, Mommy…”
“I want Mommy to pin me against the wall and kiss me…”
Whenever someone posted a video of Su Xiaoyue fighting in a training match, the comments beneath it generally looked like that…
Their thirst rivaled the boys’ in every way.
These girls believed no boy deserved to be with Su Xiaoyue. Only “sweet, soft girls” like them were worthy of Mommy’s affection.
Thus, Qin Lan successfully took the number one spot on the Su Xiaoyue Daughters’ hit list.
Wonderful. Qin Lan was now number one on two different rankings.
The undisputed king of leaderboards.
Back to the point.
After much coaxing and persuading, Qin Lan finally dragged Su Xiaoyue somewhere with fewer people. Only then did he have time to discuss everything that had happened recently.
He also asked how he had somehow “dropped dead out of nowhere.”
“Fatty Wu, that bastard… Can’t he ever explain himself properly?”
“What was all that about me being gone and no longer here…?”
Qin Lan was thoroughly speechless.
That unreliable fatass.
Leaning close beside him, Su Xiaoyue spoke softly. “I was devastated back then… Whenever I thought I might never see you again, I regretted leaving so many things unsaid.”
“So I kept thinking that if I ever had the chance to see you again, if I could do it all over, I would never bottle everything up like before.”
Her words suddenly reminded Qin Lan of something. He hurriedly explained, “Right, I have to tell you about that junior named Tang Qingqing.”
“Her Twin Talent is extremely powerful. I only stayed in contact with her because I saw her potential and thought she might grow into a three-star or even four-star Anomaly Hunter.”
“Nothing else happened between us!”
“Besides, she performed exceptionally well during this anomaly invasion, so…”
To his surprise, Su Xiaoyue merely raised a hand and gently pressed it over his lips.
“It’s all right.”
Su Xiaoyue smiled at Qin Lan, her tone gentler than he had ever heard it. “I’ve come to understand a lot of things.”
She gazed into his eyes, an emotion he couldn’t decipher hidden within her own.
“Your identity and the path you’ve chosen mean you’re destined to face a great deal of danger.”
“Whether it’s anomalies in the Fallen Zone or disasters striking a Safe Zone…”
“Even if you came through this time unharmed, something terrible might happen next time.”
Su Xiaoyue continued earnestly, “If she truly can help you, even if all she does is ease your burden a little, then that’s a good thing.”
“I wasn’t by your side this time. If someone else could support you in my place and make things a little easier for you, I’d be happy too.”
That left Qin Lan completely at a loss.
“You…”
Qin Lan hesitated. “But you seemed pretty angry back then, didn’t you?”
Su Xiaoyue smiled. “So you actually noticed?”
“Did something finally get through that thick skull of yours?”
Qin Lan scratched his head awkwardly.
In truth, he had only realized it afterward.
Su Xiaoyue sighed. “I really was unhappy then. But when I thought you’d died in battle over there… I suddenly felt that none of it mattered at all.”
“You’re the only thing I care about.”
“As long as I become stronger, I can become your most valuable helper, and I’ll be the only one you rely on.”
At that, Su Xiaoyue tilted her head and gave Qin Lan a playful look.
“Once you realize you can’t live without me, no one else will pose a threat.”
Qin Lan couldn’t describe the feeling that came over him.
Hearing Su Xiaoyue say he was the only thing she cared about filled him with an inexplicably powerful sense of guilt.
He had only understood her feelings recently. He hadn’t even realized he was her “boyfriend” until then…
Why did he suddenly feel like such a scumbag?
Qin Lan hesitated, then forced the words out.
“Speaking of which… what exactly are we to each other right now?”
The moment he said it, Qin Lan regretted it.
That sounded incredibly strange, like some human-skin monster asking him to validate its identity.
“What I mean is, we never officially… Uh, you know… Hmm… You understand, right?”
Su Xiaoyue couldn’t help bursting into laughter at his clumsy fumbling.
“You’re trying to say we’ve never had a formal, explicit conversation or officially established our relationship, right?”
Qin Lan nodded.
“Qin Lan, I want to be your girlfriend.”
Su Xiaoyue enunciated every word.
Before Qin Lan could figure out what he should say next, her bombshell declaration struck him senseless.
Wait, hold on!
How did this suddenly turn into a confession?
Weren’t they skipping a few steps here?
This wasn’t how it went in anime!
Su Xiaoyue’s face reddened slightly, but she continued to explain her feelings in earnest.
“At first, after you saved me in that instance, I couldn’t help feeling attracted to you.”
“I started wanting to understand you, care about you, and learn more deeply what kind of person you were.”
“I’ve met plenty of people who do nothing but boast, but you’re different from them.”
After a short pause, Su Xiaoyue continued.
“Later, after you joined the Anomaly Hunter Bureau, you gave me the precious item you’d risked your life to obtain without a second thought.”
“I was deeply moved.”
“You’re a little dense, but you still share the things happening around you with me.”
“I like listening to your stories.”
“I used to hesitate too. I worried that after leaving Safe Zone 088, I might meet new people and change my mind… But later I realized that no matter how many people I met, none of them were like you.”
“Not in any way.”
Su Xiaoyue’s gaze softened. “Even if you were still that poor student with an F-rank Talent, even if you were still only a one-star Anomaly Hunter, my choice wouldn’t change.”
“And now, even I’m astonished by how much you’ve changed.”
“So there’s no chance I’m letting you get away.”
Su Xiaoyue blinked, the light in her eyes shining like hidden stars.
“I know you’ve never been good at expressing yourself, so I’ll be the one to say it.”
“Will you be my boyfriend?”
Qin Lan felt as though he had been struck by lightning.
Only one thought kept circling through his mind.
“If she ever finds out that all those touching moments she remembers were misunderstandings…”
“I’m probably going to die horribly, aren’t I?”