Ren Suo had intended to activate "Ghostly Rapid Step" and charge toward the girls' dormitory the moment he exited the arena. However, he had barely taken a few steps when he heard a calm voice behind him, "Male teachers are not allowed to enter the girls' dormitory."

Ren Suo turned and saw Gu Yueyan leaning against the wall of the combat training ground. The cold wind whipped around her, and her fair face, perhaps due to the chill, was flushed with a sunset-like blush.

Today, she wore a white down jacket and jeans, a very standard university student outfit that was lively and natural, yet not bulky. Lin Xianyu's praise for her wasn't entirely unfounded; her entire being exuded the vibrant charm of a female student.

Her long, lustrous black hair was tied into a neat braid. Standing against the smooth, green wall, she faintly resembled a print model.

Ren Suo, unsure how to start the conversation, walked over and said directly, "Are Gu Wenyi and Gu Yuexuan your father and brother? Do you have any conflicts with them? Do they dislike you?"

Gu Yueyan glanced at him. "Why should I tell you?"

"That's true..." Ren Suo scratched his head, feeling the conversation had stalled.

Forget it. Maybe if Qiao Muyi took on both father and son and beat them, one of them would crack. If Qiao Muyi can't beat them, then I'll just randomly pick one lucky family member. If the son is beaten, surely the father will step up, right? If the father is beaten, surely the son will step up too, right? It definitely works like that. That's how it always plays out in TV shows and movies.

Just as Ren Suo pondered whether Qiao Muyi should fight the father or the son first, Gu Yueyan suddenly said, "Stand in front of me."

Ren Suo, slightly taken aback, walked over to stand directly in front of Gu Yueyan.

"Closer."

Ren Suo took two steps forward, the hem of his clothes almost brushing against Gu Yueyan's down jacket.

He rarely saw Gu Yueyan from such a close distance. The last time they had been this close was probably at the lake in Fragrance City.

Speaking of which, Ren Suo had known Gu Yueyan for quite some time. He most clearly remembered that time under the streetlight by the dormitory; she had forcefully warned him not to get any closer to Dong Chengling.

Who would have thought they would later share meals with Dong Chengling, forging a friendship over freeloaded meals? But at the dinner table, Gu Yueyan always maintained a stern face, comparing him and Lin Xianyu, criticizing him for not striving for progress...

After Fragrance City, he seldom chatted privately with Gu Yueyan. Although her harsh words had diminished significantly, she still seemed to hope Ren Suo would stop freeloading meals from Dong Chengling's family...

In Ren Suo's memory, Gu Yueyan always wore a stern expression, was very serious in her demeanor, and completely unafraid of the teachers' authority. Ren Suo never considered her a child who needed to be taught.

At this moment, looking at Gu Yueyan's flushed, pretty face, her expression wasn't the usual serious, rigid one. Instead, her eyes were nervous, her cheeks blushed, and she bit her lip in unease.

Ren Suo suddenly realized that Gu Yueyan was, in fact, a very cute and pretty female student, several years younger than him.

"Turn around," Gu Yueyan said again.

Ren Suo obediently turned around and heard Gu Yueyan ask, "Do you see anyone else?"

"No."

It was three in the afternoon, and there was no sunshine. Everyone was likely in class or holed up in their dorms. Who would be strolling around the combat training ground?

The next second, Ren Suo felt someone lean against his back and heard Gu Yueyan's voice, "The wind is so strong. Help block it for me."

"...Alright."

Ren Suo shrugged and secretly activated "Flame Overlord" for self-heating—he didn't enjoy being chilled by the cold wind either!

"Since you're helping me block the wind, I'll tell you a story as a reward," she said.

To be honest, I'd much prefer to go indoors, pour a cup of hot milk tea, sit down, and chat slowly... Ren Suo thought.

"There was a child, born into a Martial Arts family, who grew up happily under the guidance of a stern father and a gentle mother.

Although he was mischievous, he was exceptionally talented. He understood everything with just a little guidance and quickly became proficient.

He didn't like martial arts, yet with just a bit of practice, he could easily defeat older kids five or six years his senior. He wasn't keen on studying, but he skipped grades repeatedly and was even admitted to the University of Science and Technology of China's special class for gifted youth.

After his mother's death, his father became even stricter with him, ensuring he mastered all the family's martial arts skills by the age of twenty. Academically, he was admitted to Sky Capital University with excellent grades, achieving great success in both academics and athletics, becoming the pride of the family, the pride of his father...

Later, after graduating from college, he chose to enlist in the military. Then, when Spiritual Energy was restored, he quickly awakened. He was transferred from the military to the Sky Capital Strategic Bureau, becoming a talent highly valued by the nation.

His father, owing to his military experience, administrative qualifications, and his own martial arts and Cultivation levels, was also transferred to the Sky Capital Strategic Bureau. It was like a father-son team on the battlefield, their future boundless..."

Ren Suo listened with an increasingly puzzled expression. After a slight hesitation, he asked, "That child... is he your brother, Gu Yuexuan?"

Normally, wouldn't she be talking about her own story at this point?

"Don't turn your head," Gu Yueyan instructed, resting her face comfortably against Ren Suo's back. "Yes," she said in a low voice, "it's Gu Yuexuan."

Ren Suo tapped the 「Listening Headphones」. Understanding Gu Yueyan's intent, he asked, "Why aren't you mentioned in their story?"

"Because I'm insignificant."

Gu Yueyan said softly, "I was five when my mother died. I only remember she was very kind, cared about me a lot, a very good mother... After that, nobody cared about me."

"My brother, Gu Yuexuan, is a genius. Everything came easily to him; he never failed, and he always did better than anyone else."

"When I was seven, I went to train at the martial arts school my father was nominally affiliated with. No matter how hard I trained, the masters there would always say, 'You're a bit behind your brother Gu Yuexuan, but still very impressive. Keep working hard!' My brother had defeated all the masters there by the time he was fourteen."

"I studied hard, but I couldn't skip from third grade to the first year of middle school like my brother, nor could I even approach the threshold for the University of Science and Technology of China's special class for gifted youth. I attended the same elementary school as my brother, and the old teachers there always told me, 'Truly Gu Yuexuan's sister, such good grades!' My brother was the pride of that school; his picture is still on the bulletin board."

Ren Suo listened quietly and asked, "What about your father?"

"Father... was busy," Gu Yueyan said. "Just like in the story, any spare time he squeezed from work was spent educating my brother; he didn't care about me."

"When I wanted to practice martial arts, he allowed it. When I hoped he would give me special Training, he had me train with my brother. But he wasn't as strict with me as he was with my brother. If I wanted to give up, he wouldn't scold or say anything; he'd just let me quit. But if my brother dared to slack off, he would beat him to death."

"I wanted to skip grades, so he took me to the school to apply. I barely passed the exam, but the teacher said I wasn't quite suited for skipping grades. I might not adapt socially or keep up with the learning pace. So, he simply had me give up on skipping grades and continue with elementary school. But my brother was younger than me at the time, and he skipped even more grades."

It seemed Gu Yueyan had never spoken these words to anyone before. As she continued, her emotions began to overflow. Clutching Ren Suo's overcoat, her hands trembling, she said, "He had no expectations for me. He didn't care about me."

"Ren Suo, actually, it's not that they disliked me. It's that I resented them."

"I was jealous of my brother because he received all of our father's attention, because he was so perfect. He was popular, talented, and with little effort, he could achieve far more than me. He had so many missions at the Sky Capital Strategic Bureau and less time for Cultivation than I did, yet he reached the Third Turn faster than me... No matter what, I could never catch up to my brother."

"I hated my father because he never valued me the way my mother did. He only focused all his attention on my brother... Was I really his child too?"

"I didn't like that home. I felt like an unnecessary ghost there."

"When my brother competes later, everyone will know our relationship, and then they'll marvel at my brother's age and Cultivation..."

"My achievement of advancing to the Second Turn will be instantly overshadowed by him. Even if I hide away in Heavenly Lotus Academy, I'll still live in his shadow."

Ren Suo said, "That's not true. Your brother is your brother, and you are you."

Gu Yueyan seemed to shake her head, and Ren Suo felt her face rub against his back. "But people are accustomed to comparing siblings—the good and the bad, strengths and weaknesses... It seems there always has to be a ranking of who's better, as if those not good enough must learn from the better one."

Ren Suo actually agreed. "Mhm, that's true. My parents often compare me with my younger sister, then praise her for being so much stronger than me..."

Gu Yueyan coughed lightly, as if amused by Ren Suo's comment.

After a moment, her voice dropped again. "All these years, I've just been imitating my mother. She was perfect, disciplined, proud, confident. She was not only strict with herself but also strict with me; she loved me, and valued me..."

By now, Ren Suo also understood. No wonder Gu Yueyan liked Dong Chengling so much. She had lacked love in her childhood, and Dong Chengling resembled her mother: beautiful, perfect, self-disciplined, and valued all her students...

And the reason Gu Yueyan had developed such a stern and serious personality was that she was emulating her mother: to her, being good to friends meant caring for them, and caring for friends meant being strict with them, like a mother would.

Because Gu Yueyan was neglected by her father as a child, without his attention or guidance, she developed such a peculiar personality, overshadowed by a genius brother.

To catch up with her brother's achievements, she had to compensate for her lack of Talent with diligence. To be kind to others, she expressed her care by holding them to strict standards.

Ren Suo suddenly understood Lin Xianyu's feelings. It's truly difficult for an outsider to offer advice on such matters!

Ren Suo mulled this over for a moment, then turned around. He found Gu Yueyan's eyes brimming with tears, red as a rabbit's. Streaks of tears moistened her flushed cheeks, and her nose was sniffling.

The face that should have been stern and serious was now a pitiable and adorable visage.

Ren Suo unconsciously fumbled in his pockets—no tissues.

Seeing that Gu Yueyan seemed to have no intention of wiping her own tears, Ren Suo had no choice but to reach out and gently touch her pretty face, wiping away her tears with his thumb—that's how his mother used to wipe his tears when he cried after being scolded or taking a tumble.

He sighed. "Stop crying. If someone saw us, they might think I'm some kind of wolf in sheep's clothing."

Ren Suo's hand was as hot as a hot water bottle. Gu Yueyan was somewhat flustered by his sudden action, as she had never shown such weakness, nor had she ever been comforted like this before.

She was the kind of person who could grit her teeth and endure bitterness and pain.

But at that moment, her tears burst forth like a breached dam; choked sobs escaped her.

Ren Suo glanced around to see if anyone had noticed him bullying a student. While carefully tending to Gu Yueyan, he couldn't help but chuckle as he wiped her tears, "You look much prettier when you cry than you usually do."

"SOB... WAAAH!"

This time, Gu Yueyan couldn't hold back any longer. She began to sob quietly, her composure completely gone. Her throat hitched with choked sounds, her nose sniffled, her eyes squeezed shut, and large teardrops streamed down as she cried like an aggrieved child.

Why am I exposing my weakness in front of him? I can act as if nothing is wrong in front of Lin Xianyu and Dong Chengling, so why can't I maintain the facade with him? Is it because he saved me? Is it because he kissed me? Is it because I like him? Or is it because... I envy him? Ren Suo, an adult man, a Cultivator, who doesn't spend all day in Cultivation, nor does he research Spells. His Talent isn't particularly high, he's lazy, slow, foolish, and tactless, yet he somehow managed to secure a foothold in Heavenly Lotus Academy, somehow won everyone's trust, and somehow manages to enjoy life so carefreely. I can accept not being as good as my brother, not as good as Sister Ling, not as good as Teacher Bai. But why can't I even measure up to you? You're like the perfect counterexample, proving that all my efforts in life so far have been nothing but a joke, everything I've done is just self-satisfaction, a self-congratulatory delusion. I'm not really a good student at all, just a pitiful person envious of others. Only in front of you, all my Armor is useless; your every word strikes my weakest point. Why can't you work as hard as I do? Why can't I be as relaxed as you are? If I were to hate you, I would hate you until the end of time. If.

"Sorry," Ren Suo said awkwardly. He felt his previous words had been quite rude.

"However, although I said you look prettier crying than usual, you're also cute normally."

Ren Suo composed himself and said seriously, "Stern, serious, meticulous, the kind who looks like she's been class president her whole life... that's the Gu Yueyan I'm most familiar with."

Gu Yueyan sobbed, her voice trembling as she said, "Don't you really dislike me like that?"

The 「Listening Headphones」 conveyed Gu Yueyan's aggrieved thoughts: That version of me, in front of you, is just a joke.

Hearing this, Ren Suo shook his head and said, "How could I possibly hate you? I envy you."

"You envy me?" Gu Yueyan was slightly taken aback, her sobbing momentarily ceasing.

"Yes. Not only because of your self-discipline but more so because of your attitude toward friends. You can point out your friends' flaws without any reservations and try your best to help them correct them... Although, judging by Xianyu's situation, you still have much to learn, I don't possess that positive attitude of yours."

Ren Suo said sincerely, "To be able to point out others' flaws and try hard to help them improve requires a lot of courage and determination. You might think this is commonplace—but it's not. It's a very remarkable and gentle act, something I'm completely incapable of."

'Being good to others' is actually a very powerful Skill. I haven't put many points into that Skill, Ren Suo thought.

"If anyone slanders you, hates you, or speaks ill of you for this, remember that there are people in this world—myself included—who will like you precisely because they recognize this quality in you."

"You are not your father, not your brother, not your mother, and not Dong Chengling. All the efforts you have made in the past have not been in vain; they have made you the gentle girl named Gu Yueyan that you are today."

"I don't know what occupation you'll pursue in the future, but I do know you'll definitely become a good mother who loves her children."

As Ren Suo spoke, a flash of inspiration struck him. "Your brother definitely can't compete with you in this. He can never be a mother in his lifetime, unless his Awakening Technique is Magical Girl Transformation..."

Gu Yueyan pursed her lips and glared at Ren Suo, saying, "Who said I want to be a mother..."

Seeing Gu Yueyan's mood finally improving, Ren Suo continued to wipe her tears and said, "By the way, I think I owe you something."

Then Ren Suo cleared his throat and said, "Gu Yueyan, congratulations on becoming a Second Turn Cultivator. You truly are the most outstanding among all the students. I'm proud of you."

Gu Yueyan seemed somewhat embarrassed. Indeed, she still wasn't used to praise.

"Not all clouds must turn into rain; not all must fall to the ground."

Looking into Gu Yueyan's sparkling eyes, Ren Suo smiled and said, "Perhaps you can't become a child that makes your father proud, but you can become a student that makes Dong Chengling and me proud. Don't chase the fallen rain of the Gu family. Try becoming the most beautiful sunset glow of Heavenly Lotus Academy."

Were my pep talk skills too lacking, or was the analogy too obscure? Ren Suo thought. Of course, Gu Yueyan's emotional scars, accumulated over more than ten years, couldn't possibly be fully resolved by crying once and hearing a few words from me. I'm not an antidepressant; how could my words be so effective?

Ren Suo pondered for a moment. I should treat the root of Gu Yueyan's emotional trauma. And the root of her trauma... is undoubtedly her brother! If her brother were just an ordinary person, Gu Yueyan at least wouldn't have sacrificed all the joys of her childhood and adolescence to chase his achievements, ultimately becoming such a serious, self-disciplined, obedient student. A big part of Gu Yueyan's problem with her family is that she feels her brother is too dazzling, completely out of her league. Then I'll break through from this point!

"You say your brother Gu Yuexuan is incredibly formidable, but in my opinion, he's just average," Ren Suo said. "Did you know, when Zhao Huo was eighteen and battling his way across the lands, he once beat up your brother? This shows your brother's Martial Arts Cultivation is just so-so."

"And Zhao Huo? He gets thrashed by me. From this, you can see, if your brother fought me, he'd most likely get thrashed by me too. So, don't make a myth out of your brother. In reality, he's just a Weakling who can't even beat me..."

"You just watch. I'll let you see just how weak your brother is!" Ren Suo declared confidently.

I've decided! Later, I'll have Qiao Muyi beat Gu Yuexuan half to death. At worst, I'll just use Healing on him afterward!

"Really?" a voice suddenly asked.

"Of course," Ren Suo replied subconsciously.

Then he realized the voice sounded like an unfamiliar deep male voice, not Gu Yueyan's.

As if sensing something, a drop of cold sweat trickled down Ren Suo's forehead despite the frigid December air.

He slowly turned his head and saw a burly middle-aged man standing behind him.

The middle-aged man's face was filled with anger, and the cold glare from his eyes made Ren Suo uncomfortable all over. His powerful, muscular frame looked as if it might pounce and savage him at any moment.

"Instructor Gu, how is it that your footsteps... make no sound?" Ren Suo swallowed hard.

Indeed, this middle-aged man was none other than Gu Yueyan and Gu Yuexuan's father, the martial arts instructor at the Sky Capital Countermeasure General Bureau, Gu Wenyi.

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