Word Count: 2,709 Words
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Night had fallen over Mingdu, and the moon hung bright as polished silver, its light spilling across the world like water in a tranquil pond. Beneath that luminous glow, Ning Tian stood near the main gate of the Sun Moon Imperial Academy, her slender figure elegant as she gazed into the distance. Her platinum-blonde hair rose and fell with the nocturnal breeze.
She wore an exquisite white gown that traced her delicate curves. Her bare, rounded shoulders glowed pale beneath the moon's caress, the light seemingly tinting her skin a soft rose. Below the hem, long snow-white legs were accentuated by ornate high heels. Each subtle movement sent dazzling ripples through the shadows.
A few students leaving the academy caught sight of her and found themselves rooted to the spot for two heartbeats. After a moment of dazed admiration tinged with regret, they shook their heads and moved on.
They all knew whom this Shrek exchange student, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's little princess, was truly waiting for, and none dared approach her.
The three-day friendship tournament had shattered the pride of the continent's number one Spirit Guidance Academy. Now its students bowed their heads and trained in silence, each determined to one day face that brilliant figure in battle again.
Not far away, Wu Feng leaned against a wall on one foot, her expression shadowed and uncertain. Her lips parted a few times before she finally spoke. "He's not coming back, is he? Why don't we head back first..."
Ning Tian tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her tone gentle but steady. "If Bai-ge promised, he'll keep his word. There has never been an exception in these past ten-plus years."
"Mm."
Wu Feng responded sullenly. The three of them had grown up together. How could she not understand Ling Bai's habits? It was precisely because she knew he would come that she felt the urge to flee.
A golden figure appeared in the distance, shining against the darkness like the sun rising. Wu Feng tensed instantly as she watched Ning Tian flutter toward him like a white butterfly. Her teeth pressed into her soft, red lips.
"Bai-ge!"
Ning Tian's voice rang crystal-clear. Her sapphire eyes shimmered with moonlight and unwavering trust. The faith she had placed in him year after year had never been disappointed.
"Xiao Tian."
Ling Bai's smile was bright and clear as he openly admired the girl before him, dressed in all her finery.
Adornment was a noblewoman's art, and under Ning Fengya's careful tutelage, Ning Tian had mastered how to play to her strengths.
Today was clearly a day to maximize those strengths. She wore sparkling earrings and an expensive silver bracelet on her slender wrist. With every movement, her snow-white figure rippled like shimmering water.
Ling Bai took Ning Tian's jade-like hand, and together they strolled toward the Ming River, chatting and laughing. Wu Feng hurried to catch up, positioning herself on his other side, stewing in her own sullen mood.
Ling Bai glanced at Wu Feng with amusement and was surprised to see she had clearly put effort into her appearance as well. She wore a sleeveless silk blouse and a fiery red miniskirt, a heart-shaped pendant resting against her prominent chest. The skirt revealed long stretches of flawless legs, and her high ponytail gave her a spirited air, accentuating the unmistakable curves of her athletic figure.
'Unexpectedly... beautiful.'
Ling Bai praised silently. The perpetually scrappy, battle-minded Wu Feng dressed up for once was genuinely eye-catching.
Mingdu was the most expansive city among the Douluo Continent's four great empires, and the Holy Bright Festival was one of the Sun Moon Empire's most cherished traditions. Tonight the entire nation celebrated. Even in darkness, neon lights flickered everywhere.
The moment the trio stepped onto the main street, countless eyes converged on them. Some marveled at their striking appearances, while others speculated about their relationship. Was this a lucky man with two beauties, or perhaps a couple with the world's most audacious third wheel?
Of course, no crowd was complete without overconfident fools who thought they could publicly woo away a stunning woman.
A young man with slicked-back hair puffed out his chest and strode toward them, but when his gaze met Ling Bai's brilliant golden eyes, his words were seized by an invisible hand, not just stuffed back down his throat but shoved deep into his stomach.
The young man stood frozen, his legs trembling uncontrollably. A mountain of fear crushed him, and he couldn't utter a single word. Only after the trio had vanished did he slowly regain his senses. Wiping cold sweat from his forehead, he slunk back into the crowd, thoroughly rattled.
"You should've just stabbed him to death," Wu Feng said, frowning unhappily.
"Such murderous intent?" Ling Bai teased with a smile.
Tonight was a happy occasion. He had no wish for Ning Tian to witness bloodshed.
"He just bothered me, that's all."
Wu Feng grumbled under her breath, silently adding in her heart: It's all your fault.
"I see the Ming River!"
Ning Tian's eyes suddenly brightened. She had finally spotted the river she had been longing for. This great waterway crossing through Mingdu rippled with countless waves under the night breeze, each reflecting glimmers of moonlight.
Hundreds of small boats drifted on the Ming River, all occupied by couples who believed in the Holy Bright Festival's tradition: to declare their vows upon the water, witnessed by the river, promising a lifetime of inseparable love.
Though the Sun Moon Empire's Spirit Guidance Technology was extremely advanced, the vessels remained rustic wooden boats requiring manual rowing, symbolizing that only by remaining true to one's original intentions could one reach their destination.
The three spent a spirit gold coin to rent a boat. Wu Feng picked up the wooden oar, then found both Ling Bai and Ning Tian staring at her.
"Wait..."
Wu Feng's mouth twitched. "Why are you both looking at me?"
Ling Bai gestured to the pairs of lovers in nearby boats, his smile laden with meaning. "Xiao Tian and I are going for a ride on the Ming River. Are you planning to row for us, or would you rather wait on shore until we return?"
Ning Tian tugged at his sleeve, her pretty face flushing. "Everyone rowing today is a couple. Isn't it a bit strange for Xiao Feng to come with us...?"
Ling Bai slipped an arm around her shoulders and grinned. "Well, she's already here. Might as well put her to use. If she won't row, she can wait by the riverbank."
"You're too much! I'm not doing it!"
Wu Feng stared at him with an incredulous expression.
Is he even human?!
He already stole Ning Tian, and now he wants me to row the boat for them? What's the difference between this and... 'in front of the husband'...!
"Fine, then."
Ling Bai reached for the oar. "Actually, Xiao Tian has a point. With you here, certain things would be... inconvenient. Hand it over."
"You... I... I..."
Wu Feng hugged the oar to her chest, her face alternating between green and white as her heart waged war with itself.
What things would be inconvenient with me here...?
Could it be...?!
NO!!!
She plopped down into the wooden boat, her teeth grinding audibly. "I'll. Row. It!"
The small boat set off, carving white waves on either side. At the stern, Wu Feng rowed with the huffs and puffs of a deeply wronged soul.
At the bow, Ning Tian nestled into Ling Bai's arms. Her nose twitched slightly as she breathed in a scent only she could detect.
This familiarity, this sense of peace... nothing else could replace it.
"Bai-ge," she whispered.
"Mm?"
"I remember when I was little, I wanted to row a boat on the Nine-Colored Lake outside Nine Treasure City. But I hadn't mastered the Three Aperture Governing Heart, so Mom wouldn't let me. You were the one who snuck me out at night to play."
A nostalgic look softened Ling Bai's eyes. "That boat was made of wood too. I remember cutting down a tree and carving it out with my sword that night."
"And I used my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to assist you while cheering you on!"
"But it was my first time building a boat, so it sprang a leak in the middle of the lake..." Ling Bai covered his face with a helpless sigh.
"Good thing you could fly, or we would've gone home soaking wet."
"Wait, you two went out to play behind my back?!"
Wu Feng's indignant voice came from the stern, but Ling Bai and Ning Tian ignored her in perfect, unspoken unison.
"You know, Bai-ge, I've always wanted to thank you."
Ning Tian's sapphire eyes, misty with emotion, gazed at him. "Mom has always been so strict. The moment my Martial Spirit awakened, I had to start learning everything. How to be the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's heir, how to be an outstanding support-type Spirit Master, how to be an elegant noble lady in every word and deed...
It was exhausting, all those endless lessons. Sometimes I just wanted to let go for a moment, and you were always there to help me."
Ling Bai said nothing, only held her tighter.
"Mom is a very successful person. She's never known failure, which is why I'm also so afraid of failing." Ning Tian's gaze grew distant.
"When I lost in the freshman tournament, my world turned gray. I felt I'd disgraced the clan, let down my mother's expectations, and that you would despise me. It was as if the gods had slammed a door in my face forever..."
"Aunt Ya is Aunt Ya, and you are you."
Ling Bai leaned close, his voice a gentle murmur against her platinum-blonde hair. "If the gods close a door, then open it again. That's what a door is for.
By choosing to pursue Spirit Guidance Devices, you've already opened that door yourself."
Ning Tian shook her head softly. "Only because you were there, holding my hand as we pushed it open together."
She rose from his embrace, the moonlight tracing silver lines through her gossamer-thin white dress, outlining the graceful curves of her body. The night breeze carried the scent of water and distant flowers. Her eyes, luminous and clear, held nothing but the reflection of the person who occupied her entire heart.
"Mother wanted me to use every means necessary to capture your heart. I told her I didn't want that, that we could find our way to each other naturally.
But you're just so special, so different from anyone else I know. You always give me this feeling of being both near and far away. It's like brushing your forehead with my hand, only to find I'm touching a flower in a mirror or the moon on water... a fleeting glimpse, here and gone.
Countless people have passed through the tides of your joy and sorrow. But I find myself rooted here, unable to move past this feeling. I want to be brave, just this once, for myself. Whatever your answer is, I'll accept it, so...
Ling Bai... can I be the one who stays? Can I be that person for you?"
The young lady's love blazed like wildfire, burning with the courage to consume everything in its path.
She raised her hand, and a seven-colored light shot straight into the sky.
The night, however, remained silent. The dazzling fireworks she had anticipated never came.
A chill instantly seized Ning Tian's heart, and her world seemed to plunge into darkness.
Auntie, you've really doomed me this time!
"Were you waiting for this?"
Ling Bai chuckled. Another beam of light shot into the clouds, but this one shone brilliant gold.
Boom—
Like a meteor streaking across the sky, a point of light that had ascended from below exploded into a magnificent flower. Cascades of light rained down, illuminating their faces.
One after another, streams of light arced across the night sky, tracing perfect concentric circles. The horizon blazed with color, becoming as bright as day.
Ning Tian stood transfixed within the shimmering curtain, tilting her lovely face up to meet the riot of brilliance overhead.
Then, a sweet fragrance washed over her, and a huge bouquet of sapphire-blue flowers appeared before her eyes.
They were called Ocean's Heart. The petals shone with a blue as pure as the deepest sea, the exact shade of her eyes, and sparkled with a dreamy luster.
Beneath the night sky, they glowed with an even more enchanting light. Ning Tian pressed a hand to her lips, her eyes brimming with joy and astonishment. Clever as she was, how could she not understand? Ling Bai had seen through her confession plan from the start. He hadn't rejected or avoided her; instead, he had prepared an even greater surprise.
Ocean's Heart was more than just a bouquet. It was a symbol of endless promise.
Ling Bai placed the flowers in her arms and said with a smile, "A romance should begin with flowers. And where there are flowers, there must also be fireworks."
A colossal firework soared skyward, exploding with a thunderous roar in the distant vault above.
Golden wings, seven-colored glazed tiles, blazing fire dragons… a myriad of fireworks transformed the night into a sea of color, lingering like a million fireflies. Their trails painted the sky in brilliant hues that refused to fade.
Ling Bai turned his head. Ning Tian's profile glowed in the light of the display, and he could see fine, glistening tracks of tears on her cheeks.
At the stern of the boat, Wu Feng had stopped rowing. Her clear eyes reflected the thousand-fold fireworks as she watched Ling Bai's smiling face and Ning Tian's tearful joy, her own features etched with unprecedented longing.
Along the banks of the Ming River, crowds stopped to watch. The fireworks for this year's Holy Bright Festival were more beautiful than any they had ever seen.
A subordinate from Linglong Pavilion wiped sweat from his brow, feeling immensely proud of his contribution. He suddenly noticed a familiar figure beside him and quickly clasped his fist in a bow.
"Greetings, Pavilion Master!"
"No need for formalities."
Ning Fengyu waved her hand casually. After cleaning up all traces from the Minghuang Grand Hotel and thoroughly looting the Common Alliance, she had rushed here just in time to witness the glorious fireworks and the scene unfolding on the boat. She sighed wistfully:
"Those two little ones are finally getting together. Youth is such a wonderful thing..."
"Bai-ge..."
Ning Tian, clutching the Ocean's Heart bouquet, had just begun to speak when a warm hand cradled the back of her head. His fingers threaded through her hair as his other hand slipped around to support her waist.
Their lips met.
Ning Tian felt as if her heart had fallen ill, beating with a frantic, feverish rhythm that threatened to leap from her chest to meet another heart. When they parted, her breathing was ragged, but her eyes shone brilliantly.
Fireworks painted the horizon where starlight and Mingdu's lights mingled as one. For a moment, Ning Tian could no longer distinguish the light of earth from that of the sky. The cool, damp night air caressed her face as she burrowed deeper into Ling Bai's embrace.
They kissed tenderly, warmth flowing between their lips. At times they gently stroked each other's hair, at others softly patted a back.
When they finally parted again, Ling Bai looked into her eyes with utter seriousness. "Xiao Tian, I make this wish to the reborn stars above, a promise I will remember forever: the flowers and the fireworks, the Ming River and the river of stars, and most of all, your eyes, which in this moment belong only to me."
"Mm!"
Ning Tian was beyond words. She simply turned and settled onto Ling Bai's lap, her delicate frame fitting perfectly against him. His arms circled her slender waist as she dotted his face with kisses again and again.
At the back of the boat, Wu Feng looked like a lion whose fur had been rubbed the wrong way, her eyes filled with equal parts grievance and stubbornness.