Although Alex's teleportation magic could instantly transport him to any desired destination within its range, it required constant mental visualization and familiarity with the target location. Therefore having never personally been to Mount Shushan before, Alex naturally could not perform this teleportation magic to reach there directly.
The Drunken Sword Immortal performed a graceful hand gesture and the wine gourd hanging at his waist instantly grew enormously large. Then both Alex and Li Xiaoyao leaped confidently onto the enlarged gourd and flew together smoothly toward Mount Shushan.
"Other sword immortals traditionally fly upon their swords but he chooses to fly on a wine gourd instead. The Drunken Sword Immortal truly loves alcohol more than anything..." Sitting comfortably atop the Drunken Sword Immortal's magical gourd, Alex murmured quietly to himself while watching the stunning scenery swiftly pass by far below them.
As Alex's overall strength continued to steadily grow, the power of Magneto's genetic abilities also increased proportionally. Alex's current flying speed using magnetic manipulation was quite impressive. But it remained slightly inferior to the speed achievable through flying with a proper cultivated instrument.
He gazed down pensively at the receding Suzhou City far below and suddenly Alex let out a low and melancholy sigh.
"Hey young Alex, as someone who has already been through all this before, let me remind you of something important. When flowers are ready to be plucked they absolutely must be plucked without hesitation. I think that although Lin Yueru can be a little willful and capricious at times, she is genuinely a person of excellent character and would be a perfect match for you" Perhaps after hearing the low sigh escape from Alex's mouth, the Drunken Sword Immortal suddenly spoke with unexpected seriousness.
"Ah? You mean me and Lin Yueru together? That is impossible" Alex was slightly startled after hearing the Drunken Sword Immortal's direct words. Then he quickly shook his head in firm denial.
"Well let me ask you this question then. Do you currently have someone you genuinely like?" The Drunken Sword Immortal was not remotely surprised by Alex's immediate denial. But he turned around and asked with complete seriousness.
"Someone I like?" Hearing this personal question, Alex's expression became slightly dim and distant. He nodded slowly "I did once but so many years have passed since then. I have almost completely forgotten about her."
Before the devastating outbreak of the apocalypse, Alex had been an ordinary high school student. He was young and innocent so naturally he had developed a crush on someone special back then.
However after the apocalypse struck, she was never seen again by anyone. It remains unknown if she died during those chaotic early days. Given the horrific death rate of over eighty percent among the population...
"Ah? Alex you have actually fallen for that fierce woman Lin Yueru? Hahaha everyone really does have their own unique preferences I suppose" Li Xiaoyao who was a young man standing nearby seemed quite interested in this kind of romantic gossip. Upon hearing the revealing conversation between the Drunken Sword Immortal and Alex, he eagerly leaned over and said with an amused smile.
"Go away you ignorant kid. What do you know about such matters? You have not even figured out your own complicated feelings yet" the Drunken Sword Immortal said with a sullen look of disapproval.
"Alright young Alex, tell me honestly what you truly think of Lin Yueru?" After successfully silencing Li Xiaoyao, the Drunken Sword Immortal then turned his full attention back to Alex.
"Lin Yueru..." Alex paused thoughtfully for a long moment after hearing the Drunken Sword Immortal's direct question.
He thought carefully of Lin Yueru and their recent interactions together. And of course he also thought of her eventual fate and her actions in the original storyline.
"Indeed although she is quite headstrong and capricious, she is genuinely a woman of great passion and loyalty. It is truly a shame. I only admire her character greatly but nothing more" Alex said while shaking his head after a moment of careful and honest reflection.
Of course Alex had something else deep in his heart that he could not possibly express aloud. Besides simple admiration there was also a profound sense of heartache and genuine regret.
Lin Yueru's tragic death in the original story had been truly shocking and devastating. Even from a detached bystander's perspective, Alex sincerely hoped for her happiness and survival. In Alex's honest opinion the only person who could truly bring her lasting happiness was Liu Jinyuan.
"Well it turns out the goddess has romantic dreams but the prince has absolutely no intention of reciprocating..." Judging carefully from Alex's sincere expression, this was clearly a carefully considered answer delivered honestly. The Drunken Sword Immortal simply shrugged helplessly.
"You are saying Lin Yueru is actually interested in me romantically? That seems impossible... right?" Hearing the Drunken Sword Immortal's suggestive words, Alex initially thought the idea was completely impossible. She had even slapped him forcefully across the face before.
Furthermore during all their time spent together, Alex genuinely had not noticed any romantic interest whatsoever from Lin Yueru.
However thinking back carefully to when he had just left her room, Lin Yueru had simply lowered her head and remained completely silent throughout. The painfully awkward atmosphere at that moment and her uncharacteristic withdrawn appearance made Alex feel somewhat uncertain about his assumptions.
...
Back at the Lin Family Fort, Alex had already left for his journey. For some inexplicable reason even while remaining in her familiar comfortable home, Lin Yueru felt a persistent sense of unease and restlessness. There was a strange sense of emptiness growing within her heart.
Originally Lin Yueru had not possessed much personal affection for Alex whatsoever. When they first met after she had seen him defeat Li Xiaoyao easily, she had simply considered him a peer with exceptional martial arts skills and nothing more significant.
But then Alex had brazenly refused her father's marriage proposal outright. However her father who was deeply concerned about maintaining his status as the leader of the martial arts world, had pressured Alex into reluctantly accepting. This turned the entire martial arts competition into a complete joke and farce.
This whole situation left Lin Yueru absolutely furious and deeply resentful toward Alex.
Although she possessed a somewhat unruly and spoiled personality, she had extraordinary beauty, a powerful prestigious family and impressive martial arts skills. Why would he look down on her so dismissively? This rejection left Lin Yueru feeling deeply dissatisfied and hurt!
However after spending several recent days traveling and walking alongside Alex constantly, it increasingly felt as though he held endless fascinating secrets just waiting to be discovered.
Furthermore in Lin Yueru's gradually changing heart, Alex seemed forever shrouded in a mysterious veil of intrigue. Like a beautiful flower reflected in a mirror or the moon reflected in still water, she felt compelled to know absolutely everything about him.
Unconsciously and without even properly realizing when it happened, Alex's presence had become deeply imprinted in her mind and heart.
Alex's sudden announcement of his departure had felt like something vitally important in her heart was suddenly being torn away. She felt bewildered, completely lost and rendered speechless by the unexpected pain.
"Miss you have not eaten your lunch yet? This will not do at all!"
Lin Yueru's devoted maid approached her mistress while bearing the prepared food. Seeing the lunch sitting on the table completely untouched, her face filled with obvious anxiety and concern.
"Huh? Is it already evening?" Hearing her maid's worried words, Lin Yueru turned back with visible surprise and confusion.
Before she even knew it the entire afternoon had somehow passed by.
"It is alright I am truly not hungry right now" Lin Yueru waved her hand dismissively as if to reassure the maid. She forced herself to smile.
"Miss you... why are you crying..." However looking directly at Lin Yueru's forced smile, the maid was not relieved at all. On the contrary she appeared even more surprised and alarmed.
"Crying?" The maid's unexpected words made Lin Yueru feel stunned. She reflexively stretched out her hand to gently touch her own cheek.
Sure enough there were unmistakable traces of tears on her cheeks though she had no idea when they had appeared.
"I cried? Why did I cry?" Lin Yueru did not understand her own emotions anymore. She touched the tears on her face with trembling fingers and murmured in a low confused voice.
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