The Bai Clan's inner gardens were quiet.
Moonlight filtered through spirit bamboo. Soft petals drifted in the air. A koi pond reflected the night sky, disturbed only by the faint sound of Duan Cheng still sobbing in the distance.
Lin Xuan walked beside Bai Lu with hands behind his back, as if being followed by a former fiancée through a moonlit path was the most routine thing in the world.
Bai Lu, on the other hand, was visibly nervous.
Why is he walking like he owns the stars?
Why does every third step make me want to look at his lips?
Why is this the same man I rejected and now he's somehow the most magnetic force in the mortal realm?!
She cleared her throat.
He didn't even look at her.
Which only made it worse.
🌙 Let the Tension Begin
They stopped near a flowering spirit tree. Bai Lu turned to face him.
He kept his gaze on the moon.
"So?" he said calmly.
She hesitated. "You've changed."
"Yes."
"…A lot."
"That tends to happen when one stops being trash."
She flinched.
He turned to her now, eyes calm and sharp.
"You wanted to talk. Speak."
She opened her mouth, hesitated again, and instead asked:
"…Do you hate me?"
Lin Xuan smiled slightly.
"I don't hate insects. I step over them."
DING!Bai Lu Emotional Spike: +32%Mood Shift: [Shame → Fluttering Confusion → Heart Pounding]Warning: Target experiencing "Villain-Induced Longing™"
💻 System Shenanigans: Peeking the Stats
Curious, Lin Xuan thought:
"System, show me Bai Lu's profile."
DING!Accessing [EX-FIANCÉE] Status Screen…
[Bai Lu – 18 – Bai Clan Heir]
Cultivation Realm: Late Foundation Establishment
Constitution:Heavenly Yin Vessel – Ultra Pure 🌙
Increases compatibility with fire-based physiques
High receptivity to dominant spiritual auras
Affinity: Ice, Moonlight, Emotional Turmoil
Hidden Trait (Unlocked by System Insight):
[Subtle Masochistic Tendencies]: +50% emotional attraction to those who belittle her
[Villain Weakness Syndrome]™: Easily flustered by powerful, morally ambiguous individuals with sharp jawlines and devastating vocabulary
DING!Caution: Further exposure to Host's attitude may result in spontaneous confession, accidental infatuation, or "Please ruin me" dialogue
Lin Xuan blinked slowly.
Then he turned to look at her—longer this time. And said, completely deadpan:
"…I understand now."
She blinked. "What?"
"Nothing. Continue basking in my presence."
💘 The Spiral
She bit her lip.
"I thought… maybe we could talk. Maybe reconnect."
He stepped closer.
"Reconnect?" His voice dropped. "After rejecting me, replacing me, and watching me glow like the sun while you stood in the shade?"
Her breath hitched.
He leaned in just slightly.
"Tell me, Bai Lu… how does it feel to realize your greatest mistake talks back now?"
She looked up at him, eyes wide.
Then she whispered:
"…Warm."
DING!Bai Lu Status: [Hopelessly Attracted]Subconscious Desire: "Step on me, but gently"Internal Thought: "I never should've let him go. Or maybe I should've let him dominate me sooner."
😏 Closing the Scene
Lin Xuan smirked.
He turned and began to walk away, hands still behind his back.
Bai Lu took a step forward. "Wait—"
He stopped, not turning around.
"Bai Lu."
She froze.
"The past was your decision. The future… depends on whether you're worthy of standing beside someone like me."
And with that, he vanished into the moonlight.
Leaving her breathless.
Possibly ruined.
Definitely very, very interested.