Mo Fan's confusion deepened as he studied Tang Yue's hesitant expression.
Her usual confidence seemed entirely absent, replaced by a fragile vulnerability he wasn't used to seeing.
Tang Yue opened her mouth as if to speak, but the words didn't come.
Instead, she looked away, her fingers tightening around the Black Totem orb bracelet on her wrist.
She hesitated, her gaze flickering to his face before lowering again. She took a deep breath, steadying herself.
"I... I didn't know," she began, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I didn't know until a few days ago about what happened to you... about the Black Totem Snake attacking you."
Mo Fan's expression remained neutral, but inside, he was surprised. _Ahh.. She found out..._
"They didn't tell me. My parents kept it from me…"
"I overheard my father and mother talking about it," Tang Yue continued, her voice trembling slightly. "About how... how you almost died. And how my... my..." She faltered, struggling with her words.
"Your what?" Mo Fan asked.
Tang Yue bit her lip, her hand instinctively brushing over the Totem orb. "The Black Totem Snake... it's not just any creature to me, Mo Fan. It's... it's my family."
Mo Fan blinked, feigning surprise. "Your family?" he already knew all of this, but in this life, she still hadn't told him, so he had to act accordingly.
She nodded, her gaze distant as she spoke. "My parents adopted me when I was young, but before that... the Black Totem Snake was like a guardian to me.
It's been in my life for as long as I can remember. It protected me when no one else did. I owe it everything."
Mo Fan didn't respond but quietly listened to her.
"I didn't know it attacked you, Mo Fan. I didn't know until now. And when I heard... I felt so..." She trailed off, her hands trembling slightly.
"..."
Tang Yue looked up at him, her eyes glistening. "You're important to me, Mo Fan. But so is Big guy. I came here to apologize, but... now that I'm here, I don't even know where to start."
...
A heavy silence settled between them for a moment. Tang Yue stood there, visibly trembling, unable to look at him directly.
Mo Fan was also lost for words... He had to tread carefully so as to not embarrass Tang Yue's resolve.
"Ms. Tang Yue..." Mo Fan finally spoke, his tone soft and calming.
She flinched at his voice, her fists clenching tightly.
Despite how difficult it was to come outright and tell the truth, she still did it and apologized for it, though it wasn't her mistake at all.
Mo Fan took a step closer, gently reaching out and placing his hands on her forearms.
His grip was firm but comforting. "You don't have to apologize for Black Totem Snake's actions. It's not your fault."
"But—" Tang Yue started, her voice cracking, "it attacked you, Mo Fan. It could have killed you! How can you forgive it so easily?"
Mo Fan's expression softened, his gaze steady and understanding. "Tang Yue, listen to me. The Black Totem Snake didn't attack out of malice. I don't blame it, and I do not blame you."
Her trembling only grew as she shook her head vehemently.
"No! You don't understand! Big Guy has always been calm, protective... it's never attacked someone like that before. I can't just accept this so easily, and neither should you!"
Mo Fan opened his mouth to refute her but, he hesitated for a brief moment clenching his jaw again with a complicated expression.
He couldn't tell her the truth—the truth about the Evil Godly power lurking within him, the power that had provoked the snake.
But he could see how deeply this was affecting her, how the guilt was eating away at her.
"Tang Yue," he said gently, his voice carrying a rare sincerity. "I understand what Big Guy means to you. And I'm telling you, it wasn't its fault.'
"It's okay," Mo Fan continued, his hands still resting on her arms.
"I'm okay. You don't need to carry this guilt. Black Totem Snake did what it thought it needed to do, and I'll never hold that against it—or against you."
Tang Yue's eyes filled with tears.
She bit her lip hard, her chest rising and falling as she fought to contain the storm of emotions raging within her.
"How... How can you just let it go?" she demanded, her voice trembling.
"How can you forgive it so easily? You almost died, Mo Fan! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
Her words struck him, forcing him to pause and reflect.
He hadn't really dwelled on that day—at least not deeply.
Now, faced with her raw anguish, he couldn't help but confront the reality he'd been brushing aside.
_Now that I think about it... I don't have my Demon Element anymore. Even though I know a few tricks that surpass my current level, it's still nowhere near enough to handle Ruler-class monsters—let alone Supreme Rulers like the Black Totem Snake._
A heavy weight settled in his chest as the realization hit him. _If Tang Zhong hadn't saved me that day... I really might've died. Damn. I've been taking everything too lightly all this time._
For a moment, his gaze darkened, but then he shook it off and gave Tang Yue a faint, reassuring smile.
"It matters, Ms. Tang Yue. Of course, it matters." His tone was calm, steady.
"But holding onto anger or blame won't change anything. Black Totem Snake didn't mean to hurt me. I know that. I trust him. Just like I trust you."
Her breath hitched as his words sank in. Tears brimmed in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.
"I don't deserve that trust..." she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of her guilt.
Mo Fan stepped closer, his expression resolute yet gentle. "You do, Ms. Tang Yue. What happened is in the past. I've already let it go. You should too."
Tang Yue's shoulders trembled as she struggled with his words, her emotions caught between relief and self-reproach.
She closed her eyes tightly, her tears continuing to fall.
Mo Fan didn't say anything more. He simply stood there, his presence steady and unyielding.
Slowly, her sobs quieted, and the tension in her frame began to ease.
Though her guilt didn't disappear entirely, something about his calm assurance—his unwavering trust—soothed the storm within her.