Chapter 213: Kiss and Confession

Tang Wulin's heart tightened.

What's wrong with Yutong?

Seeing his anxious expression, Bei Bei realized she had misspoken, and she coughed awkwardly.

Ah, that's not what I meant. I mean she's leaving the academy to study at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy; she departs tomorrow, so you waking up just now is perfect—you can still see her off.

Tang Wulin froze.

He remembered that the exchange program was supposed to start in three months, meaning he had slept for three whole months? A sudden bad premonition rose in his heart, and he hurriedly asked, "Senior Brother, how is Yutong now?"

Bei Bei's expression grew gloomy; he sighed and said:

Let's change locations to talk.

Saying that, he brought Tang Wulin to outside Haishen Pavilion.

Sitting at the edge of Haishen Dao, Bei Bei said in a heavy tone: "Yutong's condition is not good. Since Profound Ancestor passed away, she's been like she lost her soul. She's not just spacing out doing nothing; quite the opposite, she's begun to torment herself with frantic studying, as if unwilling to waste a single moment on anything but cultivation. We've urged her to focus on her health, but she seems not to hear us at all, completely ignoring our advice."

The progress from this is naturally rapid; honestly, she's become terrifyingly strong, but if this continues she'll eventually break down. We don't have any good solutions now, Wulin—can you talk to her properly?

——

Tang Wulin clenched his fists, his expression turning bitter.

What he feared most eventually happened, and it was the worst-case scenario.

He had anticipated that after Mu En's passing, Yutong might become despondent, but he thought back then that as long as he stayed by her side, everything could be overcome.

But he didn't expect that the dragon pill Mu En left him before his death would plunge him into sleep, and he slept for three whole months, absent when Yutong needed him most.

Tang Wulin could no longer even imagine what she was like now.

He took a deep breath, stood up, and asked:

Senior Brother, where is Yutong now?

Bei Bei showed a relieved expression.

As far as I know, she should be in the Inner Court's Soul Tool Testing Area.

Understood, thank you.

Tang Wulin nodded lightly, then tapped his toes and shot forward like a gust of wind, leaving Haishen Dao.

Bei Bei was nearly blinded by the sudden gust, staring dumbly at Tang Wulin's retreating back, muttering:

What a fellow, he's truly turned into a monster...

It didn't take long for Tang Wulin to cross Haishen Hu and arrive at the Inner Court's Soul Tool Testing Area.

He anxiously asked the gatekeeper, "Excuse me, is Yutong still here?"

During the Extreme Individual Soldier Plan's implementation, the gatekeepers here had become somewhat familiar with him; he shook his head and said:

She's gone; you came a few minutes late—she just left.

Tsk.

Tang Wulin clicked his tongue and turned to leave.

Now the sky had darkened; relying solely on his eyes, it was obviously hard to instantly find Yutong.

Although he could eventually find her by searching slowly, Tang Wulin didn't want to waste even a moment; he wanted to see her now.

A green-gold soul ring rose, and Tang Wulin's whole body emanated green-gold light; with the aid of his Natural Son Martial Soul, his mental power connected with the flora of the entire Shilake Academy.

In an instant, he located Yutong's position.

Boom!

A sonic boom sounded, and Tang Wulin's figure vanished from the spot.

On the night path, Yutong was examining the sixth-level soul tool in her hand, considering how to improve it, when she suddenly heard a loud boom, then a huge gust of wind blew up; she instinctively released her Ice Snow Girl Martial Soul, gripping an ice-blue longsword, but then she froze.

Before her eyes was the person who could most pierce her soft heart.

Wulin...

Tang Wulin caught his breath, smiled at her, and reached out his hand.

Yutong, I've woken up; shall we talk?

Yutong instinctively wanted to grasp his hand, but then, as if realizing something, she quickly pulled her hand back, turned her face away, and said:

"Sorry, not today—I still have twelve training plans unfinished; let's do it another day." Saying that, she turned to leave, and looking at that silhouette, there was even a sense of her fleeing in haste.

Tang Wulin gritted his teeth, then suddenly lunged and grabbed her hand.

This triggered Yutong's reflex; she instinctively swung the Emperor Sword in her hand at Tang Wulin.

Mid-swing, she suddenly realized what she was doing, about to retract, but saw Tang Wulin reach out, seize the ice-blue longsword, and with a firm grip, he shattered the Emperor Sword just like that.

Yutong's eyes widened in astonishment.

Tang Wulin's power completely exceeded her expectations.

And this was merely the appetizer; the truly unexpected things were yet to come.

Tang Wulin exerted force, pulling Yutong before him, then lowered his head and kissed her.

——

Feeling the sensation from their lips, Yutong's body instantly stiffened, her brain momentarily shut down, leaving her to whatever Tang Wulin did.

Soon, Tang Wulin released her, his cheeks slightly flushed, and asked:

"How is it? Have you calmed down a bit?"

……Eh?

Only then did Yutong come to her senses, uttering a foolish sound.

Tang Wulin sighed, then grabbed Yutong's shoulders and said seriously:

"Yutong, I like you; will you go out with me?"

After hearing Bei Bei's account and personally witnessing Yutong's state, Tang Wulin concluded that Yutong had likely actively shut herself off from external perception.

It's not that she doesn't know what's happening in the outside world, but she avoids the reality of Mu En's death by keeping those things from truly entering her heart.

Tang Wulin believes he must blame himself for not being by her side when she needed his comfort the most, so the task of breaking the protective wall she erected can only be done by him.

Whenever he appears, Huo Yutong wants to run away, which shows his presence already impacts her emotional wall; adding another impact on top of that should be enough to pull her out of her self‑imposed isolation.

So he chose to kiss, and so he chose to confess.

He intends to use these two actions to make Huo Yutong face his existence.

Huo Yutong's expression turned to struggle; she tried to wrench free from Tang Wulin's hands, but his two hands, like iron tongs, clutched her shoulders tightly, forcing her to stare into his eyes.

Huo Yutong could only turn her head aside and whisper:

"Wulin, could you loosen your grip on me?"

Tang Wulin pressed, "What's your answer?"

"I…" Huo Yutong opened her mouth, then tears suddenly fell from her eyes, "How can I refuse you? That's too cunning…"

Seeing her tears, Tang Wulin let out a sigh of relief.

He actually has another method: to tell her that Mu En has not truly died.

But he doesn't want to do that.

It is precisely because he has repeatedly experienced loved ones leaving that his spirit has been able to grow; if Huo Yutong doesn't go through such an ordeal, she won't grow either.

He pulled Huo Yutong into his arms and gently comforted, "Cry. I know it hurts you inside. Since you accepted my confession, I'm your boyfriend now. Crying in a boyfriend's embrace is perfectly normal; you can lean on me as much as you like."

"Wuh, wuh wuh…"

Hearing his words, Huo Yutong's body shivered; she tried to hold back, but the tears ignored her command, streaming out in large drops from her eyes.

After enduring for a long time, the tears finally broke their dam.

"Wuh—ahhh—"

Huo Yutong leaned against Tang Wulin's chest and sobbed uncontrollably, pouring out all the sorrow in her heart.

Tang Wulin gently patted her back and glared at a trainee standing nearby watching.

"Eek!"

The trainee was startled by Tang Wulin's gaze and hurried away.

Tang Wulin kept holding Huo Yutong, letting her wail and cry in his arms.

(Chapter End)