Chapter 230: Sad Puppy

Beside the tea cup lay a small, preserved spirit fruit, the exact kind “Senior Sister Li” had been snacking on for four days.

Bai Yunxian picked up the fruit, his fingers trembling slightly.

He popped the fruit into his mouth, the sweetness exploding on his tongue.

“The game isn’t over yet, is it, my dear husband?” he murmured to the empty air.

In the distance, tucked behind a pillar, Yun Shu, now back in a neutral disguise, watched him, leaning against the cold stone.

[Ding~ Host, the Male Lead has connected the dots. His obsession level has just spiked to 95%. I suggest you start running, or start preparing for a very ’intense’ confrontation back at the estate.]

’Running?’ Yun Shu smirked, adjusting her collar. ’Why would I run? The fun is just beginning. I still haven’t told him I’m a woman, and he still thinks I’m his ’Male’ husband. Let’s see how long we can keep this dance going.’

***

The cheers of the Azure Sky Academy disciples still echoed like rolling thunder across the Great Plaza, a cacophony of celebration that signified the absolute crushing defeat of the noble heirs.

The Tally Stone had hummed and turned a blinding white, displaying an unprecedented, impossible score of 38,600 points.

Three hundred Tier 3 cores, one hundred Tier 4 cores, and twelve perfect Tier 5 cores. It was, by all definitions, a total massacre.

Yet, as the disgraced noble heirs like Wei Kang slunk away in pale-faced humiliation, the champion of the hour did not stay to revel in his glory.

Bai Yunxian, his face an unreadable mask of cold, glacial jade, slipped through the roaring crowd like a phantom.

His usually composed heartbeat was currently drumming a frantic, erratic rhythm against his ribs.

He didn’t care about the ranking. He didn’t care about the jealous, venomous glares of the prominent sect leaders, nor did he care about the awe-struck whispers of the younger disciples who looked at him as if he were a descended deity.

There was only one thing occupying his mind.

Lord Yun.

Just moments ago, when Wei Kang had desperately screamed his objections, accusing him of cheating, it was that deep, resonant, and masculine voice drifting from the Elder’s balcony that had cut through the chaos like a guillotine.

Lord Yun, draped in heavy crimson and gold robes, his face veiled, had publicly vouched for him, cementing his victory and shielding him from the collective wrath of the Great Families.

Bai Yunxian’s heart had fluttered with a mix of overwhelming relief and sharp curiosity upon realizing his husband was there, watching over him.

He had hurried toward the Elder’s seating area the absolute second the ceremony concluded, his steps much faster than his usual dignified pace. He urgently needed to see him.

He needed to ask him about the mysterious, overpowered chatterbox girl named “Li,” wondering if there was a connection between the two of them.

More than that, he just desperately wanted to look into those familiar, dark eyes.

But as Bai Yunxian finally breached the threshold of the VIP balcony, his breath caught in his throat.

It was empty.

The crimson-robed figure was already gone. There was no trace of the formidable Martial Emperor, leaving behind only the faint, lingering scent of mountain herbs and sandalwood in the cool evening breeze.

Bai Yunxian stopped dead in his tracks, his shoulders subtly dropping.

He stood there in the empty balcony, his ruby-red eyes staring blankly at the vacant carved wooden chair where Lord Yun had sat just moments before.

A heavy, hollow feeling instantly settled in the pit of his stomach, washing away the adrenaline of his overwhelming victory.

He thought he wouldn’t be able to meet the figure he was searching for, feeling a bit down. He had confirmed that Yun Shu had been here, and he knew that Yun Shu had seen his overwhelming victory.

He had fought so hard in that treacherous Myriad Beast Forest, meticulously harvesting every single Tier 5 beast core with absolute precision just to prove his worth.

He wanted to see his husband. He wanted to stand before him, present his flawless results, and earn a few words of praise for doing well in the match. He wanted to hear that gentle, teasing voice say, “You did well, my wife.”

Instead, he was met with empty air.

Slowly, Bai Yunxian turned away from the balcony, his footsteps heavy as he descended the stairs.

He bypassed the celebrating crowds in the main plaza, letting his feet carry him aimlessly toward the quieter, secluded back gardens of the Azure Sky Academy.

The sun was beginning to set, casting long, melancholic shadows across the manicured lawns and weeping willow trees.

found a quiet stone pavilion overlooking a serene, mirror-like koi pond and sat down on the cold bench. The distant sounds of the festival felt like they belonged to an entirely different world.

Here, in the silence, Bai Yunxian’s mind began to spiral into its own little theatrical drama.

’Did he leave because he was disappointed?’ Bai Yunxian thought, his slender fingers gripping the fabric of his white robes.

’No, he vouched for me. He said I fought with honor. But then… why didn’t he wait for me? Did he find my display too arrogant? Or was he simply too busy to spare even a single glance for me after the match?’

In the wake of this overwhelming, lovesick misery, all his previous sharp suspicions regarding ’Senior Sister Li’ completely vanished from his head.

Who cared about some strange, overly capable woman in a red dress right now? Who cared if she had secretly helped him harvest those cores?

The only thing that mattered was that his majestic, frustratingly elusive husband had shown up, saved him from a political disaster, and then abandoned him without a word.

He felt like a sad little puppy standing alone in the rain.

Throughout his countless agonizing regressions, Bai Yunxian had never allowed himself to rely on anyone.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep