"Qingyan, how could this happen..."
Lin Zhao clutched Qingyan's hand tightly, his mind in disarray. What Yuan Ying realm gods on mountains, what nine-realm sword cultivators, were all fleeting illusions. He deeply felt he couldn't keep Qingyan from fading away.
"Brother, listen to me."
Qingyan was extremely weak. She looked at Lin Zhao, tears welling up in her eyes, and smiled, "Today has been incredibly happy. I saw the legendary dawn, witnessed the sunlight piercing through the clouds, ate delicious scallion noodles, and experienced kite flying. I also saw you pray for rain for the people, and I saw you seek justice for the departed..."
Her eyes brimming with tears, she said, "This day of mine has been more exciting than a hundred ordinary people's lives... It's just that I can no longer be by your side. Thinking of this, I am still saddened."
As she spoke, Qingyan's lower body began to transform into spiritual light that dispersed into the world. She suddenly gripped Lin Zhao's hand tightly and said, "Brother, come closer, I... I have something to tell you..."
"Hm?"
Lin Zhao quickly lowered his body and brought his ear close to Qingyan's.
"Be... be careful... be careful of that painter, he's not a good person..." Qingyan said softly.
"Yes, I've noted it down."
"And also..."
Qingyan's beautiful eyes gazed at Lin Zhao with immense longing. She pushed his right hand open with force, then placed her palm into his, and said tenderly, "Brother is a sword immortal from the mountains, so... after I'm gone, let her be the one to stay by your side in my place. This way... I'll have no regrets..."
"Qingyan."
Lin Zhao looked at the young girl in his arms, only to see Qingyan's entire form dissolve into firefly-like spiritual essence, vanishing into the heavens and earth. In his palm, however, lay a flying sword barely an inch long, resembling a mosquito.
It was at this very moment that Lin Zhao finally understood Qingyan's origin. She was an elemental spirit of heaven and earth, a legendary Ephemera.
Ancient texts say:
The Ephemera know not of dawn or dusk; one day is its lifetime, born at dawn and dying at dusk.
Thinking of this, Lin Zhao looked up at the sky, two streams of tears uncontrollably rolling down.
He finally understood why Qingyan didn't know what dawn meant. He finally understood why Qingyan said the meager food on the donkey's back could last a lifetime. He also discerned from the subtle details that Qingyan's appearance seemed to be a scheme laid out for him. The droplet of water and ripple stirred by the splash of water on the Xiàning River was precisely the subtle thought in the depths of his heart. Qingyan was a woman who had grown from the deepest part of his heart, a wisp of thought born from his feelings for Leng Yan. If handled improperly, she would have transformed into his inner demon. Yet, everything he had done and undertaken on this journey had been without selfish intent, so he had narrowly escaped this trial of his heart.
As for who had set up this trial, it was most likely the painter on the river, Wu Yuanzi.
Before Qingyan left, she had warned him to be wary of Wu Yuanzi. There must have been a reason for this. Perhaps Qingyan even knew that the one who had set up the scheme to have her grow from Lin Zhao's state of mind was Wu Yuanzi himself.
"Qingyan..."
Lin Zhao looked at the flying sword Qingyan had transformed into in his palm. It was very small, less than five centimeters long, but the tip looked quite sharp, emitting a cold glint. He didn't know its use for now, as the blade was too small to be refined into his natal artifact. He decided to keep it for now and named this flying sword "Ephemera." He then placed it in the innermost part of his pack, intending to store it in his warehouse once he returned to the city, ensuring its safety, confident that it would be useful in the future.
...
"Rustle..."
He rose from the grass. His heart felt heavy due to Qingyan's departure. In truth, he already knew that Qingyan had grown from the thoughts and emotions within his mind, a kind of inner demon, and this demon originated from Leng Yan. Thus, he frowned, checked the time, it was 4:30 PM, and made a voice call to Leng Yan.
"Lin Zhao!"
Leng Yan answered immediately, her laughter as bright as ever.
"Miss Leng!"
Lin Zhao smiled, "I miss you a bit. Shall I treat you to hot pot? You don't need to move, we can go to the center of Ningcheng. You pick the dishes, this meal is on me, you won't spend a dime."
"..."
On the other end, Leng Yan said nothing, her heart filled with joy. Lin Zhao's words, "I miss you a bit," had already drowned her in happiness. The world's language had narrowed down to just those words, and she could no longer hear any others.
"Miss Leng?"
Lin Zhao asked again, "Are you free? Just let me know."
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Leng Yan's cheeks flushed. "What time? I haven't woken up yet. I need to get up, tidy up, put on makeup, and book a hot pot restaurant."
"Then a bit later, I'll be there at six-thirty?"
"Mm!"
Leng Yan smiled, "The usual, will Xingchen come along?"
"No, today it's just me going, only the two of us!"
"Okay!"
Leng Yan was about to faint from happiness.
After hanging up the call, Lin Zhao directly called Huo Dao, the "supervisor" of Fengyue Transport, and asked, "Huo Dao, do we have any available aircraft now? I need to go to Ningcheng later to treat Leng Yan to a meal."
"Yes!"
Huo Dao grinned. "I just finished a business trip on the Su Rong line. The plane is being refueled and recharged. Boss, what time are you having dinner with Miss Xu?"
"The appointment is at six-thirty."
"Alright!"
Huo Dao said in a deep voice, "I'll have my brothers get ready, and I'll fly it myself. I'll bring twenty brothers with me. Is that okay?"
"That's not necessary..."
Lin Zhao said sheepishly, "I'm just having a meal with A Yan, why do you all need to make such a fuss?"
"The dignified leader of the Fengyue Knights' Alliance is meeting the leader of Shengtian Guild for dinner. The dignified chairman of Fengyue Transport is meeting the eldest daughter of Xu Corporation for dinner. We need to have some presence, at least bring ten brothers as escort for the formation. There's no room for negotiation."
"Alright, alright."
Lin Zhao was speechless. "After we arrive, you can go downstairs and open a private room to eat yourselves. This meal is on the company."
"Got it!"
Huo Dao smiled cheerfully. "I'll go prepare. I'll arrive at the studio's residence at six o'clock, and you can just come out to board."
"Mm."
...
At five-thirty, it was dinner time at the studio.
"I won't be eating at home tonight."
Lin Zhao said, sitting on the living room sofa, "I'm going to central Ningcheng to treat A Yan to a meal and discuss a very important matter."
"Oh?"
Chen Xue glanced at him and smiled, "You're not even bringing Xingchen, that big light bulb, with you?"
Shen Xingchen rolled her eyes, "Alas, favoring romance over friendship!"
"Brother."
Luo Man plopped down between Lin Zhao and Chen Xue. It was so crowded she almost sat on Lin Zhao's lap. "Discussing a very important matter? Is this matter about kissing or something?"
Lin Zhao narrowed his eyes. "None of your business!"
"Awesome!"
Chen Xue gave him a thumbs-up. "You're getting more audacious!"
Shen Xingchen smiled and asked, "How is the matter with Bai Hua Tian Xia going?"
"It's alright, there's a slight glimmer of hope, but we still need to explore further." Lin Zhao pondered for a moment and said, "You all eat first, don't mind me. I'll wait for Huo Dao, he's coming to pick me up personally soon."
"Mm!"
...
Central Ningcheng, top-floor hotel apartment.
A pair of slender jade legs kicked away the covers. Leng Yan, who had logged in using the VIP customer-exclusive game helmet, removed the helmet and hurried out of bed. She showered, washed her hair, and put on makeup. This whole process was quite busy. She hummed a tune throughout her shower, her mood exceptionally good. It was all because of Lin Zhao's words, "I miss you a bit." She wished she could clip this sentence and use it as her alarm clock every morning. The music that used to be her alarm clock had eventually become tedious, but this sentence would never.
After washing up and applying makeup, choosing clothes became a big problem.
Leng Yan had four wardrobes in this suite, each packed full of high-end items. However, she felt dissatisfied with every outfit she tried on. When going on a date with the person she liked most, she should wear the most beautiful attire. But as she changed, she felt some were too girlish, unsuitable for a young woman in her twenties. Some were too revealing, lacking solemnity, while others felt too old-fashioned and not fresh enough. For a moment, Leng Yan stood before the wardrobe, on the verge of tears. After much deliberation, with time running out, she chose an outfit she was slightly satisfied with. After dressing, she went upstairs to pick up Lin Zhao.
Just in time.
When Leng Yan arrived on the rooftop, a Yunying-class transport plane, emblazoned with the Fengyue Transport logo, was parked on the helipad. As the cabin door opened, ten guards in Yan Di-class individual combat armor descended from the plane in a well-trained manner. Coupled with Huo Dao, who walked out of the cockpit, the group resembled a private escort team, standing in a line, heads held high, giving the boss plenty of face.
Lin Zhao walked out of the cabin with a helpless expression, scratching his head. "This is awkward!"
Leng Yan, having seen all sorts of spectacles, covered her mouth and chuckled, "Flashy!"
Lin Zhao burst into laughter.
Huo Dao also smiled and stepped forward, saluting Leng Yan. "Fengyue Transport, Huo Dao. Also Huo Dao of the Fengyue Logistics Group in the game. Greetings to Shengtian Guild's leader, Leng Yan."
"Alright, alright."
Leng Yan said, "I've opened a private room for you downstairs. You can eat there yourselves. Lin Zhao and I will be eating on the rooftop. Don't come up to disturb us until we're finished."
"Understood, understood, we all get it!"
Huo Dao made an "okay" gesture and then grinned at the members of the combat formation, "Brothers, let's go, let's go. Are we going to be a third wheel here?!"
The group chuckled, and they all left. A few of them glanced at Leng Yan. The eldest daughter of Ningcheng Xu Corporation was truly beautiful, like a fairy from legends.
...
"Shall we go?"
Leng Yan smiled.
"Mm."
Lin Zhao walked beside her towards the rooftop garden area. As before, only one table for hot pot was set up, but today, only Lin Zhao and Leng Yan were dining together.
During the meal, they only engaged in casual conversation. It was only after they finished eating that Lin Zhao stood up and said, "A Yan, actually, I came over today..."
"How so?"
Leng Yan stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Just say what you have to say."
"I wanted to talk to you about some things in the game."
Lin Zhao's arm trembled as he gently lowered himself to take Leng Yan's hand. Leng Yan's pretty face turned crimson. This was the first time he had actively reached out to hold her hand. For a moment, Leng Yan felt rooted to the spot, her pretty face flushed. She let Lin Zhao lead her to the edge of the rooftop, gazing at the scenery of Ningcheng in the distance.
"A Yan, I met another you in the game," Lin Zhao said.
"Ah?!"
Leng Yan's cherry lips parted slightly, her heart in a flutter of panic and confusion.