The sky gradually brightened.

All around, the landscape was a patchwork of scars.

The splendid morning glow stood out vibrantly amidst the heavens and earth.

The beauty above, the tragedy below.

Two contrasting scenes formed a stark juxtaposition, especially glaring.

"On the first day of June, you all must stick closely to the team; the frontlines are dangerous, so don't act recklessly," Lu Ran stood in front of the main entrance to Wu Lie Building, gazing at the horizon.

Several teammates looked towards Lu Ran, naturally aware that he was about to embark on a journey.

His advice now was probably because the night they had just endured was so harrowing.

Jiang Ruyi watched Lu Ran silently.

His eyes were misty as he watched the dawn at the horizon, the gleam of the morning glow reflected faintly in his pupils.

It was peculiar and yet beautiful.

"I'm leaving," Lu Ran said softly to bid farewell.

"Leaving?"

"Is Master going home first?" several people asked in unison.

Beside them, the team leader Zhang Feng said, "Lu Ran, Rain Alley City has just survived the Night of Ghosts; you'll need to stay another day in the shelter."

That was indeed the custom.

It was said to be for maintaining the students' posts at the shelter, but in reality, it was for their safety.

But in Rain Alley City, Lu Ran had significant privileges.

For instance, the city would be under total lockdown the day before and three days after every fifteenth of the lunar month, requiring people to stay at home or in shelters.

Lu Ran, however, had the freedom to go wherever he wished.

No one would stop him; even when he walked the streets, no one would approach him with questions.

Instead, what Lu Ran would receive were looks full of hope and eyes brimming with gratitude.

"Brother Zhang, I'm tired," Lu Ran turned his head to look at Zhang Feng and smiled, "I'm going home."

Zhang Feng opened his mouth, hesitating for two seconds before speaking, "Be careful on your way."

Indeed, Lu Ran was tired.

Not to mention Rain Alley City, just around the square, Lu Ran was the most exhausted and the most desperate of them all.

Because of his presence, the pressure on Moon Gazers had drastically decreased.

Who knows how many of them were spared from injuries and survived because of Lu Ran.

After all, every Yan Zhi had Lu Ran as their target.

"I'll accompany you home," a gentle voice said, and the girl walked towards Lu Ran.

Naturally, Lu Ran did not refuse.

The two of them set out, wrapped in the morning glow, heading towards home.

"Take care, Brother Lu!"

"Shouldn't we save these words for the nineteenth when we send off Ran Bao?"

"Be careful on the road, Master!"

Behind them, several voices sounded.

Lu Ran did not look back but merely raised his hand in a wave.

Jiang Ruyi turned her head to smile and bid farewell to the others.

Though the journey was tranquil, devastation lay everywhere.

Even with the splendid morning glow beside them, their hearts remained heavy.

In the end, at Jiang Ruyi's suggestion, they took to the air and flew from Hedong directly to West River.

Once in flight, their speed increased significantly.

In just a few minutes, they returned to Rain Alley Residential Area and arrived home.

This time, the tabby cat did not scurry up to greet them.

Jiang Ruyi quickly changed shoes and went to the bathroom.

Lu Ran thought she was going to take a shower, as they were all grimy from fighting all night.

He didn't expect that Jiang Ruyi would just wash her face and hands before coming out and heading straight to the kitchen.

"Ruyi?"

"Hmm?"

"Let's not cook, you must be tired," Lu Ran said as he caught the restless little tabby and, holding the fidgeting animal, approached the dining area entrance.

Jiang Ruyi, however, said, "We'll eat first, then rest."

Lu Ran, holding the restless little tabby, said, "I thought you would just take the tabby and leave."

After all, Jiang Ruyi had clearly stated that morning: after defending the city, she would not come here again.

If she came, it would only be to take the little cat back home to care for it.

"Hmph," Jiang Ruyi took out two boxes of milk from the refrigerator, "I'll leave after a while."

"Meow!"

As soon as Lu Ran let go, the little tabby darted off.

Lu Ran looked at Jiang Ruyi's graceful curves and slowly stepped forward.

He embraced her from behind, burying his head in her neck, and took a deep breath.

The strong scent of blood, the subtle fragrance of hair.

Jiang Ruyi stood still, feeling his cheeks gently rubbing against her neck from side to side.

Lu Ran whispered softly, "Don't leave."

"Hmm," Jiang Ruyi's voice was still gentle, like a spring breeze, "I won't leave."

She was not one to compromise easily. The fact that she changed her stance so smoothly made it clear she never intended to leave.

Unconsciously, Lu Ran hugged the delicate body in his arms even tighter.

Perhaps she sensed that his mood was not quite right.

Jiang Ruyi tilted her head slightly to touch the side of Lu Ran's head, "Go take a shower, eat, and then get some good rest."

"Oh." Lu Ran then turned and left.

He first returned to the small bedroom to bow respectfully to the shrine, then, taking his change of clothes, went to the bathroom.

After about ten minutes, Lu Ran came out of the bathroom feeling refreshed.

Holding a white towel, he dried his wet hair as he approached the kitchen door.

Breakfast was almost ready.

Hot milk, fried eggs, a plate of toasted bread slices.

It was simple and cozy.

"You should wash up too," Lu Ran approached the cooking range, looking at the bacon frying in the pan, "I'll take over."

Jiang Ruyi smiled, "Eat it while it's hot; I take my time showering, don't wait for me."

"Hmm," Lu Ran softly agreed.

Jiang Ruyi quickly left, and after half an hour, she returned to the kitchen, wearing a white tank top and white sleep pants.

Meanwhile, Lu Ran sat at the table, not having touched the breakfast.

"Aren't you hungry?" Jiang Ruyi looked at Lu Ran, somewhat annoyed.

Lu Ran just silently watched her, lost in thought.

Her fair face after showering glowed with an enticing flush, delicate and captivating.

Her sleek, black hair cascaded over her shoulders, carrying a faint jasmine scent.

Her beautiful eyes held a hint of annoyance, as if Lu Ran had done something wrong.

It turns out, those who dazzle you through the years possess a unique magic.

They always make your heart skip a beat.

Again and again.

"So strict at home?" Jiang Ruyi sat beside Lu Ran, amused yet sympathetic.

Lu Ran: "..."

What kind of statement is that!

Also, are you praising me or yourself?

Oh, right.

You're probably praising my mother...

Jiang Ruyi picked up a fried egg and put it in her mouth, only to find it was still hot.

When she looked at Lu Ran again, she found him eating voraciously.

The breakfast was very satisfying for Lu Ran.

They were both really tired and did not clean up the dining table but went straight to rest.

The sun had just risen, but the curtains in the master bedroom were tightly closed.

In the pitch-black room, Lu Ran lay on his side on the big bed, once again embracing Jiang Ruyi from behind, and took a deep breath.

Traces of the blood scent still lingered.

More so, there was the familiar fragrance of her hair.

Thinking back to a few hours ago when they were fighting life and death battles, surrounded by dangers.

Now everything cozy felt like a dream.

It's just unknown whether on the next fifteenth, or the fifteenth after that, or the fifteenth after that...

Whether the two of them could still return safely as they are now.

"Lu Ran, no one wants to see a comrade die," Jiang Ruyi's soft voice filled the dim room, "but it's not your fault.

You're not an omnipotent deity, and you've done everything you could.

All the citizens inside Wu Lie Building, including everyone around the square, were protected by you."

"Hmm," Lu Ran hummed in response.

Yet in his heart, one question emerged:

Are deities really omnipotent?

"Lu Ran..."

"After June first, once the results are finalized, you help me report to the school," Lu Ran changed the subject, "I probably won't have the time by then."

The room fell silent.

After a while, Jiang Ruyi spoke softly, "Okay, I know."

"Right, we should negotiate some conditions with the university."

Jiang Ruyi whispered, "Of course, many universities have contacted me over the past few months, offering many terms."

Lu Ran pursed his lips.

Even though they were aiming for Wu Lie River University, they indeed should make the school pay a price.

Directly asking for a Divine Weapon or a Magic Artifact seemed somewhat unreasonable.

As he pondered, an idea struck Lu Ran, "How about we ask the school to give us a pair of swords? How about that?"

"Weapons?"

"Yeah, although we're not Sword Cultivators or Sword Cultivators, if we have enough Divine Weapons, couldn't we pretend to be?"

Jiang Ruyi: "..."

A North Wind Believer casually tosses out a chain of wind blades, you casually toss out a chain of Divine Weapons?

You call that pretending?

Lu Ran said, "How about this, I'll contact the school tomorrow, about one made of Tianchen Steel. How about that?"

Jiang Ruyi couldn't help but smile. He was asking right away for the top-tier material.

But Lu Ran indeed deserved it.

Jiang Ruyi wasn't sure if her performance was enough for the university to gift her a Heavenly Star Sword.

But she knew that if Lu Ran asked, then there would be no problem.

As for Lu Ran's care, Jiang Ruyi did not refuse.

Her thoughts were clear.

Only by surviving, only by continuously increasing her combat power, could she better assist Lu Ran.

That was the biggest responsibility to him!

"Let's sleep," Lu Ran said softly, gently pressing his lips to her hair.

Jiang Ruyi didn't respond, just held Lu Ran's arm that was around her, feeling a sense of security.

Annoyingly, just as she was drifting off into drowsiness, she seemed to hear Lu Ran's voice:

"Don't miss me too much after I leave."

...

This sleep, Lu Ran slept very deeply.

From the early morning until the night fell.

When Lu Ran opened his bleary eyes, there was nothing in his arms.

He hated this feeling.

"Click~"

The bedroom door suddenly opened, and the sound was somewhat crisp in the silent environment.

A slim figure tiptoed in.

"Where did you go?" Lu Ran suddenly spoke, startling Jiang Ruyi.

"You!" Jiang Ruyi looked displeased.

She kneeled at the edge of the bed, searching for his voice, bent down, and tried to hit him.

However, the darkness was Lu Ran's home turf.

Jiang Ruyi did not succeed and was instead pulled down onto the bed by Lu Ran.

Lu Ran supported himself on either side of her body, leaning down to gaze into her eyes.

"I..." Jiang Ruyi turned her head away.

Although it was dark in the room, and she couldn't see clearly, she could feel his intense gaze.

"Hmm?"

"I just had to lull the little tabby because it was being noisy, to keep it quiet... Mmm." Jiang Ruyi's words halted suddenly, and she slowly closed her eyes.

Lu Ran leaned closer, capturing those tender lips.

"Meow~ Meow!!"

Suddenly, the sound of the little tabby's cry came from the doorway.

Lu Ran: ??

Really, is it that coincidental?

I don't believe it!!

Lu Ran turned his head to look towards the doorway.

"Hehe~" Jiang Ruyi couldn't help but chuckle, pretending to get up, "I'll go and lull it again..."

Before she finished speaking, she was pressed back down onto the bed.

The now flushed Ruyi looked embarrassed, her fair skin turning a shade of pink.

Lu Ran leaned down to nibble at her ear, whispering softly in a way that lingered on her ears:

"Maybe you should lull me first."

...

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.