Chapter 17

Day 29.

In the morning, Noah used a small blue box to perform a full-body scan on Su Yue, confirming that his injuries had healed and all indicators were normal. He then removed the metal brace and solemnly announced:

"I'll take you back tomorrow."

Su Yue remained silent for a long time.

Despite his anger, he found himself... not wanting to leave.

They still want to stay here.

After racking his brains, he came up with the excuse of the castle:

"Noah, you promised me—that you'd take me to the castle once I recovered. Shall we go tomorrow?"

Noah waited for a while, thinking the little brat was preparing a thank-you speech, but when he heard this, he was stunned: "When did I agree to that?"

Su Yue couldn't help but pout: "You said it yourself during our last walk. Da Bao and the Wolf King both heard it!"

He glanced defiantly towards the door—if Da Bao weren't afraid of the heat, he would have pulled it in immediately to testify. Da Bao was the most obedient; no matter how much he petted it or scolded it as a "stupid bear," it accepted it all with magnanimity.

A wolf king would be fine, as long as it doesn't resemble a dog; it can be as gentle as a Saint Bernard. However... wolf kings are rather cunning.

At the critical moment, Su Yue discovered that the wolf king had quietly moved to the door, preparing to slip away.

Seeing him looking over, the Wolf King immediately sat up straight, grinning and grimacing, but his eyes were filled with unease as he looked around, hesitating whether to howl for Noah or to testify for "Empress Su".

Noah thought for a moment: "I only said 'I'll think about it after I'm fully recovered,' I didn't agree that I had to go."

Su Yue gritted her teeth: "...Irresponsible! You go back on your word, you scumbag!"

Noah was taken aback: "How am I irresponsible?" Thinking back to the month he had diligently cared for him—which he himself had usually just made do with—he suddenly felt a surge of anger. "And how am I a jerk?!"

The two glared at each other angrily.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the wolf king nimbly darted out through the crack in the door, thus avoiding being caught in the crossfire.

The atmosphere inside was tense, and a cold war had begun.

However, five minutes later, Su Yue lost his composure and unleashed a powerful blow:

“I know why you won’t take me—it’s all because of that Pat Clare, isn’t it?”

Upon hearing the name "Claire," Noah froze.

The anger on his face faded quickly, replaced by helplessness and paleness. His vitality seemed to have been instantly drained, leaving him like an empty shell.

Su Yue had never seen Noah look like this before.

He even "saw" Noah's emotions surging for the second time—a thicker, darker cloud of energy suddenly enveloped the silvery-gray halo.

That was the ultimate grief.

He had seen something similar at a funeral.

Realizing he had said the wrong thing, Su Yue's palms began to sweat.

Noah stared at him blankly: "How do you know Claire?"

We've made a huge mistake.

That dark room is Noah's Achilles' heel! He absolutely cannot be allowed to discover that I've trespassed.

Su Yue, quick-witted, made up a story: "Once... you mentioned it when you were talking in your sleep during your afternoon nap."

"I don't take afternoon naps."

"Slip of the tongue! It was at night! I was talking in my sleep!"

Noah remained silent.

He does talk in his sleep occasionally. Claire used to joke about it.

Su Yue waited a moment—and actually guessed correctly. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but outwardly remained composed: "Anyway, you said it yourself. I don't even know her."

Noah remained silent. Su Yue swallowed hard, glancing at the door: he also wanted to be like the Wolf King and slip out in a flash.

After a long while, Noah finally looked up, his face regaining some vitality:

"Claire... was my guide. And also my lover."

He looked at Su Yue, a bitter smile on his lips.

It was precisely because Su Yue resembled Claire so much that he took him in for a month and cared for him meticulously. He wanted to find Claire's shadow in this boy.

But Su Yue is not Claire.

"The castle is where Claire and I got married, and it has special meaning for me."

He proposed there, and they united for the first time, reaching the pinnacle of the Sentinel and Guide's resonance.

Su Yue listened, his heart filled with mixed emotions, repeatedly savoring each word:

Guide...lover...marriage...

Every word is heartbreaking.

He closed his eyes, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "...So this is your wedding anniversary. Of course, there's no room for anyone else."

Noah didn't deny it: "So, do you still want to go?"

Su Yue sneered: "I'm not that tactless. I'm popular at school too—pretty girls like me, and handsome guys are interested in me. I'm too busy to handle them all."

He suppressed the bitterness in his heart, raised his head proudly, and said, "I'm not going."

Noah glanced at him indifferently, as if reminiscing, or perhaps deliberately trying to annoy him: "This stone house was also designed by Claire; it's her style."

Su Yue automatically chose the second interpretation, speechless with anger.

He glanced at the door, eager to grab his bag and leave immediately, nonchalantly declaring, "This young master doesn't care."

But... those spineless feet seemed to have taken root and wouldn't obey my commands.

Maybe it's not his fault. He's just too much of a homebody; his wilderness survival skills are practically nonexistent. He ran off into the deep mountains in a fit of pique? He probably won't come out. He'll be chased by wild animals every day, crying under a tree at night—he'll either die of fright or starvation…

In short, it will be terrible.

Sigh, I'll leave tomorrow, so why not just endure one more night? A real man can bend and stretch.

He's not in pain. He doesn't care.

Before anyone knew it, the wolf king returned. It quietly walked up to Su Yue and gently nuzzled him with its head.

Su Yue was taken aback, her lips pressed tightly together, her body trembling slightly, almost breaking down.

Why did the wolf king come to comfort him? Did he look pitiful?

The one who should be pitiful is Noah—his only successful match with his guide and lover is dead, his whole body shrouded in black mist, left only to wait for death…

Su Yue wanted to kick the Wolf King towards Noah, but the guy weighed a hundred kilograms, twice his weight. He couldn't lift his leg, he just bent his knee.

The wolf king took this as a response and rubbed even harder, sticking even tighter.

Noah watched this scene from a meter away, and it took a lot of effort for him to resist going forward.

He almost—seeing the little kid about to cry, his heart softened and he wanted to hug him.

But... no. We can't make the mistake continue.

When it's time to make a decision, make a decision.

"I'll take you back to Weiming Town tomorrow morning," Noah said, turning to leave.

“Wait,” Su Yue called out to him, “I have a request.”

Noah stopped, but did not turn around.

Su Yue gritted his teeth: "Don't alter my memories." He knew Noah had this ability—he had altered the memories of his teachers, classmates, and parents to clean up the mess.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I just want to keep the memories of this place. Is that okay?"

Noah turned his head: "Okay."

Actually… he was somewhat grateful to Su Yue. This human boy with the ability to conduct electricity had been purifying him for the past month, clearing away nearly half of the black mist of his accumulated supernatural abilities.

If this continues, perhaps it can be completely eradicated in six months?

But Claire was his only guide in this life. He would never accept any other guide. The Crystal Clan forbade suicide, and for nearly a century he had been seeking liberation. Continuously using his powers, accumulating black mist until his body exploded and he died, was also a kind of final destination.

In return, he did not erase Su Yue's memory.

That way... we're even.

Noah resolutely left, and before leaving, he called the Wolf King, and together they went to the basement.

The first floor felt increasingly empty and desolate. The ventilation system seemed to have stopped, and the air felt suffocating. Su Yue pushed open the door and went outside.

The air outside was crisp and cool. In the front yard, Da Bao, as always, came running over with a silly grin on his face.

Su Yue hugged it tightly, leaving Da Bao stunned and too flattered to move.

He buried his head in the thick brown fur, and his shoulders began to twitch slightly.

The wind rustled through the leaves and grass, masking the low sobs.