Xia Zihan ignored the admiring gazes of the Starfall Sect members, seemingly uninterested in any man in the world except Qin Luo.
Then, with graceful steps, she arrived at Dongfang Yingluo's side. She opened her palms, and two warm, green orbs of light appeared, radiating a gentle aura.
Just then, Xiao Chen saw this and a hint of unease flashed across his face. After hesitating for a moment, he quickly stepped forward:
"Considering Miss Xia's profound strength, we are truly ashamed in comparison."
Xiao Chen smiled broadly, his words tinged with humility. As he spoke, he took out the green light orb that he had recently obtained with great difficulty and handed it to Dongfang Yingluo.
Dongfang Yingluo remained calm, her eyes flickering slightly. She first glanced at the ball of light in Xiao Chen's hand, then looked up at Xia Zihan.
Xia Zihan, dressed in a purple robe, moved with graceful poise. She seemed oblivious to Xiao Chen's words, her cold gaze not even glancing at him. With an elegant turn, she resembled a magnificent purple cloud drifting across the sky, walking away into the distance, her goal clearly to search for another green orb.
Upon seeing this, Dongfang Yingluo withdrew her gaze, a faint, enigmatic smile appearing on her lips as she looked at Xiao Chen's somewhat unnatural expression. She then raised her hand to accept the ball of light he offered, taking it along with the one Xia Zihan had given her earlier.
Then, she turned her back to the crowd and sent the orbs of light toward the ancient wooden ring in front of her. The orbs of light automatically merged into the wooden ring the moment they approached it.
The originally dark and mottled patterns on the wooden ring began to glow faintly green after absorbing the light, revealing a glimpse of their original appearance.
"It seems that with just one or two more ancient tree roots, we can obtain the greatest opportunity within these ruins..."
Looking at the wooden ring that was gradually coming to life, Dongfang Yingluo sighed deeply.
He then turned around and saw that Xiao Chen was still staring intently in the direction Xia Zihan had left, his eyes filled with an unusual infatuation.
Dongfang Yingluo couldn't help but find it amusing. She raised her hand to lightly cover her lips and let out a charming chuckle, the clear and melodious sound echoing in the air.
She blinked her bright eyes and teased him deliberately:
"Little Chenzi, look at your eyes, could it be that you have feelings for our Zihan?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen was initially somewhat annoyed that she called him "Little Chenzi," and then a hint of awkwardness flashed across his face. However, he didn't hesitate for long, quickly straightening his back with a serious and frank expression, and said:
"A graceful lady is the object of every gentleman's affection. Miss Xia is charming and talented. What man in the world would not admire such a beauty? Although I know I am far from being her equal, I cannot hide my admiration for her."
After saying that, he looked in the direction where Xia Zihan had left, his eyes full of longing.
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Yingluo raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She clearly hadn't expected Xiao Chen to admit it so bluntly.
"Oh, I didn't realize you were such a sentimental person, Xiao Chenzi." Dongfang Yingluo's smile deepened, and she suddenly changed the subject, subtly hinting, "However, I advise you not to focus your attention on Zihan, and have you thought about what will happen to Caihuan? Anyone with eyes can see her admiration for you. I advise you to be careful not to hurt that girl's feelings."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen's expression changed slightly, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes. However, he quickly regained his composure and hurriedly interrupted Dongfang Yingluo, waving his hands repeatedly to explain:
"No, no, no, Miss Dongfang, you've misunderstood! I only regard Caihuan as a younger sister. From beginning to end, I've never had any other thoughts. She's pure and kind, and in my heart, she's like family. There's absolutely no romantic feeling between us."
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Yingluo cursed inwardly, "Hmph, men!"
Then, looking at Xiao Chen with a half-smile, he said:
"Xiao Chenzi, don't speak too confidently. Caihuan's feelings for you have been there for a long time. If you really have no feelings for her, I hope you can make things clear to her as soon as possible and not leave her with any lingering thoughts. Otherwise, in the end, I'm afraid you won't even be able to remain friends."
After speaking, before Xiao Chen could reply, Dongfang Yingluo sighed seemingly casually and said slowly:
"Alas, what a pity! A beauty as stunning as our Zihan has already found someone she loves."
These words struck Xiao Chen like a bolt of lightning, piercing his heart. He was stunned, frozen in place, his expression instantly frozen, his eyes, which had been full of adoration, now filled with disbelief.
His lips parted slightly, and with great effort, he managed to squeeze out a few words from his dry throat:
"This... Miss Dongfang, you're not joking with me, are you?"
Xiao Chen subconsciously took a big step forward, his hands clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
He stared intently at Dongfang Yingluo, his eyes filled with anxiety, trying to find a trace of denial in her gaze.
Dongfang Yingluo shook her head, a hint of pity in her eyes. Her voice was soft, yet clearly reached Xiao Chen's ears:
"I don't know who that person is. Zihan has never mentioned it to me. She just told me firmly that once this academy competition is over, she will go back and get married."
Hearing this, Xiao Chen felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. His cherished hopes for Xia Zihan were ruthlessly shattered. He staggered back a step, his face drained of color, and muttered to himself:
"How could this happen... how could this be..."
At this moment, Xiao Chen's heart had long been plunged into an abyss of coldness, and the chill spread from the depths of his heart to every part of his body. He, who had always been spirited and confident in front of others, tasted the bitterness of unrequited love for the first time in his life. His thoughts were in turmoil, and one idea after another kept popping into his mind.
"Is what Miss Dongfang said really believable? Miss Xia is aloof and cold, and usually treats everyone with indifference and distance. If she truly had someone she loved, how could I have not noticed anything amiss during our time together? Perhaps this so-called engagement is just a pretext she uses to avoid certain troubles, and there is nothing to it at all."
"Furthermore, a woman as aloof and proud as Miss Xia, how could she easily agree to the marriage unless she was in dire straits and forced into a corner? No, I must find a suitable opportunity to ask her face to face. As long as she doesn't admit it herself, I still have a glimmer of hope!"
Thinking this, the gloom in Xiao Chen's eyes quietly faded away, replaced by the radiant, confident look that had once been there.
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