The match ended in a draw; no winner, no loser.
This outco only served to ignite the excitent of the students watching from below, their chatter swelling into a roar.
However, opinions were sharply divided. So argued that Rovel had only managed a draw because Kiana had already worn Fu Hua down, insisting that the class monitor was still fundantally stronger.
Others countered that since Fu Hua herself had stated she didn't need to rest, her stamina consumption must have been negligible and shouldn't be a factor in the judgnt.
As for the subjects of their dispute, Fu Hua and Rovel themselves couldn't have cared less. The simple outco of winning or losing was unimportant to them.
The argunts among the spectators, however, grew increasingly intense, escalating to the point where it seed fists might fly. The scene grew so chaotic that Hiko, observing from the side, looked about ready to lose her temper and throw them all onto the training stage to settle it themselves.
Rovel returned to the student lineup, acutely aware of Fu Hua's gaze fixed upon him.
He could see her from the corner of his eye, her brow furrowed in concentration. She was trying to place him, to find so trace of his presence within the fragnted archives of her Rembrance, but she was coming up with nothing.
For the very first ti in her long life, Fu Hua felt a single class period dragging on for an eternity. It was an entirely new and unsettling sensation.
Finally, the bell chid, signaling the end of class. Without a mont's hesitation, Fu Hua sought out Rovel.
The two found a deserted corner of the campus, away from prying eyes.
"Classmate Fang Ruobai, your fist style..." Fu Hua began, her usual composure strained by a rare display of impatience.
"You taught it to ," Rovel answered directly, offering no preamble.
'As I expected...' A flicker of understanding dawned in Fu Hua's eyes, but it was imdiately followed by a new, more deep confusion. When? When could this have happened? She couldn't rember at all.
At the very least, she was certain she hadn't deleted any mories from the past month. If Rovel, a Descender, had truly interacted with her, it would be impossible for her to forget.
"About the past... you've probably erased most of it with Fenghuang Down, haven't you?" Rovel's voice was tinged with a hint of world-weariness. For so inexplicable reason, the sound of it sent a pang of heartache through Fu Hua.
The mont she heard the words 'Fenghuang Down,' Fu Hua was certain. Rovel absolutely knew her from before. This wasn't information just anyone would have; even Theresa wasn't privy to such secrets.
"I'm sorry..." Fu Hua lowered her head, a wave of guilt washing over her. She must have truly erased her mories of him by accident. Helpless, she could only offer him her sincerest apologies.
"It's alright. I accepted it a long ti ago," Rovel said, forcing a bitter smile. "I know you have your own mission. Being by your side... I would only have been a burden to you."
"...Wait," Fu Hua interjected, a growing sense of unease creeping into her heart. The more he spoke, the more unsettled she beca. "What... what was our relationship before?"
"Exactly what you're thinking," Rovel said, his gaze steady. "We were lovers."
The words struck Fu Hua like a physical blow, and her mind went utterly blank. Her legendary coolness, her unshakeable wisdom—it all vanished in an instant. A rare, delicate blush crept up her neck and blood across her cheeks. She was so flustered she didn't even notice her glasses had begun to slide down the bridge of her nose.
"This... you... I..." Her mind, usually a fortress of order, was thrown into complete chaos. Words, her constant companions, deserted her, leaving her to stamr incoherently.
Rovel silently took out his phone. Before Fu Hua could even begin to process his actions, he had opened the cara app, switched it to burst mode, and snapped several dozen photos in one fluid motion.
'Mmhmm... the uniquely shy expression of Fu Hua, get!' he thought triumphantly.
"Sorry, I'm lying," Rovel said, sticking his tongue out playfully.
A quiet gasp of relief escaped Fu Hua's lips, though the heat in her cheeks refused to subside. The crimson hue, born of shock and embarrassnt, was now rapidly transmuting into the fiery red of indignation.
"...Please don't make such jokes!" Fu Hua's hands clenched into fists at her sides, a powerful urge to give Rovel a solid knock on the head rising within her. Only her iron-clad reason managed to restrain the impulse.
"But you really have forgotten a great many things," Rovel said, his tone shifting back to serious. "Even if I told you, you probably wouldn't recognize the truth. Do you... still rember the Elysian Realm?" He tilted his head, his expression earnest.
"Elysian Realm?" Fu Hua hesitated, her mind a flurry of activity as she scoured her mories. The search ca up empty. There was no information, not a single byte, about the 'Elysian Realm' within her Rembrance. It was the first ti she had ever heard the term.
"In the Elysian Realm, there exists a mory Entity that you left behind," Rovel explained. "Her na is 'Hua.' That's where I learned the Cun Xin Fist Style."
"I... don't rember," Fu Hua admitted, her brow furrowing even deeper.
She should have been used to this feeling, this cavernous emptiness where mories were supposed to be. She felt as if she had lived for a very, very long ti, yet the vast gaps in her personal history made her feel as though her entire being was being plunged into an ice cellar. An indescribable sense of loneliness threatened to swallow her whole. She couldn't see who she was, nor could she find where she belonged.
"If you don't rember, then let it go for now," Rovel said softly. "At least for today, and in the near future, we can create more beautiful mories."
He then recited a quiet verse, his voice gentle. "In this mont, only this mont's words are spoken; when plums are ripe, the gardenia's fragrance lingers..."
As he spoke, Rovel reached out and perford a 'Hua Jin - Head Pat,' a touch so precise and gentle it was more a transfer of warmth than a physical gesture. Fu Hua just looked so pitiable in that mont, he couldn't help himself.
[A thoughtful tip from Elysia: Then why don't you give her a hug~♪]
'Great idea!'Rovel thought.'Say it with : Thank you, Elysia.'
He started to open his arms to embrace Fu Hua, but she looked up at that exact mont, her eyes flashing with a dangerous light.
"What are you trying to do?" Fu Hua asked, her voice sharp as she took a half-step back from his raised hands.
"Uh... hugs can give people strength. I wanted to give you a hug to encourage you," Rovel improvised quickly.
"No need."
He supposed she was right. This was Fu Hua, a woman who had endured for five thousand years. Her heart was incredibly resilient; how could she beco despondent just because she had forgotten her past?
"Classmate Fang Ruobai, thank you for answering my questions." Fu Hua closed her eyes, gave a polite, shallow bow of thanks, and then turned to leave.
Rovel watched her departing back. She walked with perfect posture, her spine straight and upright, a picture of solitary dignity. But there was no one by her side.
Who would ever guess that this was the Red Kite Immortal, the guardian who had protected Shenzhou for five millennia?
After thinking for exactly two and a half seconds, Rovel made a decision. He strode forward, falling into step beside her.
Fu Hua cast a questioning glance his way, her expression clearly asking if he needed sothing else.
"Won't you consider treating to a al?" A playful smile curled at the corner of Rovel's mouth.
"..." Fu Hua was silent for a long mont, then gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.
The two returned to the dormitory. Without a word, Fu Hua retrieved so flour from the pantry. With the practiced, economical movents of soone who had perford the action a thousand tis, she kneaded it into a perfect dough and set it aside to rest.
Next, she took out a piece of pork, her knife a blur as she minced it into a fine filling. Fresh shrimp were deveined and shelled with swift precision, then arranged neatly on a plate.
Soon, two bowls of steaming Wonton Noodles were ready. The aroma of rich broth, savory pork, and fragrant herbs filled the small kitchen. Fu Hua placed one of the bowls in front of Rovel.
He hadn't expected this...
[Wonton Noodles: Handmade by Fu Hua. Infused with special emotions. Consuming grants a permanent 5 bonus to all four primary attributes.]
Rovel blinked, reading the system notification several tis. Not only did the noodles grant a full five points to all his stats, but... there was no limit specified?
"Eat," Fu Hua said softly, thinking he was waiting for her. She sat down opposite him with her own bowl.
"Then I won't be polite." Rovel picked up his chopsticks and, ignoring the steaming heat, took a large mouthful.
The perfect chewiness of the noodles, the delicate softness of the wonton wrappers, and the explosive fragrance of the savory filling all detonated in his mouth at once. It was a display of flavors and textures. If the laws of physics in this world were just a little more dramatic, he was certain his uniform might have just burst at the seams.
Compared to his enthusiastic gulping, Fu Hua's way of eating was the epito of refinent.
In what felt like no ti at all, the entire bowl of Wonton Noodles had vanished into Rovel's stomach. He leaned back in his chair, a look of pure satisfaction on his face.
"That was delicious," Rovel said earnestly. "Can I eat this again in the future?"
Fu Hua paused, her chopsticks hovering over her bowl. After a mont of quiet contemplation, she replied, "...There will be opportunities."
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comnt, or Power Stone ans the world to and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shaless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]
User Comments
0 comments from readers