Chapter 191: True Love
"I knew Yun Wanhe was dangerous."
Her expression changed.
"I didn’t know he’d kill your grandfather. But... I knew he was becoming unstable. And I didn’t stop him soon enough."
Chi Lingxi remained silent.
Shen Tian continued.
"I kept thinking I could control the situation. That I could handle him later. I was wrong."
He looked toward her.
"And your grandfather paid for that mistake."
Chi Lingxi stared.
For several seconds...
Neither spoke.
Then...
She stepped closer.
"You brought Grandpa back."
"That doesn’t erase..."
"No."
She interrupted.
"It doesn’t."
Shen Tian became silent.
Chi Lingxi appreciated that.
He didn’t try to excuse himself.
Didn’t tell her everything was okay because he’d fixed it.
She squeezed his hand.
"But you made it right. You nearly hurt yourself bringing him back. Then you stayed until you knew he was okay."
She looked directly at him.
"I’m not angry with you."
Shen Tian’s expression softened.
Chi Lingxi smiled.
"Besides... Grandpa is alive. And somehow..."
Her expression became annoyed.
"Even more annoying."
Shen Tian laughed.
"Resurrection improved him."
"It absolutely did not."
"He seems energetic."
"Too energetic."
They laughed.
The heaviness faded.
Then...
Chi Lingxi pointed toward the claw machine.
"Now win my wolf."
Shen Tian stared.
"That’s harder than resurrection."
She burst out laughing.
Fourteen attempts later...
Shen Tian finally won.
The claw released.
The wolf plush dropped.
Shen Tian raised both hands.
"YES."
Several children nearby looked at him.
Chi Lingxi stared.
Then laughed so hard tears appeared.
Shen Tian grabbed the plush.
He handed it to her.
"For you."
She hugged it.
Her smile became soft.
"Thank you."
"Fourteen tries."
"I know."
"That machine robbed me."
"I know."
"I could buy the company."
Chi Lingxi immediately grabbed his arm.
"No."
Shen Tian laughed.
"I wasn’t serious."
She stared suspiciously.
"You went to a game company because someone cheated."
"Fair."
"You’re exactly the type."
"Also fair."
Dinner came next.
A small restaurant overlooking the river.
Not private.
Not rented out.
No special treatment.
They sat near the window.
Chi Lingxi looked outside.
City lights reflected across the water.
Her wolf plush sat beside her.
Shen Tian smiled.
"You really like it."
She hugged it closer.
"You won it for me."
"After losing thirteen times."
"That makes it better."
"How?"
"You kept trying."
Shen Tian smiled.
"Fair."
Dinner arrived.
They talked.
Not about cultivation.
Not about Fate.
Not about danger.
School.
Music.
Food.
Movies.
Embarrassing childhood stories.
Chi Lingxi learned Shen Tian once fell into a decorative fountain while trying to impress Shen Yan when he was little.
She laughed for nearly five minutes.
"You fell in?!"
"I was six."
"You tried jumping over it!"
"I thought I could."
"You couldn’t!"
"Obviously."
She laughed again.
Shen Tian smiled.
This...
Was nice.
Strangely nice.
He’d spent so much time dealing with protagonists.
Systems.
Cultivation.
Opportunities.
Fate.
He’d forgotten something.
Normal life existed.
And sitting across from Chi Lingxi...
Watching her laugh...
He realized he liked normal.
After dinner...
They walked through the nearby park.
It was dark now.
Streetlights illuminated the path.
The air had cooled.
Chi Lingxi moved closer.
Eventually...
Her head rested against his shoulder.
Shen Tian looked down.
"Tired?"
"A little."
"We can go home."
She shook her head.
"Not yet."
He smiled.
"Okay."
They continued.
Eventually...
They reached a small bridge.
Water flowed beneath.
Chi Lingxi stopped.
Shen Tian did too.
She looked toward him.
"Today was fun."
"Yeah."
"I was nervous."
"I noticed."
She glared.
"Don’t ruin it."
He laughed.
"Sorry."
Chi Lingxi looked toward the water.
Then...
"I really am happy."
Shen Tian became quiet.
She continued.
"A few days ago..."
"I thought Grandpa was gone forever."
"I couldn’t imagine feeling normal again."
"And now..."
She looked toward him.
"He’s home."
"Mom is happy."
"I’m..."
Her cheeks warmed.
"Dating you."
Shen Tian smiled.
"Unfortunately."
She smacked his chest.
"Hey!"
He laughed.
"I’m kidding."
"You better be."
She looked up.
Their eyes met.
Silence.
Then...
Chi Lingxi stepped closer.
Her hands rested lightly against his chest.
Shen Tian lowered his head.
This time...
There wasn’t the overwhelming emotion of seeing her grandfather alive.
No tears.
No shock.
No gratitude.
Just...
Them.
Chi Lingxi closed her eyes.
Shen Tian kissed her.
Softly.
Her fingers tightened slightly against his shirt.
The kiss lasted several seconds.
Then they separated.
Chi Lingxi opened her eyes.
Her cheeks were bright red.
But...
She smiled.
Shen Tian smiled too.
"Better than the first one."
Her eyes widened.
"Shut up!"
He laughed.
"I’m complimenting you."
"Don’t rate them!"
"Nine out of..."
She covered his mouth.
"Don’t."
His eyes smiled.
She slowly removed her hand.
Then...
Shen Tian kissed her forehead.
Chi Lingxi froze.
That somehow affected her more.
She hugged him.
Shen Tian wrapped his arms around her.
And beneath the quiet lights of the bridge...
They remained like that.
No system notifications.
No Fate.
No villains.
No protagonists.
Just Shen Tian...
And his girlfriend.
Unfortunately...
Peace never lasted.
Because when Shen Tian returned to the mansion...
The front door opened before he touched it.
Shen Yan stood there.
Yin Suyi stood beside her.
Both looked at him.
Then...
At Chi Lingxi.
Then...
At their joined hands.
"..."
"..."
Chi Lingxi swallowed.
"Hello..."
Yin Suyi’s eyes narrowed.
Shen Yan’s smile became terrifyingly calm.
Shen Tian sighed.
"Here we go."
Chi Lingxi squeezed his hand.
Yin Suyi looked toward her son.
"Did you enjoy yourself?"
"Yes."
Shen Yan looked toward Chi Lingxi.
"How much?"
Shen Tian stared.
"What does that mean?"
"Exactly what I asked."
"Big Sis."
Chi Lingxi tried not to laugh.
Then...
Yin Suyi noticed the wolf plush.
"Where did that come from?"
Chi Lingxi smiled.
"Shen Tian won it for me."
Yin Suyi looked toward her son.
"You’ve never won me a plush."
Shen Tian froze.
"...Mother."
Shen Yan’s eyes narrowed.
"You’ve never won me one either."
"..."
Shen Tian slowly looked toward Chi Lingxi.
"Run."
She laughed.
Yin Suyi grabbed his arm.
"No."
Shen Yan grabbed the other.
"You’re going to an arcade tomorrow."
Shen Tian stared.
"What?"
"You’re winning us something."
Yin Suyi nodded.
"Correct."
Chi Lingxi covered her mouth.
Shen Tian looked betrayed.
"You’re enjoying this."
"A little."
"A little?"
She smiled.
Then...
Chi Lingxi stepped toward him.
Quickly kissed his cheek.
"Goodnight, boyfriend."
Shen Tian stared at her.
"We aren’t done yet... We still need to do one more thing."
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(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
SEND POWESTONES!!!
ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!