Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

As dusk deepened, the afterglow faded on the horizon, and the light in the courtyard turned into a gentle gray-blue, tranquil and peaceful.

The shadows of ivy leaves swayed gently on the wall, the leaves of the osmanthus tree rustled, and the evening breeze brought a touch of coolness and carried a faint fragrance of grass and trees, filling the entire courtyard.

After a while, Jiang Nannan seemed to suddenly remember something, and she raised her head sharply. She tried to regain her usual cheerful tone, and her eyes were bright and full of warmth: "Oh right, Mom asked me to pass on a message to you."

She looked at Ling Yu, her eyes earnest yet gentle: "She said thank you, Dr. Xiao Yu. She's feeling much better now. Her chest doesn't hurt as much anymore, she can sleep through the night, and her spirits are much better. She also said that since you're alone at Shrek Academy, you must eat well, rest on time, don't overwork yourself, and take good care of yourself."

She paused, then lowered her voice again, as if adding casually, a faint blush rising to her ears: "She said that when you have time for your next follow-up appointment, she'll make you some soup, your favorite pork rib soup, to help you recover."

Ling Yu nodded slightly, his tone filled with sincere gratitude: "Please thank Madam Jiang for me, and thank you for your trouble."

"It's no trouble at all." Jiang Nannan quickly shook her head, her eyes filled with genuine gratitude. "If it weren't for your help, my mother and I wouldn't know what to do."

Ling Yu looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said, "How about this, after Huichuntang reopens, you can bring Madam Jiang here, so you won't have to travel back and forth."

"Really...really?" Jiang Nannan looked up suddenly, her eyes filled with disbelief. She stammered, her heart racing, and her fingers instinctively gripped the hem of her skirt again.

A tiny firework seemed to explode in her heart, her joy almost overflowing. Countless thoughts rushed through her mind—if her mother could come here, she would have a legitimate reason to visit her mother at the clinic every day and naturally see Ling Yu!

No more making up excuses, no more cautiously testing the waters, and no more fear of him seeing through my thoughts. Being able to be by his side every day, even if it's just saying a few words or helping with small things, is enough.

Thinking of this, her cheeks flushed even more, and the joy in her eyes was impossible to hide. Even her breathing became a little lighter, yet tinged with a cautious trepidation, as if afraid it was just her imagination. She quickly asked again, her voice brimming with barely perceptible excitement: "You...you're telling the truth? Can you really let Mom come over?"

She didn't dare say that what she truly hoped for was never for her mother's convenience, but rather to use the excuse of seeing her mother to get closer to him and spend more time with him, hiding this cautious affection in their daily interactions.

Looking at her flushed cheeks and the barely concealed joy in her eyes, Ling Yu smiled and said, "Really."

Jiang Nannan smiled instantly, her eyes shining like starlight. Her previous anxiety vanished, and even her voice became light and cheerful: "That's great! I'll tell Mom tomorrow!"

The evening breeze carried her joy, making it feel lighter and more cheerful.

……

When Ling Yu pushed open the door to dormitory 108, it was already completely dark. The soul-guiding lamp in the dormitory was on, and the soft light spilled over the desks and beds, making everything in the room feel warm and cozy, but it could not dispel the faint silence in the air.

Wang Dong'er sat on her bed, a book clutched in her hand, but the page remained stuck on the same one the entire time. She hadn't absorbed a single word; her fingertips were simply rubbing the edge of the page unconsciously, repeatedly touching the same spot until even her fingertips felt stiff.

Hearing the door open, she glanced at the doorway briefly, her gaze lingering on Ling Yu for a fleeting moment before she quickly lowered her eyes and turned a page of her book.

With a "whoosh," the act of turning the page was deliberately made loud, the crisp sound breaking the silence in the dormitory, as if deliberately attracting something, or as if venting some inexplicable emotion.

Ling Yu didn't look at her, not even sparing her a second of his gaze. He walked straight to his bedside, sat down, took off his coat, folded it, and placed it on the bedside table, preparing to begin his meditation.

Wang Dong'er glanced at him, her lips twitched as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just turned another page of the book, making a "whoosh" sound, still quite loud, with a hint of awkward stubbornness.

She paused, then tossed the book aside, it landing on the bed with a soft thud. She leaned back against the headboard, arms crossed, staring intently at the ceiling. After a few seconds of silence, she asked casually, "Have you found a shop?"

"Hmm." Ling Yu responded calmly, without offering any further explanation. After speaking, he took off his coat, folded it neatly, and placed it on the bedside table, preparing to begin his meditation.

"Where?" Wang Dong'er asked again, her voice still calm, but there was a hint of urgency hidden in her eyes, and even her gaze shifted slightly.

"East Street." Ling Yu's voice remained flat, uttering just two simple words before falling silent.

"Oh," Wang Dong'er replied lightly, as if she had just asked casually and didn't care at all, but a trace of disappointment flashed across her eyes and her fingertips quietly clenched the hem of her clothes.

A brief silence fell over the dormitory, broken only by the occasional rustling of leaves in the evening breeze outside the window. After a moment of silence, Wang Dong'er couldn't help but ask again, "When are you moving?"

"It's not settled yet. We need to tidy up the shop and make it clean before we can move in." Ling Yu said as he sat down cross-legged, formed a hand seal, and prepared to enter a meditative state. His tone remained calm and even.

Wang Dong'er didn't say anything more. She silently pulled the blanket over her chin, covering most of her face, leaving only her bright eyes staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

She had known all along that Ling Yu would move out after finding the clinic and no longer share a dormitory with her. But she still held a faint hope that this day would come a little later, but she never expected it to come so soon.

The scene I saw at the entrance of the teaching building that afternoon involuntarily popped into my mind—Jiang Nannan stood in the corridor, her golden hair glowing softly in the sunset, her figure slender, and her eyes lit up as soon as she saw Ling Yu. That kind of light was intense and genuine, not at all like the way ordinary friends should look when they meet.

She must have gone with Ling Yu to look at the shop, right? She must have stayed with him the whole time, giving him advice, right? After the clinic opens, she'll often go to help out and be by his side, won't she?

What does this have to do with me?

Wang Dong'er muttered to herself, then pulled the blanket up further, covering half her face, leaving only her eyes exposed. The disappointment in her heart became more and more obvious, and even her eyes dimmed a bit.

Ling Yu's movements gradually subsided, and a faint fluctuation of soul power emanated from his body, indicating that he had entered a meditative state, with his breathing being steady and rhythmic.

Wang Dong'er quietly turned to the side, her back to Ling Yu, and slowly closed her eyes. Her long eyelashes trembled gently, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

Forget about it, I have to get up early for class tomorrow.

The shop has been found, so be it. If he wants to move, so be it. It's not like we'll never see each other again. They're still classmates, and we can still bump into each other in the classroom.

She repeated these words to herself, as if trying desperately to convince herself, but she couldn't suppress the inexplicable sense of loss in her heart.

It was quiet under the covers, with only the sound of my own breathing and Ling Yu's steady breathing behind me, which mingled together, yet seemed exceptionally desolate.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but the night grew darker and darker. Wang Dong'er gradually became drowsy and was about to fall asleep when a thought seemed to take root and wouldn't be suppressed, swirling repeatedly in her mind:

Jiang Nannan will definitely come looking for him again tomorrow.

……

In the dead of night, under a dark and windy sky, only Wang Dong'er's steady breathing could be heard in the dormitory.

Ling Yu slowly opened his eyes, stopped meditating, glanced lightly at the sleeping Wang Dong'er, got up very quietly, broke out of his meditative state, quietly opened the dormitory door, and disappeared into the night in a flash, heading straight for Shrek Square.

Ten statues stand silently in the square, solemn and dignified. The freshmen class 1 used to run laps here during the day, but now only the statues remain, their steady outlines silhouetted against the night.

Ling Yu didn't stop, walking straight to Tang San's statue. He paused and asked softly, "Boss, can you sense it? This is the statue of Tang San, the Sea God. Can you feel his presence on it?"

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, a cold yet profound voice slowly resounded: "On this statue, there is only the lingering power of faith; not even a trace of that ant's divine consciousness remains. It is merely a vessel of faith left behind by that insect in the world, a useless thing."

Ling Yu nodded slightly, a hint of regret flashing across his face, and gently shook his head: "It's a pity. Shrek Academy is the place with the strongest sea god worship outside of Seagod Island. I originally thought that fragments of his divine consciousness would remain here."

Volibear's voice remained completely calm, cold yet imbued with a divine sense of looking down upon all living beings, direct and brooking no argument: "Since he is the god of the sea, the power of faith here is nothing but a speck of dust to him, insignificant. Only the myriad sea beasts in the endless ocean, and that vast and boundless sea, are the true source of his power of faith."

A flicker of urgency crossed Ling Yu's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and asked softly, "Boss, can you use this boundless power of faith?"

Volibear's strength is his greatest asset and the foundation upon which he can rediscover his original aspirations and rekindle his passion.

"Under normal circumstances, it must never be used." Volibear's voice carried the majesty of a god. "I am not the sea god. This power of faith, which is exclusive to him, is a deadly poison to me. The slightest touch will result in a backlash. But fortunately, I have a fragment of that ant's divine consciousness within me. I can use it as a medium to nourish and strengthen this power of faith. Once the fragment becomes stronger, I can use it to make more moves—the previous fragment was only enough for me to make one move before it shattered. By absorbing this power of faith, it can last for several moves."

Ling Yu's eyes lit up instantly, unable to hide his joy, and he quickly said, "That's great, boss! Let's get started!"