Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

Zhang Lexuan stood behind the two, her gaze slowly shifting from the figures in the center of the lake to Jiang Nannan.

She saw it all clearly. She saw the barely perceptible tremor in Jiang Nannan's shoulders the moment she lowered her head, she saw the way her fingertips dug deeply into her palms, and she saw the restraint and forbearance she showed when she raised her head, suppressing all her emotions.

Soon, Ling Yu stepped onto the lake shore, water droplets dripping gently from his feet, spreading small wet patches on the shore.

He bent down slightly, preparing to gently put Ma Xiaotao down, his movements still gentle, afraid of hurting her.

But Ma Xiaotao didn't move at all, still curled up in his arms, her eyes tightly closed, her breathing steady and even, as if she had really fallen into a deep sleep in his comforting embrace.

Ling Yu paused for a moment, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes, but he didn't force her down. He simply spoke softly, his tone calm, with a touch of gentleness: "...We've arrived."

Ma Xiaotao showed no reaction, her eyes remained closed, not even her eyelashes trembled, as if she were truly fast asleep.

Ling Yu waited patiently for another two seconds, but Ma Xiaotao still didn't move. Instead, she gripped the fabric at his waist even tighter, her fingertips almost digging into the fabric, refusing to loosen her grip even slightly.

Ling Yu looked down at the person in his arms, his gaze softening, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.

Pretending to be asleep.

This little trick was obvious not only to him, but also to the three people on the shore.

Wang Dong'er, standing on the shore, stared even wider, her face filled with disbelief and indignation.

She stared intently at Ma Xiaotao clinging to Ling Yu's arms, refusing to get down. Looking at her face, which was clearly pretending to be asleep but looked blissful and without any remorse, a surge of anger rose in her chest, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, wanting to expose Ma Xiaotao's little tricks, but the words got stuck in her throat. In the end, she didn't know what to say and could only let the anger in her heart build up little by little.

Ling Yu remained silent for two seconds, neither exposing her little trick nor forcibly putting her down, but simply holding her quietly.

Ma Xiaotao waited in his arms for a while, but he didn't urge her again or put her down. A little joy rose in her heart, and she couldn't help but secretly open one eye and peek at him through the gaps in his thick eyelashes.

But to her surprise, Ling Yu was looking down at her with a gentle gaze and a hint of a smile in his eyes. Their eyes met instantly, and there was no hesitation from her.

Ma Xiaotao's body stiffened for a moment, and a blush instantly welled up on her face. But she quickly recovered and, instead of flinching, met his gaze with a shameless smile, her eyes full of cunning and dependence.

"My legs are weak," she said, her tone self-assured and without the slightest embarrassment, as if she really couldn't even stand up straight. "I can't walk."

Ma Xiaotao met his gaze without flinching. There was even a hint of grievance in her eyes as she pouted slightly, as if to say: "I am like this because you beat me up. Shouldn't you take responsibility?"

Ling Yu remained silent for two seconds, but finally couldn't hold back. The helplessness in his eyes deepened, but he didn't refute her. He just nodded slightly, then turned around, hugged her, and walked step by step into the depths of the bamboo forest.

Ma Xiaotao was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting him to actually do as she wished and carry her along. A deep joy instantly burst forth in her eyes. She blinked her light pink eyes, and the curve of her lips grew wider and wider, impossible to hide.

She quickly buried her face in his chest, smiling like a child who had stolen candy, her heart filled with joy and satisfaction, and her arms instinctively tightened around him.

As Ma Xiaotao passed by Jiang Nannan, she suddenly opened her eyes, turned her head, and looked over Ling Yu's shoulder, landing precisely on Jiang Nannan.

Those pale pink eyes held an undisguised smugness and boastfulness as they stared at Jiang Nannan for a full two seconds.

"What's the point of signing the contract together?"

Jiang Nannan happened to meet that gaze, and in that instant, the faint smile that had been on her face for so long almost slipped away. Her fingertips dug into her palms, causing them to hurt even more, and the bitterness and resentment in her heart surged up like a tide once again.

But she managed to hold back, without losing her composure or arguing back. She simply lowered her head slightly to avoid that piercing gaze, saying nothing and doing nothing, letting the bitterness spread freely in her heart.

Ma Xiaotao withdrew her gaze with satisfaction, buried her face back in Ling Yu's arms, and let him hold her as they walked step by step into the depths of the bamboo forest, their figures gradually disappearing into the shadows of the bamboo leaves.

Jiang Nannan remained standing still, her fingertips already digging deep blood marks into her palms. Fine beads of blood slowly seeped out from her palms, but she was completely unaware of it. She kept her head down, her long eyelashes drooping, concealing all the emotions in her eyes.

Dr. Xiaoyu has never hugged me like this before.

there has never been.

Wang Dong'er didn't notice Jiang Nannan's strange behavior. Her gaze was still fixed on the direction where Ma Xiaotao disappeared, on the way she was nestled in Ling Yu's arms, on the hand clutching Ling Yu's clothes, and on their backs as they walked away in each other's arms. The tightness in her chest was so great that it almost suffocated her.

She was filled with resentment and grievance, yet she was helpless and could only watch as they drifted further and further apart, watching the person she cherished treat someone else with such tenderness.

She suddenly turned her head, wanting to complain to Jiang Nannan and confide her grievances to someone, but she froze as soon as she spoke.

Jiang Nannan stood there quietly with her head down, motionless. The sunlight fell on her, making her shadow long and thin, so frail that it seemed a gust of wind could blow her over.

Wang Dong'er opened her mouth, but the words she wanted to say were instantly stuck in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word.

She suddenly felt that Jiang Nannan's back looked particularly lonely and sad. That kind of deep-seated loneliness made her heart tighten slightly, but she couldn't say why.

"Jiang Nannan?" she called tentatively, her voice soft and carrying a hint of barely perceptible hesitation.

Jiang Nannan slowly raised her head and looked at her, her face still bearing that faint smile, gentle and without the slightest flaw, as if all the forbearance and vulnerability just now were just an illusion.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice still gentle and calm, showing no sign of anything amiss, as if her heart had never been troubled.

Wang Dong'er looked at her, paused for two seconds, and seeing the flawless tenderness in her eyes, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. She shook her head and said softly, "No, it's nothing."

Jiang Nannan smiled, her smile still gentle, then lifted her foot and walked deeper into the bamboo forest. Her steps were still steady, but lacked some of her usual lightness. "Let's go, let's go back too."