Sure enough, Su Youzhu knew she was about to be reprimanded and quietly lowered her head.

Her jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, her delicate, curving lashes drooping to obscure her deep, soul-searching eyes.

She looked cold, like a girl devoid of all warmth, but she possessed all the cunning a girl ought to have—perhaps even more so, sharpened by years of her mentor's teachings. He'd taught her to use her appearance as a disguise, to never reveal her true emotions too easily.

Whether in battle or in life.

That's exactly what she did.

In the Dark World, she was the renowned genius girl known as the Moon Princess.

At home, she flawlessly played the role of a troubled teenager.

No one could see through her.

Except for the boy standing before her now. With him, she always seemed to come up short.

Honestly, she figured the atmosphere had already built up perfectly. She could seize the sweetness and feelings of their reunion to wield the tenderness and coyness of a young girl—taking down this stoic stone-faced guy once and for all.

If that didn't work, at least she could smooth over her reckless actions from earlier.

Her gentle facade had masked a single thought: "You're still resisting me?"

But who was Gu Jianlin? Back when Peak City's High School No. 2 held military training for freshmen, the coach had an urgent matter and temporarily assigned him to lead. The younger classmates had been thrilled, thinking that since he was a senior, he'd surely go easy on them.

Some of the prettier girls even tried to charm him with their beauty, hoping for special treatment.

Gu Jianlin remained unmoved. No matter how stunningly they batted their lashes or paraded their allure, in his eyes, they were merely silly, hormone-driven females. Who cares who you are? Drop down and give me forty push-ups, first.

"I'm already injured this badly. You wouldn't still lecture me, would you?"

Su Youzhu rested her forehead against his chest, quietly listening to his heartbeat.

It was the first time the two of them had been this close.

Gu Jianlin didn't pull away; he merely maintained his stoic expression and replied, "Do you know what would happen if your father found out?"

Su Youzhu puffed up her cheeks.

Her father, once a soldier, had a strict approach to parenting—a relentless barrage of discipline.

"At ease, attention, run!"

First, he'd chase her outside, whistle in hand, urging her to run laps. After that, it'd be push-up time. Then, standing military-style at the stairwell for two hours while nosy neighbors threw her curious looks.

Physical and mental torment, combined.

Things only got a little better after Gu Jianlin arrived.

"That's because I've been putting all my focus into the Extraordinary World—not just honing combat skills but also learning the ancient texts my mentor left for me. Do you think that's easy? And ever since you awakened, I've been secretly following you every day, afraid you'd get into trouble or act recklessly."

Su Youzhu muttered defensively.

Gu Jianlin said coldly, "Don't give me that. Ever since I moved in, you haven't been beaten once."

Su Youzhu raised her enchanting eyes, lashes trembling slightly: "Then why are you holding me so tightly?"

Perhaps even Gu Jianlin himself didn't realize it. He had only caught her with his chest as she fell—but his hands had instinctively wrapped around her, holding her tightly. Very tightly.

As if afraid that the mere wind would scatter her from his embrace.

It could've been an involuntary action.

Or perhaps a subconscious fear of loss.

Or maybe, simply, he wanted to hold her.

Gu Jianlin wasn't sure.

Suddenly, Su Youzhu coughed again, her crimson lips spilling a trace of blood.

"I have some secret medicine here."

A strange panic seized Gu Jianlin, and he hurriedly tried to let go and search for it, but she caught his hand.

"It's useless. Your Life Perception should have sensed it, right?"

Su Youzhu spoke softly: "This body of mine lacks Life Rhythm."

Gu Jianlin paused for a moment: "Mythical Weapon?"

"Yes, the Yin Yang Twin Jade your father left behind."

Su Youzhu answered gently: "Its effect is to create a flesh-and-blood mirror image clone that inherits all my Extraordinary Abilities, allowing me to act freely in the outside world. The price, however, is that my original body becomes extremely weak. And due to the prolonged split focus, I tend to appear a bit sluggish and need frequent sleep to recover."

So that's it. Everything suddenly made sense.

No wonder this girl usually seemed burdened and spent most of her time catching up on sleep.

In school, she always seemed absent-minded.

Although, strangely, her face remained the same as before.

Her hairstyle and... certain proportions, however, had changed.

But there wasn't time to dwell on that now.

Gu Jianlin frowned and said, "So, when I video-called you, you picked up instantly."

"Yes."

Su Youzhu's face showed no expression as she lowered her head to avoid his gaze: "Because you know me too well. Even if I consciously disguise myself, spending long enough time with you will always give you a sense of déjà vu."

Gu Jianlin felt a surge of frustration. This girl, in the Qilin Immortal Palace, had wrapped herself up like an enigma—probably even wearing high heels and altering her voice to prevent recognition.

Yet in reality, she'd left a few telltale signs.

Who'd have guessed there existed something like the Yin Yang Twin Jade?

Despite his utmost caution in protecting her, he still felt it wasn't enough.

Even with Butcher following her closely, he couldn't fully be at ease.

He had to step in personally.