Nightfall – A Quiet Rooftop, Spirit Inn
The moon hung low, silver light draping the rooftops of the small town like a veil. The night was quiet, the rustle of trees the only sound.
Su Chen sat at the edge of the roof, legs dangling into open air. His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, softened under the moonlight.
He liked nights like this. Still. Honest.
Suddenly, light footsteps echoed behind him—quiet, but graceful. He didn't turn. He already knew who it was.
Bibi Dong.
She stood a few steps behind him, arms folded across her white cloak. Her face, under the moon, seemed less like a Pope… and more like a woman who had once believed in something bright—before it was shattered.
Neither spoke at first.
Su Chen tilted his head slightly.
> "Can't sleep?"
She replied after a moment, her voice low.
> "Too many thoughts."
---
A Pause Between Them
There was silence again. But it wasn't awkward. It was heavy. Almost… sacred.
Then Su Chen spoke, not looking at her.
> "You know... I don't care who wronged you before. Or how deep the wounds go."
> "I don't need to know everything. But I want you to remember one thing."
He turned his head now, slowly, and looked straight into her eyes.
> "I'm here."
> "No matter what happens in this world—who turns against you, who doubts you... I will always stand with you."
> "And if the world ever makes you cry again—I'll burn it all down."
---
Bibi Dong's Reaction
Her heart stilled.
Words like that weren't meant to come from a child.
But it didn't sound childish. It didn't sound flirtatious.
It sounded… real. Terrifyingly real.
The moonlight caught in her eyes. She didn't say anything. She didn't need to.
Because her heart had heard it.
But emotions she'd buried deep began to rise again—memories of betrayal, of shattered innocence.
She suddenly turned, cloak fluttering behind her.
> "Go rest," she said, softly. Almost too soft to hear.
And without waiting, she stepped down from the rooftop and vanished into her room.
---
Su Chen (Alone)
He sat there for a while longer, staring at the place she had stood.
Then he smiled faintly.
> "She didn't say no."
> "That's a start."
....
That Same Night – Bibi Dong's Room
The door shut behind her with a soft click.
The room was dimly lit, only a flicker from the lantern in the corner dancing along the stone walls.
She stood still for a moment.
Her hand was lightly trembling.
"Why…"
"Why did those words feel like they pierced so deep?"
She slowly removed her cloak, draping it over the chair. Her back was tense, her fingers twitching slightly as she reached for her bed but didn't sit.
Instead, she walked to the mirror.
The reflection showed a beautiful woman—regal, elegant, powerful.
But her eyes...
Tired. Lonely. Wounded.
---
Memories Flood Back
She remembered the first person who once whispered to her that she deserved happiness—
"You're beautiful, Dong'er."
She remembered how he betrayed her.
How he broke her.
How she buried her feelings in the coldness of her throne.
She remembered her strength, built brick by brick with pain as mortar.
---
And now, years later, a boy—just a boy—sat under the moonlight and said:
> "I'll always stand with you."
> "If the world makes you cry, I'll burn it down."
Why did it make her heart ache?
Why did his eyes remind her of what she once hoped for?
---
Tears… But Not Weakness
She sat on the edge of her bed now, quietly. Her eyes flicked up to the dark ceiling.
And a single tear slipped down her cheek.
Just one.
She wiped it away before it could reach her chin.
No one would see the Pope cry.
But even she couldn't lie to herself tonight.
> "I've never… felt safe around anyone since that day."
> "And yet… with him, for a moment, I forgot I was the Pope. I felt like a woman."
---
Last Thoughts Before Sleep
She finally lay down, eyes half-lidded, the moonlight from the window stretching across her chest.
> "Su Chen… what are you?"
> "Are you my punishment… or my salvation?"
Sleep slowly claimed her—not restful, but at least silent.
And for the first time in years…
She dreamed of a hand reaching toward her. Not to hurt. But to hold.
.....
Absolutely—here's the continuation with that subtle, powerful emotional shift. A silent vow is born, and the cold Pope's rare smile becomes something sacred to protect.
---
Next Morning – Journey Back to Spirit Hall
The journey began early. Mist still lingered over the trees as the carriage moved slowly down the forest path.
Inside, Bibi Dong was once again the untouchable Pope—eyes distant, voice calm, posture perfect. Her cold aura had returned, the same commanding presence that made even Titled Douluo lower their gaze.
Su Chen, seated quietly across from her, didn't say much.
He didn't expect warmth.
Not yet.
Even Hu Liena, used to her teacher's sharp edge, stayed respectful and quiet, though her eyes flicked curiously between them.
It was as if the rooftop moment never happened.
But Su Chen didn't mind. He understood something most wouldn't:
> Sometimes, people who've been broken don't know how to reach back right away.
---
Half a Day Later – Gates of Spirit Hall
As the towering gates of Spirit Hall came into view, shimmering gold and white under the midday sun, Bibi Dong stepped down first, followed by Hu Liena and Su Chen.
The guards bowed. Disciples cleared the way. The Pope had returned.
Bibi Dong's expression remained blank… until she turned to glance—briefly—at Su Chen.
And for just a heartbeat—
She smiled.
A small, quiet smile.
Not the smile of a ruler.
Not the smile of a mentor.
It was a faint, almost shy, barely-there curve of the lips.
But to Su Chen—
> It was everything.
---
Su Chen's Silent Oath
He stood frozen for a moment as if the whole world had paused.
> "That smile…"
> "Even if the God Realm descends… even if this world turns on us… I will protect it."
> "No matter how many fates I must destroy."
His fingers curled into a light fist at his side. Not out of anger—but determination.
> "I'll never let anyone take that smile away."
...