A thousand mountains, birds in flight vanish… Well, I forget the rest of the poem. The point is, it sounds very poetic and sets a nice mood.
After learning that Yuan Longxuan was a Title Douluo, Dou Dou gave up any thought of a romantic relationship.
The gap in their status was a chasm too wide to cross; their paths could never truly meet.
Half an hour later…
"Brother Yuan Longxuan… Dou Dou is… unhappy."
Dou Dou slumped over the dining table, her cheeks flushed an unnatural shade of red.
Yes, the young woman was drunk.
Watching her drink herself into this state, Yuan Longxuan could only sigh. He could guess what was troubling her.
Emboldened by the alcohol, she had even confessed secrets to him.....things she hadn't even told Auntie Qin.
Yet, he could clearly sense her deliberate emotional distance, as if she had already accepted that their lives were parallel lines destined never to intersect.
In Yuan Longxuan's eyes, Dou Dou was a remarkably rational young woman.
She knew what she wanted and worked hard for it, but she also understood the boundaries of what was possible.
A Title Douluo and a Soul Elder were separated by a gulf so vast it was insurmountable, a thought she dared not even entertain.
"Ah, that poor girl," Auntie Qin sighed, coming over from the bar. "Your Lordship, if there's nothing else, you may leave. Dou Dou is safe here with me."
Yuan Longxuan shook his head at Auntie Qin's suggestion.
"From now on, she will be with me. I will treat her well."
Under Auntie Qin's incredulous gaze, Yuan Longxuan stood and walked over to Dou Dou. She was thoroughly drunk now, her face a warm pink.
"Your Lordship, you…"
"It's fine. She's beautiful, rational, and decisive. Isn't that enough?"
Yuan Longxuan gently gathered her into his arms. This seemed to be Dou Dou's first time drinking; only a complete novice or a seasoned alcoholic would down entire glasses of strong liquor the way she had.
"This card holds twenty million gold spirit coins," Yuan Longxuan said, placing it on the table. "Auntie Qin, you needn't run this tavern anymore. I will bring Dou Dou to visit you when I can."
He vanished into the night, leaving Auntie Qin staring after him in stunned silence.
"Dou Dou… you little thing… your bitterness has finally turned to sweetness…" Tears welled in Auntie Qin's eyes.
For a girl of ordinary origins to rise through sheer ability to become a top-ranked referee at the Grand Spirit Arena was no small feat. This turn of events was beyond her wildest hopes.
Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows, the members of Team Tianshui were conducting their own surveillance.
"Miss Dou Dou has had a hard life," one whispered sympathetically.
"True, but that's no reason to steal our Brother Longxuan," another countered.
"Should we wait another night?"
"Tomorrow night, we should…"
"No," Shui Bing'er declared with an air of finality, assuming her role as the big sister. "Yue'er and I go first tomorrow. The rest of you can queue up after."
"Big Sister, you're bullying us," Yu Hairou protested weakly, adopting a pitiful look.
"Wah, it seems only I, Xue Wu, and Hairou are the ones getting hurt here," Shen Liuyu said, her face a perfect picture of a performatively wronged "little green tea."
"Speaking of which," Xue Wu interjected, a hint of smugness coloring her tone, "I actually, um, succeeded in my attempts a few months ago… and just the day before yesterday, I also…"
"YOU DID WHAT?!?!" the others exclaimed in unison.
(Don't find this odd. Their favorability with the protagonist has long been at 100%. It's just that final, tangible step that remains unfulfilled.)
Suotuo City, Rose Hotel.
The very place where the dream began.
The decor was still exquisite, the staff the same as last time.
"Your best room. Price is no object. Understood?"
"Understood!"
Late that night, in the "Moonlit Lake" super suite on the hotel's top floor.
It was the night of the full moon, and the rooftop offered an unparalleled view of the silvery orb.
After freshening up and gently cleaning the drowsy Dou Dou, Yuan Longxuan settled comfortably onto the enormous, soft silver bed.
With a twist of time, the world outside the suite's window seemed to slow to a crawl; clouds drifted with impossible lethargy.
Yuan Longxuan was not a man to take advantage of someone's vulnerability....A Wu being the sole, passionate exception.
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