A sixteen-year-old young man walked at an easy pace through the drizzling rain, water splashing lightly around his steps. His shoulder-length silvery-gray hair was tied back loosely, and despite the gloomy sky, his dark eyes stayed sharp and lively, giving his otherwise calm, youthful face a quietly striking presence.
His scholarly white robes, worn by the academy scholars, were now speckled with mud at the hems from the rain-soaked streets. Yet the dampness didn't seem to bother him. A cheerful smile curved his lips as he held a thick, leather-bound book above his head, using it as a makeshift umbrella.
Today had marked the end of an era, the final medical examination of his years at the academy. For most, it was a day of anxiety and exhaustion, but for him, it was a quiet triumph. He knew his results would be flawless; confidence radiated from him as effortlessly as his smile.
And yet, his thoughts drifted not to his success, but to the two people who defined his world: his closest friend, more of a brother, and the girl he had loved for two years.
As the rain whispered around him, he wondered what paths awaited them all beyond the academy's walls.
Su Wen sighed, "I wonder what Gu Ming and Xu Mei have planned for their future," he muttered, his voice barely rising above the patter of the rain. "Xu Mei hasn't really talked to me about her plans… maybe she didn't want to distract me during the exams."
He smiled faintly at the thought, adjusting the book above his head to shield himself from the rain. But as he turned toward the familiar corridor that led to the academy's main hall, something stopped him in his tracks… something that made his heart freeze in his chest.
There, under the shelter of the archway, stood Gu Ming and Xu Mei. His best friend and his girlfriend locked in a passionate moment.
For a moment, Su Wen stood motionless, his breath catching in his throat. He couldn't believe his eyes. The world seemed to blur around him, the noise of the rain fading as he watched them, utterly paralysed.
Xu Mei brushed a strand of hair from Gu Ming's forehead, her voice soft but certain. "When are we leaving for the Central Continent? I'm sure you'll get your recommendation without any trouble, after all you are the eldest son of the city lord. My father has already secured mine last week from one of the seniors who came to visit for business purposes."
Gu Ming smiling confidently, he pulled her a little closer "We'll leave in a few months, after my sixteenth birthday. I've got everything planned out. You'll be with me the whole way."
Xu Mei gazing up at him "The top five sects and academies will open their doors soon. Only the elite will make it, either you're a genius or you've got a recommendation like ours.
Her voice dropped to a near whisper, carrying a sly, mocking tone as she glanced up at him with a teasing smile.
"I wonder what Su Wen will do…"
Gu Ming snorted. "He hasn't even broken through to the Foundation Establishment realm yet," he said with open disdain. "I doubt he even has a future in this academy. As for the Central Continent? That's just a fantasy for someone like him."
He laughed softly, his hand settling at her waist. "He's nothing. I bet he'll pack his things, crawl back to that miserable mountain of his, and spend the rest of his life as a country bumpkin with his so-called grandparents."
Gu Ming continued with open disdain. "I only kept him around for his brains. Otherwise, I wouldn't have wasted even a second on someone like him."
Xu Mei tilted her head, a smug smile curling at her lips as she sneered.
"Honestly… I never understood why I bothered with him in the first place. No talent, no background… he's completely beneath us."
She let out a soft, almost pitying laugh. "Still stuck at the ninth stage of Qi Refining, yet he acts so proud. The poor fool never knew his place. I thought he might have some potential, but aside from those minor medicinal skills, he's just a complete waste of time."
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Gu Ming, a glint of admiration mixed with superiority flashing within them.
"You've taken care of me these past two years, and you're also the top genius of the academy," she said smoothly. "We'll leave for the Central Continent together, supporting each other as we chase greater opportunities. Our future is bright…"
She paused, her smile widening with cruel amusement.
"And Su Wen? He has no future outside this place."
Gu Ming leaned in slightly, his smile thick with satisfaction as he listened.
He muttered inwardly, 'I can't wait to see his face when he realizes you were always mine. He's been living in pure delusion… hahaha.'
Gu Ming chuckled, "You're right… He never knew his place, and he still doesn't. He's lucky we even kept him around this long."
Xu Mei's sighed as she looked down, her fingers absentmindedly brushing the sleeve of Gu Ming 's robe.
She shifted closer to him, her arms sliding around his waist as she rested her head against his shoulder. Gu Ming responded by pulling her in tighter, his arm wrapping around her waist, holding her in an arrogant embrace.
After a moment, Xu Mei said with a faint smile "Let's not talk about him anymore. Let's go get lunch at the Emerald Leaf Pavilion."
They moved together, walking out from the far side of the corridor, their hands intertwined as they disappeared from Su Wen's view, their laughter echoing faintly.
Su Wen stood frozen, his heart heavy with disbelief and pain. His eyes were locked on the space where they had just been, a hollow emptiness growing inside him. On the academy's final day, he lost two of his closest companions… who, in truth, had never been his companions at all.