While Professor Gordon Gu and Old Man Liu were off preparing their outfits, Evan Lin accompanied Jill Jing for a stroll around the city and then walked her back to campus.
At the gate, Jill Jing looked unhappy—one hand clutching her cola, the other gripping Evan's arm, refusing to let go.
Gavin Duan was already used to Jill's attitude toward Evan. For his part, he cared for Jill more like a big brother to a little sister, so he never felt jealous—he just stood nearby, watching the two in front of him.
Tall and short, the pair made a quirky contrast, and Gavin couldn't help but grin.
"Let go. You should go back and sleep now."
Evan looked at her and said this.
Jill shook her head, lips pursed in a pitiful but determined expression, her hand still gripping tightly.
Evan didn’t dare to actually force her hand off.
The big and small pair stared at each other; Jill’s cheeks puffed out, then deflated, clearly sulking and showing her stubborn side.
Jill Jing grew up without parents—though she had Gavin Duan by her side, she still missed out on parental love.
Jill Jing pouted, looking totally aggrieved—like a little queen who finally caught a strong guy she likes.
Honestly, it felt pretty weird.
Some guys didn't dare play hero, but they sure eavesdropped when Jill spoke, feeling heartbroken.
What hurt them most was, Jill made such a bold request—and Evan just stood there, totally unfazed.
If he sleeps with her, he's a beast. If he doesn't, he's worse than a beast.
That's basically asking for divine punishment.
The vibe suddenly got awkward.
Jill Jing stayed stubborn, Evan looked down at her and frowned.
This was a tough one.
If Lynn Chen, Selina Shi, Molly Su, Rachel Liu, Lily Zhong, or any of them asked this, Evan could probably talk his way out.
Plus, those girls would never say something like this anyway.
Evan might be the Nine Mysteries Immortal Lord now, but even back then, he'd never dated anyone.
Sounds ridiculous, but it's the truth.
Three hundred years of cultivation, Lin Jiuxuan rose as the Nine Mysteries Immortal Lord. Tons of fairies wanted to get close, but he only cared about finding Lily Zhao and getting stronger.
Even after opening Heaven Gate and getting blasted back to his youth by a random dragon, Evan still never had a proper relationship.
Sometimes Evan wonders if he's Earth's oldest single dog.
He laughs it off and moves on, never really dwelling on it.
If he hadn't found clues about Lily Zhao again, maybe he'd actually try falling in love.
What keeps him going is worry for Lily Zhao and his mom, Joy Zheng.
So now, facing Jill Jing, Evan doesn't even know how to turn her down.
She might look smart, but Jill can be totally unreasonable.
Just like the first time they met—Jill, hugging her cola, blocked Evan and demanded he answer a math problem before letting him go.
When Evan answered, Jill smugly told him he got it wrong.
Later, the results showed Evan was right and Jill was wrong—who knows if she hid under her blanket and cried, or just drank more cola to vent.
Jill's eyes were red as she kept staring at Evan, but after a while she blinked, went quiet, and looked a little anxious.
She kept staring at Evan, but handed her cola cap to Gavin Duan.
Gavin dutifully twisted open the bottle; Jill gulped some cola for energy, kept staring at Evan, then suddenly turned pale, lips trembling, and let out a hiccup.
Her 'won't sleep until I win' vibe fizzled instantly.
Jill frowned, annoyed—regretting that last gulp of cola.
Evan couldn't help but find it funny.
"She doesn't really want to sleep with you—her dorm's noisy, and Jill's always had trouble sleeping since she was little."
Gavin Duan explained carefully, feeling weird about the whole thing.
What does 'not really want to sleep with you' even mean?
That phrase sounded pretty odd.
"Jill only sleeps well when you're around—and she always talks in three-word sentences, been like that since she was a kid, so her real meaning's hard to get across."
Gavin was still trying to figure out how to explain.
"I'll book a room next door for you—go grab your clothes first."
Evan thought it over and got it right away.
Jill doesn't feel safe; she and Gavin Duan have always depended on each other, and her life isn't as carefree as it looks.
She knows she's got a spirit spring in her body—even if she doesn't get what it is, she can sense danger and gets scared.
Jill's eyes lit up, she nodded, still clinging to Evan's arm, and stuck out her pinky: "Wait for me."
"Pinky promise."
She looked totally serious—until Evan hooked pinkies with her, then Jill's eyes curved into a bright smile.
She grinned, showing her little white teeth, spun around, and skipped off toward the girls' dorm.
She looked like she was scared she'd miss her chance.
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Jill's eyes brighten, she nods, grabs Evan's arm, and sticks out her pinky: 'Wait for me.'
'Pinky promise.'
Jill is very serious; after Evan links pinkies, she smiles brightly.
She grins, showing her white teeth, then turns and skips toward the girls' dorm.
She acts like she's afraid she'll be late.