Jill Jing spoke, her voice soft, carrying a hint of emotion she couldn't quite put into words.
She was still holding her big bottle of cola, while students from Clearwater University passed by all around her.
Quite a few people noticed Selina Wu and Jill Jing sitting there.
Most of their gazes lingered on Jill Jing—a petite girl who, by now, was known throughout Clearwater University as a math prodigy.
Cola was her trademark, and only saying three words at a time was the impression she left on everyone who knew her.
The autumn wind blew gently, stirring a small strand of Jill Jing's bangs.
As she spoke, she lifted her chin, eyes gazing at the sky, her gaze filled with sadness that couldn't be washed away.
"Did someone bully you?"
Evan Lin paused for a moment before asking.
Even through the phone, he could sense Jill Jing's sudden shift in emotion—a change that had never happened before.
Jill Jing was never the type to trouble others easily. Especially now, with Gavin Duan guarding her every day and Professor Gordon Gu and others supporting her academically, she shouldn't have such intense mood swings.
"Not yet."
Jill Jing spoke into the phone, shaking her head as she talked—then remembered that the person on the other end couldn't see her, so she straightened up and sat upright.
"I'll come see you when I have time. Kids shouldn't always cry."
Evan Lin couldn't figure out how to comfort Jill Jing on the other end of the line.
After a few more sentences, Jill Jing hung up the phone.
She sat on the bench, clutching her phone, lost in thought. All around her, rows of campus trees were withering, leaves fluttering down everywhere.
"What's wrong?"
Selina Wu sat beside her and asked softly.
From the side, you could see tears sliding down Jill Jing's cheeks. She stared blankly ahead, her big eyes wide open.
"He's leaving soon."
Jill Jing muttered as she spoke.
Selina Wu didn't understand what she meant, so she just sat there quietly for a long, long time.
"I need to find time to go to Beijing."
After hanging up, Evan Lin thought to himself, then called Gavin Duan to ask about how Jill Jing had been lately.
"I've been with her the whole time. Nothing's happened recently—maybe she just hasn't talked to you in a while."
Gavin Duan couldn't really figure out what was going on, either.
Evan Lin told him to call immediately if anything happened, and no matter what, to make sure Jill Jing stayed safe. Only then did he end the call.
"Who knows how long it'll take for the spirit spring inside Jill Jing to fully mature."
The last time Evan Lin checked, the spirit spring inside Jill Jing was developing much slower than he'd expected.
Not long after hanging up, Evan Lin spotted a woman walking toward him from a distance.
Ye Yue, holding a bag of chips in one hand, had a silver card in the other. The card was decorated with a crescent moon.
"Here, this is your card. The Shenyue Card represents your identity."
Ye Yue handed the card to Evan Lin. "Guess why I'm here this time?"
After so long apart, Ye Yue looked at Evan Lin with a hint of curiosity in her gaze.
Previously, Ye Yue hadn't thought much of this Master Lin from Haizhou. Even though he helped Starry Night complete a mission and earned the chance to join Shenyue, Ye Yue just saw him as a strong cultivator.
Within Shenyue, no one easily submits to anyone else.
Plus, Ye Yue had tried to find Master Lin from Haizhou several times, but always missed him, wasting quite a bit of her time.
At first, Ye Yue planned to give Master Lin a hard time when she finally met him, but unexpectedly, the day they met, he was fighting Lin Beixun.
That battle was the first time Ye Yue truly understood Master Lin's strength.
For a long time afterward, Ye Yue didn't see Evan Lin again. Now, as she looked at him, she felt a strange sense of realization.
"The Mysterious Ruins."
Evan Lin answered succinctly, ignoring Ye Yue's surprised look and not mentioning that Azure Dragon had already visited. "Let's go. I'm curious what these Mysterious Ruins are really like."
Ye Yue hurried after Evan Lin. On the way, Evan called Autumn Zheng to ask for leave.
Autumn Zheng was used to Evan Lin's frequent requests for leave. She just reminded him to be careful and approved it.
When they left the campus, a white BMW was parked at the gate. It looked ordinary, nothing like the flashy impression Ye Yue usually gave.
"We're meeting some people at the airport first. Some are from Shenyue, others are outside help we've brought in."
"I'll introduce you when we get there."
Ye Yue got in the driver's seat first. Once Evan Lin was in the passenger seat, she started the car and said, "You joining Shenyue wasn't a big deal internally. Everyone just heard you helped Starry Night with that ancient martial arts clan and completed the mission, so you got in."
"Other than that, your fight with Lin Beixun—thanks to Azure Dragon, almost all info was sealed. Even inside Shenyue, not many people know what happened that day. Do you get what I mean?"
As Ye Yue drove, she glanced at Evan Lin while she spoke.
"Are you worried I'll use my rivalry with Lin Beixun inside Shenyue to boost my own reputation?"
Evan Lin rested his arm on the window, watching the city streets fly by. His tone was calm.
"Sometimes, you just have to do what you have to do."
Ye Yue nodded. "Trust me, it's for your own good."
"The Lin family background is far beyond anything an ancient martial arts clan can compare to. And Lin Beixun's strength is top-tier, even in Shenyue."
Ye Yue glanced at Evan Lin with a look like she was seeing a monster. "By the way, can I ask—how did you get so strong? Any secrets you can teach me?"
Her eyes lit up, full of excitement.
"Born a genius. Talent like this can't be taught."
Evan Lin shook his head, which earned him a dramatic eye roll from Ye Yue—but she had to admit, his strength was undeniable.
Soon, they arrived at the airport. Ye Yue parked the car and got out, waiting in the terminal.
Before long, someone approached from outside the airport.