Ever since the college entrance exam, Ian Song hadn’t returned to school. He hadn’t even chosen his own university—his uncle picked Waterwood University for him—so he didn’t know Fiona Xiang had also come to Waterwood.
His feelings for Fiona Xiang were complicated. Before he got the Galaxy God Ring system, he was just a nobody and she was a goddess.
He did pay attention to her, but he absolutely never had any other intentions.
After getting the system, by chance, he saved her from an A-class wanted criminal. Fiona gradually entered his world. Later, when he was considering whether to win the piano competition, it was Fiona who encouraged him. Because of that, his relationship with Shelly Song and his aunt improved, so he was genuinely grateful to Fiona.
As they spent time together, he noticed one thing about Fiona Xiang: she was smart and considerate. Add in her stunning looks, and he couldn’t deny he’d developed some feelings for her—he even started thinking about pursuing her.
But then Blood Rose told him that Fiona Xiang was approaching him with some hidden motive.
So Ian started to have misgivings about Fiona Xiang. During one meeting, he tested her and found out she really did have an agenda, so he instinctively began to distance himself from her.
After that, Fiona went into closed-door cultivation to break through her level, and the two of them didn’t see each other again.
Just when he was about to forget her, she appeared at the freshman welcome gala. Her guzheng performance instantly brought back all his old memories.
"Let’s take a walk together."
Ian Song smiled faintly and said to her.
By October, the campus already had a hint of chill in the air. The night wind lifted the hem of Fiona Xiang’s dress, making her look like she might float away on the breeze.
There was no denying it—after months apart, Fiona Xiang had become even more beautiful, her aura more ethereal. Tonight, she was performing a guzheng piece and wore a long, classical white dress. The dim streetlights shone on her, adding a touch of worldly charm, like a fairy exiled from the heavens.
Neither of them spoke. Without realizing it, they’d wandered into a more secluded corner of campus.
"There’s a pavilion over there—let’s go sit for a bit," Ian said, pointing to a pavilion seven or eight meters away.
"Okay." Fiona Xiang nodded.
But before they got close, two heavy breaths reached their ears. Ian Song looked carefully and saw a couple behind one of the pavilion’s pillars—locked together in a very intimate way. The rough breathing was coming straight from them.
Ian Song wasn’t exactly inexperienced—he knew perfectly well what those two were doing.
He quickly said to Fiona Xiang, "Maybe we’d better not go to the pavilion after all?"
"Why?" Fiona Xiang asked, confused.
Just then, the couple’s breathing suddenly grew heavier, joined by a series of loud slapping sounds—it sounded like things had reached a critical moment.
Fiona Xiang’s face turned bright red the moment she asked why. She hadn’t experienced anything with a guy, but that didn’t mean she didn’t know what was going on.
"Let’s go, quickly!"
She grabbed Ian Song’s hand and pulled him away at top speed, like there was some kind of monster hiding in the pavilion.
Soon, they came to a pond, but Fiona Xiang forgot to let go of Ian Song’s hand.
"Do you know why I came to Waterwood University?" Fiona Xiang stared at the distant night sky and asked softly.
"Why?" Ian Song asked instinctively.
"If I said it’s because you’re here, would you believe me?"
Ian Song fell silent. Even with all his intelligence, he was helpless when it came to raw emotion—he had no idea how to respond.
"At first, I really did approach you with a purpose. I thought I was just carrying out my sect’s mission—but after months apart, I found someone’s shadow had taken root in my heart. At some point, a seed quietly sprouted inside me."
At this, Fiona Xiang suddenly turned to look at Ian Song. Her eyes were as clear as water, but deep inside them was a feeling she couldn’t hide.
For no reason at all, Ian Song’s heart suddenly trembled. That faint feeling he’d nearly buried suddenly grew stronger, like it had just been nourished.
A gust of night wind blew by.
Fiona Xiang, wearing only a thin dress, shivered.
Instinctively, he reached out and pulled her into his arms—not for any other reason, just to keep her warm.
"Can you forgive me?"
Fiona Xiang didn’t resist; instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest.
"You never really hurt me, did you?" Ian Song said softly.
"Thank you."
Suddenly, Fiona Xiang let go of him, stepped back two paces, and smiled at him. "I’ll come find you again."
As soon as she finished speaking, Fiona Xiang turned and walked away, her dress fluttering behind her like a sprite in the night.
Instinctively, Ian Song reached out, but his hand caught nothing—her scent still lingered in the air.
He shook his head with a wry smile. "You... You already have Hannah Han and Mira Su, so why are you still chasing after other girls?"
He said it out loud, but there wasn’t a trace of regret in his heart.
A real man does what he wants—who has time for regrets?
"Time to enter the Fictional World!"
The next morning, Ian Song gathered Bella Ba, Leon Long, and Gavin Gan together and told them he’d be away for a while.
While he was gone, Bella Ba would supervise Leon Long and Gavin Gan’s training.
Both Leon and Gavin had been training for a while, but their talent couldn’t match Bella Ba’s martial upbringing. So far, neither had managed to cultivate inner strength, but their physical power had improved a lot—barely reaching early Postnatal level. If Leon Long faced Jihyun Choi again, he could probably fight to a draw.
After requesting a ten-day leave, Ian Song went to the single apartment he’d rented in advance.
The place was simple—just a bed and a DVD player, with stacks of novels and movie discs piled everywhere.
Over this period, he’d read at least a thousand novels and watched hundreds of movies and TV shows.
But there were so many stories in the world—even so, Ian Song couldn’t be sure the world he’d travel to would be one he’d already read or watched.
"Meow-Meow, I want to enter the Fictional World!"
The scene shifted, and three portals appeared out of thin air: the Bronze Gate, the Silver Gate, and the Gold Gate.
"Which gate will you choose?" Meow-Meow asked.
"The Bronze Gate!"
In a blink, Ian Song vanished from his apartment’s living room and found himself in a circular hall.
The hall was empty. Looking around, Ian Song saw nine doors set into the walls.
Meow-Meow’s voice sounded again: "Each door leads to a different world. Pick any one you like! But before you go, remember: once you enter the Fictional World, the system will temporarily seal off Fame Points and the lottery function. If you want to get stronger, you’ll have to rely on yourself! And if you die in that world, you’ll really die—so be careful!"
"Got it!"
Ian Song nodded, walked up to one of the doors, and pushed it open.
An irresistible force pulled him inside, and he vanished instantly.