Rain poured steadily over the cobblestone street, turning the world into a soft blur of silver mist and rippling puddles. Amidst the rhythmic patter of droplets, a young man of sixteen strolled unhurriedly, his steps splashing lightly through the shallow water. His shoulder-length hair, an unusual shade of silvery grey, was tied loosely behind him, a few strands clinging to his pale cheeks. Beneath the dreary sky, his dark, intelligent eyes seemed almost to gleam, set against a face both youthful and refined.
He wore the white robes of the academy scholars, now speckled with mud at the hem 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 a brother than companion, 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 as he walked through the rain, his footsteps soft on the wet cobblestones. "I wonder what Jack and Rose have planned for their future," he muttered, his voice barely rising above the patter of the rain. "Rose 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 Jack and Rose. 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.
Rose brushed a strand of hair from Jack'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."
Jack 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."
Rose gazing up at him "The five Holy Lands 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 slightly, almost a whisper, but a sly, mocking edge laced her words as she looked up at him, teasing, "I wonder what Su Wen will do…"
"He hasn't even broken through to the Foundation Layer yet," Jack said coldly. "I'm not sure he has a future in this academy. The Central Continent should still be a dream for him."
He laughed darkly, his hand sliding possessively down to her waist. "Hah, he's nothing. I'm sure he'll pack up his bag, go back to his miserable mountain home, and spend the rest of his days with his dirty old grandparents."
Jack's tone grew even more condescending. "What a joke… still stuck in the ninth stage of Qi Refining. I only stayed close to him for his scholarly brains; otherwise, I wouldn't have wasted a second on someone like him."
Rose tilted her head slightly, a smug smile curling at the corners of her lips as she watched Jack. Her voice dripped with disdain as she spoke, her words almost a sneer.
"Well, to be honest, Jack, I never understood why I bothered with him in the first place. He's so… beneath us." She laughed softly, almost pityingly. "Still stuck in the ninth stage of Qi Refining, acting like he's going to amount to something. The poor fool never realized his place. I thought maybe he had potential, but now I see it was all just a waste of time."
Her phoenix-like eyes gleamed as she looked at Jack, a glint of admiration mixed with superiority. "Not only have you taken care of me these past two years, Jack, but you're also the top genius of the academy. We'll leave this place for the Central Continent together, supporting each other as we chase better opportunities. Our future is bright…" She paused, her smile widening with cruel amusement. "And Su Wen? He's nothing but trash. We're the ones he should've been grateful to even be around. He should've known his place after two years of us, just a pawn in our game, too blind to see he was only useful for a brief moment. Now, he's nothing more than a faded memory."
Jack leaned in slightly, his breath warm against her ear, a sinister smile playing on his lips. Jack grinning cruelly and muttering to himself 'I can't wait to see his face when he realizes you're in my arms. Let him see me take what he thought was his… hahaha.'
Jack chuckled, amused glint in his eyes as he tightened his grip around Rose's waist. "You're right, Rose. He never knew his place, and he still doesn't. He was just a tool for us to use—nothing more. I mean, look at him. He couldn't even break through to the Foundation Layer. He's lucky we even kept him around this long."
He smirked, a malicious edge to his voice. "Let him stay stuck in the mud while we climb to the top. We'll be in the Central Continent soon, surrounded by real geniuses. Su Wen? He'll never even make it past the outer circles of those academies. Let him rot in that pathetic little village. The world has no place for someone like him."
Rose's expression flickered with discomfort at his words, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she gave a small sigh and looked down, her fingers absentmindedly brushing the sleeve of Jack 's robe.
She shifted closer to Jack, her arms sliding around his waist as she rested her head against his shoulder. Jack responded by pulling her in tighter, his arm wrapping around her waist, holding her in an arrogant embrace.
Rose 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 remained fixed on the empty space where Jack and Rose had just stood, a hollow emptiness expanding within him. Was this how easily people could be used and discarded? Did they truly not care about others, or had he simply been blind all this time?
For the past two years, he had always been there for them, whether it was helping with their cultivation problems or supporting them during practical training. He had offered his knowledge, his time, his loyalty. Yet in their eyes, he was nothing more than a tool. And now, with no further use, he had been tossed aside.
The cold rain continued to pour, drenching his face. But he couldn't tell if it was the rain that soaked him, or his own grief that made his heart feel so heavy, so cold.