Night settled gently over Shrek Academy.
The courtyard was empty, lanterns swaying softly in the breeze. Most students had already retreated to cultivate or rest, the tension from Spirit Hall's visit still lingering like an aftertaste.
Lin Chen stood alone beneath the eaves, arms folded, eyes half-closed.
He was thinking.
Not about Spirit Hall.
Not about Bibi Dong.
But about threads—which ones had tightened today, and which ones had shifted just enough to change the future.
Soft footsteps approached.
Silent.
Measured.
Lin Chen didn't turn.
"You don't have to hide your presence," he said calmly.
Zhu Zhuqing stopped two steps behind him.
"…I wasn't trying to," she replied.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Moonlight spilled across the stones, catching the silver highlights in her dark hair. She stood straight, back rigid as always, but her hands—normally steady—were clenched at her sides.
"You rejected Spirit Hall," Zhu Zhuqing said quietly.
"Yes."
"Even with what they offered."
"Yes."
She took a breath. "You knew refusing them would make enemies."
Lin Chen finally turned to face her.
"I know."
Zhu Zhuqing met his eyes. There was no hesitation in them—only calm certainty, the kind that didn't need reassurance.
Her chest tightened.
"Why?" she asked.
Lin Chen studied her for a moment, then answered honestly.
"Because accepting would mean compromise," he said. "And compromise always starts small."
Zhu Zhuqing looked away.
She remembered the look in the envoy's eyes when he glanced at Xiao Wu.
Measured. Calculating.
The same look her own family used when deciding whether she was useful.
"…They wouldn't just want you," she said.
"No," Lin Chen replied. "They'd want leverage."
Silence returned.
Then Zhu Zhuqing spoke again—lower, steadier.
"My family sent word today."
Lin Chen's aura shifted imperceptibly.
"What did they say?"
"They want me back," she said flatly. "They've noticed my growth. They think I might be… worth reclaiming."
Her fingers tightened.
"They offered resources. Protection. Status."
Lin Chen didn't interrupt.
Zhu Zhuqing took a step closer.
"They didn't ask what I wanted," she continued. "They never do."
She looked up at him again.
"But I know what choosing them means."
Lin Chen's voice softened. "And what do you want?"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she knelt.
One knee touched the stone.
Not in submission.
In declaration.
"I choose my own path," she said. "And I choose the person who won't sell me—no matter the price."
The night went utterly still.
Lin Chen's eyes darkened—not with anger, but something deeper.
He reached out and lifted her gently to her feet.
"I don't accept vows made from fear," he said. "Stand because you want to—stay because you decide."
Zhu Zhuqing straightened.
"I am," she said. "That's why I'm here."
The system interface flickered unseen.
[Emotional Bond Confirmed: Zhu Zhuqing][Fate Resistance Increased][Future Variable Secured]
Lin Chen placed a hand lightly on her head—brief, protective.
"Then we move forward together," he said. "No cages. No chains."
Zhu Zhuqing closed her eyes for just a moment.
For the first time in her life, the future didn't feel like something chasing her from behind.
Elsewhere, within the shadows of Spirit Hall—
Bibi Dong listened to a second report.
"…The girl chose him," the envoy said quietly.
Bibi Dong smiled, tapping her throne.
"So," she murmured, "the board loses another piece."
Her eyes gleamed.
"Good. I dislike predictable games."