Douluo Continent: My Martial Soul is the Black Dragon, I am the Lord of the Gods

……

"I drew the first lot," Xiao Wu finally said somewhat dryly, trying to break the unsettling silence with these words.

Xuanming nodded slightly, without urging him, and simply waited quietly.

His patience only made Xiao Wu more flustered. She took a deep breath, as if she were going all out, and spoke faster: "Brother Xuanming, I... I know everyone likes you, and I... I've always loved being by your side. The days I spent with you, with Mom, and with everyone were the happiest times of my life."

She paused, a hint of confusion welling up in her pink eyes: "But...but I seem to...can't tell anymore. I depend on you, trust you, and want to be with you forever, like family. When I see you with Sister Gu Yuena, or with Hu Liena and the others, I feel a little uncomfortable, I'm afraid...afraid that one day you'll leave me, afraid that we'll all separate, and we'll never be able to go back to how lively and happy we used to be..."

Her voice trailed off, choked with emotion: "Ning Rongrong said we were too selfish before, only caring about enjoying the feeling of being cared for and cherished, while putting all the pressure on you. She's right... If you were... if you were a bad guy, you would definitely enjoy having everyone revolve around you. But you're not... you would be very tired, wouldn't you?"

Xiao Wu looked up at Xuan Ming, her eyes blurry with tears: "Xuan Ming, I don't want you to be so tired. I don't even know what kind of feelings I have for you... I think... I just don't want things to change, I don't want to lose everything I have now. I want us to be together forever, happy... Isn't that... childish? Too greedy?"

She finally voiced her deepest, most authentic, and most chaotic thoughts. It wasn't a confession, but more like a self-analysis born of confusion. She longed for an answer from Xuanming, an answer that would bring her peace of mind and end her wandering.

Xuanming remained silent.

He simply watched her quietly, observing the confusion, dependence, and pure longing for "home" swirling in her pink eyes. Those emotions, like a mirror, reflected the same untouchable corners of his own heart.

Then, he stepped forward.

Without words or explanation, he simply reached out and gently embraced the tearful girl before him.

Xiao Wu's body stiffened slightly at first, then completely relaxed, burying her face in his broad and slightly cool chest.

There was no heartbeat; his body had long transcended the mundane realm, yet the solid touch and silent embrace were more powerful than any words.

Time flows silently.

Outside the ice crystal castle, the waves continued to tirelessly pound the beach. Inside the castle, only moonlight filtered through the ice walls, illuminating the two people embracing each other.

Xiao Wu could feel the strength of his arm, neither too light nor too heavy, yet carrying an undeniable sense of protection. There was no restlessness of lust, no weight of promises, only an understanding and resonance that was almost a sigh.

In the midst of this silence, Xiao Wu suddenly understood.

He wasn't refusing, nor was he just giving a perfunctory answer.

His silence, his embrace, were the answer in themselves.

He couldn't let go either.

Like her, he also cherished the warmth and noise of being surrounded by people and relying on each other. He also naively wished that time could stand still at the most beautiful moment, that everyone could stay together forever, without having to face separation and choices.

He just... didn't dare to say it.

He carried too much on his shoulders—the expectations of the Ice and Fire Dragon King, Gu Yuena's entrustment, the future of the Soul Beast race, the scrutinizing gaze of the God Realm… These heavy shackles prevented him from accepting or even enjoying the "blessing" of being surrounded by beautiful women like an ordinary man.

He feared that if he showed even the slightest bit of attachment or reluctance, he would break the fragile balance before him and let this warmth, which he also cherished, vanish like sand slipping through his fingers.

He bore the pressure they brought, but at the same time, he also drew from them a small amount of warmth that belonged to "humanity".

He was conflicted and struggling, yet unable to let go.

Xiao Wu closed her eyes, her tears silently soaking the front of his shirt.

But this time, the tears were not of confusion, but of relief and understanding.

She got it.

Knowing his predicament, knowing his greed, I also knew what I should do next.

She didn't need a clear "title," nor did she need him to make a difficult choice. What she always wanted was that "home," that bond that would protect each other and never abandon each other, no matter the changing times or their status.

Since he also wants to keep this "home," she will protect it in her own way.

After a long while, Xiao Wu moved slightly.

Xuanming's arm then loosened.

Xiao Wu raised her head, her face still wet with tears, but a clear and firm smile bloomed on her face, like a rainbow after the rain.

“I understand, Brother Xuanming,” she said softly, her voice clearer than ever before. “I won’t ask anymore.”

She took a step back and looked at him intently: "I will always be here with everyone. This is our home."

After Xiao Wu left, the gates of the Ice Crystal Castle closed silently once again.

On the beach, all eyes were on Dugu Yan. She was the second. Dugu Yan took a deep breath, her long, dark green hair fluttering slightly in the night breeze. She tried hard to maintain her defiant expression, as if she were about to face not a confrontation of personal feelings, but a routine contest. But only she knew that her clenched palms were already soaked with sweat.

When Gu Yuena reappeared at the door and nodded slightly to her, Dugu Yan straightened her back and stepped inside.

The tranquility and coolness of the castle calmed her restless heart slightly, but also brought another kind of tension. She followed the same path as Xiao Wu towards that room.

Xuanming remained standing by the window, seemingly unchanged. Hearing footsteps, he turned around, his icy blue eyes calmly meeting hers with a hint of understanding.

“I…” Dugu Yan opened her mouth, wanting to start with her usual sharp tone, or simply ask the question that had been lingering in her mind for many years.

But when she truly met his eyes, which seemed to see through everything, all the words she had prepared beforehand, and all the feigned strength, crumbled in an instant.

It felt like something was tightly choking my throat, and I couldn't utter a single word.

She then realized that she was far less "able to take things on and let them go" than she had imagined.

Everyone knows that Dugu Yan's feelings for Xuan Ming started almost when he was just a little kid. That longing, from initial curiosity and pity to later admiration and following, has taken deep root in her heart, never hidden and never changed.

But it was precisely because she had been thinking about him for so long, waiting for so long, watching him grow from a boy who needed protection into a strong person she now looked up to, and watching more and more outstanding people gather around him, that she became increasingly afraid.

She was afraid to hear the answer she had already foreseen—he might care about her, be grateful to her, and even be used to her presence, but it wasn't the unique romantic love she longed for.

She feared that her almost stubborn waiting over the years would only earn her an "I'm sorry" or "I've always considered you an important companion."

This fear made her feel far more powerless than when facing a powerful enemy.

She stood there, stubbornly pursing her lips, but a hint of tears welled up in her snake-like eyes, revealing her inner fear and vulnerability.

Xuanming watched her quietly.

He looked at her feigned composure, and then at the almost overflowing fear deep in her eyes. He had known Dugu Yan for far too long, long enough to see through all her pretenses to the truth beneath.

He didn't wait like he did with Xiao Wu, nor did he ask any questions.

He simply stepped forward, just as before, and then reached out and gently embraced the girl, whose body was tense and seemed about to shatter at any moment.

Dugu Yan's body trembled violently, even more violently than Xiao Wu's reaction. She almost instinctively pushed him away, using anger to mask her inner turmoil.

But Xuanming's arm was steady and powerful, carrying an irresistible and reassuring strength.

He didn't speak.

Not a single word.

He simply held her quietly, using his actions to dispel the fear churning in her heart.

Time slipped away little by little in the silent embrace.

Dugu Yan's tense body gradually relaxed, and she rested her forehead on his shoulder, feeling the cool breath and silent embrace emanating from him.

The turmoil in my heart seemed to gradually subside in this silent harbor.

She suddenly felt very stupid.

Yes, why would she be afraid?

She had known Xuanming the longest and spent the most time with him.

He may never have given her romantic promises, but he never rejected her advances or ignored her presence.

Over such a long period of time and through so many experiences, he had already proven her importance in his heart through his actions. It was a bond that transcended simple romantic love, a deeper and more solid connection.

She should have realized this much earlier.

What she longed for was perhaps not a "title" in the conventional sense, but rather confirmation that she held an irreplaceable place in his life, which was full of thorns and burdens.

And he had already given her this answer, throughout the long years, in every battle fought side by side, and in every silent exchange of glances.

However, she was blinded by her own obsession and fear.

Dugu Yan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her snake eyes regained their former brilliance, even becoming clearer and more resolute.

She gently broke free from his embrace, took a step back, looked up at him, and gave a relieved yet slightly self-deprecating smile.

"I'm such an idiot." (End of Chapter)