Douluo Continent: Twin Golden and Silver Dragons Shock Bibi Dong

"Erlong, give me a straight answer. If all of this is just wishful thinking on my part, then I promise that I will never come looking for you again, so as not to bother you."

"After all, once things are brought up and people start thinking about them, it's impossible to even remain ordinary friends. If we can't be honest with each other, and can only hide from each other every day, that feeling of being torn apart is too painful for both of us."

These extremely frank words, which almost forced her to make a statement, struck Liu Erlong's heart like a heavy hammer.

Her eyes began to dart around violently, and her hands gripped the corner of the blanket tightly.

"I...I don't hate you." Liu Erlong's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible. "It's just...it's just..."

"What is it?" Xuan Hao leaned closer, his warm breath almost hitting her face. "Is it that you do have a little bit of a crush on her, but you're just too shy to admit it? Or... is there some other concern?"

Liu Erlong's heart pounded wildly again, like a drumbeat.

She looked at Xuan Hao, who was so close to her, with his young, handsome, and energetic face. But her mind was filled with images of her own aging face, the rumors and gossip she might face in the future, and the despair of being abandoned again.

Flander's outrageous and absurd arguments from last night were utterly ineffective in bolstering her already shattered rationality, and could not possibly fuel her reckless disregard for reason.

She truly no longer possesses the courage she once had to defy the entire world for love.

She was afraid. She was afraid that all of this was just a fleeting illusion, and that when she woke up she would be shattered to pieces.

As she thought about it, an extremely strong sense of grievance and helplessness welled up in her heart, and Liu Erlong's eyes instantly reddened, with tears quickly gathering in her eyes.

Seeing such a vulnerable expression on that usually stubborn face, Xuan Hao sighed softly in his heart.

He did not press the matter further.

He slid onto the bed and, through the blankets, stretched out his arms to gently yet firmly embrace the woman who was still trembling slightly.

"Okay, that's enough, I understand."

Xuan Hao gently rested his chin on her hair, his hand softly patting her back, his voice deep and powerful: "Don't be nervous, don't be sad. I'll hold the sky up even if it falls. Whatever you're afraid of, whatever you're worried about... leave it to me. I'll solve any troubles or problems you may have."

Enveloped by that warm and calm aura, Liu Erlong could no longer suppress the emotions surging in her heart. Instinctively, she stretched out her arms and hugged Xuan Hao's waist tightly, burying her face deeply in his chest. She said nothing, only letting her warm tears gradually wet his clothes.

She knew all too well what she was afraid of.

It wasn't just the cruel age gap of nearly thirty years that separated the two of them, but also her absurd and heavy past.

If Yu Xiaogang hadn't reappeared, she might have been able to borrow a little bit of reckless courage from this domineering gentleness and try to reach out and touch a completely new life.

But now, that man has come at just the most inopportune time, appearing right in front of her.

Liu Erlong truly didn't know what to do. She clung to that broken relationship, waiting bitterly for Yu Xiaogang for half her life. During those decades when she was in the most pain, most desperate, and most longing for him to return like a man and take responsibility, he remained silent, like a complete coward.

And now, just when she had finally mustered up a little courage to look forward and try to step out of the mire, this guy inexplicably popped up again.

She felt an unprecedented anger, furious at the absurdity of fate and the man's extreme selfishness, yet she sadly discovered that she could do nothing but feel frustrated.

What suffocated her even more was a deep sense of guilt and self-doubt.

She held onto her unwavering belief for so long, only to suddenly fall for someone else and change her mind. Wouldn't this make... all her twenty years of arduous waiting and perseverance seem like a meaningless joke?

She didn't want to completely deny the youth and sincerity she had given, which was proof that she had truly lived; but she was also very clear in her heart that the relationship between her and Yu Xiaogang had long been stagnant and could not continue.

This contradictory feeling of being torn apart by the past and the present was suffocating her.

At this moment, Liu Erlong, nestled in Xuan Hao's arms, had only one cowardly thought in her mind.

She wanted to hide, she wanted to escape.

Just like Yu Xiaogang, who fled in panic without a word when faced with worldly criticism at his wedding, he wanted to escape all of this far away.

Chapter 275 Like drinking water, only the person drinking knows whether it's hot or cold.

……

The moon hangs high in the sky, and the night breeze carries a slight chill.

Liu Erlong's emotions finally stabilized. Xuan Hao pulled a thin coat from the side and gently draped it over her slender shoulders. Then he led her to the steps outside and sat down side by side.

Liu Erlong kept her head down, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, not daring to turn her head to look at him.

She never imagined that she, this usually strong-willed "she-tyrant," would have such a vulnerable side, let alone that one day she would be so unladylike as to lie in the arms of a "child" almost thirty years her junior and cry her heart out.

But just now, she really couldn't control herself. She didn't know how she completely relaxed her tense nerves, and her emotions just suddenly broke down.

That unprecedented sense of security made her believe from the bottom of her heart that as long as she fell, the person in front of her would definitely catch her and hold her tightly.

Liu Erlong bit her lip, a chill creeping down her spine. She found herself increasingly afraid of this bastard.

But at the same time, she finally realized how this bastard managed to hook up with so many outstanding girls so easily.

His womanizing and promiscuity are indeed infuriating, making people want to slap him to death; yet the sense of security he exudes, which can embrace everything, is like a warm vortex, making people unable to resist wanting to get closer.

Even under that overwhelming sense of security, you might unconsciously think: just bear with it and it will pass, it doesn't seem like a big deal.

Xuan Hao sat quietly to the side, not in a hurry to speak, but considerately giving Liu Erlong enough time to calm down.

He had already laid the groundwork and engaged in emotional maneuvering; the next step had to be taken by Liu Erlong herself.

Sure enough, not long after, Liu Erlong finally couldn't hold back and broke the silence of the night.

"You..." She took a deep breath, her voice still a little hoarse, "What do you really think of me? Is it just a fleeting possessiveness, or... something else?"

Xuan Hao turned his head and looked at her eyes, which were still somewhat bloodshot. Instead of answering, he asked, "So what do you hope for? Or rather, what are you worried about?"

Liu Erlong opened his mouth, but it felt like his throat was stuffed with cotton, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.

Seeing her conflicted expression, Xuan Hao sighed softly: "Actually, I know what you're thinking, and I know what you're afraid of."

He leaned against the doorframe behind him and began to analyze in a calm tone: "Young girls like excitement; they focus more on immediate pleasure. As for the heavy and distant future, they are often unwilling to think about it."

"A mature woman like you, who has experienced the trials of time and the hardships of relationships, can't help but worry about tomorrow and is filled with all sorts of anxieties."

Xuan Hao pointed to the night sky outside, his eyes revealing a clear understanding of human nature: "But in this world, most men's abilities are limited. The 'scumbags' that people often criticize are often the kind of men who can only get you through the present and make you happy today. As for where they will be tomorrow or what the future holds, they themselves don't know, because they simply don't have the ability to guarantee it."

"And what about those so-called 'good men'? They usually lead routine and boring lives every day, unable to give you any excitement or the emotional value you want. When you get angry and complain because of the mundane and boring life, they will come up with a set of excuses, saying that they are thinking about the future, about your future together."

Xuan Hao scoffed, "But what is it really like? Their so-called 'future considerations' are nothing but an excuse to cover up their current incompetence, an empty promise that will never be fulfilled. It is precisely because they have no certainty about that so-called shared future that their hearts are filled with anxiety, which is why they are bent over by life and make a mess of every single 'today'!"

"Erlong, think about it carefully." Xuanhao leaned closer, looking intently at her. "If someone truly has the ability to guarantee a safe tomorrow, why would they be so stingy as to not let you enjoy yourself to the fullest today?"

"If he can't do it, there are only two reasons: either he's not capable enough, or he doesn't actually love you that much."

“And what about me?” Xuan Hao pointed to himself. “I have the ability to give people confidence. Everyone genuinely believes that I can guarantee a bright tomorrow, which is why they dare to play freely with me today without any worries.”

"In the end, what are the truly pure scumbags and honest men in this world? These labels are just excuses people use to cover up their incompetence. But how can most people be willing to admit their mediocrity and incompetence? So they have to use various moral labels to find reasons and brainwash themselves: scumbags have their merits, and honest men have their duties."

"But I am strong enough. I can make everyone happy today, and I can also steadily lead everyone into the future. What a scumbag can do, I can do; what a scumbag can't do, and what honest people only like to talk about, I can still do."

"The result of doing this is that I have attracted the hostility of both types of people. The more incompetent a person is, the more they fear me and the more they try to stand on the moral high ground to slander me."

"But does it matter what outsiders say about me? Isn't it something I have to experience firsthand to know the answer?"

Xuan Hao reached out and gently tucked a stray lock of hair from Liu Erlong's temple behind her ear, his voice low and seductive:

"Like drinking water, only the person drinking knows whether it is hot or cold."

“Like now, for the first time you’ve truly let down your guard and tried to get closer to me…” Xuan Hao looked into her eyes, “Erlong, ask yourself, do you still dislike me now?”

Meeting Xuan Hao's gaze, which seemed to see through everything, Liu Erlong opened her mouth, only to find herself completely speechless.

Her proud principles and principles were rendered utterly indefensible by the unconventional yet logically sound arguments of this young man.

Seeing that she was no longer resisting like a hedgehog covered in thorns, Xuan Hao withdrew his hand, his tone becoming frank and calm: "Erlong, I know I am greedy, you could even say insatiable. But I am self-aware."

"The most crucial point is that my abilities match my greed."

"I am just a fickle and promiscuous person because I crave these things deep down. To be honest, I am actually a person without great ambition. I don't care about the grand ambitions and empires that everyone in the world is fighting for. What I care about most is having people who love me by my side. As for other things like great power, a position above thousands of people, and power that can topple kingdoms... they are all just tools to serve this 'greed'."

Do you know why greedy people are always repulsive and disgusting?

"Because their greed has long exceeded the limits of their own abilities. They are all talk and no action; they have no skills themselves, yet they insist on reaching into other people's plates to snatch and scheme, which is naturally annoying."

“But I’m not.” Xuan Hao spread his hands, his expression proud. “I don’t deny my womanizing ways, but I don’t doubt my abilities either. I can reliably protect everyone I’ve messed with. I don’t think being a womanizer is a flaw, because that’s just who I am. In this world, only when one’s virtue doesn’t match their position and their ability doesn’t match their ambition can those traits truly be called ‘flaws’.”

"It's like those wealthy young men who have a lot of money. They just need to behave themselves. Even if they spend their time indulging in pleasure, people will at most laugh and say 'a playboy' when they have nothing to do with it. But what if it's the offspring of a poor family? If they behave themselves, people will call them incompetent and unambitious; if they also start to indulge in pleasure, then everyone will point their fingers at them and say that this person is completely useless and beyond saving."

"When a poor person buys the same thing, they grit their teeth and buy it, and others laugh at them for 'pretending'; when a rich person buys a cheap item, others praise them for 'being low-key and frugal'."

Xuan Hao looked into Liu Erlong's eyes and said, "What is the root cause of this world-shaking difference? It's wealth and confidence."

"The same principle applies to this relationship. If others did that, it would be wishful thinking, shameless greed."

"But if I do this... Erlong, am I not worthy?"

Chapter 276 Take as You Please

……

Liu Erlong looked at Xuan Hao, who was so close to her, and was speechless at his shameless yet self-righteous remarks.

She rolled her eyes at him, annoyed, and couldn't help but complain, "You know it in your heart, why do you have to say it out loud? Do you expect me to applaud you or agree with you?"

"This isn't to force you to agree; I just want to give you a heads-up."

Xuan Hao smiled and sat back down on the steps. "Sometimes I do like to fool people. I know that my current appearance and how I act are very deceptive, which will make many girls have some romantic and unrealistic associations, and they will even unconsciously add a filter to my mind, thinking of me as a perfect and good person."

"But I don't want to put on that fake persona in front of you. I'm just this realistic."

"Relationships that are too realistic are indeed boring. Calculating every little detail about daily life can be a downer. However, relationships that are shrouded in mystery and supported by a perfect filter are destined to be fragile. As soon as the wind blows, the fog dissipates, the filter shatters, and the relationship ends."

"So, good and bad, all my strengths and weaknesses are real. Just as life can't always be happy, there will also be sadness, anger and arguments."

He turned his head and looked at Liu Erlong's profile: "I don't advocate any toxic 'love someone means accepting all their flaws' kind of advice. I also know that when people are facing a relationship, they will subconsciously avoid the bad things. But I can't deliberately hide it from you."

"You can choose not to take my shortcomings seriously, or you can choose to ignore them, but this must be a choice you make after you have seen everything clearly. It is not something that I can obtain by deliberately hiding or hypocritically pretending. These are two completely different things."

Xuan Hao looked up at the stars in the night sky: "I am indeed someone who has always pursued 'living in the moment,' but that does not mean I don't care about the future. I also yearn for beauty, and the kind of beauty that is lasting and can withstand the test of time, rather than the decadent indulgence of living for today and having no tomorrow."

"I just don't like to talk about my worries about the future or those boring plans. I prefer to arrange everything and then quietly lead everyone forward."

Liu Erlong listened quietly to these words, a chord in her heart seemingly being gently plucked. She looked at Xuan Hao and asked hesitantly, "You're just stating these bloody realities so bluntly, aren't you worried... that the beautiful feelings you've cultivated in other people's hearts will be shattered because of this?"

“If the beauty I have created is so fragile, then it’s not a bad thing if it breaks sooner rather than later, so that I won’t fall harder later.” Xuan Hao smiled freely, then changed the subject, his eyes revealing strong confidence, “But obviously, the beauty I have created, while not indestructible, is certainly not so fragile that it will collapse after hearing a few honest words.”

As he spoke, Xuan Hao suddenly leaned closer, bent down, and once again lifted Liu Erlong up in his arms.

"What are you doing..." Liu Erlong exclaimed in surprise.

Xuan Hao didn't reply, but carried her across the courtyard to the swing covered in vines under the tree. He sat down on the swing and let Liu Erlong straddle his lap.

They were very close, their breaths mingling. Xuan Hao looked down at her and asked softly, "Now, do you still want to run away?"