Chapter 1245: FINAL PARTY (III)

SHEN JI YUN watched as Bai Ze left. Seeing how the other was walking like he was about to go to war, he wondered where Bai Ze was headed. But when he saw him stop in front of team Siren, his confusion eased a little. It seemed Bai Ze was just going to talk to that friend of his who was on team Siren.

Just as he thought, a cat-eared girl approached Bai Ze, and the two immediately launched into an animated conversation. Shen Ji Yun tilted his head slightly. Bai Ze practically glowed while talking to her. Shen Ji Yun had never seen him like that before. What was her name again? Right, Xia Li. They looked close, completely at ease with each other. He was considering what this might mean when he noticed team Siren's captain glance his way.

The other froze when their eyes met. Shen Ji Yun didn't pay it much mind and just turned his attention back to the dance floor, his gaze landing on Luo Yan again. His eyes narrowed as he spotted Alucard making his way toward Luo Yan and Eclipse. What was that annoying vampire up to now?

He instinctively moved toward Luo Yan, but someone suddenly blocked his path. A woman with sharp sea-green eyes. It took Shen Ji Yun a second to recognize team Siren's captain standing before him. He couldn't help frowning at the unexpected obstacle.

"Did you need something?" he asked, his voice flat and his expression making it clear he wasn't in the mood for whatever this was.

Zhu Lian froze at the coldness in Yun's voice. The courage she had gathered seemed to deflate. She hadn't actually planned to approach Yun. But when their eyes met, she suddenly felt the urge to talk to him one last time. Yes, the last time. So she could finally get closure for her feelings.

Once she accepted that her feelings for him would never be returned, she began the process of moving on. And she was making progress. These days, she didn't feel like crying every time she saw or heard something about YUN. But a tiny part of her still clung to hope, stubborn as a weed. She knew she had to kill that last bit for good if she wanted to truly let go. And in her mind, there was only one way to do it.

To have YUN completely and utterly reject her.

That's why when Zhu Lian saw him alone, she steeled herself and gathered the courage to approach. But the way he looked at her, like he wanted nothing to do with her, almost made that courage disappear. She bit the inside of her cheek, clenched her fists, and exhaled a long breath before gathering her resolve once again.

"Can we talk privately?" she asked. "Please."

Shen Ji Yun barely registered her words, his attention still fixed on Luo Yan. But when he caught the faint tremble in her voice as she said "please," his gaze finally snapped to her.

He took in the tight line of her mouth, the way her bottom lip quivered just slightly before she pressed them together. Her fingers twisted the fabric of her skirt, but her chin stayed lifted. Even with her eyes glistening under the ballroom lights, she held his gaze without flinching.

The stubborn line of her shoulders made it clear she wouldn't back down easily. Her posture was rigid, feet planted firmly like she'd dug her heels in. The way her eyes locked onto his, unblinking, said louder than words that she wouldn't leave until he heard her out.

But Shen Ji Yun couldn't care less. He shot another glance toward Luo Yan and saw the succubus vice-captain of team Sanguis now pulling Alucard away. Only then did the tension in his shoulders ease. Turning back to team Siren's captain, he gave a short nod.

"Lead the way," he said, the words out before he could reconsider.

***

Luo Yan, still dancing with Eclipse, caught sight of Shen Ji Yun walking away with someone. Wait—was that team Siren's captain?

Since they were angled sideways from where Shen Ji Yun had gone, Eclipse also spotted him leaving with Nereid.

"Isn't that the Captain? Why's he leaving with that lady?" Eclipse gasped dramatically, clutching Luo Yan's sleeve. "Master! Is he cheating on you?"

Luo Yan laughed immediately at the absurd question. That was impossible. This was Shen Ji Yun. The same person who showed zero interest in anyone except Luo Yan. Cheating? He might as well worry about the sky turning green.

But Shen Ji Yun walking off with Nereid did pique his curiosity. He turned to Eclipse. "I'm going to check it out. Do you think you can hold down the fort here?"

Eclipse nodded enthusiastically. "Leave it to me, Master!" Then his expression turned complicated. "But Master, what if Captain is really cheating? What will you do?"

Luo Yan chuckled and jokingly said, "Then I'll just have to chop off his third leg."

With that, he melted into the shadows and headed in the direction Shen Ji Yun and Nereid had gone.

***

Zhu Lian stopped once they reached the garden, making sure they were well away from the party crowd. The last thing YUN needed was more rumors. He already had plenty swirling around him. She wasn't about to add more to that.

So, she had used a special item to stop others from noticing her walking up to Yun or seeing them leave together. The item made their presence vanish completely, but it only worked for five minutes. Which was why she had hurried here as fast as she could. There was one catch though: it didn't affect anyone connected to them. In this case, it's their own teammates. Not that it mattered. Honestly, it was probably better this way, since at least their teams would know where they had gone.

Zhu Lian turned to YUN. She looked at the other's handsome face, matching his avatar's features to his face in reality. Then, she took a deep breath, telling herself to be brave and honest. At least this one time.

And in one breath, she said, "I like you."

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