The system was silent for a few seconds.
Tang Sui's heart sank to the bottom again, the tears in her eyes unable to hold back. Then, the system's voice sounded softly—
"We... will... always be here..."
The system said it again.
Tang Sui's eyes flickered.
For in this instant, the system's voice seemed to carry something noisy, like countless mixed sounds merging together, revealing vivid emotions no less than a human's, making Tang Sui feel inexplicably... strange.
"Suisui, Suisui, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Xiao Wu, the first to notice Tang Sui's abnormality, her worried pink eyes met Tang Sui's gaze. Tang Sui blinked, and the golden tears continued to fall from her eyes, wetting her black dress without leaving a trace.
"Suisui, what's wrong?" Tang San also looked at his crying sister with concern.
Tang Sui stared blankly at Xiao Wu, her lips parting slightly: "...Nothing... I just... feel a bit scared..."
She was lying.
But not entirely.
Tang San and the others looked at the person Tang Sui was gazing at, then at Xiao Wu, whose face was still pale and whose soul power had not yet recovered. They seemed to understand something.
Tang San sighed softly, stood up, and sat beside Tang Sui. He reached out and gently stroked Tang Sui's soft black hair, saying softly, "Suisui, it's all over now."
Tang Sui slowly blinked, responding with a heavy nasal sound, "Mm." Then, she was snatched from Tang San's embrace by Xiao Wu, who gently hugged her and awkwardly patted her back, "Suisui, I'm fine now. Don't cry, don't cry."
Her childlike comfort brought a faint smile to Tang San's eyes, and his gaze softened.
Leaning in Xiao Wu's arms, Tang Sui remained silent, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes, soaking Xiao Wu's clothes into a warm patch.
Xiao Wu's expression became even more distressed, and the other girls in the room also showed complex and pained expressions.
The atmosphere was inexplicably stiff, yet tinged with warmth.
Master silently counted the time. When Tang Sui's emotions had somewhat stabilized, he spoke, "Alright. Everyone has completed their second phase of training today and has been promoted to a Golden Douluo team. You should be happy. Don't be sad, your dean is treating you today."
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Flander, who had been holding his teacup and quietly watching the scene unfold due to the silent atmosphere, choked on his tea and coughed violently.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun, masters of atmosphere, very cooperatively broke the stiffness, clenched their fists, and cheered.
The group majestically left the team battle resting room and went to the hotel restaurant area where they were staying.
However, what everyone didn't expect was that upon entering the restaurant, they found a young man already seated at a long table laid with one or two appetizers, in the restaurant that Flander was supposed to have booked exclusively.
"Who is this?" Dai Mubai hesitated, looking at the stranger sitting there, his steps faltering.
Tang Sui and the others behind him also stopped.
"Qin Ming, have you been waiting long?"
Zhao Wuji, walking behind Tang Sui and the others, walked up familiarly, sat down in the seat next to the young man without any pretense.
The young man stood up from his seat as soon as he saw Flander and the others. A benevolent smile graced his elegant and handsome face, and he nodded slightly towards Flander at the end of the line, "Dean Flander, you're here."
"Qin Ming, it's been a long time."
Under the surprised gazes of their "little monsters," Flander casually greeted the other person, and said with a smile, "Little monsters, let me introduce you. This is Qin Ming, the instructor of the Royal Dou Team you just fought against, and he was also a student from our Shrek Academy!"
As he spoke the last sentence, Flander straightened his back proudly, looking as if he were honored.
Master's expression also shifted slightly as he looked at Qin Ming after Flander's introduction, with a hint of complexity.
The instructor of the Royal Dou Team...
"Senior Qin!"
As soon as they heard he was an elder who had graduated from Shrek Academy, Dai Mubai immediately showed respect and called out "Senior Qin Ming" earnestly.
The others also called out "Senior Qin."
Qin Ming looked at Dai Mubai and the others, their young and innocent faces not wearing the silver monster masks, and let out a sincere sigh, "Hello, juniors. I finally understand why you wore masks to conceal yourselves on the battlefield."
If they revealed their true faces.
At such a young age, with such cultivation and talent... their future was truly boundless!
Thinking this, Qin Ming's gaze fell on the section of Tang Sui in the team data he had received before the battle, and he asked hesitantly, "Are you the only one who didn't participate this time, the 'Chizhimian Baixiang'?"
Tang Sui nodded and said crisply, "Hello, Senior Qin. My name is Tang Sui. You can just call me by my name."
Qin Ming did not decline, following Tang Sui's lead, and smiled gently, "Then I'll call you Tang Sui. To be honest, I'm very curious about your spirit rings. Are your spirit rings... really all three thousand-year-old?"
—Author's Notes—
One more chapter... sob sob, Senior Qin has appeared, and outside it's changed from dark to light, sob sob.