Online Game: Evil Dragon Against The Heaven - 196

An eerie scene unfolded before Ye Tian Xie and Su Fei Fei. Just as Su Fei Fei’s hand was about to touch the girl’s body, the girl’s delicate eyebrows twitched ever so slightly. In that instant, Su Fei Fei’s hand suddenly stopped mid-air. A look of bewilderment crossed her face as she hesitated to move forward, only to find her hand seemingly blocked by an invisible barrier, like a sheet of transparent glass.

“This… Tian Xie, what’s going on? My hand… It feels like something’s blocking me, but there’s clearly nothing there,” Su Fei Fei muttered, staring dumbfounded at her hands. She tentatively reached out again toward the same spot. The same phenomenon occurred—the invisible barrier prevented her from touching the girl’s body.

The unnatural, inexplicable occurrence left Su Fei Fei unnerved. Coupled with everything that had happened tonight, she began to feel as though she were trapped in a dream.

This little girl was far too strange. A stormy night with thunder and rain, the unnervingly even knocks at the door, her closed eyes, her utter silence… and now this incomprehensible barrier that defied all logic.

Ye Tian Xie reached out his hand to touch the girl. To Su Fei Fei’s surprise, his hand moved without obstruction, resting directly on the girl’s delicate shoulder.

The girl’s body was shockingly cold after being drenched in the rain for so long. As his hand made contact with her trembling shoulder, the previously silent girl suddenly lunged forward and threw herself into Ye Tian Xie’s arms, clinging to him tightly… as if afraid he might disappear.

Ye Tian Xie and Su Fei Fei exchanged looks, both momentarily at a loss for words.

“Little girl,” Ye Tian Xie gently patted her shoulder and softly called out to her.

“Brother… Brother…”

The trembling, sorrowful voice that escaped the girl was soft and ethereal, yet filled with difficulty. Those two simple words seemed to drain all her energy.

Brother? Su Fei Fei’s eyes widened in surprise as she glanced at Ye Tian Xie, clearly asking: Is she your sister? But deep down, she already knew the truth. All of Ye Tian Xie’s relatives had passed away, and he had only three friends—he couldn’t possibly have a sister.

“I’m not your brother, little girl. You’ve mistaken me for someone else,” Ye Tian Xie said with a helpless smile to Su Fei Fei before turning to speak honestly to the girl.

“Brother… Brother…”

She continued to hold him tightly, burying her small face in his chest, silently weeping.

Once again, Su Fei Fei attempted to touch the girl. However, as her hand approached within a few centimeters, it was stopped by the same invisible barrier. This incomprehensible phenomenon left Su Fei Fei feeling deeply uneasy, coupled with an indescribable sense of discomfort.

“Tian Xie… She’s so strange. Why can’t I touch her? Is it an illusion? Or… Wait, Tian Xie, look—there’s something on her shoulder. It looks like a note.”

At Su Fei Fei’s reminder, Ye Tian Xie’s gaze shifted to the girl’s shoulder. Sure enough, there was a note attached there.

The girl had been standing in the heavy rain for a long time and her clothes were thoroughly soaked. Under normal circumstances, such a note would have been completely ruined—smeared, torn, or even dissolved by the water. Yet, the note stuck to her shoulder was bizarrely intact, showing no signs of damage. Incredibly, it wasn’t even wet.

Ye Tian Xie cautiously brushed his fingers against the note, and it effortlessly came away into his hand. He unfolded it, revealing two brief lines of text.

The first line contained just four characters: “她叫小希 (Her name is Xiao Xi).”

It was as though he had been struck by a bolt of lightning. Ye Tian Xie’s pupils contracted violently, his body stiffened abruptly, and his once-focused gaze turned utterly dazed and scattered in an instant. Lost in his shock, the note slipped weakly from his trembling hands, drifting down to the floor.

“Tian Xie?” Su Fei Fei called out, her voice tinged with panic at his uncharacteristic reaction.

Lifting the small girl from his embrace, Ye Tian Xie suddenly bolted out of the room, running a dozen meters before stopping. He stood there, head tilted back, staring into the torrential rain and the dark, overcast sky. Silent and motionless, his eyes didn’t even blink as raindrops struck them, as though he had completely lost awareness of his surroundings.

“Tian Xie! What’s wrong, Tian Xie?!” Overcome by alarm, Su Fei Fei chased after him, disregarding the pouring rain and rumbling thunder. She clung to him tightly, afraid he might suddenly run away again. “Tian Xie, don’t scare me! What’s happening to you?!”

In moments, Su Fei Fei was soaked through, but she hardly noticed the cold raindrops or the deafening thunder. Her entire being was focused on Ye Tian Xie. The overwhelming wave of emotion and his violent reaction reminded her of one person—Xian’er.

“Xian’er—”

Ye Tian Xie tilted his head back further, screaming her name into the dim sky with all the strength and longing he could muster. That name, which was etched deep into his soul, resonated with his every thought, his every breath. His powerful shout was swallowed almost instantly by the relentless rain and thunder.

Closing his eyes tightly, Ye Tian Xie clenched his fists, his heart endlessly questioning itself…

Why… why… why… why…

The scent from that day—it wasn’t an illusion.

Why… she’s clearly here, right beside me, yet she won’t see me?

Why…

Why…

What could possibly remain unsaid between us? If there’s some insurmountable secret, some unimaginable obstacle… What is it that the two of us cannot face together?!

That loud, heartfelt cry reverberated through Su Fei Fei’s ears and pierced her heart. She closed her misty eyes, saying nothing, silently holding onto his body… Being able to hold him like this, no matter where they were, every second felt so warm, so precious.

If one day I left him, would he call my name with such desperation, throwing all caution to the wind? she thought. If he did, even if I could only think of him for the rest of my life, I’d be happy until the end of my days.

Suddenly, her hand was gently grasped. She opened her eyes and looked up into Ye Tian Xie’s bright yet melancholic gaze. Her hair, disheveled by the rain, clung to her forehead in strands. As their eyes met in silence, Ye Tian Xie’s stiff expression gradually softened. Then, unexpectedly, he smiled—a smile that made her heart skip a beat. His gaze had become incomparably tender, softer than she had ever seen before.

“Fei Fei, will you be my girlfriend?” he asked, gently brushing away the rain-soaked strands of hair clinging to her forehead. His voice was so soft it seemed to seep into the depths of her soul.

Happiness came so suddenly that Su Fei Fei froze, completely and utterly stunned. She couldn’t believe her ears.

“If you agree, I’ll stay by your side and protect you for the rest of your life. No one will ever hurt you again. Anyone who tries to harm you will pay the heaviest price. If you don’t agree… I’ll chase after you until you do,” he whispered, leaning close to her ear.

Everything was happening too fast, too suddenly. Su Fei Fei hadn’t even recovered from the moment when he called out  【Xian’er】 with all his heart and strength. Now, in just a few seconds, his voice once again left her feeling as if she were dreaming…

Just moments ago, he had poured all his emotions into calling for Xian’er. And yet, in the blink of an eye, it was as if he had forgotten everything—forgotten his past feelings and was now initiating a new relationship, one he truly desired.

“Tian Xie…” Su Fei Fei raised her hand to cover her lips, the drops sliding down her face indistinguishable between rainwater and tears. She murmured softly, “A man’s word… must be kept.”

“Mm, always. If I break my word, let me remain as Fei Fei’s bodyguard forever,” Ye Tian Xie replied, hooking her pinky with his own and locking their fingers together tightly. The smile on his lips was pure—without the slightest hint of deceit, pretense, or hesitation.

Su Fei Fei stared at him blankly for a long moment before suddenly throwing herself into his arms. Hidden by the sound of rain and thunder, she broke down into uncontrollable sobs. No one knew how painful it had been for her to fall in love with him. No matter how much she laughed or feigned cheerfulness, the thought of the future always brought a sharp sting to her heart…

She had always known that if she ever had to leave him, there would be a wound in her heart that could never heal.

She had believed that his love for Xian’er was so deep that, even if Xian’er never returned, he would spend the rest of his life waiting for her… That there would no longer be room in his heart for anyone else.

Yet, without warning, her dearest wish had come true in this very moment. He had given her a promise—for a lifetime.

She didn’t know why this was happening or what had crossed his mind in that moment. She didn’t want to ask, nor did she want to know. If this was a dream, she would rather remain lost in it forever, never to wake.

This scene lingered in the rain for a long time, frozen in time.

The little girl in the purple dress stood quietly at the doorway, listening to the sound of raindrops hitting the ground. Her eyes remained naturally closed, as they had been all along, never once opening.

When they returned to the living room, both Ye Tian Xie and Su Fei Fei were completely soaked. Ye Tian Xie didn’t seem to mind, but Su Fei Fei, if not for the thick coat of his she was wearing, would have appeared almost completely bare. Her thin nightgown, drenched by the rain, would have clung to her body as if she were wearing nothing at all.

The note that had fallen to the floor was picked up by Ye Tian Xie. Before Su Fei Fei could ask, he smiled faintly and said, “It’s Xian’er’s handwriting. It says, ‘Her name is.’”

Su Fei Fei nodded slightly, refraining from asking further questions. Instead, she turned her attention to carefully examining the girl named “Xiao Xi.” Her gaze studied the child’s every feature with subtle curiosity.

Ye Tian Xie unfolded the note fully and glanced at the second line. Ten words…

His brows furrowed sharply.