Zhao Mengxi stared blankly at Kent, her heart in turmoil as countless thoughts swirled through her mind.
She admitted that she liked Kent, and Kent clearly liked her too.
But why wasn't his affection singular? Why had another woman suddenly come into the picture?
She wasn't concerned about winning or losing. Although the two of them had been in a relationship for some time, they had never crossed that boundary, and she was still a virgin. If she were to break up now, she wouldn't lose much.
However, matters of the heart weren't only about these things. Love was about giving from the heart and receiving in return...
For a long time, she was caught in confusion, her heart torn between countless thoughts. Eventually, she started to think from Kent's perspective. What would it look like from his side?
She had long realized that Kent was a hardcore "straight man" when it came to emotions—he took them very seriously and put great effort into them. His feelings for her weren't about fickleness or infidelity. Perhaps he was just like a child who happened to fall in love with someone else too.
Staring at the direction where Kent had already disappeared, Zhao Mengxi gritted her teeth. Things hadn't gotten to an irreparable point. Furthermore, sharing the same man with another woman didn't seem like an overly humiliating thing. It could even prove that the man was capable, which in turn meant that she had to hold on tight to him.
...
Kent sat on the carriage heading towards the city gates, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. He had left in such a rush because he didn't have the courage to face Zhao Mengxi—her eyes, her fragility, her confusion...
That's why he had to leave quickly. He left with a heavy heart, but the pain didn't lessen. He feared that Zhao Mengxi would hold a grudge against him from then on...
After some time, Kent sent Zhao Mengxi a message, but the call was disconnected. He couldn't help but smile bitterly, then typed a message:
"小梦, this was my fault, I'm sorry. But I really do like you, and I really like her too. I've already become her partner. I hope you can forgive me. I'll make sure to make the woman I love happy for the rest of her life. Trust me, okay?"
He waited for a long time with no reply. Eventually, after he got off the carriage, he finally received a short message: "Safe return."
Kent breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if a heavy stone had been lifted from his chest. As long as Zhao Mengxi still cared for him, everything could be resolved.
Upon entering the Task Hall, Kent went straight to the registration counter. He had to sign up to explore the Mo Ridge Secret Realm, so the authorities would have a record and be able to keep track of it.
However, when he entered the waiting room, he was surprised to see a few familiar faces.
"Kent? What are you doing here?"
Kent turned toward the voice and froze, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
The person who spoke was Ye Qiugao, a senior from their inspection academy, and a persistent pursuer of Fan Qingmei.
Ye Qiugao came from one of Earthstar City's top ten families, the Ye family. He was ranked third among the current generation, with two older brothers above him. But since it wasn't an ancient primogeniture system, Ye Qiugao had the right to inherit the family business, and his performance had been even better than his brothers, so his chances of taking over the family were more prominent.
Kent's discomfort didn't stem from Ye Qiugao's family background, but from the fact that Ye Qiugao had been chasing Fan Qingmei for three years with no success, while Kent had managed to easily win her heart and even become her lover. If Ye Qiugao knew this, Kent was certain he would be furious.
Fortunately, Fan Qingmei hadn't returned to school recently, so no one had heard news of her.
Kent replied, "Ye Qiugao, it's me. What are you, and Senior Huang, doing here?"
The Senior Huang Kent referred to was the current number one on the Wind and Cloud Rankings, Huang Jintian, a senior about to graduate in two months.
Ye Qiugao had challenged Huang Jintian several times at the Wind and Cloud Tournament but had been defeated each time. Kent had always thought their relationship wasn't good, yet here they were, sitting together in the waiting room of the registration counter. He was taken aback.
Huang Jintian didn't speak, merely giving Kent a polite nod.
Rumors had it that both Huang Jintian and Ye Qiugao were extremely arrogant. They often ignored others and acted coldly, even outright disregarding people. Yet, today, Huang Jintian had actively acknowledged Kent with a gesture.
Kent quickly realized that he was no longer an unknown student. He had made it into the top 100 of the Wind and Cloud Rankings in just his first semester, showing immense potential. That's why even Ye Qiugao and Huang Jintian had shown him respect.
Kent then turned his gaze toward Ye Qiugao, silently hoping he would explain.
Ye Qiugao said, "Nothing important. I'm just testing whether I can go from a准巡察使 (Assistant Inspector) to a一级巡察使 (First-Class Inspector). It's been over a year since I last made any progress."
Kent could tell from Ye Qiugao's casual tone that he was still as arrogant as ever. He spoke with an air of showing off, assuming that Kent, being an Assistant Inspector, would envy him for aiming higher, and that Kent would feel inferior.
Kent responded with mock admiration, "Senior Ye is truly amazing. I heard only a few people can become a First-Class Inspector while still in school. Those who make it to the准巡察使 level are already among the elite."
Upon hearing this praise, Ye Qiugao's smugness grew even more, and he casually replied, "Well, I'm just giving it a try, not sure I can make it."
"That's still impressive. I've never seen anyone like that," Kent said earnestly, "By the way, what's Senior Huang here for?"
Ye Qiugao shot Kent a cold look, his expression darkening. "He's not even a student of the Inspection Academy, but he already received the Inspection Academy's diploma. Now, he's qualified to become an Inspector."
Kent was suddenly enlightened. Huang Jintian had completed a dual degree program. With his top ranking in the Wind and Cloud Rankings, his ambitions were clearly immense, and he was even more formidable than Kent had first thought.
"Senior Huang is impressive as well," Kent complimented from the heart.
"Impressive? He just wants to show off. He's trying to steal my second brother's fiancée. If he can embarrass me, it's also embarrassing my second brother," Ye Qiugao said coldly.
Kent couldn't help but look at him with a strange expression. What a mess.
Kent didn't want to get involved in their personal matters, so he kept quiet.
But Ye Qiugao didn't let him off easily. "Kent, what are you doing here? Don't tell me you're here to sign up for an Assistant Inspector position too?"
Kent thought about lying, but it would have been too obvious, so he decided to admit it. "Yes, I want to try my luck and maybe become an Assistant Inspector like Senior Ye."
Ye Qiugao looked at him in disbelief, a look of disdain flashing across his eyes. He clearly thought Kent was a fool for comparing himself to him.
Ye Qiugao didn't speak further, as in his eyes, Kent, despite his remarkable performance, was still too immature to be on the same level as him.