Chapter 72: The Interrupted Confession and a Shocking Revelation

At nine in the evening, with the moon now cresting above the treetops, Lu Chen and Xia Shi arrived at an unassuming suburban street named “Listening Tide Ancient Alley.”

Despite “Ancient” in its name, the street had actually only been constructed in the previous century.

During a period of urban expansion, there had been an ambitious plan to develop a quaint, traditional cultural street here, hoping to draw tourists from afar. However, halfway through construction, the developers encountered financial difficulties, leaving the project abandoned.

The specialty shops and small restaurants along the street remained entirely deserted. What appeared to be wooden structures had long since faded and peeled under the ceaseless assault of wind and rain, their concrete interiors now exposed to the cool evening breeze. By now, the area had been largely forgotten by both the city and its residents, frequented only by the occasional urban explorer vlogger.

Yet, the “Tide” in its name rang true.

The moment they stepped onto the street, the humid, soothing sound of ocean tides drifted across the night sky, reaching the ears of the young man and woman. It was a distant murmur, like a lullaby sung for the forsaken old street.

The first time Xia Shi had spent New Year’s Eve in Lin City, she had been on this very street, enveloped by the same rhythmic tides.

Hand in hand with Lu Chen, she strolled along, guided by the melody of the waves and the soft glow of the moonlight. The cream-colored hem of her dress fluttered gently in the evening breeze.

Unlike their usual interactions in the city, neither of them spoke a word. Yet, merely feeling the warmth of the other’s palm, their emotions and thoughts seemed to flow between them through their skin.

Without any need for Lu Chen to guide them, the two naturally traversed the street, rounded a corner, and arrived before a dilapidated building—the very place where they had first met.

Xia Shi looked up, gazing at the third-story window with a nostalgic reverence. Her bright eyes seemed to reflect the fireworks and their fateful encounter from that day.

Lu Chen turned his head to look at Xia Shi, his voice soft.

“Time passes so slowly.”

“I think it passes quite quickly,” Xia Shi replied. “There are so many things I want to do, so many people I want to see… but I always find myself rushing, and then it’s too late.”

The treetops beside the street rustled softly. Xia Shi, her gaze fixed on the broken glass of the building’s windows, clutched Lu Chen’s hand with a touch of melancholy.

Lu Chen gently squeezed her palm.

“Xiaxia,” he said, “I’ve somewhat forgotten. Why did you go into this building last year?”

Xia Shi looked thoughtfully at the building.

“I can’t quite remember either… Oh, right. I was walking on the street when I suddenly saw fireworks rising in the city center. So, I looked for a building with a better view, hoping to climb higher to get a good look at them.

“But this place is still too far from the city. The dazzling fireworks looked as small as candlelight from here.”

“I see. Shall we go up and take another look?”

“Yes, let’s.”

Lu Chen took Xia Shi’s hand, leading her into the damp, silent building. They navigated corridors strewn with splintered wood and dust, ascending flight after flight of stairs. As they climbed, the distant cityscape gradually diminished beneath them.

The two returned to the floor where they had first met and walked together to the window. Most of the glass was shattered, allowing the cool evening breeze to drift in, revealing the vast, profound night sky before them.

Standing before the window, Xia Shi’s gaze swept over the abandoned street, across the long, dark expanse of the suburbs, towards the distant city dotted with lights. She tightened her grip on Lu Chen’s hand.

Lu Chen took a deep breath, suppressing the restless anticipation and tension within him.

He gazed at her profile, then spoke softly.

“Xiaxia, I’m just an ordinary person. I can’t predict the future, nor do I possess great power.”

Xia Shi turned her head, puzzled, her bright eyes fixed on Lu Chen’s face.

Lu Chen subtly retrieved a remote control from his pocket, maintaining eye contact with Xia Shi as he continued.

“Last year, when you wanted to see the fireworks, I couldn’t take you to the plaza to watch them. And when you underwent those harsh, brutal trainings, I couldn’t help you in the slightest.”

“But—”

Having finished speaking, Lu Chen leaned down, his eyes on the remote’s button. Instantly, a brilliant flare shot upwards, leaping beyond the window. It burst open in a dazzling display, its vibrant, cascading light illuminating the night sky above the street and, in turn, the young woman’s face.

Lu Chen gently took her hands in his, his voice solemn.

“From this moment forward, I will do everything in my power to stay by your side. I will never let you feel lonely again.”

Outside the window, a spectacular array of fireworks continued to bloom, yet Xia Shi paid them no mind. She simply stared blankly at Lu Chen, her fair cheeks suddenly flushing a deep crimson.

Only when the fireworks faded did she snap back to reality, her eyes darting left and right, a mixture of panic and happiness dancing within them.

“Th-that, this… does this mean—” Xia Shi stammered. Lu Chen took a deep breath, leaning closer to her, ready to articulate his final confession. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he parted his lips—

“Ding-a-ling—”

A sharp, clear ringtone suddenly pierced the hazy atmosphere of the stairwell. Xia Shi stared at the vibrating phone in Lu Chen’s pocket, stuttering.

“Y-you have a call. Wouldn’t it be better to answer it?”

“…My apologies.”

Lu Chen sighed out an apology, then walked irritably to the side to retrieve his phone. He had intended to simply hang up, but the caller’s name made him freeze.

Amidst the urgent ringing, the bolded characters “Nie Weifeng” illuminated the pale screen.

A shock ran through Lu Chen. The surging warmth in his veins instantly chilled, and the slender phone in his hand suddenly felt heavy and grim.

Instinctively, he took two more steps, then hurriedly answered the call, his voice low.

“Hello. This is Lu Chen.”

“Little Lu, the test results are in… Is your voice trembling? Is now a bad time to talk?”

“No, it’s fine. Please tell me the results immediately.”

Whether it was Lu Chen’s imagination or not, the other end of the line seemed to fall silent. After several viscous, stagnant seconds, the middle-aged man’s voice finally resonated once more.

“To put it simply, there was no blood from Miss Fireworks in the potion.”

“No! As expected, no! It was just an absurd delusion after all! Stop thinking about it!”

The colossal stone pressing on his heart finally lifted. Lu Chen’s shoulders sagged, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. He quickly braced himself against the wall, stabilizing his balance, and found himself laughing involuntarily.

“Thank you. Thank you very much. I’ll come see you tomorrow to explain everything clearly.”

“No need. It’s enough that you can rest assured.”

“However, it’s strange,” Nie Weifeng continued. “I detected another person’s blood sample in the potion. This individual’s identity… it’s truly unbelievable.”

“Unbelievable? Mr. Nie, this is a potion crafted by Envy, an Incarnation of Sin. It wouldn’t be strange for him to obtain anyone’s blood.”

“What I mean is, even that scoundrel who deserves a thousand cuts would find it nearly impossible to get this person’s blood.”

Nie Weifeng’s voice was bewildered, yet subtly trembling, as if he were speaking of an ancient, malevolent curse. Lu Chen involuntarily held his breath, pressing the phone closer to his ear.

“Who are you referring to?”

He heard the middle-aged man take a deep, shuddering breath. Then, a voice barely above a whisper drifted from the receiver.

“You must know him, too. He is—or perhaps was—the most powerful and malevolent anomaly of this era, possibly even in history. He’s the monster who betrayed and shattered half of the Candlelight Council, a Sin Incarnation vanquished and killed over a year ago, a force of nature.

“He is the Incarnation of Arrogance.”