Under the night sky...
A bright full moon hung high above, while countless stars glittered like jewels across the heavens—just like a breathtaking painting.
In the Heaven Imperial City, within a quiet little plaza...
A circle of heart-shaped pink candles slowly lit up, one after another.
Overhead, petals fell from the sky like a soft rain, creating an atmosphere rich with romance.
Standing within the circle of glowing candles was Dugu Yan, frozen in place.
She never imagined Ye Yu would go to such lengths for her—she had completely misunderstood him.
Her emerald-like eyes welled up with tears, brimming with guilt and deep emotion. She covered her mouth with a pair of fair, jade-like hands and choked back her sobs.
"Ye Yu… I'm sorry… I didn't realize… I misunderstood everything…"
As she spoke, twin streams of tears silently slipped from her beautiful eyes.
Ye Yu naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass him by. He stepped forward, gently pulling Dugu Yan into his embrace and wiping her tears with tender care, softly comforting her.
"Yanzi, it's alright. There's no need to apologize."
"All of this—I planned it to surprise you. It was my choice to do so. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, everything is fine."
"I just want you to be happy and healthy for the rest of your life."
"So don't cry, okay? Be good, alright?"
Ye Yu's handsome face even broke into a faint smile as he teased her playfully.
"Yanzi, you still haven't answered me yet. Will you accept my confession?"
"All this—was just your birthday present."
"If you don't say yes, I won't be able to give you our token of love!"
That cheeky remark finally made Dugu Yan laugh through her tears. Pouting in mock annoyance, she raised her delicate pink fist and gave him a light punch on the chest.
"You're threatening me now?!"
Then, lifting her head, her emerald eyes gazed at him deeply, filled with emotion and sincerity.
"Of course I accept your confession!"
"I've already chosen you for this life!"
"From now on, don't ever let me misunderstand you again—and don't even think about letting me go!"
Her voice was firm and resolute—like a vow from the heart.
Ye Yu was visibly moved. His eyes reddened as he pulled her tightly into his arms.
"Yanzi!"
"Ye Yu… from now on, don't call me Yanzi anymore."
"My real name is Yanyan. That's what Grandpa and my parents used to call me…"
Leaning against Ye Yu's chest, Dugu Yan's stunningly beautiful and regal face glowed with warmth and happiness.
Although she still felt a trace of sorrow when mentioning her late parents, knowing she had now found someone she truly loved brought her peace.
Sure, he still had many flaws.
But Dugu Yan believed…
With Ye Yu's talent and drive, he would one day perfect and evolve the theory behind Spirit Ring Origin Completion, and step into greatness—
Like a fish leaping over the dragon gate, soaring to the heavens in one bound!
After over half a year of pursuit…
Ye Yu had finally succeeded in confessing and winning Dugu Yan's heart—his heart was overwhelmed with emotion.
As Dugu Yan basked in joy and bliss…
Off to the side stood Ye Lingling, her elegant features and cool temperament faintly illuminated. Her deep blue eyes flickered slightly, her expression dazed, with a tinge of red creeping into her eyes.
Her delicate fists clenched tightly as she lowered her head, letting her long bangs cover her face.
At that moment, her heart was filled with sorrow and pain.
Why… why did it turn out like this?
Just the other day, when she had told Ye Yu about Dugu Yan's birthday…
He had clearly told her he planned to work overtime and find a solution to the Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison, as a birthday gift for Dugu Yan.
He never said anything about confessing to her on this day!
So… the one he liked was actually Yanzi…
Ye Lingling's heart twisted with bitterness and grief—and an unshakable thread of jealousy.
Clearly… clearly I was the one who came first!
It was she who had met him first, who became friends with him first.
They met in the library—learned from one another, understood each other, encouraged each other.
Their connection was effortless. They resonated on the same frequency.
So why… why did he fall for Yanzi and not her?
Sadly, Ye Yu was still unaware of Ye Lingling's inner turmoil.
If he had known, he definitely would've spoken with heartfelt emotion:
Lingling, you misunderstood!
It's not just Yanyan that I like. I like you too!
You're both my wings!
After all, Ye Yu had read his fair share of novels before transmigrating.
Now that he'd crossed over to an ancient world like Douluo Dalu...
How could a man not dream of having three wives and four concubines?
He didn't think of himself as scummy.
He never thought he was a "good guy," anyway.
His approach toward Dugu Yan had ulterior motives from the beginning.
He was just an ordinary man with desires, some basic morals, and a bit of kindness.
If he were still on Blue Star (modern Earth), he would fully support monogamy.
But this was Douluo Continent—and he had to adapt to the local customs!
For now, he still needed the "angel investment" from his future father-in-law Dugu Bo.
He didn't have the qualifications to play around yet.
So even if he was aware of Ye Lingling's feelings, Ye Yu had to pretend not to know.
Right now, his affection had to be single-minded—entirely for Dugu Yan!
As for the future? He would worry about that later.
High above in the night sky…
The few flying-type Soul Masters Ye Yu had hired finished scattering the last of the flower petals from their baskets and quietly flew off.
After sharing one final, heartfelt embrace, Ye Yu let go of Dugu Yan and stepped out of the heart-shaped candle circle with a smile.
He walked over to Ye Lingling, asking for the token of love he had prepared earlier for Dugu Yan.
It was a custom-painted portrait, meticulously drawn just for Dugu Yan.
The resemblance was vivid—almost lifelike.
"Yanyan, this is for you."
"Thank you, Ah-Yu!"
Dugu Yan took the painting, her exquisite face glowing with joy as she leaned in to kiss him sweetly.
"Yanyan, have a look at the notebook too."
"Inside is the method I found to neutralize the Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison in your clan."
"See if there's anything unclear."
"Ah-Yu, I trust you!"
Dugu Yan initially didn't plan to look through it just yet.
She felt that would imply she didn't trust him.
But Ye Yu shook his head and said seriously:
"Yanyan, this isn't about trust."
"My understanding of Jade Phosphor Serpent Soul Masters is based solely on what you've told me. There may be some errors."
"The method I've inferred for resolving the poison might not be entirely correct."
"So I need you to double-check and confirm it."
"If anything is wrong, I'll need to revise and rework it."
"Solving the Jade Phosphor Poison issue—this isn't something trivial. I need to be careful and responsible!"
"Alright!"
Dugu Yan found herself increasingly drawn to Ye Yu's charm—unable to look away.
Her emerald eyes shimmered with happiness and deep emotion.
She then opened the notebook and began to read through it...
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin