Douluo Continent: Beginning with Signing in with Yan Lingji

"Don't worry, I didn't hit him too hard. It may look serious, but it's mostly superficial wounds." Gently smoothing Zhu Zhuqing's hair from her forehead, Zhao Ming felt a pang of sadness at the sight of her pale face. Zhu Zhuqing was such a strong girl, how much pain must she have endured to shed tears like this?

He had witnessed everything clearly earlier—Dai Mubai had attacked Zhu Zhuqing without holding back at all. He was nothing short of a scoundrel, even worse than a beast!

Even though Zhao Ming had provoked him somewhat, that still didn't justify Dai Mubai's violent actions towards his fiancée.

Zhao Ming couldn't imagine himself acting that way. If he encountered such a situation, he certainly wouldn't strike his own woman first. At the very least, he'd get rid of the troublemaker before dealing with internal matters.

Why resort to violence? Couldn't things be resolved by talking?

A man like Dai Mubai, who abuses women, had no right to be with Zhu Zhuqing. Zhao Ming would never allow Zhu Zhuqing to end up with someone like him.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Dai Mubai with eyes full of loss and disappointment, tears glistening. Streams of sorrow flowed down her cheeks. Zhao Ming could see her fragility, her despair, and her anguish.

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing in such a vulnerable state, Zhao Ming's heart softened. He set aside any improper thoughts and stepped forward, pulling her into his arms. Zhu Zhuqing flinched, then struggled to break free.

But Zhao Ming wasn't about to let go.

He tightened his embrace.

Zhu Zhuqing's strength was no match for Zhao Ming's. After a brief struggle, realizing she couldn't escape, she finally gave up.

"No..." Dai Mubai's voice came out, but Zhao Ming silenced him by stepping on his face, muffling his protests to incoherent sounds.

"Let's take a walk. If you want to talk about anything, I'm here," Zhao Ming suggested, not wanting to stay at that place any longer.

Zhu Zhuqing hesitated, then nodded dazedly, lowering her head as she walked alongside Zhao Ming.

As they walked, her eyes reddened again, and fresh tears streamed down her face.

She couldn't take it anymore! She really couldn't take it anymore!

Why had she escaped from her family, after all? Wasn't it to stand by Dai Mubai's side, hoping that he would face the future like a man, instead of running away? Couldn't he see how much he meant to her?

Was one incident enough to make him doubt everything about her?

Was one mistake enough for him to attack her so ruthlessly?

For years, he'd indulged in debauchery and frequented places she disapproved of, but she had never interfered. Even when he fled to Shrek Academy without taking her with him, she never complained.

After arriving at Shrek, she hadn't even voiced her grievances.

Even when she heard about his disgraceful deeds from Xiao Wu, she still forgave him.

She had done so much, yet Dai Mubai never changed his ways. That alone would have been bearable, but now, after one misunderstanding, he was already doubting her and had even resorted to violence.

His narrow-mindedness!

His cowardice!

His depraved lifestyle!

All of it filled Zhu Zhuqing with immense pain.

Without realizing it, they had walked far from the academy. Zhu Zhuqing sat down on a stone, hugging her legs, silently crying.

A light rain began to fall, the droplets mingling with her tears as they ran down her face.

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing so devastated, Zhao Ming felt a deep sense of sympathy. The stronger a girl is, the more fragile her heart often is. What girl wouldn't want to live happily behind the protection of her beloved? It was only fate and Dai Mubai's weakness that forced Zhu Zhuqing to become so strong!

Fearing that she might catch a cold, Zhao Ming took off his outer robe and gently draped it over Zhu Zhuqing's shoulders, then pulled her into his arms.

Zhu Zhuqing's delicate body trembled slightly, but she didn't push Zhao Ming away.

Her small face rested against Zhao Ming's broad chest, and she wept quietly.

The wind howled, the rain poured down, and Zhu Zhuqing cried silently for over an hour before finally stopping.

But the slight tremors in her body revealed the storm still raging in her heart.

"You and Dai Mubai..." Zhao Ming ventured to ask after noticing that Zhu Zhuqing's mood seemed to have lightened slightly.

"He's my fiancé," Zhu Zhuqing replied with a sorrowful smile.

"Fiancé? I had no idea..." Zhao Ming feigned surprise.

"It's fine. You didn't do anything wrong today. The fault is all his," Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, one hand pressed against her forehead, clearly exhausted.

"I can tell you don't love him. Why stay with him? Haven't you ever thought about resisting?" Zhao Ming asked after a moment of contemplation.

"My marriage with Dai Mubai was arranged from the moment I was born. No one can change that," Zhu Zhuqing said after a brief hesitation, shaking her head.

"Have you ever considered resisting your family's influence? What if there's still a chance?" Zhao Ming suggested.

He knew he didn't yet have the strength to challenge such forces, but give him a few years, and he was confident he could stand against even the Star Luo Empire.

Zhu Zhuqing remained silent, her head lowered.

After a moment of stillness, she suddenly lifted her head, her slightly swollen eyes locking onto Zhao Ming's. "Zhao Ming, do you...like me?"

"Maybe," Zhao Ming replied, startled, giving her a vague answer. He didn't want her to know about his feelings too early.

"Then you'd better not. We can't be together," Zhu Zhuqing said, shaking her head as she gazed at him.

"How do you know unless we try?" Zhao Ming couldn't resist cupping Zhu Zhuqing's delicate face, staring seriously into her eyes.

A flicker of panic flashed in Zhu Zhuqing's gaze as she quickly swatted his hand away.

"I don't want to take that risk, and I can't afford to. No matter what Dai Mubai has done wrong, he's still my fiancé, and that won't change. And while you're strong, I don't like you. Stop saying such things," Zhu Zhuqing said, her voice firm.

Zhao Ming realized that now was not the time to push too hard. With her emotional state so fragile, being too forward could backfire. Sometimes, taking a step back was the wisest strategy.

"Fine, I won't mention it again. I was just unaware of your relationship with Dai Mubai, which led to my inappropriate behavior earlier," Zhao Ming said, his gaze returning to its usual clarity as he looked at her.

Hearing his words, Zhu Zhuqing sighed in relief, though there was a faint feeling of loss in her heart that she couldn't quite explain.

"It looks like the rain is getting heavier. We should head back," Zhao Ming suggested, noticing the increasing rainfall.

"I don't want to go back yet. You should go ahead," Zhu Zhuqing replied, shaking her head.

"Then I'll stay with you," Zhao Ming said firmly. There was no way he would leave her alone.

[•———•———•———•]

𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮. 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚!

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼:

• 𝙅𝙘𝟭𝟮𝟬𝟮

• 𝘼𝙝𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙟𝙖𝙝

• 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗯 𝗠𝗼𝗲𝗲

𝗔𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸:

• 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟭𝟴𝟱+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.

• 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁-𝗢𝘂𝘁: 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩!

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗲𝘁, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀!

👉 𝙅𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙬: 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣.𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

💬 𝘼𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝘼𝙫𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚: 𝙈𝙮 𝘼𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙩! 𝙐𝙣𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 $30—𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 10% 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩! 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙙𝙚: 𝗚𝗢𝗗𝗢𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗥.

𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙂𝙋𝙏 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙮 𝘼𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙩, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣-𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙮, 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙡. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨, 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚!

👉𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽: 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣.𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧/𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙥