Chapter 245 Wang Dong'er Goes on a rampage, seeking retribution from Titan Niu Tian!
By the time Wang Dong'er left the area of Poseidon Lake, it was already dark.
She neither returned to her dormitory nor went to the cafeteria.
She needed to rush back to Haotian Fort immediately.
She walked quickly, her skirt fluttering in the night wind.
She clutched the letter in her hand; the paper was crumpled beyond recognition.
She recalled Huo Yuhao's appearance just now.
Her face was as white as paper, her lips were trembling, and the love-sick grass in her hand was swaying back and forth. She stood there as if someone had taken her spine out.
She had never seen Huo Yuhao like that before, never.
She remembered the bandage on Huo Yuhao's chest, the scabs on his forehead that hadn't healed yet, and his hoarse voice when he spoke.
He said he plunged the knife into his chest and dripped his blood onto the grass.
He said the blood was frozen and wouldn't thaw no matter what he did.
He said he jumped into a hot spring and almost got scalded to death.
Wang Dong'er's eyes reddened, but she didn't stop or wipe them away.
She thought of Liu Yuan.
The boy she had only met a few times and had hardly ever spoken to.
If Liu Yuan hadn't pulled Huo Yuhao out of the hot spring with chains, and if Xue Di hadn't helped Huo Yuhao peel off the ice, what would Huo Yuhao be like now?
She dared not think about it.
Wang Dong'er quickened her pace.
The mountain road was lined with dense forests, and moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
She walked for several hours, and finally, an ancient stone fortress appeared in front of her.
Haotianbao.
The stone walls were very high, and the door was made of thick solid wood with copper nails inlaid on it.
Wang Dong'er walked to the door, without knocking or calling out, and kicked the door open.
The door was unlocked.
The heavy wooden door was kicked open, crashing against the stone walls on both sides with a dull thud that echoed throughout the fortress.
In the main hall, Titan and Niu Tian were sitting at the table drinking tea.
The two had just picked up their teacups, and before they could even bring them to their lips, they were both startled by the loud noise and looked up at the same time.
Titan paused for a moment, and tea splashed out, splattering onto the back of his hand.
He frowned, put down his teacup, and looked towards the door.
Niu Tian also turned his head, his gaze passing through the hall and landing on the white figure.
Titan's expression shifted from astonishment to confusion, then to a restrained concern. He stood up, walked around the table, and took two steps toward the door.
"Dong'er? What brings you here? It's so late, who made you angry?"
Niu Tian also stood up and stood beside Titan.
His expression was more composed than Titan's, but there was still a hint of tension in his eyes.
Wang Dong'er stood at the doorway, the moonlight shining in from behind her, casting a long shadow.
She clutched the letter in her hand, her knuckles turning white.
She didn't come in; she just stood on the threshold, looking at Titan and Niu Tian.
"See for yourselves."
She tossed the letter away. The letter unfurled in the air, fluttered a few times, and landed on the table in front of Titan.
Titan glanced down and his expression changed.
He recognized the letter and the handwriting on it.
He wrote it himself; every single word was.
He picked up the letter, read it once, then put it down, looked up at Wang Dong'er, his lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.
Niu Tian also saw the letter.
His brow furrowed slightly, but his expression didn't change much.
He glanced at Titan, then at Wang Dong'er, and then spoke in a very flat voice.
"Dong'er, let us explain."
Wang Dong'er didn't come in; she just stood on the threshold, watching them.
"Explain. I'm listening."
Titan took a deep breath, placed the letter on the table, and then spoke.
His voice was strained, and each word seemed to have been carefully considered before being uttered.
"This is... a test we're giving Huo Yuhao. We want to test whether he's truly sincere towards you."
Wang Dong'er looked at Titan without saying a word.
Her eyes were neither red nor filled with tears; she was simply staring intently at Titan.
Titan felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze and continued speaking, his voice growing softer and softer.
"He's still young, and we don't know his character. What if he treats you badly in the future… So we thought we'd test him this way. Let's see if he's willing to take risks for you, if he's willing to fight for you."
Niu Tian stood to the side, nodded, and added a sentence.
"We're doing this for your own good. Dong'er, don't overthink it."
Wang Dong'er listened to the whole thing.
Her expression didn't change much, but she lowered her hand from the door frame, letting it hang at her side, her fingers slowly clenching.
"For my own good?" she repeated the words, her voice low but emphasizing them.
Titan and Niu Tian exchanged a glance but neither spoke.
Wang Dong'er looked at them, her voice rising slightly, but not shouting; rather, it was a suppressed, accusatory question, word by word.
"Do you know that he almost died in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well?"
Titan's lips moved slightly.
Wang Dong'er didn't give him a chance to speak.
She took a step forward, and the moonlight moved from behind her onto her face. Her eyes were red, but no tears fell.
"He plunged a knife into his own chest, drawing blood from his heart. The blood froze and wouldn't thaw. He jumped into a hot spring and nearly scalded himself. He knelt on a rock, kowtowing until his forehead bled and blood streamed down his face. What do you think he did all this for? He thought I was sick, that I needed that herb to survive. He was risking his own life to save mine."
Wang Dong'er's voice began to tremble, but she still didn't shed a tear.
"And you're telling me this is a test? This is putting his life on the line to test whether he's truly sincere towards me?"
Titan lowered his head. Niu Tian remained silent.
Wang Dong'er took a deep breath and continued.
"You want to test him? Fine. You want to probe him? Fine. But why keep me in the dark? Why leave me completely in the dark? While he was fighting desperately in the Yin-Yang Well, I knew nothing at Shrek Academy. I didn't even know where he went, or why he went there. Have you ever thought about what would happen to me if he really died there? I wouldn't even know why he died."
Titan looked up at Wang Dong'er, opened his mouth as if to say something, but swallowed his words when he saw Wang Dong'er's face.
Wang Dong'er looked at him for a few seconds, then spoke. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was firm.
"From now on, don't interfere in my affairs with Huo Yuhao."
Titan was stunned.
Wang Dong'er continued, speaking each word very clearly.
"From now on, you are not allowed to bypass me and arrange such tests for him again. You are not allowed to write letters to him in my name and send him on dangerous missions. You are not allowed to do anything related to him behind my back."
Titan's expression was rather grim. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Niu Tian tugged at his sleeve from behind, and he shut his mouth.
Wang Dong'er looked at them, waited a moment, and then said her last sentence.
"I'll remember this. If it happens again, don't blame me for turning against you."
Without waiting for Titan and Niu Tian's reply, she turned around and strode out of the gate of Haotian Fortress.
A night breeze blew by, causing her skirt to sway in the wind, and then her figure disappeared into the darkness outside the door.
(End of chapter)