Chapter 258 – The Heart's Defense Quietly Disappears

That night, almost everyone ended up drunk.

Lei Hao and Ye Bai unsurprisingly collapsed one after another, muttering incoherently even as they fell, seemingly still grumbling about Su Ming.

Jiang Wanyu and Yao Beibei were drunk too.

Though they had tried to restrain themselves, as seventeen-year-old girls, their alcohol tolerance was naturally low. Caught up in the atmosphere, they accidentally drank a few too many cups, ending up dizzily leaning against An Zijin with flushed faces and hazy minds. If any ill-intentioned person saw this scene, they might get some improper ideas, unconsciously considering how to take advantage of the situation.

Su Ming was relatively better off. Perhaps because he was now a higher-level Hunter, his physique had improved beyond ordinary human limits, entering an inhuman Realm, so he wasn’t completely drunk.

However, as the main target of his friends’ attention, Su Ming naturally had quite a lot of alcohol forced on him by his two troublemaker friends. The result was that he was also somewhat woozy, actually not far from collapsing drunk.

In the end, only An Zijin remained completely sober.

There was no helping it—from start to finish, An Zijin was the only one who truly restrained herself and didn’t drink much.

Or rather, the girl kept glancing at Su Ming, sometimes blushing, sometimes looking worried, sometimes appearing downcast—this state of mind left her with no inclination to drink, ultimately making her the only one who remained fully conscious.

But even so, the group of six couldn’t return to the Academy tonight.

After all, An Zijin was just a delicate Sorcerer—there was no way she could bring back five peers of the same age.

As it was approaching late night, the streets outside had become deserted as usual. No one was willing to be out on the streets, not even a single taxi could be found, making it impossible to send Su Ming and the others back.

Fortunately, this karaoke bar had long prepared for such situations.

Business owners who understood that in these times it wasn’t advisable to go out at night had naturally devised various methods to solve such problems for the sake of their business.

This karaoke bar was no exception—they had prepared many guest rooms upstairs to rent to customers who were too drunk to risk going home.

Since Su Ming and the others had planned to drink until they dropped anyway, they had already booked rooms in advance to rest.

Then, Su Ming, who wasn’t completely drunk yet, was honorably assigned the role of porter—not only did he have to carry back the two rough guys who had been complaining about him, but he also had to escort the two cute junior schoolmates to their rooms.

This process involved both enjoyment and torment.

The enjoyment naturally came from carrying the bodies of the two cute junior schoolmates.

Su Ming carried Jiang Wanyu in his arms and carried Yao Beibei on his back—the particular sensations involved were something best not described to outsiders.

The torment naturally came from his two troublemaker friends.

Although Su Ming wasn’t gentle at all—almost dragging Lei Hao and Ye Bai back to their rooms—during the process, he received two punches from Young Master Lei and two kicks from Boss Ye, causing him to handle them rather roughly, ultimately just throwing Lei Hao and Ye Bai into their rooms.

After completing all this, Su Ming returned to his own room feeling woozy, lying on the bed without any desire to get up.

Naturally, An Zijin came along with him.

“Are you okay, Brother Su Ming?”

An Zijin brought over a glass of water and handed it to Su Ming, her face showing deep concern.

“I’m fine.”Su Ming responded with a bitter smile, taking the water An Zijin offered. He drank while shaking his heavy head, struggling to stay conscious.

“You drank too much, Brother Su Ming.” An Zijin rarely spoke to him in such a reproachful tone. “You kept downing all that alcohol without even pausing for a second—it scared me.”

She had truly never seen Su Ming drink like that before.

In fact, she had never seen him drink at all.

So, witnessing Su Ming drink so recklessly today had genuinely startled her.

“I had no choice,” Su Ming shrugged and said, “Those two beasts weren’t going to let me off, and they wouldn’t stop either. I had no option but to risk my life to keep them company.”

After this drinking session, it wouldn’t be so easy to drink like this again in the future.

Thinking of that, Su Ming had truly thrown caution to the wind this time, accepting every drink offered without refusal. He didn’t even touch any dishes, drinking on an empty stomach.

If not for his extraordinary Physique, he would surely be feeling miserable by now.

Fortunately, Su Ming had ultimately outdrunk those two beasts.

“Actually, you didn’t have to come along with me.”

Su Ming looked at the girl standing by his bedside—his childhood friend—and couldn’t help but say this.

Yet, with just that one sentence, An Zijin’s eyes reddened instantly.

“If I didn’t come, when would I get to see you again, Brother Su Ming?”

Her slightly tearful voice tugged painfully at Su Ming’s heart.

Sure enough, this girl had been dwelling on his impending graduation and departure from the Academy.

Throughout the day, she had been unusually quiet, rarely speaking a word. She had followed Su Ming the entire time, silently watching him. Though she remained as clingy as ever, she lacked her usual lively and cheerful energy.

It was clear that Su Ming’s upcoming graduation had significantly affected An Zijin’s mood.

“Don’t say that,” Su Ming could only reply with a pained expression. “Even if I leave the Academy, it’s not like I’ll vanish completely. It’s not as if we’ll never see each other again, right?”

Su Ming’s intention was to comfort her, to prevent her from dwelling on it too much and becoming overly distressed.

But who could have expected…

“Are you really not going to disappear without a trace?”

An Zijin lifted her gaze, staring directly at him as she uttered these words, catching Su Ming by surprise.

“I…”

Su Ming froze.

For some reason, he felt as though An Zijin had seen right through him.

And that was almost the truth.

“Brother Su Ming,” An Zijin looked straight at him and said, “Where exactly are you planning to go this time?”

This wasn’t an accusation or an exposure, but a query filled with certainty.

It told Su Ming that An Zijin had already seen through his lies.

She knew that his early graduation wasn’t because some unknown powerhouse in the industry had taken an interest in him, nor was it because he wanted to enter the professional circle to hone his skills.

The reason was simple.

“Don’t underestimate your childhood friend, Brother Su Ming,” An Zijin said sadly. “Even though we were apart for many years, I’ve always been watching you.”

The implication was that while others might not be able to tell when Su Ming was lying or telling the truth, An Zijin could.

That was why she was certain.

“Brother Su Ming, there’s another reason why you’re graduating early, isn’t there?”The straightforward question plunged Su Ming into silence.

To be honest, he was quite surprised, and his emotions were complex.

He had never realized that An Zijin knew him so well.

Behind this understanding lay the girl’s unwavering attachment and infatuation, her gaze never straying from him.

This childhood friend, who had always been watching Su Ming, understood him to such an extent.

Perhaps she wasn’t as exceptionally intelligent as Yun Langyue, nor did she know as many of Su Ming’s secrets as Xu Qianqian, but when it came to being intimately familiar with Su Ming’s every move, neither Xu Qianqian nor Yun Langyue could compare.

“Tell me, Brother Su Ming.”

An Zijin’s voice gently reached Su Ming’s ears.

“Where are you going?”

A simple sentence, yet the profound emotion it carried directly shook Su Ming’s heart.

Su Ming had to admit that, for the first time in his life, his defenses had crumbled.

Not in the sense of losing emotional control, but in the way his subtle, guarded wariness toward others had involuntarily faded away.

As someone who had transmigrated from a peaceful world, though Su Ming had never shown it outwardly, he had always maintained a faint sense of caution toward the outside world.

This overly dangerous world had prompted Su Ming to raise his guard time and again. For the sake of his personal safety, he had thoroughly concealed himself.

Why was it that, despite possessing strength far beyond that of ordinary students, Su Ming was content to remain at the Academy, quietly developing, fantasizing about being an extra and avoiding anyone’s notice?

Why was it that, despite having many incredible abilities, he kept them hidden, always ensuring he had a trump card up his sleeve, operating in the shadows and never stepping into the true spotlight?

Undoubtedly, all of this was for self-protection.

If he were to expose all the extraordinary aspects of himself, Su Ming might instantly become the protagonist of this world.

But at that point, he would also become a coveted target in the eyes of many, attracting both goodwill and malice directed squarely at him.

And Su Ming was undoubtedly deeply resistant to being targeted by others.

He didn’t want to be hailed as a hero by well-meaning people, pushed to the Frontline to fight Phantom Demons, only to meet a heroic end or, at the very least, face all sorts of dangers.

He certainly didn’t want to be seen as a thorn in the side by malicious individuals, constantly guarding against their schemes and plots until one day he fell victim to the machinations of ambitious schemers.

This world was just that complex, filled with so many hidden dangers.

Therefore, Su Ming had always been wary of the outside world, always keeping something in reserve, no matter the time or place, to ensure he had room to turn the tables.

Even when facing his parents, relatives, and close friends, Su Ming had never revealed even a hint of his extraordinary nature.

This wasn’t because he was humble, nor was it because he didn’t want to boast and have others look at him with admiration and reverence. Rather, it was because he didn’t want to one day attract malicious individuals and be targeted or ensnared without even realizing it.

Don’t think this was just unnecessary anxiety.You will never know, when you outshine everyone, whether among those cheering and applauding for you, there are people secretly consumed by jealousy, resenting you for stealing the spotlight.

You will never know, when you display extraordinary abilities, whether someone is already watching you from the shadows, their mind occupied not with how to use you, but how to eliminate you.

This is not paranoia, nor is it baseless conspiracy theory—it is the undeniable reality of this world.

For this reason, even when facing the most trustworthy individuals, Su Ming would never reveal everything about himself without reservation.

Isn’t this a form of self-protection?

But now, this very defense was torn away in one breath by his childhood friend.

When he realized there was someone who had always been watching him, observing his every word and action, silently guarding over him—perhaps due to the alcohol, or perhaps because this person was the girl next door—Su Ming finally let down the defenses he had carried for so long.

And so—

“I’m going to Tianfeng City.”

Su Ming finally spoke the truth to the girl next door.

“Tianfeng City?”

This time, it was An Zijin’s turn to be stunned.

……

In the following moments, Su Ming explained everything to the girl next door.

Yes, everything.

Including the fact that he was actually a Dual Professional, and that he had already advanced to the upper ranks in both.

Including how he had created an alias called “Ming Wang” and obtained a Divine Artifact known as the Demon Emperor Sword.

Naturally, he also recounted everything he had done recently.

How he had met Xu Qianqian, and how they had formed a cooperative and transactional relationship.

How he had become entangled with the Yun Family Estate and the complicated ties with Yun Langyue.

Of course, he also shared about the recent series of chaos in Longyao City, the role he had played in it, the deeds he had accomplished, and what was sealed within the Wang Family Ruins—how special this Base City truly was. Su Ming poured out all of it to An Zijin as if confiding.

In the end, aside from the fact that he had Transmigrated from a parallel world and carried a Golden Finger Shop in his mind, Su Ming revealed almost everything about himself to An Zijin.

This was undoubtedly the first time in Su Ming’s life that he had unreservedly shared all his secrets with someone, and the first time he had exposed just how extraordinary he truly was.

Perhaps, deep down, Su Ming had always wished for someone to whom he could confide without holding back. Maybe that was why, under the influence of the atmosphere and the alcohol, he poured out everything to the girl next door who trusted him just as unreservedly.

At the very least, after doing this, Su Ming felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation, as if all the accumulated pressure and depression he had carried had been swept away in an instant.

Clearly, constantly guarding against the outside world and hiding his true self had been an exhausting burden for Su Ming.

He might not have even realized it himself, but he had accumulated a great deal of pressure.

And today, in this very moment, that pressure vanished into thin air along with Su Ming’s candid confession to An Zijin.In contrast, An Zijin, while listening to Su Ming’s confession, went from initial surprise to astonishment, then disbelief, followed by shock, and finally settled into calm acceptance, silently taking it all in.

“Just as I thought, I knew it.”

An Zijin flashed a bright smile at Su Ming.

“My Su Ming gege is the most amazing person in the world.”

At this moment, the first thing An Zijin felt was joy.

Joy for Su Ming’s achievements.

Joy for Su Ming’s extraordinary nature.

She had always firmly believed that Su Ming was the most remarkable person in this world, a neighborhood gege far more outstanding than anyone else.

This blind conviction had now been proven true at this very moment, leaving An Zijin no choice but to feel happy and delighted about it.

But after the initial joy subsided, An Zijin also understood Su Ming’s intentions.

“So, Su Ming gege, you’re planning to go to Tianfeng City personally to seek more opportunities for growth, even if it means taking many risks. Is that right?”

An Zijin confirmed this point.

“That’s right.”

Su Ming nodded.

Immediately, An Zijin lowered her head.

(End of Chapter)