Chu Tian’s gaze was fixed on the bouquet of roses discarded in the trash bin.
At that moment.
It felt as if an invisible sledgehammer had struck his temple.
The pain in his heart was like countless sharp needles mercilessly piercing through him.
The joy that had filled his heart vanished in an instant, replaced by boundless anger and disappointment.
Su Nian, you…
Chu Tian nearly rushed to confront her, but he clenched his fists and suppressed the impulse.
Hidden within the dark mist, his nails dug deep into his palms, yet he felt no pain.
The roses in the trash-their delicate, vibrant petals now seemed unbearably mocking, as if cruelly ridiculing his foolish sentimentality.
Chu Tian couldn’t believe it.
Just moments ago, Su Nian had smiled gently at him, accepted the flowers, and bid him goodnight—only to discard his gift the moment she turned away.
Fragments of their time together flashed through his mind as he desperately searched for what he had done wrong, why he deserved such treatment.
Back in Flash Town, when Su Nian had smiled at him, met his gaze, and watched the sunrise with him, he had thought that tenderness was meant for him alone.
When they reunited in the Magic Feather Fantasy, she had accepted his flowers and exchanged good night.
He had taken it as a sign of affection.
Yet.
The roses in the trash now silently exposed the truth.
“So… it was all a lie…” Chu Tian muttered, his voice thick with bitterness and self-mockery.
He felt like a fool, a clown in Su Nian’s world, playing a ridiculous role.
Su Nian…
Su Nian!
Was deceiving and toying with his feelings so amusing?
If this was how she treated him, then she had no right to blame him for what came next.
He would make her pay for her actions and teach her that playing with his heart came at a heavy cost!
The dark mist dissipated.
Chu Tian reappeared outside the inn.
After careful consideration, he resolved to proceed with his second plan against Su Nian…
Soon after.
He arrived at the Magic Workshop in the Academy City.
There, he purchased an expensive recording crystal orb, three communication orbs, and three cheaper duplication orbs.
Using the recording orb, he captured an image from a poster, then transferred it into the duplication orbs.
In no time.
One of the orbs displayed Su Nian’s breathtakingly beautiful face, her likeness so ethereal, it seemed she had stepped out of a painting.
Chu Tian stared intently at the image, his emotions tangled.
Anger from betrayal warred with lingering obsession and unwillingness to let go.
With the magical artifacts in hand, he headed to the city’s teleportation array.
Returning to Avenus City, he mounted a swift horse and rode through the night toward the Monster Forest.
Upon entering the forest.
Chu Tian instantly underwent demonic transformation-his body grew massive, exuding an aura of terrifying darkness.
Now, he stood as the undisputed ruler of the forest’s most formidable forces!
Half an hour later.
A shadowy figure materialized before him like a ghost.
“Hong Ying pays respects to the master,” said the man in striking crimson robes, kneeling on one knee with reverence.
Hong Ying was originally an assassin.
While hunting down wandering lizardmen with an adventuring party, he accidentally encountered the main force of the lizardmen and was subsequently imprisoned in their dungeon.
When Chu Tian rescued him from the cell, Hong Ying, in gratitude for saving his life, solemnly swore allegiance.
“Help me send someone to find the family location of the person in this crystal ball. Her name is Su Nian. As for her personally, no contact is necessary,” Chu Tian pointed at the copied image of Su Nian’s poster in the crystal ball.
“Oh, and key clues are: descendant of Eastern Continent immigrants, Red Maple Magic Kingdom, specialty peach blossom wine, the tradition of giving hair ties to lovers, and the surrounding villages of Miaotown, Apricot Blossom Town, and Hidden Dragon Town— especially Hidden Dragon Town.”
“Yes, Master.”
With that, Hong Ying vanished without a trace.
The places Chu Tian mentioned were all locations Su Nian had casually brought up during their time in Flash Town.
They could have been made-up names, but there might have been some truth mixed in.
One story about Hidden Dragon, in particular, had been told with such vivid detail.
Legend had it that Su Nian’s family was originally part of the imperial lineage of the Eastern Continent.
After losing a power struggle, they crossed the sea to the Western Continent under the protection of their remaining elite warriors.
Hidden Dragon Town was the new settlement they established after their arrival.
As for whether it was true or not-who knew?
Now that he had resolved to recapture Su Nian, Chu Tian understood that every step had to be meticulously planned.
That woman was no simple opponent; she had become a mage almost overnight, and her strength was nothing to scoff at.
What shocked him even more…
Was that Su Nian had been able to teleport instantly from the Monster Beast Forest to Academy City without any external aid.
Such an ability was truly beyond imagination.
Given that, attempting to capture and imprison her as easily as he had in the Monster Forest was clearly unrealistic.
Even if he could defeat and imprison her again, there was no guarantee he could stop her from escaping with that unpredictable teleportation ability.
Thus, his plan this time wasn’t just about imprisonment…
It was about making Su Nian come to him willingly filled with resentment and humiliation, yet forced to serve and obey him, letting him toy with her as he pleased.
The core of his strategy was…
Blackmail!
First, he would locate Su Nian’s parents and use them to force her compliance.
But that was only the beginning.
Of course, Chu Tian knew that alone wouldn’t be enough.
He needed to wait for the perfect moment.
When Su Nian became the rising magical idol of the entire Western Continent, everything she had her fame, her status would become heavy bargaining chips in his hands.
Only then could he ensure absolute success.
***
Academy City.
As Su Nian carried a bouquet of flowers back to her inn, she suddenly felt a chill-as if someone was following her.
The sensation was deeply unsettling.
But no matter how many times she checked her surroundings, she found nothing.
Sensing danger, Su Nian instinctively tossed away the flowers Chu Tian had given her, freeing her hands to cast spells at a moment’s notice in case of an attack…
What a shame.
Though receiving flowers from a man was a bit embarrassing, they would have made nice decorations to freshen up her room.
However, even after she returned to her room and locked the door, nothing unusual happened.
Was she just scaring herself?
Hmm…
This rundown hotel is strange-I keep feeling an eerie chill.
Maybe she should find another place to stay.
Hotels never feel safe anyway.
She should talk to Matthew later and move to Magic Feather Fantasy instead.
At least there, she’d have a dedicated security captain Chu Tian.