Yu Gan, however, was acting strangely.
Everyone's expressions were tense, but Yu Gan seemed to be under a spell. Her usual calm and placid demeanor had vanished without a trace. Her eyes were wide as she surveyed the surrounding woods, like a child filled with wonder and surprise. But whatever she found so fascinating that it made her forget the competition right before her eyes, Milady couldn't see it.
The last person to emerge from the woods was Xi Yadu.
Though it had only been four days since she last saw him, Xi Yadu seemed to have changed somehow.
He had always lacked human warmth, and now that cool shell around him seemed to have grown thinner and more transparent, as if it were about to shatter, no longer able to suppress what was underneath. It was like thunder rumbling deep within the clouds; a single glance felt sharp enough to hurt.
