Chapter 130: Do You Want to Fall in Love?


    After leaving the palace, Han Ming returned to his school.


    Pushing open the door to the private villa the magic academy had assigned to him, a refreshing breeze greeted him.


    Han Ming was slightly taken aback. After walking through the rooms, he noticed that everything was spotless.


    The magic academy''s treatment was almost too good. Even though he had been away for two years, they had still sent people to clean his place regularly.


    The lights in the room were off. Han Ming sat quietly in a chair, staring at the empty space, lost in thought.


    Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a long shadow of Han Ming on the floor. Outside, the leaves rustled softly, and occasionally, a few birds flew by. Everything was so peaceful.


    Han Ming didn''t meditate or practice. He just sat there.


    "Haha, seems like... I''m a bit lonely," Han Ming chuckled self-deprecatingly.


    This otherworld had no television, no electric lights, and none of the soccer matches he used to enjoy. There was nothing.


    After the constant tension of the Savage Forest, this brief moment of relaxation, devoid of the daytime hustle and bustle, made Han Ming suddenly feel very alone.


    "Maybe... I should go out for a walk."


    After sitting alone in the room for a long time, Han Ming sighed softly and got up to leave.


    The streets were still bustling, with lights of various colors illuminating the night as if it were day.


    Sitting by the window in a small tavern, Han Ming propped his chin on his hand, lost in thought.


    A small red worm wriggled its way onto the table in front of Han Ming.


    Han Ming smiled faintly and put the worm into his storage pouch.


    He hadn''t taken Zhan Hu''s life—only half of it.


    "Why are you sitting here alone? Something on your mind? Want to have a drink?"


    Han Ming looked up slightly and saw the breathtakingly beautiful woman from the palace.


    Her sudden appearance surprised Han Ming.


    "Have a seat."


    Han Ming spoke softly, his expression neutral.


    The woman pulled out a chair and sat across from him.


    "You don''t seem very happy."


    The woman gazed deeply at Han Ming.


    Han Ming smiled faintly but said nothing.


    "Aren''t you curious why I''m so interested in you and how I know your name?"


    The woman asked with a smile.


    Han Ming sighed and shook his head slightly. At this moment, he suddenly felt like letting go of everything. He didn''t want to ask any questions.


    "Can you come with me somewhere?"


    Han Ming suddenly looked up and asked.


    The woman nodded with a smile.


    "Let''s go!"


    Han Ming grabbed the woman''s hand and strode out of the tavern. Their figures dashed through the night.


    Half an hour later, they arrived outside the city of Fila.


    Han Ming glanced around, then pulled the woman along as they continued to run. The woman followed without a word, always smiling.


    Another half hour passed, and they reached the summit of a tall mountain.


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    Han Ming took out two small wooden barrels from his storage pouch, placing one in front of himself and the other in front of the woman.


    He picked up his barrel, smashed the seal, and took a big swig directly from it.


    Seeing this, the woman followed suit, not caring about propriety, and took a large gulp as well.


    Han Ming didn''t look at her, just took another big drink.


    The woman copied him again.


    Neither of them spoke, just drank one mouthful after another.


    The night deepened.


    Seven or eight small barrels were already empty in front of them.


    "Haha."


    Han Ming, holding a barrel, suddenly laughed.


    The woman looked at him and asked softly, "Are you trying to drown your sorrows?"


    Han Ming nodded and continued drinking.


    "Do you have something troubling you? Can you tell me?"


    The woman''s voice was very soft, as if speaking to a baby, afraid that raising her voice might touch a nerve in the man before her.


    Han Ming hugged the barrel, staring blankly at the sky, his heart aching. "Where is your hometown?"


    The woman replied gently, "This is my hometown."


    Han Ming nodded, took another drink, and sighed deeply. "That''s nice."


    Seeing Han Ming''s slightly red eyes, the woman asked with concern, "Is your home not here? Are you homesick?"


    Han Ming nodded with a bitter smile.


    "You know, look at the stars in the sky, the grass and trees around us, the lights in the distance. Do you know how strange all of this feels to me? Do you understand that feeling?"


    Han Ming pointed as he spoke, word by word.


    The woman gently took the small barrel from Han Ming''s hand, placed it on the ground, and looked intently at his face. "Can you tell me about your hometown?"


    Han Ming took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, crossed his arms behind his head, and lay down on the mountaintop.


    "My home is far, far away. So far that I might never return in this lifetime. I used to hear people talk about homesickness, but I didn''t understand. What''s so bad about leaving home? You''re free, you can do whatever you want. No one to restrain you, you can make friends, travel..."


    At this point, Han Ming''s voice choked up. He paused, then continued, "But it''s a strange feeling. Because you know, you might never go back. You suddenly feel scared, you feel lonely. Even if countless people pass by, even if you''re in the busiest part of the city, even if the atmosphere around you is the most lively, your heart feels like it''s frozen in ice, without any warmth."


    Han Ming turned to look at the woman and smiled. "I don''t know who you are, and I don''t want to know. Right now, I don''t want to know anything. I just want to drink."


    The woman looked at Han Ming with pity, brushed the hair from his forehead, and nodded without saying a word.


    They drank like this until the sky began to lighten.


    Han Ming was drunk. Since becoming a water mage, he rarely got drunk, but today, he was thoroughly intoxicated.


    They say that when you have something on your mind, you get drunk easily. It seems that''s true.


    The morning sunlight was soft, gently illuminating their faces.


    In two days, the Tri-Nation Tournament would begin, and Han Ming didn''t want to return to Fila City during that time.


    The woman''s gaze was tender as she quietly watched the man sleeping beside her. There was an indescribable softness in her eyes, mixed with a hint of heartache.


    What had turned such a young man into this?


    Han Ming was dreaming. He dreamed of returning to Earth, walking on bustling streets, seeing familiar clothes, familiar buildings, and the cars coming and going.


    Han Ming vaguely knew he was dreaming, that all these beautiful things might disappear in the next moment.


    He bit his lower lip tightly, touching everything he saw, desperately trying to feel it, to make it real.


    "If all this beauty is just a dream, I hope I never wake up."


    The woman heard Han Ming''s murmurs and saw two clear tears roll down his cheeks.


    She sighed softly. She didn''t look down on Han Ming for crying. They say that no matter how strong a person is, in their dreams, they show their truest self. They cry, they laugh, they feel sorrow.


    Han Ming''s tears flowed silently. He curled up slightly, his teeth biting his lips until they turned white.


    The woman took out a small white handkerchief and wiped the tears from Han Ming''s face. But soon, new tears appeared. She wiped them away, only for more to come. Again and again...


    At noon, Han Ming slowly woke up.


    "Who are you?" Han Ming suddenly saw a beautiful woman sitting beside him, gazing at him with deep affection. He jumped up, startled, and looked at her warily.


    "Have you forgotten?" The woman covered her mouth lightly and smiled.


    Han Ming was stunned for a moment, then remembered that he had brought this woman here last night and they had drunk until dawn.


    "So it really was a dream..." Han Ming chuckled self-deprecatingly.


    "You stayed here with me all night?"


    The woman nodded.


    "Sorry for making you see me like that," Han Ming sighed and sat back down on the ground.


    "Can you... go buy some more wine?"


    The woman nodded and quickly leaped down the mountain, her figure a flash of white as she headed toward Fila City.


    Two hours later, she returned and placed several small barrels in front of Han Ming.


    Han Ming nodded gratefully, picked up a barrel, and started drinking again.


    The woman joined him.


    But this time, Han Ming was horrified to find that he couldn''t get drunk.


    He wanted to dream of home again, he wanted to get drunk, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t.


    He grew anxious, gulping down the wine in large mouthfuls. In his panic, the wine went down the wrong way, and he bent over, coughing violently, his face buried in his knees.


    The woman gently patted Han Ming''s shoulder. "A man shouldn''t cry so easily."


    Han Ming''s shoulders trembled. After a long while, he lifted his head and wiped his face roughly with his sleeve. He forced a smile. "Last time. I swear, this is the last time I''ll cry."


    "Why are you being so hard on yourself..."


    Han Ming shook his head gently.


    "Can you tell me how to get out of this low point quickly?"


    Han Ming asked.


    The woman thought for a long time, then suddenly said, "Have you ever been in love?"


    Han Ming was taken aback.


    The woman laughed as if she had discovered something new. She circled around Han Ming, as if observing some rare treasure.


    Han Ming felt a bit embarrassed under her gaze. "What are you looking at?"


    The woman nodded. "Hmm, not bad. I haven''t been in love either. Do you want to try falling in love?"


    Han Ming stared dumbfounded at the unfamiliar woman before him. He didn''t even know her name.