"Oscar, I know you've sacrificed so much for me, but do you know the torment I've been feeling inside? I kept telling myself to wait until after the competition before telling you the truth, so it wouldn't disrupt your training. But deep down, I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to leave you. I don't want to leave the first man I've ever loved in my life. Do you understand?"
If Oscar had still harbored any hesitation before, hearing Ning Rongrong's sorrowful, weeping voice now, his heart gradually softened.
Watching the tears streaming endlessly down Ning Rongrong's face, listening to her confession, Oscar realized for the first time that all his sacrifices had not been in vain. This was the first time the two of them had truly opened their hearts to each other, and Oscar's gaze began to turn gentle.
"Then why did you say we can't be together?" His voice gradually calmed as he asked the question weighing on his heart.
Ning Rongrong answered through her tears: "Because of the clan's rules. You know that all direct-line disciples of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan are support-type Soul Masters. Although we carry the prestige of possessing the number one support Martial Soul, the truth is we can never escape the flaw of having no offensive capability. That's the reason I originally commissioned Third Brother to craft those hidden weapons. Because of this, the clan has a rule that the spouses of all direct-line disciples must be combat Soul Masters — ones with extremely powerful combat abilities, so they can protect us. If it were any other direct-line disciple, there might be room for some flexibility. But I am Father's only daughter, and the sole future heir of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Father will never bend this rule for me. I can only find a husband who will one day be able to protect me with his strength."
Oscar stared blankly at Ning Rongrong. "That's why we can't be together? Because I'm a support-type Soul Master?"
Ning Rongrong nodded through her blurred, tear-filled eyes.
"Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has never discriminated against commoner Soul Masters. As long as you join the clan, we treat everyone with sincerity. But this rule is not something I have the power to change. Even if I become the clan head in the future, it won't be possible.
I know how good you've been to me, and I really have fallen for you. But if we keep going like this, it will only bring us greater pain down the road.
I don't want you trapped in that suffering. A short pain is better than a long one — it's not too late to tell you now. You're only sixteen. You still have a bright future ahead of you.
I'm sorry, Oscar, I'm truly sorry…" By this point, she had broken down into sobs once more.
Oscar looked at Ning Rongrong with a bitter expression. Could he really blame her?
No, of course not. This was not Ning Rongrong's fault. The moment he heard her say she had fallen in love with him, the softest place in his heart had been completely stirred.
For him, whether Ning Rongrong had feelings for him mattered more than anything else in the world.
"It's too late. It's already too late. Although I'm only sixteen, in my heart, there will never be room for another woman. Rongrong, do you understand? You've told me too late. I love you, for all eternity — even if the seas dry up and the rocks crumble, it will never change."
Oscar's peach-shaped eyes sparkled with an unwavering resolve. He stepped forward and placed his hands on Ning Rongrong's shoulders.
"Rongrong, look at me." Oscar's voice suddenly turned calm.
Ning Rongrong froze and looked up at him. Suddenly, she saw in his eyes a special kind of light she had never witnessed before — a light she had only seen in the eyes of Tang San and Dai Mubai on the eve of the grand final of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament.
"Rongrong, listen to me. I won't give up. I will never give up. I'm overjoyed, because this is the first time I've ever heard you say the words 'I like you.' The obstacles are standing right in front of us, but as long as we love each other, they may not be insurmountable. Your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has this rule because it wants its direct-line disciples to have powerful protectors. You're right — I can't do that right now. I'm only a food-type Soul Master. But that doesn't mean I'll never be able to. Rongrong, will you wait for me? Give me ten years. I will find a way to make myself stronger, to gain the power to protect you."
Ning Rongrong had never expected Oscar to react this way. Looking at the steadfast light in his eyes, she suddenly realized that this man was someone truly worth relying on. Almost without hesitation, she nodded.
Oscar released his grip on her shoulders, then abruptly turned around, burying every trace of reluctance deep within his heart. "Rongrong, I'm leaving now. Ten years — wait for me for ten years. If I haven't returned after ten years, then go and find someone to marry. If I succeed, I will definitely come back for you. In ten years, you'll be twenty-four — in the prime of your youth. As long as I'm still alive, I will succeed."
With those words, Oscar lingered no longer. He rushed out like the wind. He would not stay at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan any longer. He knew that here, he would never find the answer he truly needed. He had to leave. He had to get away from this place.
He would go out into the wider world and find what he needed. Was it truly impossible for a food-type Soul Master to protect the one he loved?
No — he believed he could do it. For the devoted love burning in his heart, he would find a way no matter what it took.
Watching Oscar's figure vanish into the distance, Ning Rongrong stood there in a daze. Only at this moment did she clearly realize that she had already fallen irreversibly in love with this handsome man who was so good to her and willing to give everything for her. She couldn't bear to let him go. She truly wanted him to stay. But she knew that if she had done so, the two of them would never have been together — not ever.
A low, heavy sigh sounded behind Ning Rongrong. A strong hand settled on her shoulder.
"Silly girl, stop crying. If he really does come back within ten years… then perhaps the two of you can truly be together."