Before long, Yu Tianheng returned to the hotel.
Pushing open the door into the private lounge, he saw Dugu Yan sitting alone on the sofa waiting. As for the other teammates, they had probably already returned to their rooms. After all, his conversation with Uncle Yu Xiaogang had taken quite a while.
"Yan Yan, I'm back." Yu Tianheng walked forward, smiling as he greeted her.
Dugu Yan turned her head and smiled faintly. "So, Tianheng, how was it talking with your uncle?"
"It was alright." Yu Tianheng smiled. Being able to see his uncle again after so many years made him quite happy.
But then Dugu Yan pursed her lips. "And did your uncle give our team an explanation?"
Yu Tianheng froze.
Dugu Yan looked straight at him and went on, "On the way back, I heard Shi Mo say he saw your uncle standing at the very front of the other team's viewing area. Judging by his position, he should have been their leader."
"Hmph, his students struck to kill on the stage against the very team his nephew was in. Even if that Tang San lost control in the moment, as their leading teacher he should have at least spoken up to give us an explanation."
"Tianheng, if it weren't for Xiao Hai's quick reaction and the strength of his vines, even you, his nephew, would have been seriously hurt."
Yu Tianheng gave an awkward smile and explained, "We talked about many things, he must have forgotten to mention it."
"Forgotten? You're his nephew!" Dugu Yan's eyes widened.
Yu Tianheng shook his head slightly, still smiling. "I'm sure he just forgot. Uncle has always been good to me since I was a child."
"Really?" Dugu Yan's brows furrowed. "His students were injured, yes, but after Lingling healed them, none were in real danger. On the other hand, you could have lost your life from that concentrated attack. Life and death — which is heavier? Does your uncle not know the difference?"
"Hmph, if you ask me, he never even considered it."
Yu Tianheng's brows drew tighter.
Dugu Yan's tone grew serious. "Tianheng, let's put it plainly. As their leader, your uncle should know his students inside and out. Which means he knew Tang San would use those hidden weapons, and he clearly understood the damage they could cause. Yet tell me — did he warn them not to go too far? Even Teacher Qin Ming, who isn't related to us, reminded us before the match not to strike to kill."
"But your uncle? He knew you would be fighting. Your name was officially registered for the arena; he could easily have seen it in advance. And yet, he said nothing."
"So tell me, Tianheng, does he really care about you?"
Yu Tianheng shook his head quickly, retorting, "Of course he cares about me! He's always doted on me since I was young—"
"Even if he cares, let's say he simply forgot." Dugu Yan looked at him deeply, then said, "But what about the behavior of his students? You saw it yourself. That fatty's lecherous eyes, that White Tiger Soul Master's arrogance, and Tang San's shocking behavior — impulsive, reckless, every move aimed to kill. Isn't that partly because of a teacher's failure to guide them?"
"As a leading teacher, he should set an example and strictly discipline his students. Has he done that?"
"According to the announcer, the Shrek team has already won twenty-seven matches in a row in this arena over the last month. That means your uncle has been leading them for at least that long. In all that time, he never corrected their flaws?"
"Take that fatty for example. His habit of staring at girls is clearly something ingrained, not developed in a day. Which only proves that your uncle doesn't discipline his students at all. He lets them run wild. Tianheng, do you think that's right?"
She lowered her voice, speaking with earnest persuasion. "I feel your uncle's heart isn't in the right place. You'd best not stay too close to him."
"Yan Yan, mind your words!" Yu Tianheng's brows furrowed sharply, his face darkening. "He's my elder, my uncle. When I was young, he was the one who kept me company, who cared for me. To me, he's always been the elder I respect most. I won't allow you to speak of him this way! And I don't want to hear such things again."
Dugu Yan fell silent, lowering her head. Her fists clenched tightly on her lap, the air growing heavy.
Seeing this, Yu Tianheng suddenly felt a pang of unease. Realizing he might have spoken too harshly, he quickly softened his voice. "Yan Yan… I…"
But then Dugu Yan suddenly raised her head. Her expression was calm, neither sad nor angry.
Her lips parted, her voice quiet yet firm, as if she had already made up her mind.
"Tianheng, let's break up."
Yu Tianheng's body stiffened. Panic spread across his face. He leaned forward instinctively. "Why?"
"Tianheng, I've realized something. In your heart, your feelings for me aren't even as important as a few words from an uncle you haven't seen in years." Dugu Yan's tone was calm. "All your other uncles are still in the clan. The only one who could appear here is Yu Xiaogang, who left long ago. And if I'm not mistaken, you must have told him everything about Xiao Hai, didn't you?"
"Yan, I—" Yu Tianheng opened his mouth, a guilty tension seizing him like a child caught misbehaving. He froze, unable to answer.
"So it's true." Disappointment spread across Dugu Yan's face. "Tianheng, don't you understand? He isn't just your uncle, he's the leader of the Shrek team. With their twenty-seven victories in a month, their purpose is obvious — they're preparing for the Soul Master Tournament."
"Have you thought about what you've done? You've leaked your teammate's information to a future opponent."
"Even if you didn't know he was their leader, is it right to casually share a teammate's personal secrets with outsiders?"
"To your teammates, to your friends, to your team — isn't that betrayal?"
"And this isn't even the first time. When Xiao Hai told us in the dorm about his fortunate encounter, didn't you report it to your clan?"
"Did you ever consider that your clan might use that against him? Could you have stopped them?"
"After everything that happened, I thought you would change. But Tianheng, you've let me down too deeply."
"I, Dugu Yan, may not be a saint. But I would never betray my friends. And I will not stay with a man who would."
"I…" Yu Tianheng's face flushed red. He wanted to argue, but no words came.
"Captain, I'm going to train." Dugu Yan stood calmly, her voice flat. "Don't worry. I won't repeat tonight's conversation."
With that, she turned and walked to her room, leaving Yu Tianheng staring blankly in place, his heart hollow.
(End of Chapter)
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