Magical Girl's Knight Brother

Chapter 569 is not in the same rank.

boom!

Tan Zhixin's words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the dizziness and secret anticipation in Tang Zijun's heart. He looked down at the soft casual clothes in his arms, then at the stunningly beautiful face before him, smiling as if she had secretly eaten honey, with a teasing expression that said, "See, you're the one who got the wrong idea." A complex mix of emotions welled up inside him—a mixture of amusement and exasperation, helplessness, and a stifling feeling of being precisely manipulated with nowhere to vent. Only now did he fully understand that the intimacy outside the door and the playful touch as they brushed past each other upon entering were all a setup! The ultimate goal was this precise, slightly vengeful teasing—her revenge for his abrupt ending at the crucial moment last time.

Tan Zhixin admired his rare, frustrated and speechless expression, and was clearly very satisfied.

She gently patted his arm, which was holding the clothes, feigning surprise. "What, you've decided?"

Those five simple words instantly pierced Tang Zijun's heart.

If Tang Zijun had managed to gain a slight advantage last time, then at this moment, facing Tan Zhixin in her "full-fledged" state, he was utterly and completely defeated. Want to see that?

Is it just me thinking it?

When exactly did the roles of offense and defense shift?

In just a few minutes, Tang Zijun felt as if she had been forced to the edge of a cliff.

This feeling was something he had never experienced before. If he had to pinpoint the exact time, it might only be seven years ago, when he was a freshman in college, laning against Uzi in a League of Legends solo queue game. He hadn't done anything wrong, yet he was relentlessly pushed back to the second tower. This sudden, agonizing struggle made Tang Zijun acutely aware of the rank difference between him and Tan Zhixin. Clutching the soft casual clothes, the stifling feeling of being teased finally broke through his icy defenses, transforming into a somewhat stiff retort, an attempt to regain some ground: "I... I didn't mean to do anything."

His gaze was fixed on Tan Zhixin's retreating figure as she walked into the inner room, as if to emphasize his innocence.

"It's clearly you who's thinking it."

Tan Zhixin stopped moving the moment he said those words.

The mischievousness and playfulness from before were gone from her face, replaced by a frankness bordering on burning, meeting Tang Zijun's forced composure without hesitation. "That's right," she said, her red lips slightly parted. "It was I who wanted to."

Before he could finish speaking...

Without warning, without any foreshadowing.

Tan Zhixin's figure seemed to be drawn by invisible threads, instantly flashing from a few steps away to in front of Tang Zijun, leaving only a blurry afterimage and a fragrant breeze carrying the sweet scent of herbs and trees. Tang Zijun's pupils suddenly contracted; his powerful fighting instincts didn't even have time to react defensively or dodge, his body merely tensing to its limit instinctively. The next moment...

A soft, incredibly warm touch, like the lightest feather, unexpectedly landed on his lips.

The sensation was incredibly clear, yet so fleeting as to feel like an illusion.

Before Tang Zijun could even feel the outline of those lips, and before her mind was completely blank, stunned by this sudden attack, the softness and warmth vanished like a startled butterfly.

Tan Zhixin gracefully took a half-step back, creating distance once again.

She tilted her head slightly, her eyes filled with innocence and an extremely cunning look.

She even winked playfully, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, a slightly smug expression on her face saying, "You were the one who asked," and "I'm just fulfilling your request." *Click!*

It was as if a miniature energy bomb had exploded in Tang Zijun's mind.

The fleeting touch on his lips just moments ago was magnified and replayed endlessly on all his senses, as if on slow motion. He could even feel the subtle breath of air brushing against the corner of his mouth as the lips parted. A powerful, unprecedented shock, mixed with astonishment and an indescribable tingling sensation like an electric current coursing through his spine, swept over him instantly. Tang Zijun felt as if his brain had been thrown into a blender; his usually calm and precise thinking completely ceased, and his deep eyes, unusually, lost focus, as if tiny vortexes were violently churning deep within his pupils.

A strange heat spread uncontrollably from his ears, rushing to the top of his head, making his cheeks and earlobes feel hot. The feeling... was like suddenly gulping down a large glass of very strong liquor.

A strong, unfamiliar, and dizzying feeling of intoxication filled his sensory world.

Before Tang Zijun stood Tan Zhixin, her flushed smile and innocent eyes... all bathed in a hazy yet alluring glow. Tang Zijun even forgot to move, frozen in place like a short-circuited robotic robot struck by lightning. Tan Zhixin's smile deepened, carrying the languidness of a victor and a barely perceptible satisfaction of triumph.

Inside the wooden cabin, it was so quiet that only the two of them could be heard breathing softly, and Tang Zijun's somewhat disordered heartbeat.

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at this moment, frozen in this small wooden cabin space filled with ambiguity and silent tension.

Several seconds passed before Tang Zijun seemed to finally regain some of her senses. Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something to save face, but in the end, she only managed to squeeze out a sentence that even she herself found lacking in power: "You...ambushed me."

The voice was dry, still carrying the lingering echo of the impact.

Upon hearing this, Tan Zhixin chuckled softly, her laughter like the clear chimes of a wind chime.

Then she stopped teasing and gestured with her chin towards the bathroom, her tone returning to its previous relaxed tone, carrying a hint of unspoken intimacy. "Alright, the ambush was successful, the spoils have been inspected. Now, Mr. Tang Zijun, go change your clothes."

She deliberately drew out the words "change clothes," then turned around and walked briskly back to the bedroom, leaving behind a lingering fragrance and Tang Zijun, still a little dizzy, holding her clothes.

The lingering effects of this slight intoxication seemed even more intense than the smoke and fire of the wasteland.

Meanwhile, on the other side...

The path leading to the Divine Assembly Hall extends naturally from the branches of the World Tree, covered with soft moss and tiny, luminous ferns, exuding a tranquil and sacred aura. However, Qin Nan, walking on this path, was enveloped by a visible layer of low pressure.

Her steps were heavy, her delicate face slightly drooping, the corners of her mouth downturned, and her eyes darting around—she looked exactly like someone who had suffered a defeat and was severely weakened. The intense jealousy and disappointment that almost solidified into a tangible form could not be dispelled even by the surrounding vibrant energy.

Scáthach walked silently beside her, her dark cloak motionless in the soft light, her deep purple eyes calmly sweeping over Qin Nan's dejected state. Her gaze seemed to pierce through all appearances, reaching the deepest, most hidden corners of the heart.

"You seem..." Scáthach's clear, ethereal voice broke the heavy silence in Qin Nan's ears. "You seem troubled." "Because of that woman... and Tang Zijun?"

Qin Nan's steps suddenly faltered, as if her most vulnerable spot had been hit, and her shoulders subconsciously shrank back.

She glanced quickly at the calm, expressionless face of the inhuman being beside her, her lips parted, her throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and she could only utter a muffled syllable. "...No, nothing." Scáthach didn't press further, but continued walking calmly, as if she had merely stated an objective fact.

A few seconds later, her voice, like an ice bead falling into a deep pool, rang in Qin Nan's ears again, this time even more directly.

"You seem to like him."

There is no doubt; it is an affirmative statement.

"Why not just express your feelings directly?"

These words were like the final straw, instantly shattering Qin Nan's carefully constructed facade. She abruptly stopped, turned around, her face flushed crimson from being completely seen through, her eyes filled with a mixture of shame and anger at being exposed. "What's the point of saying all this now?"

"Tang Zijun... he's probably already been won over by Sister Tan..."

She recalled Tan Zhixin's languid yet alluring gaze as she leaned against the doorframe, and Tang Zijun's expressionless figure as she walked towards the wooden house. Her heart felt like ten jars of aged vinegar had been spilled. "Why do you say that?" Scáthach's voice remained calm and even, seemingly puzzled by Qin Nan's intense reaction.

"Why?" Qin Nan took a deep breath, as if to pour out all the bitterness and resentment in her heart. "Do you know about Sister Tan's past?" Her voice lowered, carrying a complex emotion.

"Sister Tan has been alone since she was a child. Her circle of friends consists only of us magical girls. After that incident, she stayed in her small flower shop, with only flowers and plants for company. She was almost isolated from the world, like a flower living in a greenhouse but with no one to water it."

"What do you think would happen to someone who has been lonely and closed off for so long, if she met someone of the opposite sex who would make her feel good about her and might even make her open her heart again?" Qin Nan looked up at Scáthach.

"...She will burn herself out like a moth drawn to a flame. Tang Zijun, he..."

"How could he possibly withstand it?"

Scáthach listened quietly, her deep purple eyes reflecting Qin Nan's dejected figure.

Faced with such complex and intense human emotions, the ancient Queen of Shadows seemed to fall into a brief moment of contemplation.

She couldn't fully comprehend the possessiveness that erupted from loneliness, but she could sense the heavy and genuine emotional power in Qin Nan's words. "Mortal emotions..." Scáthach's thoughts seemed to carry an ancient sigh. "In my time, love was nothing but a toy of the gods, an arrow of Cupid." "If the gods fell in love with someone, they didn't need to say a word; they simply used the most primitive and savage means to win them over. Why are you so disheartened?" Her voice remained cold, yet it seemed to state an objective fact, before she continued forward.

"We have arrived at the Temple of the Gods."