"You... What did you say?"

Ye Xi's body trembled slightly.

She looked at Gandalf with a stunned expression, her clear eyes filled with disbelief.

As if she had just experienced auditory hallucinations.

Zhou Huai, controlling Gandalf, watched her with a calm expression.

If there was anyone in this world whom he could trust without reservation.

Other than Uncle Fu.

It was the young girl right before him.

Zhou Huai clearly remembered.

The day Ye Xi learned of his death.

She wept bitterly at his grave, tears streaming down her face like rain.

She was so heartbroken.

Several times she almost fainted from crying.

At that time, because he was worried that Ye Xi would be implicated.

He could only control Moria to quietly observe from a distance.

Unable to tell her the truth.

But now, everything had begun to change.

The Zhou Family was destroyed, and Everlasting Night rose.

He even possessed an SSS-Class Professional Avatar.

He already had the ability to protect himself and the person he loved.

Therefore, Zhou Huai prepared to confess to Ye Xi.

He didn't want to see this little girl sad and grieving for him anymore.

Looking at Ye Xi's incredulous expression.

Zhou Huai, controlling Gandalf, repeated word for word, with utmost clarity.

"Xi'er, I am Zhou Huai."

However, Ye Xi did not show the expected excitement.

Instead, she took another step back.

The astonishment on her pretty face quickly faded, replaced by a layer of frost that kept people a thousand miles away.

"Master Gandalf, what do you mean by this?"

Her voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a hint of vigilance.

"Have you investigated me?"

The name Zhou Huai was the softest and most painful reverse scale in the depths of her heart.

No one was allowed to touch it.

Even if the other party was the hero who saved the entire city, Gandalf.

Looking at Ye Xi's somewhat angry appearance.

Zhou Huai didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

The situation was even trickier than he had anticipated.

How to make Ye Xi believe that I am me had become a problem placed right before him.

Zhou Huai patiently restrained himself, his voice extremely gentle.

"I know this matter might be a bit hard for you to believe."

"But I am indeed your Brother Zhou Huai, have you forgotten my profession?"

"I am a Clone Master, and Gandalf standing before you now is just one of my Avatars."

Ye Xi's brows knitted tighter, her tone growing increasingly icy.

"Gandalf, what on earth do you mean?"

"Do you really take me for a fool?"

She increasingly felt that the Gandalf in front of her was full of oddities.

Who could believe such nonsense when spoken aloud?

Brother Zhou Huai was indeed a Clone Master, true, but he was only an E-rank Clone Master.

How could an E-rank Clone Master possibly create an SS-Rank Avatar?

Did he really think she was a three-year-old child, so easy to fool?

Looking at Ye Xi's increasingly unfriendly expression.

Zhou Huai couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

It seemed that without producing some solid evidence, this girl would definitely not believe it.

However, Zhou Huai was not entirely without a method.

His eyes shifted, lowering his voice, he whispered in a volume that only the two of them could hear.

"Do you remember when we first met?"

"At that time, you were only ten years old, and we played together in the Zhou Family's backyard garden."

"At that time, you said, Brother Zhou Huai is so handsome, and when you grow up you want to marry me. Have you forgotten all of this?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Ye Xi was completely stunned.

"You... You..."

She stammered "You, you" for a long time, unable to utter a single sentence.

Of course she remembered these words.

Even though it was their first meeting.

Although she was naive and ignorant.

But truly, it was at first sight.

She fell in love with that boy who sat on the garden bench, smiling brighter and warmer than the sunshine.

From then on, it never changed.

Ye Xi's heart couldn't help but become excited at this moment.

At that time, there were only the two of them, herself and Zhou Huai, in the garden.

About this matter, she had never mentioned it to a third person.

Could the Gandalf in front of her really be Brother Zhou Huai's Avatar?

Seeing that Ye Xi was finally somewhat shaken, Zhou Huai

took another step forward, with a hint of a smile in his voice, and added: "Do you remember Yasuo?"

"Actually, he is also my Avatar. The one who taught Lu Qi a lesson outside the Trial Tower, and the one who brought you leveling at the Tranquil Lake, were all me."

"Zhou Huai!"

These two words, like two heavy hammers, fiercely smashed into Ye Xi's heart.

Her delicate body shook violently, and her eye sockets turned completely red.

This time, she actually took the initiative to step forward and grabbed Gandalf's hand.

Those tearful eyes stared fixedly at Gandalf, as if trying to see right through the person before her.

"You... You are really Brother Zhou Huai?"

Her voice carried a crying tone, trembling beyond recognition.

"You really didn't die?"

Zhou Huai, controlling Gandalf, said with utmost seriousness.

"Not only am I not dead. My main body is even lying in the bedroom of your villa right now."

Hearing this, Ye Xi could no longer hold it back.

The grievances, fear, longing, and sadness accumulated over several months completely erupted at this moment like a breached dam.

She actually began to howl and cry completely.

Her choked words were intermittent and formed no complete sentences.

"Brother Zhou Huai... You really scared me to death..."

"I thought you were really dead... You have no idea how miserable I've been these past days!"

Zhou Huai quickly controlled Gandalf, clumsily wiping her tears, and gently consoled: "Alright, alright, it's my fault, I shouldn't have kept it from you all this time."

...

Above the city wall.

The smoke of battle had not completely dissipated yet, and the soldiers and students who survived the disaster were resting in twos and threes leaning against the battlements.

The interaction between the handsome man and beautiful woman under the city naturally became the focus of everyone's attention.

"What's the situation? Why is Student Ye Xi crying so sadly?"

A student from Dongning Academy stretched his neck, his face full of gossip.

"Looking at Master Gandalf's flustered appearance, could the two of them be arguing?"

"It looks like it, and they seem to be having a major argument."

"No way? Why do I feel like Master Gandalf is about to break up with her?"

A female student boldly guessed, immediately attracting a chorus of agreement.

In the corner of the crowd, a tall and rather handsome boy looked at Ye Xi's tear-stained appearance below, and a surge of anger instantly welled up on his face.

He was also one of Ye Xi's most fanatical pursuers.

He clenched his fists, his teeth grinding audibly, and growled indignantly.

"So what if he is Gandalf? Making Student Ye Xi this sad, he is just a scumbag!"

"I strongly condemn him!"

A girl with twin ponytails beside him glanced at him upon hearing this, her eyes carrying a bit of disdain.

"Then go ahead."

"Why don't you go down and condemn him right now?"

The anger on the boy's face instantly stagnated, and his neck shrank back.

He gave an awkward smile and scratched his head.

"Um... Gentlemen use their words, not their hands. The battle situation is urgent right now, we should still prioritize the overall situation."

"I think we'd better forget it."

The twin-tailed girl let out a disdainful "Tch", turned her head away, and couldn't be bothered to pay any more attention to this guy who was all talk.