"Is self-defense enough?"
Lin Beichen gently flexed his wrist, as if what he had shattered was not a gigantic boulder but merely a piece of tofu!
Such combat capability indeed left Scar somewhat shocked. Although he could also smash a boulder with a punch, he definitely couldn’t do it so effortlessly and so thoroughly!
"Yes... yes, it’s enough."
Scar’s voice trembled slightly, clearly finding it difficult to believe Lin Beichen’s strength.
The most troubling part was that his orders were to ensure Lin Beichen’s safety. But with the kind of power Lin Beichen displayed, he didn’t seem to need any protection. For a moment, Scar even felt like his presence was more of a hindrance to Lin Beichen.
"Quickly, secure the students and assist Principal Hao Jianhua in evacuating them safely!"
As Scar stood there in a daze, Zhang Zhenghao’s voice rang out. Scar snapped back to reality and noticed that the Atlantis University gymnasium had already descended into chaos.
"Lin Beichen! Lin Beichen! Beichen!"
In the chaos, An Xiaoran kept calling Lin Beichen’s name.
The immense worry seemed to break down the last barrier in An Xiaoran’s heart, changing her way of addressing him from Lin Beichen to Beichen!
For someone like An Xiaoran, a wealthy girl, the difference in how she addressed people was significant. Calling him by his first name directly was something she never did, which proved how important Lin Beichen was to her.
"Xiaoran!"
Suddenly, An Xiaoran heard someone calling her name and thought it was Lin Beichen. But when she turned around, she saw it was Li Peng!
"Are you hurt? I’ll protect you and get you out!"
As he spoke, Li Peng reached out to grab An Xiaoran’s arm, but she stepped back and avoided his grip.
This action completely enraged Li Peng. He quickly took two steps forward and forcefully grabbed An Xiaoran’s arm, shouting almost hysterically.
"Lin Beichen! Lin Beichen! What makes that jerk better than me?"
Li Peng’s sudden hysteria frightened An Xiaoran. Ever since they set foot on their journey to Atlantis, the name Lin Beichen had become a nightmare for Li Peng. In Li Peng’s eyes, the chasm between him and An Xiaoran was named Lin Beichen!
"Since you like him so much, let him come and save you then!"
Li Peng’s expression turned sinister and almost insane! It gave An Xiaoran a chilling feeling, reminding her of some character from a horror movie.
At that moment, An Xiaoran felt as if Li Peng had turned into a wild African dog, ready to tear her apart.
Sure enough, the next second, Li Peng’s cold and emotionless words reached her ears.
"In a place like this, accidents are pretty normal, aren’t they?"
"No! Please, no!"
An Xiaoran screamed in terror.
"Principal, where’s An Xiaoran?"
Meanwhile, thanks to the efforts of Scar’s team and Lin Beichen, the students of Imperial Capital University were out of danger. Whether there were students from other universities still trapped, Lin Beichen and the others couldn’t care about that now.
As Hao Jianhua was tallying the numbers, Lin Beichen suddenly noticed An Xiaoran was missing.
"Could she be trapped inside?"
Upon hearing Lin Beichen’s words, Hao Jianhua realized he hadn’t seen An Xiaoran either.
"Help! Help! Cough, cough..."
Because of Li Peng, An Xiaoran was pushed beneath the falling rubble. As time passed, the spread of the flames made it increasingly difficult for her to escape.
In fact, calling for help had also become incredibly difficult.
The burning fumes continuously assaulted her body, making her feel on the verge of unconsciousness!
"Bei... Beichen..."
An Xiaoran felt her consciousness fading, even struggling to hold herself up.
"I didn’t... expect... to see... your face... before... I die..."
Just as An Xiaoran was about to pass out, Lin Beichen’s anxious face appeared before her!
An Xiaoran had never felt affection for any boy before, never really felt her heart skip a beat. But since that night, Lin Beichen’s name had held a special place in her heart.
"Oh heavens, why are you so cruel?"
An Xiaoran no longer had the strength to speak; even these words were shouted in her mind.
"Xiaoran! Xiaoran! I’m here!"
Lin Beichen’s sudden voice temporarily brought An Xiaoran back to consciousness. She saw Lin Beichen’s hands enveloped in a turquoise glow, the same glow she saw when she last hugged him in the bus.
"A dream... it must be an illusion."
An Xiaoran sighed, noticing that the flames seemed to divert away from Lin Beichen, while he easily smashed through every obstacle—be it concrete or steel—nothing could withstand his blows!
Submerged in this "illusion," a satisfied smile appeared on An Xiaoran’s face. To meet Lin Beichen again before her death was, to her, an immense comfort.
Suddenly, An Xiaoran felt herself being lifted, and a wave of coolness swept over her whole body.
"This... is not an illusion!"
Regaining her consciousness, An Xiaoran finally realized that what she had seen was real, not an illusion.
She was now truly in Lin Beichen’s arms, looking up at his face.