Am I a mutant in soul land?

After the hunt, Tang Yin dropped Xiao Mei off at her lodging and made his way back to Lanba Academy. By the time he arrived, it was already midnight. As he approached his dorm, he paused—there, sitting on the rooftop, was Shui Bing'er, quietly gazing up at the starlit sky.

With a mischievous glint in his eye, he crept up without a sound and suddenly whispered behind her, "Boo!"

Shui Bing'er shrieked and nearly lost her balance, but Tang Yin caught her swiftly by the waist, pulling her close. As she turned and realized who it was, she huffed, pretending to be angry.

"Hmph! You only know how to bully me, Tang Yin. I bet the only reason you agreed to duel me was so you could mess with me, wuu~"

Tang Yin chuckled at her adorable pout, then leaned in and stole a kiss—swift and unexpected.

Bing'er gasped softly, her eyes widening in surprise. But she didn't pull away. Her eyes slowly fluttered shut, lips trembling with surprise… and quiet acceptance.

When the kiss ended, Tang Yin smiled, his gaze gentle. He sat down beside her, the two of them wrapped in moonlight and stillness, the silence between them more intimate than words.

"So... did you and your sister make up?" he asked, reaching for her hand and playing with her soft fingers.

Bing'er blushed, a shy smile forming. "Yue'er's a bit of a brat sometimes. It took a little bit of coaxing, but she finally admitted how she feels. Honestly, you're pretty lucky—having both sisters fall for the same guy."

Tang Yin let out a soft laugh and raised a brow. "Who said it's just you two? I don't recall making any such promises."

Her eyes narrowed. "You—! How many girls do you have exactly? One? Two?"

He sighed dramatically, feigning exhaustion. "You underestimate how hard my life is. I have eight official lovers. Two more are… my secret admirers. Not including you two sisters, of course."

Shui Bing'er stared at him, speechless. "You make it sound like you're doing charity work!"

"Is making people happy such a bad thing?" he replied innocently. "I simply didn't have the heart to reject sincere feelings."

Bing'er tried to argue but ended up just groaning in frustration. "You're unbelievable!"

She stood up with a scowl, clearly flustered. Tang Yin, seeing her mood shift, decided to turn on the theatrics.

Acting mode online—

He stood up and turned his back to her, voice steady. "If you can't accept me as I am, then... I'll have to let go of your feelings. I won't hurt the others just because of my love for you. I'm sorry, Bing'er. But... we can still be friends."

His voice carried the right amount of drama, but it struck her harder than he expected.

Shui Bing'er froze, staring at his back. Her heart suddenly sank. She hadn't meant it like that. She wasn't asking to be the only one—she just wanted reassurance.

Without thinking, she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"You idiot," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Who said I wanted you to dump anyone? You're such a womanizer... but I've already fallen for you."

Her confession came with a fiery blush, her face buried against his back. Tang Yin's natural scent—fresh, earthy, and tinged with a subtle sweetness—was deeply soothing as well as strangely addictive.

Tang Yin turned around slowly and gazed into her teary eyes. He cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead softly.

"I'm sorry I made you cry. From now on, I'll only give you reasons to smile—if you cry again, it'll be from joy, not sadness. That's my promise."

He pulled her into a warm embrace.

It wasn't that he enjoyed playing the scoundrel—but he needed her to understand what loving him truly meant. After all, managing over nine lovers wasn't a job for the faint of heart.

One wrong move, and he'd have a full-scale romantic rebellion on his hands—complete with cold wars, silent treatments, and deadly glares. And truth be told, Tang Yin genuinely didn't want to face that kind of battlefield.

"Haah… being a romantic genius is really tough," he sighed inwardly. "Why must I be cursed with this irresistible charm?"

But unbeknownst to Bing'er, their rooftop conversation had already been overheard—by none other than Yue'er, who had been sneakily eavesdropping just below Tang Yin's dorm.

Of course, Tang Yin had sensed her presence the moment she arrived. In truth, part of the reason he spoke so openly was to let both sisters hear his thoughts at once.

Summoning her courage, Shui Yue'er finally climbed up onto the rooftop and snuggled shyly beside Tang Yin.

Shui Bing'er was startled at first—her eyes narrowing in suspicion, thinking it might be another one of his numerous lovers—but seeing her sister, she let out a relieved sigh.

"What are you doing here, Yue'er?" Bing'er asked, forcing a strained smile as she cursed silently: Seriously? You just had to show up now? Can't you see your sister just poured her heart out?!

Yue'er froze in place, her eyes darting guiltily. She had completely forgotten about her sister's confession and realized, belatedly, that she might've ruined a precious moment. Fidgeting with her fingers, she responded with an apologetic pout.

"I was… um… secretly listening to your conversation. I heard Tang Yin's response and came up to confess too, but I forgot you were still here. S-Sorry, Bing'er! I'll confess another time—you two keep going!"

Bing'er's cheeks turned crimson, caught between embarrassment and secondhand awkwardness. Her earlier attempt at a heartfelt confession hadn't even been that romantic—and now her younger sister had overheard the whole thing.

Yue'er was about to flee in panic when Tang Yin caught her wrist gently and smiled.

"I'm actually really happy you came," he said warmly. "But since you've already interrupted our moment... your punishment is to stay right here. With us."

With a playful tug, he pulled her into his lap. Yue'er yelped in surprise, flailing for balance, while Bing'er chuckled despite herself.

Seeing Bing'er's mood lighten, Tang Yin smirked and added cheekily, "Did you see that, Bing'er? If I hadn't accepted her confession, Yue'er would've been heartbroken. Isn't that right, Yue'er?"

Shui Bing'er shot Yue'er a deadly glare, her expression dark and ominous, laced with an unspoken threat that made Yue'er straighten.

Yue'er froze like a startled bunny. "Ye—Nope! Not heartbroken at all! Not even a little bit!"

Tang Yin laughed while Bing'er rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips.

And just like that, under the starlit sky, their chaotic little trio shared laughter, playful teasing, and the beginnings of their budding love which was both warm and awkward.