Scoring Love: Even This Can Up My Game

That night, In a wilderness outside Beijing, a group of shadowy figures chased after a slender silhouette. Moving swiftly, the black-clad pursuers closed in on the slim figure. However, every attempt to capture the elusive target was met with frustration as the nimble silhouette slipped away like an eel. Frustrated, the black-clad pursuers increased their speed, nearly grasping the elusive figure. Just as they were about to make contact, the slender silhouette decisively plunged into a nearby thicket, disappearing from view. In the dimly lit room, a voice rang out, "Hey! Hurry up and eat! I'm telling you, after today, there won't even be steamed buns!" As the voice echoed, cries filled the dark room. Some called for their fathers, others for their mothers, creating a chorus of desperation. In the southeast corner of the room, however, two figures remained silent. A young man and a young woman crouched there, deep in thought, unmoved by the cries around them. The incessant cries began to wear on Dong Lier, either due to annoyance or hunger. Confined in this house for three or four days, the black-clad individuals who delivered meals left only a basket of assorted buns each time, twice a day, punctually. Today was the first time Dong Lier heard the black-clad individuals speak, and the words were as unpleasant as expected. Dong Lier squatted in the corner, pondering silently. "Rustle...rustle..." Amidst the gradually diminishing cries, Dong Lier approached the bamboo basket containing the buns. She reached in, took two relatively large ones, and silently returned to her corner. "Here! I got them for you. No need to thank me, hehe." Dong Lier turned to the young man beside her. The young man seemed puzzled, lifting his head to look at Dong Lier, as if trying to find an answer on her face. He did not reach out to take the buns. Persistently holding the offered buns, Dong Lier gazed at the young man. Upon closer inspection, his long and dense eyelashes, the moon and sun patterns on his eyes, and his delicate features were partially obscured by dirt and dust. Nevertheless, Dong Lier could still tell that he must be a remarkably handsome young man if cleaned up properly. Lost in thought, Dong Lier unconsciously curved a smile. "Why aren't you taking them? My arms are sore from holding them up," Dong Lier complained intentionally. "Thanks...thank you." After a moment of hesitation, the young man extended his hand and expressed gratitude. "By the way, what's your name? I'm Dong Lier, but you can call me Lier," Dong Lier said excitedly. It was the first time in days that she heard the young man speak. However, he continued to eat his darkened bun, refusing to say another word, as if the "thank you" earlier was just a figment of Dong Lier's imagination. "Why aren't you talking again? It's strange. You've been here for three or four days, never crying or speaking. Are you scared or not scared?" Dong Lier, perplexed by the young man's behavior, mumbled to herself while nibbling on her bun. As others in the room grew tired of crying, reluctantly heading toward the basket of buns, Dong Lier's eyes scanned each person. Suddenly, her gaze dimmed, as if recalling something heartbreaking. "Don't cry either," the young man suddenly spoke. Dong Lier was taken aback. "In two more years, I'll be an adult. Of course, I can't cry; it would be too embarrassing." After hearing this, the young man remained silent again. Dong Lier thought for a moment and continued speaking. "If you tell me your name, I'll consider you a friend, and I'll protect you in the future!" Swallowing the last bite of his bun, the young man looked at Dong Lier for a while, as if making a decision. When Dong Lier thought he wouldn't speak again, the young man's tender voice unexpectedly entered her ears. "I don't have a name, but the Sect Master and others call me Sailing." "Sect Master? What Sect Master?!" Dong Lier couldn't help but exclaim, as if discovering a tremendous secret. ...And then, silence again. Dong Lier looked speechlessly at the sky, but she didn't intend to break her promise. "As promised, I'll do my best to protect you in the future. From now on, I'll call you Sailing. How about you call me Lier?" Sailing seemed a bit incredulous but smiled and nodded slowly. "Lier." "I'm here." Surrounded by mountains with swirling mist, in this fairyland-like mountain valley, dozens of towering buildings stood. The tallest tower, seemingly shrouded in darkness, quickly welcomed a shadow. "Sailing, everything is ready. We can set off at dawn tomorrow," a black-clad person knelt respectfully before a man. Glancing at the man, with his slender figure, fair complexion, and ink-black, waterfall-like hair held in place by a golden python hairpin, the man's peach blossom eyes seemed somewhat affectionate. Emitting a cold aura, he exuded an unfriendly demeanor. The man casually raised his hand. The black-clad person quietly retreated and gently closed the door behind him. Once alone, the man shifted his gaze, seemingly observing a maple tree swaying in the wind outside the window. It appeared as if he was contemplating something. After a long silence, he muttered to himself. "Xiao Wu, have you ever regretted..." Early the next morning, before dawn, dozens of inconspicuous carriages were already parked at the mountain gate. Blindfolded and gagged, batches of young men and women were shoved onto the carriages by the black-clad individuals. Efficiently trained, in the time it took to drink a cup of tea, everyone was on board. With a gesture from the leading black-clad person, the convoy slowly set off. Having their eyes covered before departure, Dong Lier had no idea whether Sailing was with her or not. Unable to speak, she could only focus on sensing her surroundings in silence. Besides the sound of the wheels turning, there was the occasional rustling of tree branches brushing against the carriage roof, and nothing else. The escorts remained silent, making it impossible for Dong Lier to make any judgments. She decided to close her eyes for a while, reasoning that replenishing her energy would be more beneficial. According to the gathered intelligence, they wouldn't be killed right away. Since that was the case, she chose to go with the flow. Perhaps due to the recent meager meals, Dong Lier hadn't even closed her eyes when she dreamed of a grand feast laid out before her. Just as she was about to grab a golden chicken leg and bring it to her mouth, a sudden pain in her shoulder interrupted her dream with a muffled "Hmm~" sound. The carriage had abruptly come to a halt, causing everyone inside to lurch forward unprepared. "Get off, get off! The last one to get off won't see the sun tomorrow!" As the voice of the black-clad person rang out, panic ensued among the passengers. Blindfolded, they couldn't discern the exit of the carriage and stumbled around, colliding with each other. Some fell and struggled to stand up again, while others twisted their bodies, rolling around in the chaotic scene. To an observer unaware of the situation, it would appear quite comical, but to the black-clad individuals, it was just indifference. "You have two choices after coming here: stand out and survive until the end, or die. I'll count to ten. If you can't get out of the carriage by then..." The leader of the black-clad group paused briefly before starting the countdown. "One..." Hearing this, the passengers, driven by an unknown force, intensified their struggles, hoping to find a way out. "Two..." Ah Long, with a smaller stature, had positioned himself in a corner from the beginning, conserving energy and preparing for the right moment. Listening attentively to the chaotic sounds of collisions around him, he sought openings. Suddenly, Ah Long straightened his body and rushed out in one swift movement, jumping off the carriage. After stumbling a few steps, he steadied himself. The leader of the black-clad group glanced at Ah Long and nodded approvingly. Another black-clad person approached Ah Long, untying his restraints and gesturing for silence to prevent any noise that might guide others. Ah Long blinked, adjusting his eyes to the light after the darkness. Then, as if recalling something, his eyes continuously searched among the people who had already disembarked. There were about fifteen people who got off, but Dong Lier was not among them. Anxiety crept over Ah Long as he closely observed the surroundings, hoping to catch a glimpse of Dong Lier among the remaining carriages. ... "Six..." At this moment, Dong Lier was near the right door of the carriage, pinned by slightly smaller girls. She felt the wriggling and quiet sobbing of the girl on top of her. In fact, Dong Lier had maintained this position with the girl for quite a while. Perhaps the girls had less strength; at first, there was a noticeable struggle, but now there was little movement. It was uncertain whether they had run out of energy or had resigned themselves. "Seven..." Dong Lier didn't know why, but at this moment, she missed her grandfather very much—the old man who was wild but pretended to be serious. Grandfather had said that drawing a sword to help those in need was the righteous way of the martial arts world. Thinking of this, Dong Lier exerted all her strength to kick the girl off her. The force was so strong that the girl rolled several times on the ground before stopping. "Eight..." Dong Lier felt time running out and struggled to find her balance, standing up and rushing toward the front. Just as the last count was about to end, Dong Lier landed safely on the ground. Ah Long, seeing Dong Lier finally getting off the carriage, felt relieved. He silently observed Dong Lier's condition. Once Dong Lier's restraints were removed, she began searching for Ah Long. Apparently, Ah Long's gaze had been too conspicuous, and Dong Lier spotted him with just one look. The two exchanged glances and smiled at each other from a distance. The others who didn't manage to disembark in time were dragged by the black-clad individuals to the middle of the road, forming two rows. The survivors, along with the black-clad escorts, stood on either side of the road. Well-trained archers aimed their bows, ready to shoot at the signal of the leader. The leader, in front of Dong Lier and the others, began pacing and spoke. "The number of those who passed the initial test is more than I expected. However, this is just the beginning. We won't keep anyone here who is useless. If you can't endure until the end, this will be your fate." With these words, he made a gesture signaling execution. "Ugh~" The younger ones had already begun to turn their heads and vomit, even though nothing came out. They had never witnessed such a spectacle—arrows piercing through hearts, throats, or even passing through eyes and foreheads. Some couldn't control the shivering that started to set in. Those who reacted less strongly, such as Dong Lier and Ah Long, were not unafraid. However, they internalized the words of the black-clad people. It was just the beginning, and they needed to adapt sooner rather than later. The survivors were divided into ten groups, each consisting of six people. Dong Lier, Ah Long, the two girls kicked out by Dong Lier, and two boys Dong Lier hadn't seen before were assigned to the same group. They sat together in a carriage, unbound this time, heading to the next destination. As the journey continued, everyone took the opportunity to carefully observe their surroundings. "What are your names? We're in the same group now; let's get to know each other," Dong Lier broke the silence, realizing something was off. She added, "I'm Dong Lier, and this is Ah Long." Dong Lier tilted her head, pointing at Ah Long, who responded with a smile, signifying his agreement. The others were somewhat surprised. After the recent events, they couldn't believe that these two could still smile and seemed unburdened. They wondered if these two were either naive or genuinely fearless. After a moment of silence, someone finally spoke up. "I'm He Fei." The first to speak was the girl who had been kicked off the carriage by Dong Lier, but due to the blindfolds worn by everyone earlier, neither Dong Lier nor the girl knew of their connection. He Fei looked at Dong Lier with big, watery eyes, hoping to gather the courage to speak and receive a response. "He Fei, what a nice name. I like it," Dong Lier said with a grin, praising her. "What about you?" Dong Lier turned to the remaining few. "Yu Hao." This was the second girl kicked off by Dong Lier. With a waxen complexion, her features were decent but not outstanding. Dong Lier nodded and responded with a smile. "Liu Xiaojiu." As the boy with a larger stature spoke, Dong Lier examined him more closely. With slightly dark skin, sharp eyebrows, and bright eyes, Liu Xiaojiu's clothes were tattered. Dong Lier couldn't quite place where she might have seen him before but had a vague feeling of familiarity. Only one person remained silent. The group's collective gaze shifted towards this seemingly delicate boy. With fair skin and a bruised left eye, likely a result of his recent escape, the strange thing about the boy was his neat and tidy clothes. In this environment, he stood out from the rest. The group exchanged glances, comparing themselves to each other and couldn't help but tease the boy with amused expressions. "Congwen Hu, punctual every time, every year." Congwen Hu spoke casually, seemingly unconcerned about the others' gazes. Dong Lier chimed in, "So now that we know each other, let's look out for each other. We don't know what challenges lie ahead." The group nodded, at least for now agreeing with Dong Lier's words. After the recent test, nobody knew what challenges they would face next. Until the situation became clear, having an extra ally was better than having an additional adversary. After the introductions, they fell into a thoughtful silence. Dong Lier estimated the time; the carriage had been moving for about the duration of an incense stick. As the day approached dusk, she wondered how much longer they had to travel and where this group of people was being taken. Surely, it wouldn't be anywhere good. ... "We're here! Everyone out!" After the recent lesson, no one dared to hesitate. In the blink of an eye, they rushed out, fearing the consequences of being too slow, as seen with the previous group. "Tonight, you'll stay here. Behind me are some weapons for self-defense. Each of you can pick one. As for how to use them, it's up to you," the leader of the black-clad group said, casting a sidelong glance at the group. The group dispersed, examining the array of weapons. Dong Lier chose a slender but sharp blade, while Ah Long opted for a pair of short daggers. He Fei hesitated for a moment before selecting a lightweight staff. Liu Xiaojiu, with a confident smile, took a curved sword. Yu Hao chose a concealed dagger, and Congwen Hu went for a long staff. As they armed themselves, the leader continued, "This is your first night here. Learn quickly, adapt faster. Tomorrow, more challenges await you. Those who survive will progress. Those who don't... well, you understand." The group exchanged glances, realizing that their journey had just begun, and more trials awaited them. As the night fell, they settled in, knowing that they needed each other's support to face the unknown challenges that lay ahead.