Since crossing over, Su Cheng had already met several beauties, each with their own distinct charm and unique merits.
Even so—
She found it hard to describe the sense of awe she felt at this moment.
The person had a flawless face that seemed exquisitely carved. A few stray strands of curly hair fell to the side of his face, brushing against his smooth, snow-white skin.
His brow bone was like a blade kissed by moonlight, and the bridge of his nose resembled a snow-covered pine branch.
The lines of his side profile were handsome and sharp, yet softened by the wall lamp, inexplicably adding a touch of pure and harmless aura.
The blonde young man tilted his head up to look at the ancient tomes on the bookshelf, seemingly immersed in his own thoughts.
After a moment's delay, he thoughtfully turned his head back.
As if only just realizing there was someone beside him.
Su Cheng stared at him blankly.
His eyes were pale gold, the irises like the surface of a lake at dusk, shrouded in the hazy, sorrowful mist of late autumn. His long, thick eyelashes were like the shadows of trees swaying over the water.
She thought of the various poems and stories she had read.
Those soul-stirring infatuations after love at first sight, those unforgettable obsessions after encountering someone breathtakingly beautiful.
The descriptions of ultimate beauty that she could never quite understand or visualize in her mind before.
At this moment, they all seemed to have found their reference and answer.
Thump, thump, thump—
Su Cheng could hear her own heartbeat.
The blonde young man glanced at her, then nonchalantly turned his head away, his gaze falling back onto the bookshelf, looking at the spines of those heavy ancient books.
He did not seem to find the book he was looking for. His gaze slowly dropped, and in the end, he didn't reach out to touch any of them.
Seeing that the man was about to leave, Su Cheng decided to strike up a conversation with him.
She thought it over and figured this probably wasn't some illusionary trap. She couldn't just be paranoid every single moment just because she had been tricked once.
Otherwise, before the God of Contracts could even screw her over, she would have a nervous breakdown and collapse on her own.
Su Cheng sprang up from beside the table. "Hey, what did you choose for dinner?"
The library was very quiet; even though she lowered her voice, she was certain the other party could hear her.
"?"
The blonde young man paused his steps and turned around in slight surprise.
He didn't speak, just looked at her strangely, as if unable to understand her words and actions.
Su Cheng slowly took two steps forward. "Today's roasted chicken legs were pretty good, but those cold cut platters looked nice too. It's a pity I couldn't eat any more. And those puff pastry boxes, I wonder what filling they had—"
"Cream of mushroom."
The blonde young man said softly.
Su Cheng: "!"
She had originally thought he might ignore her, or call the paladins on guard outside to drag her out.
After all, judging from the way he looked at those books, this person seemed like a scholar devoted to his research.
So he wouldn't necessarily know the gossip about the Archbishop inviting the God's Favored today, nor would he necessarily pay attention to what was for dinner.
Perhaps he was so immersed in his research that he didn't want to eat, or he hadn't even noticed what he had eaten after finishing it.
"Oh," Su Cheng said happily, "so that was your choice? Was it good?"
He looked at her noncommittally. "Depends on your taste."
Perhaps this was a picky guy too.
Su Cheng thought silently. After all, judging from those chicken legs, the Church's chefs were obviously very skilled.
"What about those green juices?" She racked her brains to recall the items on the dining cart. "Hmm, vegetable juice?"
"No, that's cold-brewed green moss flower peppermint tea."
The blonde young man said softly, his voice so beautiful it made one dizzy.
"It's an invention of the Wood Elves. One of the priests here is from the Shadow Whisper Great Forest, and it was provided for her, though some humans and beastmen also like the taste."
He explained unhurriedly.
Most of the Church's members were humans and beastmen, but there were also races like the high nature elves.
Wood elves were also known as forest elves. Most of them lived in the Shadow Whisper Great Forest, at the junction of the Empire's south and the Kingdom of Fenlai.
Deep within the Shadow Whisper Forest lay the royal court of the wood elves, a place ordinary humans could not reach.
Su Cheng nodded. "Hmm, then I'll have to try it if I get the chance—"
Her voice came to an abrupt halt.
She suddenly realized a serious problem.
She had just spilled juice on herself.
Su Cheng looked down.
The reddish juice had slid down her jaw, flowing to the side of her neck, blooming into a bright flower on her off-white shirt.
The sticky liquid blurred into a line, like blood soaking through, slowly seeping into the fine linen texture.
Su Cheng: "......"
Why didn't I wear black or red today!
And to think she had actually gone to hit on a stranger with this mess on her!
Su Cheng almost fainted.
She quickly tore open the buttons and took off the shirt entirely, revealing the thin camisole underneath. "Sorry, I just, um, this was an accident."
Spring in Golden Amber City was already quite warm, but dressing like this was still a bit out of season. However, it was still better than before.
The blonde young man lowered his eyes to look at her. "If you don't mind—"
He was wearing the standard trench coat of a cleric, with a lapel and a tailored waist that outlined his slender, elegant, and well-proportioned figure.
Most of the priests outside dressed similarly, though their coats varied in length.
This man happened to be wearing a short version. The breeches beneath the hem tightly hugged his thighs, the taut leather wrapping around his full muscles.
His long boots reached up to his knees, with vine-like gold leaf patterns wrapping around his calves, winding all the way down to the square heels.
—Considering their heel heights were about the same, Su Cheng only just realized that this guy was also very tall.
She had only paid attention to his face and hair before. Now, standing face to face, she could only barely look his collarbone in the eye.
The blonde young man slowly unbuttoned his coat, revealing a snow-white shirt underneath.
His broad shoulders stretched the fabric into sharp creases, and the firm outline of his chest faintly rose and fell with his breathing.
The moment he took off his outer garment, it was like a fierce beast shedding its armor, stripping away his gentle and refined exterior to reveal his savage and dangerous true face.
"You can wear this."
He casually handed over his trench coat. "It will definitely get cold tonight, be careful not to catch a cold."
He paused for a moment as he spoke, "...Although I could heal you too."
Everyone knew that any priest of the Church, even the lowest ranking ones, could use the most basic holy healing spells.
Su Cheng naturally wouldn't doubt this statement.
But in this context, it sounded more like some kind of joke.
"Thank you, Mr. Priest."
Su Cheng naturally wouldn't refuse such kindness. She took it and hugged it in her arms. "You really are beautiful inside and out—um, what should I call you?"
"Then I should also thank you for this series of compliments," the blonde young man said calmly. "You can call me Ian."
Su Cheng searched through her mind but couldn't find any information related to this name.
...Perhaps this was just a beautiful background character.
She thought to herself.
Lin Yun also had many inexplicable romantic encounters, meeting certain characters who only appeared once and had no follow-up, causing readers to point fingers in the paragraph comments.
"Nice to meet you," Su Cheng gave her own name. "I hope I haven't delayed your work."
"No," Ian said lightly. "I believe my job could also be standing here chatting with a stranger about today's dinner."
Su Cheng: "?"
Are you being sarcastic with me?
Why do I have to be met with sarcasm just for exchanging pleasantries!
Fine.
Maybe it was because she really was interrupting his work.
Su Cheng took a deep breath, deciding to be thick-skinned to the very end, and deliberately put on an aggrieved expression. "A stranger? I thought we were friends."
Ian fell silent for two seconds, perhaps defeated by her sheer brazenness. "...If you insist."
Su Cheng was putting on his coat. The inner lining still held the man's body heat, instantly making her feel much warmer.
This trench coat uniform was extremely new. It had no scent on it at all, neither the scent of a person nor the floral fragrance of soap.
Aside from the warmth, it felt as if it had just been bought from a store.
Su Cheng sniffed again, but could only smell the fruit juice on herself.
Su Cheng: "..."
Perhaps the smell was too strong and masked everything else.
She reached into the pockets to see if he had left anything behind, but she didn't feel anything.
Due to the difference in their heights, the hem of the coat almost reached her knees, and it was far too big for her size, perhaps looking a bit strange.
Su Cheng couldn't care less about that right now.
In her eyes, managing to get his coat on their very first encounter was already quite an achievement.
Next time, she could use returning the coat as an excuse to see him again.
Although she herself would have to leave Golden Amber City soon; whether for the academy or the mercenary group, she had to head to the Imperial Capital.
"Speaking of which," Su Cheng looked up at the bookcase, "did you not find the book you were looking for?"
Ian gave a slight nod. "Yes. The last time I came here was... a long time ago. Perhaps I misremembered some things."
"Ah?" Su Cheng couldn't help but feel surprised. "You don't work here, uh, station here? Hold a post? Then where are you usually?"
He glanced at her. "People might see me in all sorts of places. Relatively speaking, I spend more time in the Holy City."
As the headquarters of the Church and the capital of the Holy Alliance, the Holy City of Solan was indeed the place with the highest number of clerics.
Low, mid, and high-ranking clerics were stationed in the Holy City year-round, and those stationed outside also had to return regularly to report on their duties. This was quite normal.
But Su Cheng still felt that his way of phrasing it was a bit strange. "...Alright."
"And I just spoke with His Eminence the Archbishop," Ian said suddenly. "I heard he recommended a mental power trainer to you."
"What?" Su Cheng looked at him in astonishment. "You are the trainer he found? So you came here specifically to see me?"
Then why did he take one look at her earlier and try to leave?
"Yes," the blond young man explained calmly. "When we met, you didn't look like you were in a suitable state to begin learning. After all, you were still enjoying your after-dinner beverage."
Su Cheng: "?"
Brother, I was enjoying it all over my neck!
Su Cheng hesitated for a moment. "So you also know who I am? Or maybe you've heard some weird things?"
Ian looked at her thoughtfully. "I did hear some people discussing that you are the Favored of the God of Purity—"
For some reason, Su Cheng felt like he wanted to laugh.
Wait.
She looked at him after spilling her drink, and he had essentially witnessed the whole scene. Looking like this, she hardly seemed the type to be chosen by the God of Purity.
So that's why he found the rumor so ridiculous, right?
Su Cheng sighed. "That's really a misunderstanding. I'm not. Sigh, let's not bring that up again—"
"But you saw the manifestation of the God of Purity?" he asked with great interest, as if genuinely curious. "In the prayer room of the West Twelfth Hall?"
"The one with the unicorn?" Su Cheng rubbed her forehead. "Yeah, I saw it. But the people at the door and outside saw it too, so it's no big deal..."
She originally thought Ian might be the type deeply engrossed in his studies and not necessarily interested in such things, but she hadn't expected him to be like this.
It seemed all the people in the Church were exactly the same; whenever it involved a deity, they completely changed their tune.
Thinking of this, her enthusiasm waned a bit.
The blond young man cast a thoughtful glance at her. "What did you talk about?"
Su Cheng naturally wouldn't tell the whole truth. "Actually, nothing much. I wasn't very clear-headed at the time. I was just paying attention to whether he was as beautiful as his humanoid statue, but my mental power was insufficient, so I didn't see him clearly either."
"Statue?" Ian repeated with an unclear meaning. "Speaking of which, you were staring at me just now. Do you also think I look alright?"
Su Cheng: "?"
Alright?
Aren't you being a bit too modest? Or have you never looked in a mirror since you were born?
Su Cheng: "If you want to hear me praise your looks, you can just say so."
The blond young man slightly raised an eyebrow. "Compared to the God of Purity?"
Su Cheng: "?"
