Chapter 101: I Am Willing to Fight for You, My Princess

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This was the first time in Qin Anyi’s eighteen years of life that he had ever left Longqing City. Due to its unique geographical location and immensely important military-economic status, the entire Ludong Province differed in some ways from other provinces. As a sub-provincial city, Longqing City normally held the authority equivalent to that of a provincial government. Its economic revenues and expenditures were directly linked to the central government’s finances, divided between central and local budgets without needing to remit funds to the provincial treasury. This represented a highly special form of governance, carrying many unique implications.

“Don’t be nervous. I’m here with you,” Qin Anyi said gently as he sat in the train seat, lightly patting the hand of Wang Yiran beside him. Though Wang Yiran appeared calm and natural, Qin Anyi could easily sense her inner tension from the rhythm of her breathing.

The knowledge competition held enormous significance for Wang Yiran. According to her, failure could deeply affect her “heart of a strong one,” potentially stalling her power’s qualitative growth forever. Despite her confidence in Qin Anyi, she could not fully suppress her nervousness. Anyone whose fate was tied to a singular event could never remain truly calm and composed.

“I know, but I just can’t help it,” Wang Yiran said, taking a deep breath.

“Actually, I think the so-called heart of a strong one isn’t just about the different traits of each strong soul. It’s also about the confidence a strong person must have! Only those who maintain unwavering faith in themselves can truly be called strong. No matter what happens, no matter the hardship, they never doubt their ability to solve problems. You really shouldn’t worry,” Qin Anyi smiled softly, his voice low and soothing.

The train seats were arranged with two seats on the left, a single aisle, and three seats on the right. Qin Anyi and Wang Yiran sat alone on the left side, while three teachers and three student representatives, including Shi Le, occupied the adjacent two rows on the right. Two students selected through the exam had been sneaking glances at Wang Yiran since boarding the train, and now, seeing her speaking closely with Qin Anyi, they couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.

“Con…fidence?” Wang Yiran blinked, suddenly turning to Qin Anyi, her eyes shining brighter. “You’ve just opened my eyes. You’re right… confidence is the most important factor in the heart of a strong one. I had always been fixated on the relentless pursuit of victory, but that actually held me back.”

“Uh… I just said it casually; I’m not sure if it’s right,” Qin Anyi admitted, surprised by her strong reaction.

“Of course it’s right! An outsider sees clearly, but being in the midst of it all, I missed some things. Anyi, thank you,” Wang Yiran said, then suddenly leaned forward to gently kiss Qin Anyi on the lips.

Qin Anyi froze, eyes wide, his mind momentarily stunned.

He had never fully understood Wang Yiran’s concept of the heart of a strong one. Though she had told him it was the key to unlocking the gene lock, and even the Qilin had mentioned something similar, Qin Anyi had never felt its presence when he first began unlocking his own gene lock. From another perspective, it was quite possible that cultivating one’s heart of a strong one was a path to breaking through the gene lock barrier more easily. However, human strength also suffered influence and constraints from this heart. While early progress was rapid, maintaining that pace became increasingly difficult over time because sustaining the heart’s demands grew harder and harder.

If the unique heart of a strong one was blocked by some difficulty, making it impossible for the cultivator to continue, collapse was likely—and the damage would be devastating.

With these thoughts, Qin Anyi stared intently at Wang Yiran, opening his mouth to speak but unsure how to begin. These were only his own speculations; he did not know whether they were right or wrong. Moreover, if all Glory Dragon Riders took this path to unlock their gene locks, surely there were some methods to handle these issues.

“What’s wrong?” Wang Yiran noticed Qin Anyi’s hesitation and asked curiously. “Feeling like just scratching the surface isn’t enough? Don’t worry—after the knowledge competition, if we win, I’ll give you a deep, passionate kiss.”

Qin Anyi’s heart raced wildly. After coughing a couple of times, he finally shared his thoughts.

To his surprise, Wang Yiran smiled wryly and nodded. “You’re right. Anyone determined to cultivate the heart of a strong one faces that problem. The path is full of thorns and pitfalls, where a single misstep means total destruction. Yet the harder the road, the more astonishing the rewards for those who truly succeed. That’s why countless people have thrown themselves onto this path throughout history.”

“I never thought I was any weaker than anyone else, even if I’m just a woman. Since more than one person has walked this road and found success, why can’t I?” Wang Yiran said with firm conviction.

Looking into her eyes, Qin Anyi suddenly felt a strong impulse to protect her. Softly, he said, “Don’t worry. I’ll be there for you.”

“That feeling isn’t bad at all,” Wang Yiran smiled brightly again. “So, Qin Anyi, are you going to be my knight?”

“I will fight for you, my princess,” Qin Anyi bowed respectfully.

“Ah, so that’s who’s been sweet-talking me here! The number one school beauty of Longqing, Wang Yiran, huh? What’s this? Even the aloof ice princess has been conquered? Why pretend to be so high and mighty if it was going to happen sooner or later?” A disagreeable female voice interrupted them just as they shared a tender moment.