When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 244: Masterpiece

Chapter 244: Masterpiece

Gu Luoxin remained in a daze even after the senior snatched Lucius away from his arms, who became strangely obedient and cooperative all of a sudden. With his head still floating amidst the cloud, he followed the line, underwent bag checks, and finally gained entry into the exhibition hall. During this time, a cascade of questions tumbled in his mind, for example—

So Noir had really recognized him back then! He had been afraid that it was just his wishful thinking and the man had long since forgotten who had challenged the same Cycle as him. But if that was the case, then why would Noir ignore him back then only to ask... Shoot! He had forgotten to ask the kind senior’s name!

He knocked his forehead in frustration, "Why are you so scatter-brained?!" He could not believe that he had forgotten to introduce himself after all of the help she’d offered! Just how distracted was he by this one meeting?!

The train of Gu Luoxin’s thoughts were finally broken once he entered the hall and laid eyes on a stunning glass sculpture near the entrance. "Wow..." he breathed, his eyes sparkling as he admired the intricate details and delicate form of the piece.

Before him was a small towering wave, and a seamless blend of countless shades of blue culminated in a breathtaking work of art. Gu Luoxin found himself completely entranced, and all the turmoil in his mind was cast aside in lieu of appreciating the sculpture before him.

Subsequently, he continued his exploration of the exhibition and marveled at the impressive pieces displayed on podiums, each accompanied by a plaque where the students would input one or two sentences to explain their creation. The mediums ranged from glass to plaster, clay and bronze... oh God, everyone was so talented! Each of these pieces was beyond stunning!

Gu Luoxin became so engrossed in exploring that he lost track of time, going whenever his feet brought him. Until at one point of time, a realization hit him: he had not come across any of Noir’s sculptures, nor had he seen the man anywhere!

Determined to rectify this, Gu Luoxin began to scan the spacious hall, concentrating on each sculpture to see if he could spot one crafted by Noir. He was so busy looking around that he paid no heed to his surroundings. As a result, he walked straight into a wall— no, it was a solid and hard chest belonging to another person. "S–Sorry!" He stepped back and instinctively apologized, only to pause when a sudden déjà vu overcame him. He seemed to have gone through something like this before...

As his gaze lowered, he noticed the white sneakers before him, and a strange fluttering sensation took root in his chest. He dazedly lifted his gaze, tracing the figure from the long legs wrapped in ripped jeans to the upper body draped in a black shirt, until his eyes locked onto those captivating emerald orbs.

Gu Luoxin’s breath hitched on his throat, his mind going momentarily blank as he met the other’s gaze. With the light shining overhead, those eyes seemed particularly deep and profound as they bore down at him, holding him captive. In the mixture of shock and nervousness, he blurted out, "G–Great—"

Noir put a finger to his lips and Gu Luoxin reflexively clasped his hands over his mouth, his eyes widening in realization. Looking around, he saw that no one had noticed the brief commotion and a sigh of relief escaped his lips. He cautiously turned his gaze back to Noir, his heart pounding in his chest.

"G–Great God, it’s really you..." he said, feeling bashful for some reason. He lowered his head and fiddled with his fingers, only to recall the embarrassing accident that had occurred outside the hall earlier. His face burned, though for an entirely different reason altogether. He did not want Noir to think badly of him, so he seized the chance to explain himself, his words tumbling out in a jumble. "I–I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It’s purely coincidence that we met again— no, it was Little–I mean, it was Lucius who brought me here! I am definitely not an obsessive fan, so you don’t have to be worried. I am actually a student from this college too and—"

"I know."

Being interrupted all of a sudden, Gu Luoxin’s mind abruptly drew a blank and he looked up, stunned, "Y–You know I’m a student here?" His mind whirred into overdrive. H–How did Noir know? Had they met before, by any chance? Alas, his messy thoughts came to a halt when Noir elaborated,

"I know you’re not a person like that."

"O–Oh!" Gu Luoxin nodded and mentally beat himself up. What the hell are you thinking, Xinxin? He was but a freshman, so could they have ever met before?!

In the next moment, Noir’s words fully registered into his mind, causing a warm delighted feeling to blossom in his chest. It turned out, he had left such a positive impression in the Great God’s mind, huh? He tried to suppress the corner of his lips from raising, though he failed spectacularly in the end. His heart was full of rainbow clouds and cotton candy, making him feel so sweet that all the previous embarrassment was swept away. He did not even remember to question why Noir had pretended not to know him earlier.

To hide his giddiness, he cleared his throat and changed the topic, "I–I haven’t seen your sculptures anywhere. May I ask where..."

Without a word, Noir turned around and Gu Luoxin hastened his steps to keep up, maintaining a distance of half a meter between them. They walked through the hall and headed straight towards the exit, and it was then that Gu Luoxin realized why he had not seen any of Noir’s creations.

As it turned out, his sculpture was displayed near the exit, and when Gu Luoxin finally caught sight of it, he seemed to understand the reason why.

If this kind of sculpture was placed near the entrance, it would undoubtedly congest the area and disrupt the flow of the visitors. Even now, there was a substantial crowd gathered around the exhibit. But fortunately, Noir and Gu Luoxin found a place to stand without any problem, given the generous space allocated to Noir’s piece.

This special treatment was not without reason; it was because Noir’s creation was larger, grander and more intricate than the others on display.

As Gu Luoxin gazed at it, only one description came to mind— a fallen angel.

It was a marble sculpture, capturing the half-body form of a man with a visage etched with sorrow. From his back, unfurled the expanse of a regal wing, though only half a pair remained, the other torn away. Illuminated by the overhead spotlight, Gu Luoxin seemed to see it coming alive. Each strand of lash, each droplet of tear, the way its features contorted in grief and the emotions pouring out of those eyes— they looked real, so real that his heart gave a painful squeeze.

Throughout his exploration along the hall, he couldn’t stop admiring each impressive work of art, thinking that all the seniors in this department were so damn talented, but it was not until now that he learned what real talent was. This was no longer a work of art, but a masterpiece sculpted by the hands of God. It was perfect, ethereal yet heartbreaking at the same time.

Gu Luoxin sucked in a breath. Recalling Noir’s bone wings, he couldn’t help but ask in a shaky voice, "T–This... did you use yourself as a model?"

"No," Noir said lightly as he gazed at the sculpture, his gaze inscrutable. "There’s no model. I just wanted to create this all of a sudden."

When the people ahead dispersed, Gu Luoxin could finally venture closer to study to plaque. In a cursive, powerful script, it was written:

To wield power is to bleed —Noir