Summoning the Courage to Confess

"Yeah, who wouldn't like such an outstanding genius? He's handsome and has such a good temper, too."

"The partners of direct-line Soul Masters from our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect have to be powerful Battle Soul Masters. Those noble scions all look down their noses at everyone, have no ambition, and each one plays around more wildly than the last."

"People like that make me, Ning Rongrong, sick just looking at them. Brother Yan is countless times better than they are."

"Zhuqing, don't tell me you don't like Brother Yan. Even though we're good sisters, I won't give up. We'll compete fairly."

With that, she went back to writing her letter.

Zhu Zhuqing sat on the edge of the bed, thinking for a long time.

She had never felt so panicked, as though the thing she treasured most was about to be snatched away.

"No, I absolutely won't give up. Even if Brother Yan rejects me, the worst that can happen is that I give up on him afterward. But if I do nothing, I'll definitely regret it."

Zhu Zhuqing didn't want to have regrets. She rushed out the door and headed for Li Yan's room.

In his room, Li Yan was preparing to cultivate through the night when a knock sounded at the door.

At the same time, Zhu Zhuqing's voice came from outside, as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"B-Brother Yan, I need to talk to you. May I come in?"

Li Yan opened the door and welcomed Zhu Zhuqing inside.

After Zhu Zhuqing entered, she didn't say another word. She simply sat silently on the edge of the bed, as though mentally preparing herself for something.

"Zhuqing, what is it? Is it a problem with your cultivation?"

"N-No, it isn't."

Not a problem with her cultivation? Then what else could it be?

"Rongrong's proposal... Brother Yan, will you agree to it?"

"Of course. I'm definitely selling them the theoretical knowledge about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's evolution. They have money to burn, after all, and I'm very short on cash."

"No, not that. The other thing. Rongrong wants to be with you. Will you agree?"

"No."

Li Yan answered bluntly.

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up. Could Brother Yan like me?

"W-Why? Rongrong is so pretty, talented, and comes from a prominent family."

"Couldn't you tell she was joking? Someone like her talks nonsense all the time. If I'd taken her seriously, I'd have fallen right into her trap."

"I-Is that so?"

Zhu Zhuqing froze. Was this what they meant when they said the person involved was blind while the bystander saw clearly? She had been so afraid of Rongrong stealing Brother Yan away that she hadn't even considered whether Rongrong meant what she said?

Come to think of it, Tang San and Xiao Wu hadn't seemed to take it seriously either.

So... was I set up?

"What's wrong, Zhuqing? Don't tell me you're afraid Rongrong and I will get together?"

"Could it be that you like me?"

Li Yan stepped forward. Zhu Zhuqing kept her head lowered, her face so red it looked ready to drip blood.

What do I do? This is so embarrassing. How do I answer Brother Yan?

But if she barged into Brother Yan's room without explaining herself, then left just as inexplicably, would he have a poor impression of her?

But... she was mired in a quagmire now, unable to know in the morning whether she would live to see the evening. She didn't know which day she might lose her life. Did she really want to drag him down with her?

"I was joking, Zhuqing. If there's nothing else, you can leave."

Li Yan noticed that something was very wrong with Zhu Zhuqing's state. Could it be that, just like in the original story, Dai Mubai had sought her out in private?

That Lewd Tiger really thought he could do whatever he wanted if Li Yan didn't step in and teach him a lesson.

And the Star Luo Imperial Family had already earned their deaths!

By the bed, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly summoned all her courage.

Even if things didn't go as she wished today, she still had to say what she had held in her heart for so long.

"No, Brother Yan, it's not that I don't like you."

"On the contrary, I like you very much. You're strong, optimistic, handsome, and always willing to help others. I can't help wanting to get close to you."

"Ever since you saved me from those masked men that night, I've felt something different for you. Before now, I always thought it was dependence on and gratitude toward the person who saved my life."

"But just now, in the Soul Fighting Arena, Rongrong said she liked you. I was so afraid you'd agree to be with her, so afraid of losing you."

"Only then did I face what was in my heart and realize that, without knowing when it happened, I'd fallen for you."

"I know I'm not good enough for you, but I still wanted to tell you today. Even if you reject me, I won't regret it."

"Brother Yan, look at me. I like you. I want to be with you. Will you be with me?"

Tears welled in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, but she continued to look Li Yan stubbornly in the eye.

She had prepared herself to be rejected.

"Dummy, why did you suddenly start saying these human words to me?"

"I'd originally thought we could take it slowly, without rushing. After all, you had such a hard childhood. I really didn't expect you to be so brave."

Huh?

Zhu Zhuqing froze. Wait, was Brother Yan going to say yes?

"So, Brother Yan, you agree?"

"Of course. I'm ruthless to my enemies, indifferent to strangers, and very good to my own people. If I hadn't been tempted by your beauty back then, why would I have saved you?"

"That's shameless, but that's who I really am."

Zhu Zhuqing sprang to her feet, threw her arms around Li Yan, and took a deep breath of his scent.

She could finally be with Brother Yan openly and honorably. As for Rongrong, no matter what happened in the future, she was the first.

"You've been hugging me for so long. Aren't you going to let go? If you don't, I might not be able to resist doing something naughty to you."

Feeling the softness against his chest, Li Yan felt a burst of Evil Fire surge inside him.

He was no saint. Kids his age were full of fire, and his dragon-type Martial Soul affected him to some extent as well.

If he hadn't trained painstakingly every day and possessed a strong will, he would have long since ended up much like Ma Hongjun.

Zhu Zhuqing cried, "Ah!" and jumped away from Li Yan.

The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she became. She lowered her head, not daring to look at Li Yan, and even rushed straight out the door and back to her own room.

"That girl. Let her be."

Li Yan smiled, savoring the lingering fragrance on him, then sat cross-legged on the bed and began to cultivate.

As soon as Zhu Zhuqing entered her room, she shrank behind the door and slumped to the floor, as though all her strength had left her.

"Zhuqing, what... what's wrong?"

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing like this, Ning Rongrong thought she didn't look tired, but more like a Soul Beast in heat.

Could it be that she had seen someone with unusual tastes playing with certain things outside the hotel, and Zhu Zhuqing, who had never seen anything like that, had happened upon them and run back to the room in embarrassment?

The more Ning Rongrong thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

"N-Nothing. I went to see Brother Yan."

Zhu Zhuqing's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"Did he do something naughty to you?"

"No... I told him a lot, and he agreed to be with me. The more I thought about it, the less confident I felt, so I ran straight back here."

"Rongrong, am I really that awful?"

Ning Rongrong's writing hand paused, and the brush slipped from her fingers.

My best friend stole my future boyfriend. What do I do?

It's pretty urgent.