I Like You

"W-what feelings...?"

Hu Liena's expression flickered uncertainly, and she grew a little panicked, instinctively taking half a step back.

Ye Tian stared into Hu Liena's eyes and moved closer and closer.

She could barely take it. Her heart raced as if it were about to leap out of her chest, and she instinctively closed her eyes.

"You'd better not have any improper thoughts."

"Huh?"

Hu Liena suddenly opened her eyes, disbelief filling her beautiful gaze.

She had already prepared herself, and this was what he said?

That was it?

Unbearable.

All of a sudden, she wrapped an arm around Ye Tian and pressed her soft, sweet, moist lips against his.

It wasn't their first time anyway.

As long as she wasn't afraid, Ye Tian would be the one who was.

Feeling that soft, damp touch, Ye Tian's eyes widened in surprise. Na Na really was acting strange.

That surprise quickly turned into initiative.

His hand on her shoulder slid to her waist and pulled her tightly into his embrace.

Little brat.

She still wanted to compete with him?

He wasn't some pushover!

A minute later.

Nearly suffocating, Hu Liena shoved Ye Tian away.

She panted heavily.

Her pretty face was crimson, and she did not dare meet Ye Tian's eyes.

Yet Ye Tian acted as though nothing had happened, waving his hand as he said:

"Let's go back. The pirates should be arriving soon."

Then.

He quietly added with disdain, "Nana Meimei still needs more practice."

Hu Liena merely glared at him without speaking.

Ye Tian was too wicked!

He had taken advantage of her!

Then Hu Liena sensed something was off.

It seemed that she had been the one to make the first move.

No, no, he had clearly tempted her first!

Her mind descended into a mess of confused thoughts.

By then, Ye Tian had returned carrying a fish basket from the shore.

He flicked Hu Liena lightly on the forehead. "Still thinking about it? Your behavior reminded me of someone."

"Who?" Hu Liena suddenly became alert. Could Ye Tian have liked someone before her?

That reminded her of how practiced Ye Tian's actions had been earlier.

"Hu Liena," Ye Tian said seriously.

"Huh?!!!"

Hearing that name, Hu Liena was completely thrown off.

Her heart abruptly skipped a beat.

Had she been discovered?

No way, right?

She had not revealed any flaws.

Could Ye Tian be testing her?

Pretending to remain calm, she raised her chin and asked, "You know Hu Liena?"

"I don't." Ye Tian smiled and shook his head. "I've never even left the East Sea Coast. How could I possibly know Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden?"

Those words finally eased Hu Liena's uneasy heart.

It seemed Ye Tian truly did not know her real identity.

Rumors outside called her Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden, but that was merely a flattering title.

Her status as Holy Maiden had yet to be officially confirmed by Spirit Hall.

At most, she was only a candidate.

If Ye Tian did not even know that, how could he know her?

"If you don't know her, how do you know I'm quite similar to her?" Hu Liena lifted her chin and challenged him.

Ye Tian slowly replied, "Though I've never met Hu Liena, I know she's a brainless little cutie."

Having read the original story, he knew Hu Liena's personality all too well.

Whenever she fell in love, her intelligence was practically zero.

Nana Meimei was the same.

Once her head heated up, she could not do anything right.

Hu Liena hesitated, her gaze unfocused as she pondered, "...Brainless."

Suddenly, she lifted her head and glared at Ye Tian unhappily. "Are you saying my intelligence isn't enough?"

What a joke. Her intelligence might not compare to Ye Tian's, but she was still very smart, all right?

"No, no, no." Ye Tian raised his index finger and waved it back and forth, shaking his head. "I'm not saying you lack intelligence. I'm saying you lack sufficient judgment and are easily influenced by the outside world."

"In other words, if I were to say now..."

Ye Tian looked into Hu Liena's eyes and softly said, "I like you."

"I-I like you too."

Hu Liena blushed all the way to her neck. Hot air seemed to puff from her nostrils as she lowered her head, her voice nearly inaudible.

"It's over..." Ye Tian rubbed his forehead, utterly helpless.

He had only wanted to say, 'I like you. How would you react?'

He had not expected Na Na to agree right away.

Ye Tian could not help wondering whether Na Na was even more foolish than Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden.

Was this the intelligence-reducing aura brought by love?

Of course, everything had to be explained scientifically.

Things like auras were far too vague.

Judging from Nana Meimei's reaction, she was probably just too nervous.

Nervousness could reduce the blood supply to the brain, thereby affecting one's thinking.

His guess had indeed been correct.

Nana Meimei was completely love-brained.

"You." Ye Tian gently pressed Na Na's forehead, speaking earnestly. "If someone sold you in the future, you'd probably help them count the money."

Only after being stunned for a long while did Hu Liena understand.

...What Ye Tian had just said was only meant to reason with her.

It had not been a real confession.

The realization made Hu Liena so ashamed that she wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground.

How humiliating.

Aaaah!

She looked around. Fortunately, no one was nearby.

Her expression eased considerably.

With her Kazi Lan Big Eyes wide open, she looked at Ye Tian seriously.

"If I stay by your side all the time, I won't be sold."

"I may be silly, but I'm very obedient. I'm very suited to being... a girlfriend."

She had wanted to say wife, but she did not dare voice it.

Ye Tian curled his lips and waved a hand. "I don't like silly girls."

His White Moonlight was someone like Bibi Dong.

Nana Meimei was far too far behind.

Hearing this, Hu Liena could not help feeling disappointed and dejected.

Her head drooped, and all her spirit vanished at once.

"Let's go back."

Ye Tian took Hu Liena's hand and said lightly.

Feeling the warmth from Ye Tian's fingers, Hu Liena regained her spirit.

There were no other girls around Ye Tian.

The one nearest the water got the moon first.

She had a great chance!

Thinking of that, Hu Liena immediately became full of fighting spirit again.

Ye Tian, hmph, sooner or later, she would have him wrapped around her finger with ease!

Outside Golden Turtle Island.

Aboard the pirate flagship, the Coral.

A group of fierce-looking pirate chiefs had gathered together, discussing the attack on the Li Family with wicked grins.

"This time, Coral Boss issued the order and gathered all our brother fleets together. What a grand occasion!"

"I heard the Li Family has wealth piled as high as mountains, especially Li Haitian's two granddaughters. Tsk, tsk!"

"Damn it, look at your pathetic ambition. As long as we destroy the Li Family, the entire East Sea will fall under our brothers' control!"

"That's right. By then, won't we have as much wealth as we want?"

As they talked.

A skinny pirate chief in filthy clothes leered at the curvaceous woman beside him.

His fingers wandered dishonestly over her rounded buttocks.

"Purple Pearl Boss, don't you agree?"

Purple Pearl raised a brow.

The next moment, a dagger rested against the filthy pirate chief's neck.

The pirate chief felt a chill at his throat and immediately dropped to his knees. "Purple Pearl Boss, I was wrong, I was wrong!"

Purple Pearl said coldly, "You'd better put away those filthy thoughts. Even killing you would dirty my dagger."

If not for the overwhelmingly powerful Coral Boss issuing the order, her Purple Pearl would never have come to take part in raiding the Li Family.

Seeing this, the other pirate bosses all fell silent as cicadas in winter.

Who on the East Sea Coast did not know Purple Pearl's fearsome reputation?

Provoking her was simply asking for trouble.

"Enough!"

At that moment, a cold voice came from within the Coral's cabin.

A middle-aged man wearing a white naval cape, with a striking scar across his face, emerged onto the deck with a gloomy expression and swept his gaze over the crowd.

The crowd immediately fell silent.

Even Purple Pearl instinctively lowered her dagger.

Everyone bowed and saluted. "Coral Boss."

This man was the greatest pirate on the East Sea Coast, the leader of the Coral Fleet, a Titled Douluo known as "Coral"!

As for his real name, no one had ever known it.