Her gaze grew gentler as she instinctively reached out with her delicate hand and softly caressed the young man's cheek.
At that moment, countless beautiful memories of him surfaced in her mind.
She remembered how, when her Inner Demon had erupted twice before, this little fellow had risked everything to save her...
In an instant, Bibi Dong's lonely, dormant heart was ignited.
An indescribable feeling rose within her, making her instinctively press both hands tightly against the young man's shoulders.
In a gentle voice carrying a hint of expectation, she said:
"Lingfeng, do you really want to know who I like?"
Jin Lingfeng frowned slightly, unable to understand why Bibi Dong was so agitated.
He nodded and said with a smile:
"Sister Dong'er, I really want to know. Hurry up and tell me!"
Bibi Dong immediately looked into the young man's eyes.
Gathering her courage, she spoke seriously in a teasing tone:
"Lingfeng, the person I like is... you!"
The moment the beauty voiced those feelings hidden deep in her heart, her delicate body stiffened.
She was flustered and uneasy inside, yet she still tried her best to make it seem more like a joke.
Jin Lingfeng was slightly stunned and did not react for a long time.
He simply could not believe that Bibi Dong, the noble and overbearing Pope of Spirit Hall, would joke with him like this!
"S-Sister Dong'er, you can't make jokes like that!"
"If Xue'er finds out, she'll definitely kill me!"
Jin Lingfeng spoke timidly, not daring to look directly into the beauty's eyes.
In the past, whenever he was alone with Bibi Dong, he had always been relaxed and natural.
But now, he panicked...
The beauty finally calmed down. She hurriedly revealed a playful smile to conceal her unease, then snorted and spoke in a flirtatious tone:
"If I didn't do this, how could I keep you in line?"
"I'm not telling you who I like, so stop wasting your effort!"
After saying that, Bibi Dong deliberately put on a smug expression, as though seeing Jin Lingfeng embarrass himself had put her in an excellent mood.
Jin Lingfeng smiled awkwardly.
"Sister Dong'er, what you said just now really scared me."
"But I do know my own worth."
"How could you, the lofty Pope of Spirit Hall, possibly like a good-for-nothing brat like me who spends every day acting improper?"
Jin Lingfeng joked as he picked up a pastry and ate it to ease the awkwardness, suppressing the strange feeling rising within him...
Beside him, Bibi Dong appeared calm on the surface.
Yet the way she looked at the young man revealed deep regret, which she carefully hid whenever he looked back at her...
Up in the pavilion, Xiao Wu had already awakened.
She stood quietly behind a pillar, staring below with a bitter feeling in her heart.
As a woman herself, she could tell that woman liked Jin Lingfeng just as she did...
That night, the moon in the sky was bright and peaceful.
Xiao Wu clenched her delicate hands tightly, her tender gaze resting on the young man below.
She would never regret falling in love with him for the rest of her life...
The next evening.
Outside the gates of Nuoding Academy.
A carriage bearing the emblem of Spirit Hall was parked there.
Three figures stood beside it, while quite a few students gathered around them and whispered among themselves.
"Xiao Wu, I'll see you off here. I won't be going inside."
Jin Lingfeng looked at the girl before him and spoke with a smile.
Xiao Wu lightly pursed her lips. A trace of reluctance flashed through her eyes as she said cheerfully:
"Brother Jin, you're leaving again."
"This time, can you promise Xiao Wu something?"
Jin Lingfeng frowned and glanced at Bibi Dong beside him, who had her arms folded and a slightly cold gaze.
Unexpectedly, the beauty coldly rebuked him:
"If you want to agree, then agree. Why are you looking at me?"
The atmosphere instantly became incomparably awkward.
Jin Lingfeng's face reddened as he coughed lightly and said to Xiao Wu:
"Xiao Wu, tell me what it is first."
The girl nodded excitedly and said:
"Brother Jin, can you let me be your little sister?"
"Xiao Wu won't hope for you to treat me especially well. I only hope that, when you have time, you can come back and visit me."
"Brother Jin, this is Xiao Wu's wish. Can... can you grant it...?"
The girl spoke excitedly, her eyelashes trembling as her heart filled with nervousness and anticipation.
For a moment, Jin Lingfeng and Xiao Wu's gazes met.
He was moved by this pure-hearted girl, but he still tried his best to remain calm.
Bibi Dong looked at Xiao Wu and unexpectedly saw a bit of herself in the girl.
This pitiful girl liked Jin Lingfeng too, yet she could not be with him...
However, Bibi Dong thought of her daughter, Qian Renxue.
If Xiao Wu became Jin Lingfeng's little sister and the two developed feelings over time, what would happen to Qian Renxue?
Bibi Dong's gaze immediately turned slightly cold as she stared intently at the young man beside her.
After a long while, Jin Lingfeng's expression changed. In the end, he looked at Xiao Wu bitterly and comforted her:
"Xiao Wu, I'm sorry, but I can't agree."
"I understand how you feel, but I already have someone I love."
"We should just be ordinary friends. That would be better for both of us."
He knew these words would hurt Xiao Wu deeply, but it was still better than continuing down the wrong path.
Sure enough, Xiao Wu's body trembled slightly at once. Ripples filled her beautiful eyes, and no one could imagine what her heart was enduring at that moment...
The next moment, the girl hid her sorrow and reluctance, forcing out a smile as she said:
"Brother Jin, you're right."
"We should remain friends. Xiao Wu won't let her imagination run wild anymore."
"I hope you and the person you love can stay together forever. You must be happy..."
"Brother Jin, Xiao Wu is going in now."
"I've been gone for so many days. The teachers must be very worried."
"Brother Jin, goodbye..."
After speaking, Xiao Wu took one final, deep look at the first man she had ever liked since coming to the human world.
With a bright smile filled with blessings and regret, she turned and jogged into the academy...
Jin Lingfeng stood where he was, watching Xiao Wu's retreating figure with a bitter feeling in his heart.
He looked at Bibi Dong beside him, who was watching him with a satisfied expression, and said in a low voice:
"Sister Dong'er, let's go back."
However, Bibi Dong smiled playfully and said:
"Lingfeng, it's a good thing you didn't disappoint me."
"If you had dared to accept her as your little sister, I'd have broken all three of your legs!"
Jin Lingfeng did not retort in the face of her teasing.
Instead, he said seriously:
"The person I like is Xue'er. If I kept getting entangled with Xiao Wu, I would only hurt her."
Bibi Dong nodded in satisfaction. A hint of regret appeared in her eyes as she sighed, then looked at the young man's eyes with both amusement and helplessness.
"Lingfeng, you're simply too outstanding."
"And... just a tiny bit handsome."
"One encounter with Lingfeng dooms a woman for life; from then on, she will never love again."
"There could be no better words to describe that girl just now."
"In the future, keep more distance from girls. Don't hurt them again..."
Bibi Dong spoke half-jokingly, but the smile on her lips clearly carried a trace of self-mockery and regret...
Jin Lingfeng rolled his eyes and said speechlessly:
"Sister Dong'er, if you keep teasing me, I won't help you refine and improve your soul bone anymore!"
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