Was Her Heart Still with Him? (Bonus Chapter for Q Reading's Sakura Fubuki)

Just as Le Ling was rejoicing over the effects brought by absorbing that head spirit bone, someone knocked on her door.

Le Ling stopped cultivating and went to open it.

The door opened.

Maid A Jian stood outside and said, "Little Le Sister, Miss Hu Liena has invited you to have dinner with her."

Le Ling gave a soft acknowledgment and left her bedroom for Hu Liena's room.

In the sitting room outside Hu Liena's inner chamber.

All the dishes had been served, and she was sitting at the dining table waiting.

Before long, she saw Le Ling arrive and happily rose to her feet. "Little Le Sister, come~ Come sit."

"I didn't know what dishes you liked, so I had the kitchen make one of everything. If you don't like something, just tell me, and I'll have them make whatever you do like."

"It's fine. I'm not a picky eater."

Le Ling smiled as she walked in and sat down at the table.

Hu Liena pulled her into a seat and eagerly served her food.

The two chatted as they ate.

Hu Liena said, "The academy enrollment procedures are all done. I'll come get you tomorrow morning, and we'll go to the academy together."

Le Ling nodded. "Alright."

Suddenly, Hu Liena bit her chopsticks and looked at her with curious yet cautious eyes.

"Um, Little Le Sister, can I ask you a question?"

"Mm, go ahead."

Le Ling continued lowering her eyes as she picked up food and ate.

After hesitating for a moment, driven by curiosity, Hu Liena asked, "Little Le Sister, are you and Great Offering... in that kind of relationship?!"

When she said "that kind of relationship," her voice was tiny, and she kept watching Le Ling's expression.

Mostly because she was afraid the question would upset Little Le Sister!

She had known before that Le Ling was the woman Great Offering had been searching for all along, but she did not know what their relationship was.

Only the elders and her teacher, Bibi Dong, knew.

However, after Le Ling went into the forest to obtain a spirit ring this time, Hu Liena learned about it. She had been shocked at first, but later, she became curious.

Now, hearing Le Ling being asked about her relationship with Qian Daoliu—

She calmly nodded. "We were, before."

Hu Liena cautiously asked again, "I heard from Grandpa Chrysanthemum that when you went to obtain your spirit ring this time, Great Offering personally accompanied you. Is that true?"

"Mm."

"Then are you still in that kind of relationship now?"

Le Ling had just finished eating. She set down her chopsticks, took a deep breath, and said, "Now... I don't know what kind of relationship we have anymore!"

Seeing her lower her head with a troubled expression, Hu Liena thought of how Great Offering had once been married. There must have been some tangled love and resentment between them.

Realizing she had said the wrong thing, she immediately blamed herself. "It's my fault! It's all my fault for asking such things out of curiosity. Little Le Sister, let's not talk about this. Let me tell you about our Spirit Hall Academy."

"Alright."

Le Ling forced a smile.

"Spirit Hall Academy is one of the top academies on Douluo Continent, possessing immense strength and resources..."

Hu Liena enthusiastically introduced Spirit Hall Academy, while Le Ling listened quietly.

Just as the two were chatting happily, Bibi Dong walked in from outside.

"What are you talking about?"

"Teacher."

When Hu Liena saw her teacher arrive, she immediately rose respectfully to greet her.

"Little Le Sister is going to study at our Spirit Hall Academy tomorrow, so I was just introducing the academy to her in advance."

"Teacher, have you eaten?"

Bibi Dong gave a soft acknowledgment and walked over to sit beside the dining table.

Le Ling looked at her and raised a brow. "You came to see me for something?"

"There is indeed something."

Bibi Dong said, "Our Spirit Hall branch in Gengxin City is lacking a bishop. Are you interested in going there to help manage it?"

"Why me?"

Rather than saying whether she was willing, Le Ling first asked why Bibi Dong had chosen her.

Bibi Dong explained, "There is a Blacksmith Association there, and its relationship with our Spirit Hall branch has become somewhat strained. We need someone capable to go handle it, and I think you're quite suitable."

Le Ling said flatly, "As I recall, according to your Spirit Hall ranking system, Gengxin City should be at the subsidiary hall level, and a bishop of a subsidiary hall must have a Soul Power Level of at least fifty."

"I haven't even reached level forty yet, and you want me to be the bishop of a subsidiary hall. Is that appropriate?"

"It truly isn't appropriate in terms of level!"

Bibi Dong smiled. "But you are different. You have an extraordinary relationship with Great Offering. If you want to go, then even if it isn't appropriate, he will help make it appropriate. As for everyone else, they would not dare say anything!"

Le Ling could not be bothered to keep beating around the bush with her.

She said bluntly, "The grudge between you and the Qian Family has nothing to do with me! If you want to deal with him, that's your own business. Don't drag me into it!"

Hearing Le Ling's words, Bibi Dong did not get angry.

She smiled faintly. "Does it truly have nothing to do with you, or is your heart still with him, so you don't want to oppose him?"

Le Ling shot her a sidelong glance.

She showed her no respect whatsoever just because Bibi Dong was the Pope of Spirit Hall!

"Fine. Since you are unwilling, I naturally will not force you. After all, we reached an agreement to cooperate before. Just stay here, study at Spirit Hall, and cultivate properly."

With that, Bibi Dong rose and left.

Hu Liena, who had been watching and listening from the side the entire time, had roughly understood the meaning behind their conversation. She also felt that her teacher was indeed rather calculating, but she did not dare interrupt at all!

Only after Bibi Dong left did she speak softly. "Little Le Sister, my teacher, she..."

"Don't become like your teacher in the future!"

Before Hu Liena could finish, Le Ling left behind those words, rose directly, and returned to her room.

After returning to her room, Le Ling had A Jian prepare bathwater for her.

"Yes, Little Le Sister. Please wait a moment."

A Jian immediately went out and called several servants to fetch hot water from the kitchen.

Soon, the large wooden tub in the bathing room was filled with warm water, scattered with flower petals and scented incense.

Entering the bathing room.

Le Ling directly took off all her clothes and immersed her entire body in the large wooden tub.

As she soaked, she recalled Bibi Dong's final words: "Does it truly have nothing to do with you, or is your heart still with him, so you don't want to oppose him?"

Those words unexpectedly plunged her into deep thought!

Was her reaction just now truly because her heart was still with him?!

What exactly was her relationship with Qian Daoliu now!!

Just as she could not sort through her feelings, someone knocked on the bathing room door.

"Little Le Sister, Steward Yao has arrived."

"Why is he here?"

"Steward Yao said that Great Offering was dining with several other Offerings and drank some wine. He is a little drunk now and keeps calling your name, so..."

"I'm not going!!!"

Le Ling said angrily, "What drunk? I think he's doing it on purpose! Tell Steward Yao to go back and prepare a huge tub of ice water for Qian Daoliu, then make him soak in it. I guarantee he'll sober up immediately!"

"Ah! Th-this..."

Hearing Little Le Sister's words, A Jian was terrified to death!

Besides, she did not dare relay those words. Even if she did, Steward Yao would not dare actually do it!!

But Little Le Sister refused to go see Great Offering. What was she supposed to do now?!

Thank you to Sakura Fubuki and Li Suihan from Q Reading for yesterday's rewards.

Thank you to all the darlings who voted for the book.

The book successfully advanced through the first round and officially launched today. I hope you darlings will continue following along~

I promised to post an extra chapter for Q Reading's Sakura Fubuki on launch day, so here it is.

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