Caught Cheating

My name was Zhu Zhuqing. Since childhood, I had lived in a "happy" family. My father was strict, but I knew he still loved me. My mother was very kind, and my Older Sister treated me well too. I should have been a happy little princess.

When I was six, I awakened the Zhu Family's inherited Martial Soul, the Hell Spirit Cat, and my Innate Soul Power was quite good. This should have been something to celebrate.

Yet all it brought me was endless pain.

I was forcibly betrothed to someone I had never met. My Older Sister's temperament changed drastically, and she found every possible way to bully me, even trying to kill me. My father watched coldly from the sidelines. Though my mother wanted to save me, she was sternly stopped.

At that moment, all the faith in my heart collapsed.

What was wrong with this world? Was it sick?

Later, my mother told me the truth. Only then did I understand why my Older Sister wanted to kill me.

Of the two of us, only one was destined to survive.

This was the fate borne by the Zhu Family.

But I did not want to die. I wanted to live. So I cultivated desperately, all for the sake of surviving.

The person betrothed to me probably thought the same way, right? After all, we shared the same affliction, practically grasshoppers tied to the same rope.

Yet he ran away. He fled the Star Luo Empire, chose to sink into depravity, and chose to lose himself among women.

Left alone and helpless, I was abandoned. My Older Sister no longer hid her intent to kill me and constantly sent people to assassinate me.

Just before I turned ten, after grueling cultivation, I finally reached level 20 and obtained my second Soul Ring. Who would have thought that my Older Sister would come as well? At the time, I thought I was doomed.

Then, at just that moment, a very handsome blue-haired boy appeared. He saved me, treated my wounds, cooked delicious food for me, and told me stories.

That was the happiest period of my life.

Before we parted, I somehow blurted out, "One day, you have to come save me."

I was terribly flustered.

What I had not expected was that he agreed.

At that moment, tears blurred my eyes. They were tears of joy. For the next two years, I missed him every moment of every day. I missed the life we had shared in the Mountain Cave.

So I decided to find him.

After many twists and turns, I finally met him again.

Yet at first, he did not recognize me. What was more, two pretty girls were following him around. I was furious.

Later, the misunderstanding was resolved, and the two of us confirmed our feelings for each other.

My happiness was about to arrive.

But who could have expected...

—The above was the account of the protagonist's first girlfriend.

Watching Zu Zong engage in intimate contact with other girls before her, Zhu Zhuqing frowned slightly. But she quickly returned to normal and said coldly, "Can you take me with you?"

Zhu Zhuqing's expression was calm. Very, extremely, utterly calm, like a tranquil sea. Her deep black eyes were fixed tightly on Zu Zong. She was very unhappy right now. First, Ning Rongrong had "victimized" her that morning. Then, during class, she had been forced to eat that Uncle from Shrek Academy's disgusting sausage. She had finally gotten some free time and specifically come to find Zu Zong, only to discover him being affectionate with another girl.

The breeze ruffled everyone's hair. Influenced by Zhu Zhuqing's icy aura, the street had long since emptied out. The entire place was silent.

Cold sweat beaded on Zu Zong's forehead. Just yesterday, he had sworn earnestly while holding Zhu Zhuqing that he would protect her for the rest of her life. Yet the very next day, another woman had her arms around him, even if that woman was a rabbit. If he could not explain himself clearly today, his future days would surely be miserable.

Zu Zong untangled Xiao Wu's arm and gave an awkward smile. "Um, Zhuqing, why are you here? I thought you were in class! Let me introduce you all."

"No need. We were introduced last time," Zhu Zhuqing interrupted.

Women were sensitive creatures. Even a hundred-thousand-year-old female rabbit was no exception. Somewhere deep down, Xiao Wu sensed danger. Planting her hands on her slim waist, she said to Zhu Zhuqing, "Your name is Zhuqing, right? Hello, I'm Xiao Wu. Wu as in dancing. I'm Xiao Zong's..."

At that point, Xiao Wu paused, a thoughtful look appearing in her eyes.

If she said she was his girlfriend, she definitely could not bring herself to say it, and that blockhead had never admitted it either.

If she said she was his younger sister, although she had acknowledged Old Tom as her grandfather, calling herself his sister would not that clearly put her beneath the other girl? No.

Heh, got it!

"I'm Xiao Zong's childhood sweetheart."

Zhu Zhuqing glanced at Xiao Wu, then at Ye Lingling beside her. Ye Lingling was certainly just Zu Zong's ordinary friend, but this Xiao Wu was clearly lusting after her male idol. How could that be allowed?

Zhu Zhuqing merely nodded at Xiao Wu and Ye Lingling as a greeting.

"Xiao Zong, I have something to tell you." As soon as she spoke, Zhu Zhuqing grabbed Zu Zong and dragged him toward the Tea Shop.

Zu Zong gave Xiao Wu and Ye Lingling a contented look before Zhu Zhuqing pulled him into a nearby teahouse.

"Ugh." Xiao Wu's face turned green, and her tender little face flushed red from holding it in. She had actually been ignored, and Xiao Zong had been openly taken away. Most importantly, that damned guy had not shown even the slightest intention of resisting.

"Waaah." Unable to hold back any longer, Xiao Wu threw herself into Ye Lingling's arms and began to cry. "Waaah. What do we do, Lingling? Xiao Zong has been lured away by some wild woman."

Hearing that, black lines formed on Ye Lingling's forehead. "Wild woman?" That was certainly a peculiar description, though at least it sounded better than Yan Zi's "old hag." She gently patted Xiao Wu's back and comforted her. "All right, stop crying. I don't know whether there is anything between them, but I do know Zu Zong is not the kind of person who acts carelessly. If you ask me, they may have known each other for a long time."

"Known each other for a long time?" Xiao Wu stopped sniffling and began to think back.

Suddenly, Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and she murmured, "Zhuqing? Zhu Qing? Could it be..."

As she spoke, Xiao Wu grabbed Ye Lingling's hand and followed after them. Ye Lingling shook her head helplessly and let Xiao Wu pull her along.

Inside the Tea Shop, the two ordered a pot of premium Jasmine Tea.

Zu Zong poured Zhu Zhuqing a cup and said with a smile, "Zhuqing, try this. It's Suotuo City's specialty, Jasmine Tea. It cools you down and clears internal heat. It's so hot today, so have some to cool off."

As he spoke, Zu Zong reached into his right hand and took out a paper fan, fanning Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing rolled her eyes at Zu Zong. "Unprompted kindness hides either treachery or theft. Tell me, what exactly is your relationship with that Xiao Wu?"

Zu Zong nodded. Ever since he had seen Zhu Zhuqing just now—no, ever since he had confirmed their relationship—he had been considering where Xiao Wu stood in his heart.

When he had first awakened his Martial Soul, Xiao Wu's place in Zu Zong's mind had been that of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring and Soul Bone.

When they first met, he had not acted because he could not yet absorb a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring and because she was a Young Girl.

As they gradually spent more time together, Zu Zong had long abandoned that selfish idea of harming others for his own benefit. But he still had not opened his heart to her. All he felt was the thrill of stealing Tang San's opportunity.

Even after living together day and night for a year, Zu Zong still reminded himself, "She's a rabbit, she's a rabbit."

It was not until Nuoding Academy went on break and they returned to Emperor Soul Village, where Xiao Wu acknowledged Old Tom as her grandfather, that Zu Zong found a reason—a reason to treat Xiao Wu as family. This was the reason he had been unable to find for so long. In truth, his heart had already begun gradually accepting Xiao Wu as a girl. That was also why he had somehow given the Transformation Pill to Xiao Wu.

Now, six years had passed. It would be impossible to say he had no feelings for Xiao Wu in that regard.

It would be more accurate to say he had been headed in the wrong direction from the very beginning. The first time he saw Xiao Wu, his subconscious had already treated her as Tang San's wife from the original story: a Soul Beast who had stood by and ignored her husband taking the Auspicious Beast's divinity, leading the Soul Beasts toward destruction.

Thinking back, he had casually forced upon Xiao Wu mistakes she had not yet made. What staggering arrogance that was. Unlike Tang San, who had been deeply influenced by feudal thinking and steeped in the teachings of those vicious and sinister people from the Tang Sect, treating the principles of conduct in the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record as everything, with his stubborn beliefs rooted deep within him.

Xiao Wu was different. She could no longer make the same mistakes she had in the original story. Because the one by her side was no longer Tang San, but Zu Zong.