The Ice Phoenix soaring through the sky slowly descended and returned to Shui Bing'er.
Her icy blue eyes slowly opened.
They reflected the handsome blue-haired, blue-eyed youth before her.
"Ye Qiu. Thank you~"
Shui Bing'er called softly.
The five Spirit Rings beneath her—two yellow, two purple, and one black—slowly faded away.
"Haha."
Ye Qiu smiled.
He stepped forward, crouching before Shui Bing'er.
Raising a hand, he pinched her cool, delicate cheek and said gently:
"This is the result of your own hard work."
"Otherwise, relying on the sacrifice alone probably wouldn't have brought you to level fifty-five."
"But wasn't Sea God Island your achievement too?"
Shui Bing'er pursed her red lips and raised her hand, lightly covering the back of Ye Qiu's hand.
She pressed it to her face and gently caressed it.
Thinking of the decision she had made even before the sacrifice,
Shui Bing'er's face suddenly grew hot.
Under Ye Qiu's puzzled gaze, she parted her lovely red lips.
She gently took Ye Qiu's thumb into her mouth, coating it with a trace of fragrant moisture as the tip of her tongue curled around it.
It sent a tremor through Ye Qiu's heart.
Soft, slick, warm—the comfort within was beyond words.
"Bing'er?"
Ye Qiu's strange look made Shui Bing'er's face flush even more deeply.
Yet she also noticed the unrest in his eyes.
After sucking his thumb clean, she released it.
Shui Bing'er looked up at Ye Qiu and said softly:
"Ye Qiu, I want you to come back to Skywater Academy with me and stay for the night."
"C-can you?"
Shui Bing'er looked at Ye Qiu shyly.
She held his hand in both of hers and pressed it against her soft chest.
"Haha."
Ye Qiu laughed helplessly. Since it had been placed right into his hands, naturally