Are You Two a Couple?

Jiang Yunzhou clapped his hands and grinned at her.

He could no longer stand the looks from the passersby either, and was happy to put her down.

At his words, a vein throbbed at Zhu Zhuqing's temple. "I'm not your disciple. I haven't agreed to it yet!"

Jiang Yunzhou shrugged indifferently. "Did you forget something? Does it matter whether you agree or not? It won't change the established fact..."

Then his tone shifted, carrying a smugness that begged for a beating. "Heh, you should be secretly thrilled to become my disciple. Countless people have cried and begged to take me as their master, and I couldn't even be bothered to accept them."

Zhu Zhuqing silently rolled her eyes. This man's skin is thicker than a city wall. His narcissism knows no bounds!

If he said he wanted to pursue her, that would sound a hundred times more believable than taking her as a disciple.

No, why had she even thought that?

She took a deep breath and explained again, "I came here to find someone. Besides, I have many things of my own to do. I can't become your disciple. I'm truly sorry..."

Jiang Yunzhou chuckled knowingly.

Of course he knew whom she had come to find, but it was inconvenient to expose it to her face.

"Oh? Disciple, could it be that you traveled all this way to find your lover?"

He looked at her teasingly. "You're so young, with such great talent, yet instead of figuring out how to grow stronger, all you think about is romance?"

Zhu Zhuqing choked on his words.

Though unpleasant, they seemed to hit close to home.

No! She had indeed come to find someone, but she was looking for her fiancé, not some lover.

And she was here to stay alive and take revenge, not to fall in love!

"Don't talk nonsense! I'm not!" she retorted in agitation.

Jiang Yunzhou could not be bothered to argue with her and waved a hand impatiently. "Alright, alright. No need to explain. It's almost dark, and after traveling for so long, I'm starving."

"Hurry up and find somewhere to eat, then somewhere to rest."

He added, "Do you have money on you? You're treating me to this meal."

Zhu Zhuqing was speechless again, as though she had punched a wad of cotton.

Speaking of treating him, she did still have some gold coins left, but not many. This man would not eat her into poverty, would he?

She realized that the wounds on her body, which had originally been unbearably painful, no longer hurt in the slightest.

She instinctively lowered her head to inspect her arm. The injuries had almost vanished without a trace.

Her eyes brightened as she looked at Jiang Yunzhou with surprise and gratitude. "Um, you were the one who treated me, right? Thank you..."

"No need to be polite."

Jiang Yunzhou waved his large hand. "You're my disciple. It's only right for me to treat you."

Zhu Zhuqing opened her mouth, but swallowed the rebuttal that rose to her lips.

Forget it. Arguing with this man was a complete waste of breath. He would not listen anyway.

"What do you want to eat? Fine, I'll treat you."

"Anything. I'm not picky."

Jiang Yunzhou immediately cut in, looking like someone easy to feed. "Whatever you buy, I'll eat."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded silently and said no more.

The two found a restaurant in the city that looked fairly clean and respectable, then went inside.

They wolfed down their food and ate their fill.

Watching Jiang Yunzhou eat, Zhu Zhuqing wondered where he looked anything like a teacher.

He wanted to take her as his disciple? That seemed rather unreliable.

Following their previous plan, the two continued searching for a place to stay.

Perhaps fate had guided them, because before they knew it, they had arrived at the entrance of the Rose Hotel.

Jiang Yunzhou's eyes lit up. The moment he saw the name, he made up his mind—this was where they would stay!

He had long been curious about this place.

Over the years, he had kept a low profile and devoted himself to cultivation. This was also his first time setting foot in Suotuo City.

Excitedly, he pointed at the uniquely decorated hotel. "This place looks pretty good. Let's stay here!"

Zhu Zhuqing followed the direction of his finger. Her steps abruptly halted, and a flush rose to her cheeks.

She fumed inwardly. Is this guy doing it on purpose? Can't he tell this is a couples' hotel?

"No, let's choose another one. This place is..." she tried to explain.

"Why change? What a hassle. This is the one!"

Jiang Yunzhou waved his hand, then seemed to remember something and added, "Oh, right, you're still paying..."

Zhu Zhuqing's catlike eyes instantly widened. Why was she paying again?

Only she knew that her travel funds were already nearly exhausted. If she kept spending like this, even her academy registration fee might run dry.

Jiang Yunzhou walked a few steps ahead, then realized she had not followed. He turned and urged her on.

"Come on. What are you standing there for? What, can't bear to part with your gold coins?"

His eyes darted, and he deliberately sighed. "Sigh, never mind, then. You can find a hotel and stay by yourself. As for me... I can manage by finding a corner by the roadside for the night."

There was a touch of pitiful helplessness in his voice.

His words made Zhu Zhuqing's face burn, as if she were some cold-hearted and heartless person.

She bit her lower lip and clenched the deflated money pouch at her waist. This man really knew how to infuriate people. What a waste of that handsome face.

Yet in the end, she still reached out, grabbed the corner of Jiang Yunzhou's clothes, and dragged him toward the hotel entrance with her head lowered.

As soon as they reached the door, a conspicuous sign caught their eyes:

"Couples receive a 20% discount!"

Jiang Yunzhou saw it and brightened. He leaned close to Zhu Zhuqing and lowered his voice teasingly.

"Hey, see that? Couples get 20% off! How about we put on an act? Pretend for a bit?"

The word "no" nearly burst from Zhu Zhuqing's lips, but when she thought of the few pitiful gold coins jingling in her pouch, her refusal rolled around on the tip of her tongue before she swallowed it back down.

She even began to seriously suspect that this man had been plotting to take advantage of her from the very beginning.

"Hey!"

Zhu Zhuqing suddenly stopped, embarrassed and annoyed. "You—you haven't even told me your name yet!"

Jiang Yunzhou froze, finally realizing it.

That was right. He knew she was Zhu Zhuqing, but she knew absolutely nothing about him!

It was simply an oversight caused by the subconscious familiarity he felt toward her.

"Look at my memory!"

He slapped his forehead. "My name is Jiang Yunzhou."

"I-I'm Zhu Zhuqing," she replied softly.

"Oh, alright. Disciple, now that everything's clear, hurry up and get a room!"

Jiang Yunzhou let out a huge yawn. "I want to sleep until the world ends right now. I'm exhausted."

That was not a lie. He truly had not slept for several days.

The two approached the front desk to check in, and only then did Zhu Zhuqing belatedly realize a problem.

Pretending to be a couple would get them the discount, but they could only book one room!

Now she was truly stuck between a rock and a hard place.

She turned her head and stared at Jiang Yunzhou with catlike eyes full of resentment.

Were they booking this room or not?

The receptionist wore a sweet, professional smile as she gave them a helpful push. "Are the two of you looking for a room? Couples currently receive a 20% discount. May I ask if you two are a couple?"