The unexpected deep resonance during their Soul Power fusion that night was like a stone thrown into a still lake, sending ripples spreading outward and quietly changing the once-hazy barrier between Tang San and Xiao Xiaoxiao.
From then on, their interactions gained an indescribable tacit understanding and... a subtle tension.
On the Training Ground, whenever Tang San underwent restorative training and a dull pain flared in his right arm as his Soul Power circulated, causing him to frown almost imperceptibly, he could always feel a concerned gaze upon him. He did not need to turn around to know it was Xiao Xiaoxiao. She, too, seemed to have learned how to show concern more subtly. Rather than anxiously questioning him as before, she would simply hand him a cup of water at just the right temperature during his breaks, or quietly release a thread of exceptionally gentle Mental Fluctuation when pain disrupted his breathing, like a soft breeze soothing his restless meridians.
Tang San remained a man of few words, but he gradually grew accustomed to—and... reliant on—her silent company and care. He would naturally accept the water she offered, relax his tense body slightly when her Spiritual Power soothed him, and even casually push his own towel toward her whenever sweat appeared on her brow from focused training.
These subtle changes did not escape the sharp eyes of the companions who spent every day together.
"Pfft, did you notice? The cup Xiao San drinks from always seems to be the one Xiaoxiao hands him," Ma Hongjun said during a training break, nudging Oscar with his elbow and waggling his brows.
Oscar chuckled and lowered his voice. "It's not just the cup! Look at Xiao San's towel. I clearly saw Xiaoxiao using it yesterday, so how did it end up in