Three Women Clash, Meeting an Old Acquaintance Again

Dawn

The rising sun swayed up from beyond the distant mountain ranges, its brilliant golden radiance sweeping away the gloom as the sky brightened and the earth cleared.

Warm sunlight fell upon the beauty lying on the lounge chair on the balcony.

Golden light clung to her long, curled eyelashes.

Perhaps the glaring sunlight made her eyes uncomfortable. Qian Renxue frowned slightly, her lashes trembled, and her eyes slowly opened.

Freshly awake, her beautiful eyes still carried a hint of hazy drowsiness.

Her vision gradually sharpened from a blur.

She looked to the side.

The figure that had been there was gone, leaving only an empty lounge chair gleaming beneath the sunlight.

As her senses gradually returned, she felt a faint weight pressing down on her.

Qian Renxue extended a hand and groped at it sleepily.

At some point, a thin little blanket had been draped over her.

"Did I fall asleep...?"

Qian Renxue gradually recalled what had happened the night before.

Luo Li had practically laid all his cards on the table with her.

The outcome had not been bad. It had even been quite pleasant.

With the boulder in her heart finally lifted, Qian Renxue had felt lighthearted. She lay back down to admire the moon and think.

Perhaps it was the stillness of the night, along with the gentle songs of nightingales by her ears.

She watched, she thought, and her thoughts drifted farther and farther away until she fell deeply asleep.

She had never slept so well before.

It was as though every nerve in her body had completely relaxed, allowing her to enjoy a truly comfortable, peaceful sleep.

When she woke, her mind felt clear and tranquil, and she was utterly refreshed.

Holding the little blanket over her with one hand, Qian Renxue seemed to think of something. Her moist red lips curved faintly upward.

The door slowly opened.

Luo Li returned to the room after his usual sword practice.

He saw that Qian Renxue was already awake, yet still lying on the lounge chair on the balcony.

"Good morning, Miss Qian."

"G-Good morning!"

Qian Renxue hurriedly lowered the little blanket she had raised to the tip of her delicate nose and replied somewhat awkwardly.

Two rosy clouds rose on her fair, pretty face.

She sat up from the lounge chair, folded the blanket on her, and placed it on the chair beside her before rising to her feet on her long legs.

The blush on her cheeks had yet to fade, and even seemed to deepen slightly.

Her small hands tightly gripped the hem of her skirt as she explained shyly, "I don't know what happened last night, but I just fell asleep..."

Staying overnight in a man's room for no reason whatsoever looked rather like she was throwing herself at him.

Qian Renxue felt uneasy.

He wouldn't think she was a frivolous girl, would he?

But she was clearly overthinking it.

Luo Li had never entertained such a thought.

He could sense how relaxed Qian Renxue had been the night before, and he understood.

After days of taut nerves, finally relaxing for once and falling into a deep sleep was perfectly normal.

Just like when he had left the City of Slaughter. After Tang Yuehua's Noble Domain had calmed his killing intent, he had also slept deeply in the residence for an entire day and night.

"Mm, I know," he said softly.

Seeing Luo Li's calm expression and that he did not seem to think poorly of her because of it, Qian Renxue's anxious heart gradually settled.

"Do you practice swordsmanship every morning?" Qian Renxue deliberately yet casually started a conversation.

She now greatly enjoyed the time she spent talking with Luo Li.

After last night, she could put down her mask and speak with him as her truest self.

That feeling fascinated Qian Renxue, who had always been accustomed to wearing a mask.

"It's just a habit I developed over time," Luo Li replied casually.

He did not find it troublesome. He simply treated it as rest and relaxation after practicing swordsmanship.

The two chatted idly, one sentence here, another there.

Yet the atmosphere was not awkward at all; instead, there was a strange sense of familiarity between them.

Knock, knock!

A light knock at the door interrupted their conversation.

Luo Li opened the door, only to see the stunningly beautiful faces of Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling.

"Dean Lord, we brought you breakfast."

Dugu Yan raised the paper bag in her hand, which contained breakfast.

Ye Lingling held three cups of soy milk in her small hands.

"Thanks for the trouble," Luo Li said softly, leading them into the room.

As soon as they entered, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling naturally noticed the blond figure in the room.

The radiant smile on Dugu Yan's face stiffened ever so slightly.

Why was this woman in Dean Lord's room?

"Miss Dugu, hello~"

Qian Renxue waved and took the initiative to greet Dugu Yan.

Dugu Yan forced out a smile and nodded.

Pretending to sound casual, she said, "Miss Qian, you came quite early."

But Qian Renxue answered honestly, "Not really."

"I only just woke up."

Those highly suggestive words inevitably led Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling's thoughts in a certain direction.

"Miss Qian spent last night here with Dean Lord?" Disbelief filled Dugu Yan's emerald-green eyes.

Yet Qian Renxue nodded slightly, unusually candid. "Yes, I spent the night here with Young Master Luo."

Two blushes appeared on her pretty face at the most inappropriate moment. "It was too late last night, so I didn't go back..."

Each ambiguous sentence made Dugu Yan's expression grow increasingly unpleasant.

Ye Lingling's red lips beneath her veil pressed tightly together, losing some of their color.

Qian Renxue took both of their reactions in at a glance.

She secretly felt smug. Did these two little girls really think they could compete with her?

"We only stayed up too late watching the moon and fell asleep, that's all," Luo Li said blandly.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling's eyes immediately lit up.

Looking over the room carefully, they found it neat and spotless, without the slightest sign of disorder. It looked nothing like what they had imagined.

The two looked back at Qian Renxue, their gazes now carrying a touch of dissatisfaction.

This woman had clearly been deliberately steering their thoughts in that direction!

Qian Renxue paid no heed to their displeased looks. She merely found it a pity that her plan had been ruined.

What a shame. She still hadn't managed to make the two of them give up their improper thoughts.

Qian Renxue thought to herself.

Luo Li ignored the clash among the three women and simply took the paper bag Dugu Yan had brought and began eating breakfast.

Though the three women were still full of barely concealed hostility, they kept it well restrained, calling each other sister with every other sentence and sounding exceptionally close and friendly.

However, when the other members of the Imperial Dou Team saw the three girls emerging from the room with Luo Li, their expressions all turned strange.

Yu Feng silently patted Yu Tianheng on the shoulder, signaling the captain to accept his condolences.

After all, Yu Tianheng's feelings for Dugu Yan were no secret among the Imperial Dou Team.

In response, Yu Tianheng merely gave a bitter smile and silently abandoned his original hopes.

He did not think he could compare to Dean Lord.

Fortunately, his feelings had not run too deep, and he had noticed some signs earlier on. Having prepared himself mentally, giving up was not particularly difficult.

Following the original plan, Luo Li led the Imperial Dou Team onward to the Great Soul Arenas in other cities for further training.

When they arrived at Skywater City, a graceful figure came running toward them from afar with delighted steps.

"Brother Luo!"

She had finally waited for him!