Chapter Forty-Nine: Qilin: Sit Properly!

"Goddess, Ashe, I have to say, your methods are really something." Lena rested one hand on Ashe's shoulder.

With the other, she lightly wiped away the tears that had come from laughing so hard.

Lena got her emotions under control and said brightly,

"That bastard Ajie. I told him before that he was irresponsible when it came to picking people, but he wouldn't listen. He kept going on about how Heaven would place a great responsibility on a person only after first making their heart suffer. All that stuff."

"The people he picked aren't bad. All he has to do is talk them onto the right path. Looking at it now, he wasn't wrong."

"He really did use that mouth of his to get someone with Ge Xiaolun's temperament to go beat someone up. That's no small feat."

"I admire him! And I hope Ge Xiaolun learns something from what happened with Ajie. That'll make it easier for me to teach him from now on."

She gave Ajie a thumbs-up, offering him a silent show of approval.

Listening to Lena, Ashe leaned back against the sofa and replied casually, "I hope so."

Honestly, she didn't think there was much chance Ge Xiaolun would change because of this.

After all, Ge Xiaolun had beaten Ajie in a fit of rage, provoked both by Rose's words and by the shattering of his illusions after learning the truth.

If either of those things hadn't happened, Ge Xiaolun would probably have gradually forgotten about it and quietly stayed at the academy, just as in the original story.

And although Ge Xiaolun had made his choice now, no one could be sure what he was thinking. Maybe he'd felt the satisfaction of venting his anger. Maybe he regretted acting on impulse.

No one could say for sure.

People were hard to change because of a single event or a book.

Even though many people set lofty goals, plenty of them had only a three-minute burst of enthusiasm. Ashe had been the same in her previous life.

She'd drifted through every day in a daze, then left the world just as aimlessly.

With a self-mocking smile, Ashe shook her head. Without this unexpected second chance, she figured regret would have been the only thing she felt at the end.

A melancholy feeling crept over her. Just then, Rose placed one of her hands in Ashe's palm.

Seeing the confusion in Ashe's eyes, Rose glanced to the side and spoke so softly it was barely audible.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Ashe didn't know what Rose was thanking her for, but she could feel the warmth of her hand.

She replied just as quietly.

She noticed a faint blush spreading across Rose's fair cheeks.

For some reason, Ashe felt a deep sense of contentment.

That was right. The past was gone. Since she'd been given a second life, she should cherish what she had and make sure she had no regrets in the future.

Ashe wanted to take the initiative and clasp Rose's hand more firmly. But when Rose saw the surprised look in her eyes, she hurriedly glanced toward Lena, still nearby.

She was afraid Ashe's Gender Identity Disorder was acting up again.

Rose quickly whispered, "Wait until she leaves."

"Hm? Wait until Lena leaves for what? I'm just holding your hand normally. Why are you afraid of Lena seeing?"

Ashe answered unexpectedly loudly. Rose stared at her in shock and embarrassment, then pulled her hand away, rolled her eyes at Ashe, stood up, and left.

Meanwhile, Lena was eagerly reaching out to touch the Wheel of All Wishes and Hundred Eyes behind Ashe, which she hadn't put away yet.

Feeling a faint tingling at her fingertips, Lena paid no mind to Rose's departure. She looked at Ashe, who was watching her with a smile.

"You're just going to let her leave?"

"Didn't you have something to tell me? How could you say it if she stayed?"

Ashe caught the hand Lena had brought close to her side. Ever since they'd watched Ge Xiaolun and Ajie's big showdown, Lena had been secretly tickling Ashe around the waist with her other hand.

If Ashe couldn't figure out what Lena meant after two lifetimes, those lifetimes would have been wasted.

"Go on. What is it?"

Lena had none of a goddess's bearing. She flopped back and stretched luxuriously.

Her alluring curves were on full display as she stretched.

Her voice tinged with laziness, Lena said slowly, "It's that bastard Ajie's fault again!"

"Besides Ge Xiaolun, there's another important person on the list he was in charge of."

"Unfortunately, he's another hothead. He won't be easy to subdue, and he's a bit tricky to deal with. So I, your goddess, want to ask you for help."

"Help me establish my authority at the first gathering tonight!"

As she spoke, Lena's gaze sharpened. She sat up, looked at Ashe, and spoke seriously.

"Establish your authority? Sure!"

Ashe agreed without hesitation. She knew exactly who Lena was targeting.

Even if Lena hadn't said anything, Ashe might have ended up clashing with him tonight.

Why not?

Besides...

Ding! Side Quest: Give them a basic understanding of the gods. Any means are allowed; the quest will be considered complete once the objective is achieved.

Reward: 3,000 Nurturing Points!

There were points to earn, too.

...No one knew how things had ended between Ge Xiaolun and Ajie.

And no one knew exactly what Lena and Ashe had discussed.

But when night fell and Ge Xiaolun walked into the classroom, his face was glowing. He held his head high, chest puffed out, looking full of confidence.

Ashe hadn't gone to the classroom with Lena and Rose.

With Rui Mengmeng tucked under her left arm and Qilin under her right, she walked between them, the three of them looking like close sisters.

When she entered the classroom, Ashe naturally noticed Ge Xiaolun's eyes light up and Zhao Xin's slight surprise.

She also noticed Rose at the back of the classroom, arms crossed over her chest, giving her an eye-roll the moment she arrived.

Ashe paid none of it any mind. She pulled Rui Mengmeng, who was looking around curiously like a little rabbit, over to sit beside her.

Rui Mengmeng obediently sat next to Ashe, placing her hands neatly one atop the other on the desk.

She sat with her chest out and head held high, staring straight ahead like a model student.

Ashe and Qilin exchanged a smile at the sight. Then Ashe sat down and shifted slightly.

Her long, shapely legs drew in and stretched out. The over-the-knee black stockings Qilin had specifically ordered her to wear caught the classroom lights, glimmering faintly. Ashe looked ready to rest her legs on the desk.

Beside her, Qilin keenly noticed Ge Xiaolun and Zhao Xin watching from the front of the classroom.

Their eyes widened unconsciously, and their lips curled up slightly. They both looked delighted at the prospect.

Qilin immediately grabbed Ashe's raised legs and pushed them down.

"Sit properly!"

When the strict caretaker got angry, Ashe obediently gave in.

Without hesitation, she pulled her chair closer and sat just like Rui Mengmeng.

Under Qilin's satisfied gaze, Ashe let out a helpless sigh.

Noticing that the view had disappeared, Zhao Xin and Ge Xiaolun exchanged a glance.