I'll Make Sure You Can't Get Out of Bed Every Day

Ye Qiu looked at the dark circles under Xiao Wu's eyes and couldn't help laughing.

Then, with a hint of inexplicable guilt in his eyes, he said something that left Xiao Wu completely baffled.

"I'm really sorry about earlier."

"?"

Xiao Wu stared at him blankly, then looked him up and down. She quickly realized what he meant, and her eyes filled with resentment. She gritted her teeth, seething with anger.

"Don't think that just because you apologized, I won't beat you until your teeth are scattered all over the floor once Sister Xiao Wu gets better! Just you wait—Sister Xiao Wu's going to smash your butt!"

Xiao Wu glared fiercely at Ye Qiu, as if she could already picture herself sitting on top of him and pounding his backside.

Ye Qiu seemed to read her mind. With a teasing look, he leaned closer and asked softly:

"You don't actually think you can beat me, do you?"

"Why wouldn't I be able to beat you?!"

Xiao Wu was putting on a brave front now, as though she hadn't just been beaten to tears.

Even with tear stains on her delicate, lovely face, her skin still looked fair and luminous, with a faint blush. She puffed out her cheeks and glared at Ye Qiu. Paired with those comical dark circles, she was unexpectedly cute.

"In that case, while you're still recovering, I'll make sure your butt is swollen every day and you can't get out of bed!"

Ye Qiu held a lollipop and savored it slowly, smiling gently as he spoke in a tender voice.

But his words made Xiao Wu's face fill with alarm.

She glared at Ye Qiu and cried out indignantly:

"You wouldn't dare!"

Even after she spoke, Xiao Wu's body was still trembling slightly.

It was the lingering aftereffect of her sobbing. Seeing how serious Ye Qiu looked, she glanced away.

She didn't sound very confident.

Looking at Ye Qiu's smug, teasing expression, she couldn't help gritting her teeth.

She forced herself to say, "Th-then Sister Xiao Wu won't smash your butt! But Sister Xiao Wu still wants to challenge you. I refuse to call you boss!"

"Sure! You're welcome to challenge me."

Ye Qiu smiled faintly. He still wasn't completely confident about facing Tang San, but he wasn't particularly worried about Xiao Wu.

He hadn't even fully shown off the agility of his Venom Martial Soul yet.

With that, Ye Qiu stopped provoking her.

He wanted to smooth things over so she would be willing to help him test Venom's ability to envelop someone. He'd never covered anyone with it before!

He could test it on the other boys in the dorm, but they were all prickly sorts.

Just imagining himself transformed into Venom, fitting snugly around one of them, only to get stabbed by those hideous Ice-Poison Needles, made Ye Qiu shudder.

And there was a reason people called them stinky men.

Given the choice, Ye Qiu would much rather snuggle up with a sweet-smelling girl than a man.

Slurp, slurp~

Ye Qiu sucked on his lollipop, pondering how to get Xiao Wu to cooperate.

The pink lollipop went in and out of Ye Qiu's mouth.

The air nearby was filled with sweetness and the fresh scent of carrots.

Xiao Wu, sitting nearby, gave a little sniff.

After two fights in a row and a long bout of crying, she was already a little hungry.

She watched the thing in Ye Qiu's hand and breathed in its carrot scent, swallowing involuntarily.

Ye Qiu had just started wondering whether he should use Xiao Wu's identity as a Soul Beast to threaten her into cooperating, when he suddenly noticed her staring longingly at his lollipop.

At the sight of that,

Ye Qiu's eyes lit up.

It seemed he didn't need to reveal his trump card so soon. Threatening her with it would be simple, direct, and effective.

But he was a stranger she'd only just met. If he told her that there was a Titled Douluo nearby, this silly rabbit might not believe him.

And if she foolishly tried to run away, got caught by Tang Hao, and told him about Ye Qiu, Ye Qiu would probably have to be reborn all over again.

For the sake of his lively little life,

it was better to play it safe.

Ye Qiu still didn't know that his Martial Soul was about to give him a huge shock—or perhaps a pleasant surprise.

Noticing Ye Qiu looking her way,

Xiao Wu quickly averted her gaze, but still couldn't stop herself from swallowing.

Ye Qiu gave a slight smile. Holding the stick at the bottom, he waved the lollipop in front of Xiao Wu twice.

"Want some?"

"Sister Xiao Wu doesn't want anything from you."

Xiao Wu's words said no, but her eyes kept following the lollipop back and forth.

Ye Qiu chuckled. "If you want some, just say so. It's not like I won't share!"

"Really?!"

Xiao Wu's expression brightened at once.

"Of course."

Ye Qiu nodded seriously, then changed tack:

"You just have to help me with one little thing."

"Help you with what?"

Xiao Wu looked at Ye Qiu curiously.

"It's nothing serious! My Martial Soul can actually be worn by someone else. I want to try putting it on you."

There was no need to hide it, so Ye Qiu told her the truth.

"That little black tadpole?"

Xiao Wu's eyes flickered slightly.

She was actually curious about Ye Qiu's Martial Soul, too. Without giving it much thought, she nodded.

"Sure."

"Great! Then I'll give you something to eat. Open your mouth!"

Ye Qiu smiled. He hadn't expected it to be so easy.

Xiao Wu blushed, parted her lips, and waited for Ye Qiu to put it in.

Ye Qiu was just about to turn around and get one from his bag.

Then he stopped and changed his mind. He didn't have many left, so he had to manage his supplies carefully.

He gave a mischievous smile.

Then he held out the lollipop in his hand and guided it toward Xiao Wu's mouth.

Xiao Wu's pupils trembled. She tried to close her mouth, but it was too late.

Ye Qiu was quick. He pushed it right into her mouth, nearly hurting her throat. To make the candy melt faster, he even moved it around twice.

"Ah—cough, cough!"

Xiao Wu suddenly cried out.

Then she started coughing. Her throat was full of sweetness, and the taste lingered in her mouth.

But... Ye Qiu had already eaten it!

Xiao Wu's cry

also made Tang San and Wang Sheng, who had been talking nearby, turn to look.

Ye Qiu was sitting beside Xiao Wu, looking perfectly calm.

After coughing,

Xiao Wu took the lollipop out of her mouth and held it in her hand, glaring at Ye Qiu in embarrassment and annoyance.

"Y-you gave me one you'd already eaten?!"

Hearing Xiao Wu, Tang San finally understood what had happened. He frowned and hesitated.

He thought of how Xiao Wu had barely paid any attention to him earlier.

The words he'd been about to say slipped back down his throat, but he still felt vaguely uncomfortable.

"This is my last carrot-flavored one. If you don't want it, fine. You can give it back, and I'll eat it myself!"

As he spoke, Ye Qiu reached for the lollipop in her hand, then immediately started bringing it toward his own mouth.

"Ah! B-but I've already eaten it!"

Xiao Wu cried out and stood up. She covered Ye Qiu's mouth with one hand and snatched the lollipop from his hand with the other.

"Mmph!"

Ye Qiu struggled twice and pushed Xiao Wu's hand away.

"Ptooey, ptooey!"

He brushed at his mouth and glared at Xiao Wu.

"Why did you put the hand you used to prop yourself up off the ground over my mouth? It's filthy—it's covered in dirt!"

"You shoved something you'd already eaten into my mouth first! Hmph, now we're even!"

Xiao Wu glared at Ye Qiu. She looked at the lollipop in her hand, hesitated, then blushed and slowly leaned toward it.

She tentatively gave it a little lick.