"This, this is a punishment. Yes, a punishment for yelling at me!"
Meeting Xiao Wu's unwavering gaze, Ye Qiu stammered, then spoke with conviction, as if he'd found an excuse.
After saying that, he slowly lay down, turned onto his side, and closed his eyes, shutting out the world around him.
"H-how can you do that?!"
Kneeling on the bed, Xiao Wu was caught between embarrassment and anger. She gritted her teeth and stared at Ye Qiu, at a loss.
"Sister Xiao Wu, what's wrong?"
Hearing Xiao Wu's shriek and noticing that her face looked strange, Wang Sheng hurried over and looked at her with concern.
"Could you have been hurt earlier?"
"No, nothing like that. How could Sister Xiao Wu get hurt?"
Xiao Wu hastily composed herself and hurriedly wiped her mouth with her sleeve.
Wang Sheng asked in confusion,
"Then why is your face so red, Sister Xiao Wu?"
"I-I'm just hot."
Xiao Wu snapped, her gaze darting away. Then she lay down and waved Wang Sheng off.
"Don't bother Sister Xiao Wu. I'm going to rest!"
Seeing this, Wang Sheng assumed Xiao Wu was tired after obtaining her Soul Ring and quietly left.
Xiao Wu lay on the bed with her back to Ye Qiu, gently brushing her slender fingers over her red lips, her mind in turmoil. If it had been anyone else, she would have served them a Waist Bow by now. But facing Ye Qiu, she wasn't even that angry. She didn't know if it was because she didn't dare.
Night fell over the land.
Ever since Ye Qiu had put his mark on Xiao Wu,
the two of them hadn't spoken from noon until dinnertime.
Whenever their eyes met, Xiao Wu would look away.
It was completely dark now.
All the work-study students, including Tang San and Ye Qiu, sat cross-legged on their beds and began cultivating.
Only Xiao Wu was different.
As a Soul Beast who had undergone Soul Beast Transformation, she didn't seem to need to cultivate much. She was lying on her blanket, watching Ye Qiu with flushed cheeks, lost in thought.
Ye Qiu was meditating with his eyes closed when he suddenly felt someone tugging at his sleeve, making it hard to focus.
He furrowed his brow and opened his eyes. Xiao Wu's pretty face greeted him.
"What is it?"
Ye Qiu raised an eyebrow and looked at her curiously.
"Ye Qiu."
Xiao Wu called softly, her face flushed. She tugged at his sleeve with her head bowed, her voice as faint as a mosquito's.
"Why did you do that to me?"
After asking, Xiao Wu lifted her head slightly and looked at Ye Qiu in confusion.
She still couldn't quite understand.
"Huh?!"
Ye Qiu tilted his head and gave her a strange look. Then he played dumb, saying something he didn't mean:
"Didn't I tell you already? It was your punishment. What, do you have a problem with that?"
"But you said I was pretty yesterday."
Xiao Wu's face held a hint of bashfulness.
Ye Qiu's praise seemed different from everyone else's.
"You are pretty!"
Ye Qiu smiled and nodded. As soon as he finished speaking, he leaned in as if to bring his face close to hers again.
"Ah! D-don't come any closer!"
Panic flashed in Xiao Wu's eyes. She pushed at Ye Qiu's face with both hands, leaning back and waving her fists.
"If you do that again, Sister Xiao Wu will beat you up!"
Xiao Wu widened her eyes, but there was no hiding the embarrassment and panic in them.
"Beat me up? Do you dare?"
Ye Qiu smiled faintly and sat up straight again.
"I..."
Xiao Wu froze for a moment, then remembered what Ye Qiu had said earlier. She bit her red lip, puffing up in anger.
"Didn't we agree that I could challenge you? Sister Xiao Wu is challenging you right now!"
Xiao Wu looked at Ye Qiu seriously, touching her burning cheeks. Still bashful, she spoke softly, "Let's forget about what happened before. If I beat you, you can't bully me whenever you want anymore."
"Sure!"
Ye Qiu didn't refuse. He also wanted to test his Soul Skill. It had some limitations, but its efficiency had improved greatly!
Xiao Wu's third Soul Skill, Instant Transmission, and fourth Soul Skill, Invincible Golden Body, were both excellent life-saving abilities. And as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast who had undergone Soul Beast Transformation, she had great potential. As long as she followed the proper path and didn't die young, she would at least become a Titled Douluo. Giving her the first spot was no loss at all.
As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Qiu got out of bed, put on his school uniform, and headed outside.
"Come on. Let's see how strong Sister Xiao Wu is."
"Hmph! You'll find out in a minute!"
Seeing him walk straight outside, Xiao Wu quickly jumped off the bed, put on her shoes, and hurried after Ye Qiu in small, quick steps, reaching out to grab his sleeve.
"Ye Qiu, slow down."
Tang San, sitting cross-legged on his bed, opened his eyes and watched the two of them walk away. He shook his head helplessly, curiosity in his eyes.
He knew Ye Qiu had also obtained his First Soul Ring, and he was quite interested in Ye Qiu's current strength. Besides... he felt a faint hint of something else.
Outside Dorm Seven.
Beside a flower bed not far away.
Cultivating at night had become a Soul Master's routine. Not a soul stirred throughout Notting Academy; no one would come to disturb Ye Qiu and Xiao Wu.
Ye Qiu and Xiao Wu stood facing each other.
Looking at Ye Qiu, who still looked like a little boy and wasn't making a move, Xiao Wu stared at him in confusion.
"Ye Qiu, are you going to fight or not?!"
"Of course I am. But before that, I need you to do me a little favor!" Ye Qiu said with a faint smile, stepping toward Xiao Wu.
"A favor? What do you need me to do this time?"
Xiao Wu watched as Ye Qiu came to stand in front of her, looking a little wary. The last time she'd helped Ye Qiu because she wanted something to eat, she'd exposed her identity. She still hadn't gotten over it.
By the time Ye Qiu stood in front of Xiao Wu, a yellow Soul Ring had appeared in his hand. At its center was a tiny black-and-white tadpole.
"Don't worry. It's simple. You just need to let my Martial Soul wrap around you."
Xiao Wu raised her hand and poked the little tadpole on Ye Qiu's palm with her pale fingertip.
She asked suspiciously, "You mean, you just need to let your little tadpole go inside my body again?"
"Uh..."
Ye Qiu's mouth twitched.
He didn't make a fuss about it. After all, knowledge in this world was limited, and Xiao Wu had lived deep in the mountains. She could be arrogant and domineering, but she wasn't that kind of person.
"Yeah, I just need to let my little tadpole stick to you... Ahem, I mean, let my Martial Soul attach to your body."
The words had nearly slipped out wrong. Ye Qiu immediately corrected himself and continued, "So, are you willing to help me?"
Xiao Wu thought for a moment, then nodded lightly and held up five fingers in front of Ye Qiu. "Of course I don't mind helping you. But you have to give me five lollipops as payment!"
"Sure."
Ye Qiu agreed without a second thought.
"What do I have to do? Just poke your little tadpole?"
"Yeah. Just press it against me, then activate your Martial Soul."
"Okay. Sister Xiao Wu will do what you say."
Before you continue