I like him?

"Tea... Teacher."

"My legs are numb, I really didn't mean it."

"Please don't hit me!"

"Let me recover for a second..."

"Really."

Even though Chen Xing knew he had messed up, he couldn't resist at all right now.

For no other reason!

His legs were numb!

He couldn't move!

His legs felt like a snowy mosaic; the more he tried to move, the more they tingled.

Bibi Dong took a deep breath, her chest heaving as she clenched her delicate fists.

Furthermore, that fist was right in front of Chen Xing's eyes; he could even smell the floral scent on her hands...

"Chen! Xing!"

"I really am..."

Hoo~

For some reason, the half-sentence she had gritted out came to an abrupt halt, replaced by her continuous deep breathing.

In truth, Bibi Dong knew that Chen Xing hadn't done it on purpose either time.

Besides, it was she who insisted on having him by her side, and she who had insisted on scaring him like that.

So, she was now trying to rely on deep breathing to regulate her emotions.

It had been so many years since she had such intimate contact with anyone.

This Chen Xing had broken her routine again and again, yet she found herself unable to leave him behind.

Forget it!

He was only a six-year-old child, after all.

Thinking this, her anger indeed subsided quite a bit.

She bent down, helped Chen Xing up, and put on what she considered a very kind, smiling expression, saying.

"Little Xing!"

"Next time you're sleepy, Teacher will find you a chair. Standing while sleeping is so uncomfortable."

Chen Xing's legs hadn't fully recovered yet, and most of his body weight was still supported by Bibi Dong's lift.

Seeing this woman act so out of character, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

When things are abnormal, there must be a demon; Chen Xing didn't believe Bibi Dong would change her nature so quickly. There was definitely something fishy going on.

He forced the corners of his mouth to twitch, pulling off a stiff, insincere smile.

"Th... that..."

"Teacher, why don't you just stay mad at me instead."

"I'm even more scared like this!"

As the words fell, Bibi Dong's expression froze.

The upturned corners of her mouth slowly dropped, and her narrowed eyes gradually opened wide.

Realizing things were going south, Chen Xing suddenly began to beg for mercy loudly.

"Wait! Wait!"

"I was wrong, I won't run my mouth again..."

"Pwah~"

Tiantou City.

Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, sat at the desk, reviewing the memorials in her hands.

The sorrow between her brows, which she couldn't shake, grew even more intense after she flipped through a few more documents.

In her heart, she had never forgotten the figure of that young boy.

Logically speaking, he was just a genius with slightly better talent; even if she were sad about this matter, the reason should lie in the attitudes of Bibi Dong and the Worship Hall.

But why did Chen Xing's figure keep appearing in her mind lately?

They had only met a few times, after all.

Distraught and restless, a ridiculous thought suddenly popped into her head.

Could she be...

You've fallen for him, haven't you!

The moment this thought emerged, it grew like wild weeds, spreading uncontrollably.

Impossible!

He is just a child, and she is nine years older than him; how could she possibly fall for a child?

Although that guy is quite handsome... and his strength is formidable.

No, no, she cannot keep thinking like this.

This thought is truly terrifying.

Rather than that, she would much prefer to attribute her recent restlessness to exhaustion.

To avoid letting her mind wander further, Qian Renxue set down the documents in her hand and walked out of the room.

In the courtyard.

The jasmine flowers planted by the maids were in full bloom this month.

She didn't know how they were cultivated, but the jasmine on the Douluo Continent came in seven different colors.

The floral fragrance drifted into her nostrils, providing a slight relief to Qian Renxue's originally troubled mood.

Yet, the more she tried not to recall something, the more her mind insisted on bringing it up.

As soon as she closed her eyes, Chen Xing's face appeared before her.

She remembered that when she first met Chen Xing at the Ye Mansion, there seemed to be many yellow jasmine flowers nearby.

Thinking of this, she simply gave up and let herself go.

Think then! Think as hard as you want!

"She Long!"

With a soft shout, she summoned She Long from the shadows.

"Regarding the movements of Chen Xing and Bibi Dong that you were ordered to observe, has anything special happened recently?"

The moment She Long heard the name Chen Xing, his expression became noticeably unnatural.

Qian Renxue keenly captured this, and her heart sank immediately.

"As I thought!"

"That woman Bibi Dong really intends to destroy him!"

Thinking of this, a trace of regret flickered in her beautiful eyes, and her eyelashes trembled slightly.

If she had been more insistent that day, would the outcome have been different?

Seeming to have lost all hope, Qian Renxue let out a long sigh and said.

"I can handle it, speak."

Seeing this, She Long no longer hesitated.

"Young Mistress, according to the reports."

"Chen Xing, he doesn't seem to be doing very well..."

"In just one day, he was treated by the healing-type Soul Douluo of the Spirit Hall twice."

"Each time, he was nearly dead from severe injuries."

"And..."

At this point, She Long paused slightly, as if the following words were difficult to utter.

As for Qian Renxue, she was already struggling to stand steady the moment she heard the first sentence.

Beaten to the brink of death twice in a single day!

He is only a six-year-old child!

Bibi Dong, you woman, how could you have the heart to do this!

To suppress her agitated emotions, she took deep breaths, trying to release the pressure in her heart.

Her fists were clenched so tightly they creaked, and she gritted her teeth.

"And what? Continue!"

She Long bowed slightly, burying his head low.

"And, since the last time the Pope took action, Chen Xing has been in a coma for three days."

Bang!

As She Long's voice fell, the railing in Qian Renxue's hand was crushed into powder.

Wood splinters scattered everywhere, some even piercing into her flesh, causing blood to trickle out.

"Bibi Dong!"

"Are you even human?"

Even though she had mentally prepared herself, hearing that Chen Xing had been subjected to such abuse still made it impossible for her to keep her emotions in check.

Qian Renxue could not understand why Bibi Dong insisted on opposing the Worship Hall, and why she insisted on opposing her.

Even if she had to go against her, why did she have to use Chen Xing as a sacrificial lamb?

From childhood to adulthood, this woman had always given her a very strange feeling.

Ever since she arrived at the imperial palace to carry out the infiltration plan, she had learned a great deal about handling interpersonal relationships and had witnessed many power struggles.

Therefore, when it came to viewing matters, Qian Renxue was no longer the little girl she once was.

Vaguely, she could even sense that Bibi Dong seemed to both love and hate her.

She also sensed that her grandfather, Qian Daoliu, had always been indulging many of Bibi Dong's overstepping actions due to some kind of indebtedness.

Until this incident with Chen Xing occurred.

It made her even more certain of the thoughts in her heart.

Bibi Dong was simply determined to oppose her for no reason; no matter what decision she made, Bibi Dong would always stand on the opposite side.

And her grandfather, although he had always supported her since she was young, would still choose to favor the other party when compared to the debt he owed Bibi Dong.