"Hehe, we actually won."
Tang Ya bounced along the way, making no effort to hide how happy she was.
Watching her, Chu Mo said nothing. He simply gazed at the lively girl before him.
"Xiao Lu is amazing! She can help us cultivate and even turn invisible."
"Gurgle~"
Xiao Lu paid no mind to the praise. Instead, she tucked into the fruit she'd won in the match.
As they headed toward the place where they'd agreed to meet Wang Dong'er and the others, a voice suddenly called out to them in a hurry!
"Xiao Ya!"
Tang Ya jolted at the sound. There was no way she didn't know who it was.
Looking in the direction of the voice, she saw Bei Bei, just as expected. Chu Mo said nothing and simply watched in silence.
But just like Xu Sanshi, Bei Bei shifted his puzzled gaze from Tang Ya to Chu Mo, sizing him up as if he were a rival in love!
"Junior, you're Chu Mo, right? Nice to meet you. Xiao Ya is always so carefree. I'm not sure how you ended up fighting Xu Sanshi, but could you tell me what happened? I'll see that you get justice."
Bei Bei didn't say anything harsh. He simply spoke as though Tang Ya were someone close to him.
"Uh..."
Chu Mo didn't know how to respond. While he was still hesitating, Tang Ya stepped in front of him and spoke.
"Bei Bei, don't call me Xiao Ya..."
Before she could finish, Bei Bei seemed to anticipate what she was about to say.
"All right, all right, Teacher Tang Ya."
Chu Mo stared blankly at the two of them from behind. He hadn't expected Tang Ya to be telling the truth. It seemed she really had been driven to this by her hatred.
Tang Ya shook her head gently. "No. Don't call me Teacher, either."
"Hm?" Bei Bei's eyes widened. She wouldn't let him call her anything at all? Why did he have a bad feeling about this?
"Your status is a little too lofty for me. In the declining Tang Sect, you'd also be looked down on by your family because of me. So you're expelled from the Tang Sect. Just call me Tang Ya. We're still friends."
Knowing he already had a fiancée, Bei Bei had still pursued her. But he had saved her life at a crucial moment, and the light he'd given her had been genuine. In the end, Tang Ya couldn't bring herself to say anything that would cut ties between them.
Bei Bei's face changed dramatically at her words. He reached out as if to ask what was going on.
"What's wrong, Xiao Ya?"
Tang Ya deliberately stepped away and shook her head.
"Call me Tang Ya."
Bei Bei's hand froze in midair, his expression disbelieving. Why had everything changed so much in just two days? It was as if a thick, invisible wall had sprung up between them.
Chu Mo, the one responsible for all this, felt awkward. He scratched his head. Just as the three of them stood facing one another, unsure what to say, someone else arrived.
"Xiao Mo, Xiao Ya!"
At the sound of the voice, Chu Mo's body trembled slightly. Xiao Lu, nestled in his arms, was especially startled; the fruit in her hands nearly fell to the ground.
"Nannan, what are you doing here?"
Tang Ya turned around, her gloomy expression replaced by a smile as she asked.
"Hehe, you went and challenged Xu Sanshi, who's level 37, with Soul Power just above level 30. Of course I was worried about you."
Jiang Nannan pouted slightly and rolled her eyes. Though she was teasing Tang Ya, she was utterly charming.
But as soon as she turned around, she gave a soft snort!
"Stop right there!"
Chu Mo's attempt to escape had failed, leaving him awkwardly scratching his head. He tried to make small talk and change the subject, but it came out incredibly unnatural.
"Hahaha, Nannan, it's you! I didn't even notice."
Xiao Lu had already been put away.
Otherwise, Jiang Nannan would definitely have snatched Xiao Lu and claimed her for herself. She might even have taken her back to the dormitory.
Neither Xiao Lu nor Chu Mo liked that idea. After all, they both knew what it felt like. For a normal man, this wasn't a treat; it was torture.
"Hmph, like I'd believe that. I know you too well. Hurry up and give me Xiao Lu."
Jiang Nannan didn't believe him for a second. She held out her hand, demanding Xiao Lu.
"Haha, Xiao Lu got tired from the match and is resting. Some other time, okay? Next time."
Chu Mo waved his hand, refusing.
He'd kept his promise and come here, so why hadn't she greeted him with the affection he'd imagined, like a sweet hug?
"Then why didn't you come see me as soon as you arrived? You even tried to run away just now. Did you not want to see me?"
If she couldn't have Xiao Lu, so be it. They were at the academy now, and there was no need to rush. Jiang Nannan changed the subject, crossing her arms and looking furious, her eyes full of hurt like an abandoned young wife.
Girls were so hard to deal with. Chu Mo could only keep explaining.
"Haha, I was going to pick out a gift before coming to see you."
Why hadn't he gone to see her right away? He had considered picking out a gift and visiting her tomorrow. Besides, he'd had so much to do today, and now that he was enrolled, there was no rush. That was why he hadn't gone.
It was evening, and plenty of people were hurrying off to dinner. Many of those leaving the Duel Arena passed by them.
"Ah, isn't that Jiang Nannan, the Outer Court's number-one beauty?"
At the shout, people eager for some gossip stopped and followed the speaker's gaze.
"What are they doing?"
"Obviously! Jiang Nannan is with another guy late at night. What else could it be but a date?"
"But isn't that Chu Mo, the guy who just fought in the Duel Arena? Isn't he together with Senior Sister Tang Ya?"
"Two-timing?"
"Maybe they're relatives?"
None of the four had low cultivation, and the people around them weren't even trying to keep their voices down. Chu Mo, the subject of the gossip, felt incredibly awkward.
"Ahem! Forget it. Let's go."
Bei Bei had a thousand questions, but he didn't want other people gossiping about them. Any rumors would be bad for Tang Ya's reputation.
"Okay."
The other three had no objections. After all, they were the ones being discussed. How could they possibly stay here? They were afraid someone might come over to interview them if they stayed any longer.
Their agreed meeting place wasn't far away. Once they'd decided to leave, they all used their Soul Power to speed up and headed there.
They left, but the gossip remained, spreading through the crowd and growing wilder by the minute.
Suddenly, someone spoke up:
"Wait, I just remembered that Senior Xu, the one who competed in the arena, seemed to be pursuing Jiang Nannan."
That reminder jogged the memories of everyone who loved gossip, and they began piecing things together.
"Right, right! I've heard that too. But Jiang Nannan keeps turning him down, saying she already likes someone. Could it be...!"
"Could it be...!"
Gossip was human nature. As the story spread, the rumors grew more and more outrageous. Before long, people were saying that a powerful new junior had just enrolled and callously stolen his close friend's girl.
Some even claimed that the person the Outer Court's number-one beauty, Jiang Nannan, liked was...!
A few sharp-eyed people even spotted Bei Bei.
The beloveds of the Outer Court's Twin Stars had both been stolen. Was this a distortion of human nature, or a collapse of morality?
But Chu Mo and the others had no idea. By then, they'd already reached the place where they'd agreed to meet Wang Dong'er and Huo Yu'er.
They saw the two standing there blankly, probably asking in the group chat when they'd arrive. After all, they really were a little late.
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