Xiao Wu's Attitude, Private Time for Godmother and Daughter
Ning Rongrong shrank back in fear of her imposing manner, but the gossip fire in her eyes still burned fiercely.
Dugu Yan was not afraid at all; on the contrary, she laughed even more happily.
"That's right, Teacher Er Long."
She spread her hands, making a "See, isn't that clear?" expression.
"You yourself said that you would never kiss Flender out of excitement, much less Yu Xiaogang."
"Then why could it be A-Qing in particular?"
Dugu Yan's words were like a precise scalpel, directly dissecting the thin veil of shame in Liu Erlong's heart.
"Kissing someone else is 'impossible,' but kissing A-Qing is 'uncontrollable.'"
What does this mean?
She slowly drew out the last syllable, like an experienced old cat poking at a mouse that had completely given up the struggle.
"This shows that your gratitude towards Lin Qingmo is not entirely gratitude."
"I..."
Liu Erlong opened his mouth.
He couldn't utter a single word.
She wanted to refute it; she had to refute it.
If she doesn't refute this, her teaching career will be over—no, it's not just a matter of her teaching career, it's that her entire reputation will be completely ruined!
If this gets out, Liu Erlong's reputation in the Soul Master World will probably be even worse than that of the Evil Soul Master.
What kind of behavior is this? Morally depraved, and even involving people of a different generation?
But what could she say in rebuttal?
Dugu Yan was absolutely right; every word she said was correct, and every sentence hit her right where it hurt.
Do things like expressing gratitude depend on appearance?
Although Lin Qingmo indeed very handsome—no, that's not the point.
The key point is that she seems, probably, possibly, seemingly, perhaps, is interested in this kid...
No, no, no, that's impossible!
Liu Erlong's brain was working frantically, as if it had been put on accelerator.
I desperately try to scavenge a reasonable, decent answer from the corners of my memory that can explain everything.
The internal drama intensified, and Liu Erlong realized in despair that the more excuses she came up with, the more she resembled a scumbag woman trying to whitewash herself.
Because all the answers point in the same direction.
That direction was something she had always wanted to avoid and had never dared to face.
"So."
Zhu Zhuqing's voice rang out again, as cold and clear as a scalpel just taken from an ice cellar, devoid of any emotion, yet sharp enough to cut through any disguise.
"Teacher Er Long, do you like A-Qing?"
That's a very blunt question.
"!!!"
It was so direct that it felt like all the air in the room had been instantly sucked out.
Even the cicadas on the crooked tree outside the window wisely kept quiet.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for Liu Erlong's answer.
Those few seconds of silence were so quiet you could hear everyone's heartbeat.
Liu Erlong's heart was pounding like a drum set.
"..."
Xiao Wu remained silent.
She hasn't said a word since she walked in.
She just sat there quietly, looking at Liu Erlong, then at Lin Qingmo.
Her eyes, which always sparkled with lively light, were now as deep and unfathomable as two bottomless pools.
Finally, she spoke, "Er Long's mother."
She called her "Er Long's Mom".
It's not "Teacher Er Long," not "Teacher Liu," and certainly not the Bingbing "Dean."
The name floated softly from her lips, without emphasis or deliberate pause, yet those four words pierced Liu Erlong's heart like a needle.
Liu Erlong's shoulders trembled violently.
"So, you've really fallen for A-Qing?"
Xiao Wu's gaze rested calmly on her face, neither pressing nor evading.
Looking into those eyes, Liu Erlong suddenly felt that all his excuses, all his ulterior motives, and all his self-deceptions had become pale and powerless at this moment.
The girl in front of her, who called her "Er Long's Mom," wasn't there to question her.
I came here to hear her tell the truth herself.
She can be stubborn in front of the whole world.
The only thing you can't be stubborn about when someone calls you "Er Long's mother".
Liu Erlong took a deep breath, feeling something churning violently in his chest.
She gripped the fabric on her knees tightly.
never mind.
Dying once is the same as dying twice, dying three times... Since you're already dead, you might as well die knowing why.
She raised her eyes, her lips slightly parted.
"I--"
"Wait a moment."
Xiao Wu suddenly stood up.
The movement was subtle, yet it abruptly cut off the words Liu Erlong was about to say.
All eyes turned to Xiao Wu.
Her expression remained calm, but a hint of unfathomable light appeared in her deep eyes.
"Er Long's mother, I'd like to talk to you alone."
Liu Erlong was taken aback.
Let's talk privately?
She subconsciously looked into Xiao Wu's eyes, trying to find some clues within them.
Is it the calm before the storm, or is there something they really don't want to say in front of everyone?
Xiao Wu's expression was too calm; nothing could be read from it.
Liu Erlong was silent for two seconds, then finally nodded.
"... good."
She stood up and followed Xiao Wu outside.
The two figures disappeared through the doorway.
The door was gently closed.
Only four people remained in the courtyard.
Lin Qingmo, his expression perfectly summed up in four words.
Who am I? Where am I? What just happened?
He was sidelined from beginning to end, even though he was the physical center of the whole incident.
He was the one being kissed.
Throughout the entire process, no one asked him how he felt; it was as if he were just a silent prop in the story.
This is so lacking in presence!
Where's the promised treatment of the male lead? Where's the status he'd have in the center of this Asura scene?
So he was just a background character?
Lin Qingmo was internally ranting, but he tried his best to maintain a calm expression on his face.
At least he appeared relatively calm.
"Cough cough."
Dugu Yan was the first to break the silence.
She turned around and looked at Lin Qingmo openly, a smile on her lips that seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold.
"A-Qing, since Teacher Er Long and Xiao Wu are not here, I'll just get straight to the point."
Lin Qingmo's heart skipped a beat.
This opening line sounds like it's about to intensify his performance?
"As you've seen, Teacher Er Long's attitude towards you can't be explained by 'teacher-student relationship' or 'gratitude to a benefactor'."
"She almost admitted it when Zhu Zhuqing asked her that question."
Dugu Yan crossed her legs, crossed her arms, and looked at herself with a mix of mockery and seriousness.
"So I want to ask you, how do you plan to treat Teacher Er Long?"
"And what are you planning to do with Xiao Wu time?"
Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong immediately blinked her big eyes and fixed her gaze on Lin Qingmo's face, her ears practically perking up like a rabbit's.
Her beautiful eyes burned with a fierce thirst for gossip.
But deep within the flames, there seemed to be a subtle, inexplicable tension.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't speak, but quietly turned her head and aimed her deep, night-like eyes at Lin Qingmo.
Three pairs of eyes, three directions, all locked on the same target.
Lin Qingmo felt as if those three gazes were about to poke three holes in his face.
There was a few seconds of silence.
He shrugged.
The movements were very gentle, and the expression was very calm.
"You're asking me what I plan to do? You've got the question backwards."
Dugu Yan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Lin Qingmo leaned back in his chair, spread his hands, and looked innocent.
"From beginning to end, I didn't have the power to make the decision about this matter."
"You've got the point wrong. It's not about 'how I choose,' but about how Xiao Wu and Teacher Er Long choose."
He paused, his tone still relaxed, but every word carried real weight.
"Xiao Wu is my lover. If she and Teacher Er Long can accept it, then I don't care. If Xiao Wu can't accept it, then I'll listen to her."
"It's true that I like beautiful women. I don't pretend, and there's no point in pretending."
His open admission surprised Dugu Yan for a moment.
Such shameless and blatant words, when spoken by someone else, are considered the talk of a scumbag.
The way Lin Qingmo said it made it sound inexplicably self-righteous.
After all, he has never cultivated an innocent persona.
From beginning to end, he had this "that's just how I am" attitude.
His answer was no different from "I accept all comers".
"But there is one."
Lin Qingmo raised a finger, his expression changing from nonchalant to serious.
"I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings because of this."
He didn't emphasize his words, slam his fist on the table, or adopt a sentimental posture when he said them.
He said it so casually, as if stating something self-evident.
Lin Qingmo couldn't let Xiao Wu be sad.
Dugu Yan was taken aback.
She had assumed Lin Qingmo would dodge the question, be vague, and spout a bunch of nonsense like "Well," "Let me think about it," or "The situation is rather complicated."
Instead, this guy kicked the ball right to Xiao Wu's feet.
No, to be precise, he was convinced from beginning to end that there was no ball at his feet at all.
The decision wasn't his; it belonged to Xiao Wu.
He wasn't avoiding making a choice.
He had already made his choice.
If Xiao Wu allows him to have a harem, then he will accept all comers.
If they won't let us pass, then we won't open.
"..."
Dugu Yan fell silent, her fingers unconsciously stroking her chin, her eyes flickering thoughtfully.
Ning Rongrong blinked, then blinked again, something subtly changing in her eyes.
When she heard Lin Qingmo say, "It's true that I like beautiful women," she almost wanted to grab the teacup on the table and smash it at him.
Although she didn't know why she was angry.
But when she heard the last sentence, "You can't hurt Xiao Wu," her hand quietly withdrew from beside the teacup.
My heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
strangeness.
I'm not Xiao Wu, why should my heartbeat miss for her?
Ning Rongrong mentally cursed herself.
Zhu Zhuqing remained silent, only slightly lowering her eyelashes.
From an angle unnoticed by anyone, the corner of her mouth twitched very, very slightly.
It was a very subtle, very brief arc, one that even she herself might not have noticed.
Lin Qingmo's answer seemed to satisfy her.