"Are you questioning me?"
Shui Bing'er felt her heart tighten, but unlike usual, she didn't back down.
Instead, she leaned closer.
The distance between them was so small they could feel each other's breath.
The uniquely cool fragrance on Shui Bing'er, mingled with the sweet scent of a young woman, drifted in wisps into Xue Tianyu's nostrils.
"Bing'er wouldn't dare."
Shui Bing'er's voice softened, her eyes filled with an unyielding grievance that refused to fade.
"I just... just can't accept it."
"What gives Huo Wu the right?"
"She isn't even worthy of touching the hem of the captain's clothes, yet she dares to do something so shameless."
"If the captain wants to take in subordinates, plenty of people at Skywater Academy would gladly brave fire and water for you."
"She brazenly said she wanted to be your dog. Does that mean we can't do the same!"
Her words were outrageously explicit.
Even Shui Yue'er, standing in the back row, blushed with embarrassment.
Yet Shui Bing'er stared fixedly at Xue Tianyu, her eyes full of stubborn resolve.
From the moment Xue Tianyu had blocked Ice Empress's ultimate move with one hand during the entrance examination, Shui Bing'er's heart had been completely captured.
She was the captain of Skywater Team, a renowned genius of the Heaven Dou Empire.
But in front of Xue Tianyu, she was willing to be nothing more than his lowliest maid.
As long as she could stay by this man's side, she was willing to do anything.
Huo Wu's fervent actions that day had torn apart the reserve Shui Bing'er had always maintained, stirring a sense of crisis unlike anything she had ever felt.
Xue Tianyu reached out and pinched Shui Bing'er's fair chin between his long fingers.
With a little force, he lifted her face.
"So you want to imitate her too?"
Shui Bing'er was forced to raise her head, revealing her swanlike, jade-white neck.
Her cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
The sound of her pounding heart rang clear in the silent lounge.
"If the captain allows it..."
Shui Bing'er bit her red lip. Her eyes shimmered with undisguised tenderness and submission.
"Bing'er will obey you in every way."
"Even if you wanted me right now, Bing'er wouldn't so much as furrow her brow!"
Shui Yue'er stared wide-eyed from behind, her hand clamped tightly over her mouth.
Was this really her cool, proud older sister?
She was practically a different person!
But this was the real law of survival on Douluo Continent.
The kind of absolute, overwhelming power Xue Tianyu had displayed was enough to make any proud woman cast aside all her reserve and self-respect.
Xue Tianyu's gaze swept across Shui Bing'er's exquisite features.
His fingers slowly stroked her tender skin.
The faintly cool touch made Shui Bing'er tremble all over, yet she was so reluctant to pull away that she couldn't bring herself to move.
"You're smarter than her."
Xue Tianyu let go.
"But a smart person should know her place."
Shui Bing'er's heart lurched.
She hurriedly lowered her head and obediently placed both hands on Xue Tianyu's knee.
"Bing'er understands."
"Bing'er will always be the most obedient sword in the captain's hand."
"Whoever you want dead, whatever you want destroyed, I'll be the first to charge in."
"What Huo Wu can give you, I can give you."
"What Huo Wu can't give you, I can give you that too!"
Xue Tianyu casually picked up a cup of tea from the table.
"Words alone won't do."
Shui Bing'er abruptly raised her head, a strange light flaring in her eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation, she stood up.
In front of all her teammates, she reached out and unfastened the top button of her light-blue uniform.
Her snowy skin dazzled beneath the lights.
"Sister! What are you doing!"
Shui Yue'er was startled and hurried forward, trying to stop her.
"Step back!"
Shui Bing'er barked.
Shui Yue'er froze in place, not daring to take another step.
Shui Bing'er turned around to face the girls who had always been as close as sisters to her.
"What are you all standing around for?"
"You all saw how Huo Wu of Blazing Fire Team acted today."
"Countless women want to get close to the captain, and who knows how many pairs of eyes outside are watching him."
"Our Skywater Team has its current glory entirely because the captain holds us up."
"Without him, how could we stand against Shrek? How could we defeat Blazing Fire!"
Every word Shui Bing'er spoke struck home, thundering in the hearts of every girl from Skywater.
They thought back to every match they'd played lately.
Every opponent who dared to provoke the captain had been crushed into shards of ice scattered across the ground.
What intoxicating, domineering power!
"Our Skywater Academy has never admitted male students."
"But from the moment the captain stepped through our gates, every one of us has belonged to him in life and been his ghost in death."
"Are you willing to let an outsider outdo you!"
Shui Bing'er's words fell like a heavy hammer.
Shui Yue'er was the first to react.
She took a deep breath, went to Shui Bing'er's side, and knelt down as well.
"She's right, Sister."
"I'm willing to serve the captain for the rest of my life too, without complaint!"
One after another, Xue Wu, Yu Hairou, and the other teammates stepped forward.
A row of peerless beauties knelt in unison before Xue Tianyu.
The atmosphere in the lounge instantly turned alluring.
Their soft voices filled the room, and their beauty seemed to scent the air.
If the men outside the Great Soul Arena saw this scene, they'd be driven mad with jealousy on the spot.
Seven heavenly beauties, each captivating in her own way, were willing to lay down all their dignity just to win one man's favor.
Xue Tianyu took a sip of tea and set the cup back where it had been.
He didn't even glance at the others kneeling on the floor.
His gaze rested solely on Shui Bing'er, who had led them.
"Getting jealous already?"
His tone was calm, giving nothing away.
Shui Bing'er shuffled forward on her knees and pressed her cheek directly against Xue Tianyu's thigh.
Like a cat eager to please its owner, she rubbed against him gently.
"Of course I'm jealous."
"That madwoman looked at you like she wanted to devour you."
"I just couldn't stand it."
Shui Bing'er raised her head, her eyes shimmering with pitiful tears.
"Captain, are you really going to take Huo Wu in?"
"She has such a wild temper, like a powder keg that could explode at the slightest touch."
"Your sisters here are so much more considerate and obedient."
That was Shui Bing'er's true purpose in acting this way.
She absolutely wouldn't allow any woman to share Xue Tianyu's favor.
Especially not a defeated subordinate who had just been thoroughly put in her place. What right did she have to claw her way up through sheer persistence?
Xue Tianyu reached out and pinched Shui Bing'er's cheek.
This time, he used a little force.
Shui Bing'er winced in pain, but didn't make a sound. Instead, she leaned her face toward his hand, letting him do as he pleased.
"Are you trying to tell me what to do?"
Xue Tianyu's tone suddenly turned cold.
The temperature around them plunged in an instant.
A thin layer of frost even formed on the walls and the corners of the table.
Shui Bing'er paled with fright, her whole body shuddering violently.
"Bing'er wouldn't dare!"
"Bing'er was only afraid she might disturb you!"
She hurried to explain, tears welling in her eyes. Her helpless, fragile appearance was enough to break any man's heart.
But Xue Tianyu's heart had long since turned as hard as ten-thousand-year-old ice.
His grip didn't loosen in the slightest.
"If you wouldn't dare, then keep your mouth shut."
"It's up to me to decide who has the right to stay by my side."
"As for you..."
Xue Tianyu leaned down.
He brought his lips close to Shui Bing'er's ear, his breath carrying a bone-chilling frost.
"Don't think I can't see through these petty jealous schemes."
"Remember, everything you have was given to you by me."
"Stop with those useless tricks."
Shui Bing'er's heart raced wildly.
The fear of being seen through completely, mingled with a desire to submit to an overwhelmingly powerful man, left her weak all over.
She crumpled at Xue Tianyu's feet, nodding again and again.
"Bing'er understands."
"Bing'er won't dare again."
Only then did Xue Tianyu let go.
Two clear red marks remained on Shui Bing'er's fair cheek.
She didn't feel humiliated. Instead, she lifted a hand and touched the marks with reverence.
As if she were caressing some reward from her master.
Shui Yue'er watched, utterly dumbfounded.
She had never imagined that her proud, snow-cool older sister would become so humble in front of this man.
But as she looked at Xue Tianyu's cold, domineering profile, godlike in its aloofness,
Shui Yue'er realized she couldn't summon even the slightest urge to resist him.
She was even faintly jealous that her sister had been treated that way by him.
The aura this man carried was simply too lethal.
"Get up."
Xue Tianyu leaned back in his chair, his expression once again calm.
"Tomorrow, we face Thunder Academy."
"I don't want to see any surprises."
Shui Bing'er was pardoned at last and hurriedly scrambled to her feet.
She didn't even bother to straighten her slightly disheveled collar, standing respectfully at his side.
"Don't worry, Captain."
"Yu Tianxin's lightning is nothing in the face of your extreme cold."
"You won't need to lift a finger tomorrow. We'll take care of them."
Xue Tianyu closed his eyes and fell silent.
Shui Bing'er understood that this was a dismissal.
She took a deep breath, forcing down the tumultuous emotions roiling within her.
Then she turned and gave her sister and the other teammates a look.
The girls of Skywater Team were as relieved as if they had been pardoned. They quietly filed out of the lounge.
Just as the doors were about to close,
Shui Bing'er suddenly turned and glanced at Xue Tianyu.
"Captain."
Her voice was barely audible, yet filled with unwavering resolve.
"No matter how many people you have by your side in the future,"
"Bing'er will always be the best and most loyal one."
The doors closed completely behind them.
The light in the hallway flickered. The girls of Skywater Team all let out a long breath. The pressure in the lounge had been far too intense—it was the combined might of a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and an Ultimate Martial Soul.
Shui Yue'er patted her ample chest, her cheeks still flushed.
"That scared me to death. The look in Captain's eyes just now made my legs go weak."
Xue Wu leaned against the wall, her forehead beaded with fine droplets of sweat.
"Tell me about it. But Bing'er, you were awfully bold today, undoing your collar in front of everyone."
Shui Bing'er straightened her collar, her usual cool, haughty expression returning. Only deep in her beautiful eyes lingered a fervent passion for that man.
"As long as it makes Captain happy, what's the big deal? That Huo Wu needs to be taught a lesson. She really thinks she can act outrageous in front of Captain just because she's pretty. We have to let everyone know who's really in charge at Captain's side."
The girls chattered as they headed for their villa, their conversation revolving entirely around the man who had set their hearts aflutter.
Night gradually fell, and the city lights came on.
The temperature in the spacious first-floor living room of Skywater Team's private villa was far lower than outside. A thin layer of frost had even formed around the rims of the teacups on the coffee table.
Xue Tianyu sat in the main seat on the leather sofa, casually leafing through an ancient book. He wore a loose, pure-white shirt, its collar slightly open to reveal his firm chest. No lamps were lit. Only the cool moonlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, falling across his godlike, handsome profile.
Soft footsteps sounded.
Shui Bing'er approached, carrying a purple-clay tray. She had already bathed and changed into a water-blue silk nightdress. The paper-thin fabric clung tightly to her figure, tracing curves so perfect they took one's breath away. The hem was very short, and as she walked, her long, fair legs alternately came into view. She wore no shoes; her tender white feet made no sound against the soft carpet.
At the sofa, Shui Bing'er brought her knees together and knelt naturally on the carpet. She placed the tray on the coffee table, then lifted a small white porcelain bowl in both hands.
"Captain, this is Snow Lotus Soup that Hai Rou just finished making. I chilled it with Soul Power. It's just the way you like it."
Xue Tianyu didn't look away from the book in his hands.
"Just leave it there."
But Shui Bing'er didn't do as he said. She shuffled forward on her knees until she was right beside Xue Tianyu's leg. Picking up a white porcelain spoon, she scooped up some glistening Snow Lotus Soup and carefully brought it to his lips.
"Captain, you've been working hard reading. Let Bing'er feed you."
Xue Tianyu glanced at her, opened his mouth, and swallowed the spoonful of Snow Lotus Soup.
Seeing this, Shui Bing'er immediately beamed.
She fed him one spoonful at a time, every motion brimming with devotion. Her beautiful eyes never left Xue Tianyu's face.
Afterward, she took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the corner of Xue Tianyu's mouth. Then, in the same motion, she placed both hands on his thighs and began kneading them with just the right amount of pressure. The girl's distinctive scent mingled with the fresh fragrance of her bath, wafting softly into his nose.
"Is the pressure okay?" She tilted her little face up at him, her voice so soft it seemed to drip with sweetness.
"Mm." Xue Tianyu turned a page and answered casually. That single word was enough to make Shui Bing'er as happy as if she'd received the greatest reward.
At the top of the stairs, Shui Yue'er poked half her body out and secretly peered downstairs.
Seeing her sister monopolizing Xue Tianyu, she immediately pouted. She came thumping down the stairs in a similarly skimpy pair of short pajamas, proudly showing off her youthful figure.
"Big Sister's so sneaky! You came to see Captain while I was drying my hair."
Shui Yue'er squeezed onto the other side of the sofa and threw her arms around Xue Tianyu's, rubbing her cheek against it.
"Captain's playing favorites, only eating what Big Sister feeds you. Yue'er brought washed grapes too!"
Xue Tianyu set down the book and looked at Shui Yue'er, who was clinging to him like a kitten.
"What else can you do besides eat?"
Before you continue