Dark Demon Evil God Tiger (Part 2)

"A... apology?"

Gu Chensha stood frozen in place.

Setting aside why Ye Lingling would go out of her way to find him to apologize, the mere fact that she could locate his dormitory was abnormal enough.

They had only met twice in total:

Once at the Education Committee office.

Once at the scene of the brawl last night.

They hadn't even exchanged a single word.

Could it be a twin who looked just like her?

No, that would mean even less of a connection.

"Um, could you let me in to talk?"

Ye Lingling's voice seemed even more nervous than his own.

Gu Chensha was silent for a second before stepping aside to clear the doorway.

Ye Lingling walked in with her head lowered, bringing with her a faint scent of begonia flowers as she passed him.

The fragrance was clean and sweet, yet it inexplicably stirred a sense of dissonance in Gu Chensha's heart.

He felt it was completely at odds with the cold, distant temperament she usually projected while wrapped in her black robes.

Moreover, there was something else off about it, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what.

He closed the door behind him, seeing her without her black veil clearly for the first time.

She had swapped her signature black attire for a knee-length white cotton dress, the hem embroidered with delicate silver begonia patterns.

Her slender calves were encased in white silk stockings as thin as cicada wings, making her skin appear almost translucent.

Contrasting with her waterfall of blue hair, she possessed a breathtaking, clean beauty.

Yet, this deliberately soft appearance, paired with her fidgety demeanor, made the atmosphere in the room feel subtle.

A man and a woman alone in a room—it was the same setup as when Bai Chenxiang visited, yet the feeling was worlds apart.

Gu Chensha's mouth twitched.

How was this development looking more and more like the classic opening of those unspeakable adult films from his past life?

Ye Lingling was also quietly sizing up the simple dormitory.

There were no unnecessary decorations; the bed was tidy, and the desk was clean.

If he had to say, it didn't look like a young man's room at all.

"Sit."

Gu Chensha pulled over the only chair and offered it to her, sitting on the bed himself; regardless of her intentions, it wasn't right to leave a guest standing.

Ye Lingling sat down gently, her hands placed neatly on her knees, sitting straight, yet still keeping her head bowed.

She tried to speak several times, her lips moving, but she swallowed her words each time.

After a full half-minute, she took a deep breath, looked up, and her eyes were filled with guilt.

"About Orleans... I'm sorry."

Gu Chensha raised an eyebrow: "Why are you apologizing for Orleans's actions?"

"I was the one who asked him to test you."

Ye Lingling's voice dropped lower. "I only asked him to gauge your strength; I didn't expect him to hold a grudge and bring a dozen people to ambush you."

"...And to say those insulting things to your friends."

"It was my lack of consideration that caused you trouble."

Gu Chensha was stunned.

He had found it strange earlier—how could a noble like Orleans suddenly target a freshman he didn't even know?

So, it turned out that Ye Lingling was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes.

But that made even less sense.

He and Ye Lingling had no grievances; why would she send someone to test him?

It couldn't possibly be because of that one glance they exchanged in the Education Committee office, could it?

He stared at her for a few seconds and spoke slowly: "Why did you want to test me?"

Ye Lingling's body trembled slightly, and she bit her lip even harder.

Her mouth opened slightly, as if she wanted to say something.

But the words reached her lips only to be blocked by something, unable to be spoken.

The girl who usually seemed indifferent to everything in the world now sat there like a child who had done something wrong, at a loss, radiating an awkward sense of embarrassment.

Her mother had only told her to make contact with Gu Chensha first, but had repeatedly warned her never to tell him about the family's affairs, or it would only be counterproductive.

But now that she was asked to her face, she couldn't come up with a decent excuse at all.

Moreover, after her mother learned that she had sent Orleans to test him without permission and nearly caused a major incident, she had flown into a rage, ordering her to apologize in person and show sufficient sincerity.

This was the first time she had ever paid the price for her own mistakes.

She had no idea how to apologize to anyone, let alone a boy she had only met twice.

She could only clumsily follow her mother's instructions, even spraying on some of the perfume her mother had given her.

Watching her eyes turn slightly red, Gu Chensha felt rather uneasy instead.

What kind of development was this?

Was his question that hard to answer?

Why did it look as if he were the one bullying her?

The scene looked bizarre no matter how one viewed it; anyone unaware would think he had caught this goddess of the Imperial Dou Battle Team by the throat, forcing her to wear a dress and come to his room to admit her faults.

He was clearly the victim here.

He sighed inwardly.

Actually, if Ye Lingling had taken the initiative to sincerely admit her mistake and apologize, he wouldn't have continued to nitpick.

"If you don't want to say it, then don't. I forgive you."

Gu Chensha spoke up.

Ye Lingling looked up, her eyes full of surprise, clearly not expecting him to let it go so easily.

"However..."

Gu Chensha changed his tone, looking into her eyes with a calm but serious expression.

"You should know that the most excessive things Orleans said were not directed at me, but at my friend, Fei Yu."

"Those insulting words were aimed at her, not me."

"In my opinion, she is the one who was hurt the most."

"Therefore, I am not the only one you need to apologize to."

"When she returns, you should apologize to her."

Ye Lingling was silent for a few seconds before nodding gently.

"Alright, I understand."

Once those words were out, Gu Chensha was taken aback, then felt a bit awkward.

He hadn't intended to keep Ye Lingling in his dormitory, but he felt that, reasonably and ethically, she ought to apologize to Bai Chenxiang.

But since the words were already out, he couldn't very well make her wait in the hallway.

Staying was fine, then.

It was just... that sense of incongruity from earlier was growing stronger.

That faint, delicate fragrance had somehow become more intense.

Wisp by wisp, it drilled into his nostrils, causing a strange heat to rise in his lower abdomen, making his breathing grow heavy.

At first, he thought it was just the heat of the weather, but after sitting for so long, the heat hadn't subsided; instead, it burned brighter, as if a fire were raging in his gut.

Gu Chensha's expression shifted, and he hurriedly closed his eyes, attempting to use his soul power to suppress this abnormal heat.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing his sudden change in expression, Ye Lingling asked in confusion.

"I should be the one asking you,"

Gu Chensha's brow twitched, "What exactly is that perfume you're wearing?"

Only after his reminder did Ye Lingling belatedly realize that her own body was growing hotter and hotter, her cheeks burning fiercely.

An indescribable restlessness rose in her heart, and she felt an urge to tear off the clothes she was wearing.

She had been so focused on apologizing earlier that she hadn't noticed the abnormality in her body at all.