Zhu Lu: Huabin, You Seem to Have Changed.

"Counting ants?"

Dai Huabin teased.

"Hu... Huabin?"

Zhu Lu stared at him blankly, taking a moment to process what she was seeing.

"When did you get here?"

"Just now."

Dai Huabin took a step forward.

The distance he closed crossed a line.

Zhu Lu instinctively wanted to retreat half a step and maintain their usual "master-and-servant" distance, but Dai Huabin didn't give her the chance.

He reached out and wrapped an arm around her slender waist. With a slight tug, he pulled the usually frosty little cat into his arms.

The area around them fell silent for a few seconds.

Then came several sharp intakes of breath, along with the sound of a few boys' hearts shattering into pieces.

Zhu Lu went stiff all over.

Her face rested against Dai Huabin's chest, and she could clearly hear the steady, powerful beat of his heart.

He was holding me?

In public?

The old Dai Huabin had hated showing affection in public, thinking it unbecoming of a noble and far too frivolous.

He would only touch her in a perfunctory manner when they needed to practice their Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

"Don't move."

Dai Huabin felt her stiffen in his arms. He leaned close to her ear and murmured,

"Let me hold you for a while."

His warm breath brushed her sensitive earlobe, and Zhu Lu went limp halfway.

"But... so many people are watching..."

Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz. Her cheeks quickly flushed red, and her chilly, keep-your-distance aura crumbled in an instant, leaving her like a helpless little kitten.

"Let them watch."

Dai Huabin said it carelessly, even tightening his arms around her with a hint of mischief.

"I'm the White Tiger, and you're the Spirit Cat. We were made for each other.

"Since we have to practice our Martial Soul Fusion Skill, being in tune with each other is the very least we need.

"I used to be thoughtless. From now on, we should talk more, understand?"

Zhu Lu was dizzy with confusion. She hadn't really heard his reasoning; all she could think about was the words "from now on, we should talk more."

Not far away, two passing upperclassmen wore expressions like they'd just swallowed something awful.

"Damn, are the younger students this bold these days? Giving everyone a front-row seat to their romance on the first day?"

"Seeing other people together makes me sick with envy. I want a catch like that too."

"Forget it. With that chicken of a Martial Soul, you couldn't catch a cat even if you had one."

Dai Huabin heard the whispers around them and didn't push things too far. After holding her for a little while, he let go.

The little kitten was shy. If he held on any longer, she'd probably start smoking.

"Have you picked up your dorm key?" Dai Huabin asked, naturally taking Zhu Lu's hand.

Zhu Lu lowered her head and looked at their intertwined fingers, her palm burning.

"I... I have. Room 403."

"I'm in Room 103."

Dai Huabin raised the copper key in his hand. "Put your things away, and I'll take you to eat. You must be hungry, right?"

"I'm not hungry..."

"Grrr!"

As soon as Zhu Lu finished speaking, her stomach gave a very unhelpful growl.

Her already crimson face turned so red it looked ready to bleed. She wished she could find a crack in the ground to hide in.

Dai Huabin couldn't help laughing.

He reached out and flicked the tip of Zhu Lu's nose.

"Come on, don't pretend with me. Let's go to Shrek City. I heard there's a good restaurant over there."

Half an hour later.

On the bustling East Street in Shrek City.

Inside an upscale restaurant.

A table laden with exquisite dishes, all in the style of the Star Luo Empire, had been served. Dai Huabin had clearly ordered them especially for her.

Zhu Lu held her chopsticks but barely touched her food. Her gaze stayed fixed on Dai Huabin, as if she were trying to stare a flower into existence.

"What is it? Do I have food on my face?" Dai Huabin asked with a smile.

"Huabin..."

Zhu Lu bit her lip, then finally couldn't hold back her question. "Did something... happen to you?"

"Hmm?"

Dai Huabin speared a piece of steak he had cut and held it right up to her mouth.

"Why do you ask?"

Zhu Lu opened her mouth without thinking and ate it. After chewing a couple of times, she glanced at him uncertainly.

"It's just... you seem different. You never treated me like this before, and you never... smiled so much."

The old Dai Huabin had been consumed with thoughts of surpassing his half-brother, Dai Yueheng, and fighting for power within the family.

His eyes had always been filled with ambition, gloom, and arrogance. When he looked at Zhu Lu, it was as if he were inspecting a tool to see whether it would serve him well.

But these past few days, Dai Huabin had been very different.

The ease and warmth that seemed to come from deep within him felt unreal to Zhu Lu, even a little frightening.

She was afraid it would prove as fleeting as a flower that bloomed only briefly—or that he was simply putting on an act before plotting something even bigger.

Dai Huabin set down his knife and fork.

He wiped his mouth, looked out the window at the bustling crowds, and fell silent for a few seconds.

"Did you finish what you had to do?" Zhu Lu added cautiously. She meant the matter he had insisted on handling alone earlier.

"Yeah, it's done."

Dai Huabin turned back to her, his eyes settling on her anxious little face.

"Lulu, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

The name "Lulu" made Zhu Lu's heart quiver.

"Actually, while I was away this time, I came to understand a lot of things."

Dai Huabin tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his tone turning solemn.

"I used to keep my eyes on goals that were out of reach. I always felt like the whole world owed me something. In my pursuit of so-called strength, I overlooked a lot of the people and things right beside me."

Dai Huabin reached across the table and took Zhu Lu's hand where it rested near the edge.

Her fingers were cold, but the moment he held them, she clasped his hand back, gripping it tightly.

"You're my fiancée, the person who'll stand at the peak with me in the future."

Dai Huabin looked straight into her eyes. Her flustered face was reflected in his mismatched irises.

"If I can't even cherish the person who's been best to me, then even if I become a Titled Douluo, I'll still be all alone."

"Huabin..." Zhu Lu's eyes instantly turned red.

She had longed to hear those words for so long.

She had worked hard at her cultivation and struggled to keep up with Dai Huabin. Even when he neglected her and scolded her, she had never once thought of leaving.

Zhu Lu had thought this was all her life would ever be.

She had never expected happiness to come so suddenly.

"All right, don't cry. You won't look pretty if you do."

With an amused smile, Dai Huabin handed her a tissue.

"I was wrong before. I was blind. It won't happen again. Hurry up and eat. Afterward, we'll take a walk by Sea God Lake."

"Mm!"

Zhu Lu nodded firmly, held back her tears, and began devouring the food on her plate.

The food tasted especially delicious today.

After dinner, dusk began to fall.

The lights of Shrek City came on, bathing the ancient city in a dazzling glow.

The two walked side by side along a path by Sea God Lake.

The evening breeze stirred, carrying the lake's distinctive damp scent. Now and then, they caught glimpses of pairs of upperclassmen in yellow uniforms among the trees.