Zhu Lu: Hua Bin, you seem to have changed.

"Counting ants?"

Dai Huabin teased.

"Hu... Huabin?"

Zhu Lu stared at him blankly, a bit slow to react.

"When did you arrive?"

"Just now."

Dai Huabin took a step forward.

The distance of that step crossed a line.

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

Dai Huabin reached out, wrapped his arm directly around her slender waist, and with a slight tug, pulled the usually icy little kitten into his embrace.

The surroundings fell silent for a few seconds.

Immediately after, there were a few sharp gasps, followed by the crisp sound of several boys' hearts shattering on the ground.

Zhu Lu went completely rigid.

Her face was pressed against Dai Huabin's chest, and she could clearly hear the steady, powerful heartbeat within.

He's hugging me?

In public?

The Dai Huabin of the past hated such public displays of intimacy, feeling they lacked aristocratic decorum and appeared frivolous.

He would only touch her as a matter of routine when they needed to practice their Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

"Don't move."

Dai Huabin sensed the stiffness of the person in his arms, leaned toward her ear, and whispered, "Let me hold you for a while."

The hot breath sprayed against her sensitive earlobe, and Zhu Lu's body went half-soft.

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

Zhu Lu's voice was as small as a mosquito's hum, and her cheeks quickly flushed a deep red. That icy aura that kept strangers at bay collapsed instantly, turning her into a bewildered little kitten.

"Let them watch."

Dai Huabin said indifferently, even tightening his arm with a mischievous glint, "I am the White Tiger, and you are the Spirit Cat; we are a natural pair. Since we are to practice the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, having our hearts in sync is the most basic requirement. I was ignorant before, but from now on, we need to communicate more, understand?"

Zhu Lu was dizzy, barely hearing the grand logic he was spouting; her mind was filled only with the phrase "communicate more from now on."

Not far away, two passing senior students wore expressions as if they were constipated.

"Damn, are the juniors these days this arrogant? Spreading dog food right after enrollment?"

"People are infuriating compared to others; I want a catch like that too."

"Forget it, with your grass-chicken martial soul, even if you were given a cat, you wouldn't be able to hold onto it."

Listening to the whispers around them, Dai Huabin didn't go too far; he released her after holding her for a while.

After all, the little kitten had thin skin; if he kept holding her, she might start smoking.

"Did you get your dormitory key?" Dai Huabin naturally took Zhu Lu's hand.

Zhu Lu lowered her head, looking at their interlaced fingers, feeling her palm burning:

"I... I did. It's room 403."

"I'm in 103."

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

"I'm not hungry..."

"Growl!"

No sooner had the words left Zhu Lu's lips than her stomach let out a very uncooperative growl.

Her face, already flushed red, turned so deep a crimson it looked like it might bleed; she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Dai Huabin couldn't help but laugh out loud.

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

"Alright, why are you still putting on an act with me? Let's go, to Shrek City; I heard there's a decent restaurant over there."

Half an hour later.

The most bustling East Street of Shrek City.

Inside a high-end restaurant.

Exquisite dishes covered the table, all in the style of the Star Luo Empire; it was clear that Dai Huabin had ordered them specifically.

Zhu Lu held her chopsticks, yet she barely touched her food. Her gaze remained glued to Dai Huabin, as if she were trying to see a flower bloom on his face.

"What? Is there food on my face?" Dai Huabin asked with a smile.

"Huabin..."

Zhu Lu bit her lip, finally unable to hold back the question, "Did you... encounter something?"

"Hm?"

Dai Huabin speared a piece of cut steak and held it directly to her lips.

"Why do you ask?"

Zhu Lu subconsciously opened her mouth to eat it, chewed twice, and her eyes flickered.

"It's just that... you've changed. In the past, you wouldn't treat me like this, nor would you... smile so much."

The Dai Huabin of the past had his mind filled entirely with how to surpass his half-brother, Dai Yueheng, and how to seize power within the family.

His eyes were always filled with ambition, gloom, and arrogance; when he looked at Zhu Lu, it was as if he were appraising whether a tool was useful enough.

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

The ease and tenderness that seeped from his very bones made Zhu Lu feel that it was unreal, even causing her a sense of panic.

She feared this was merely a flash in the pan, or perhaps a disguise before he plotted something even greater.

Dai Huabin set down his knife and fork.

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

"Is the matter finished?" Zhu Lu added cautiously, referring to his insistence on acting alone earlier.

"Mm, it's finished."

Dai Huabin turned his head, his gaze landing on Zhu Lu's anxious little face.

"Lulu, I've kept you waiting."

That "Lulu" made Zhu Lu's heart tremble.

"Actually, coming out this time, I've figured out a lot of things."

Dai Huabin's fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop, his tone becoming somewhat profound.

"In the past, I was always fixated on those unreachable goals, always feeling that the whole world owed me. For the sake of so-called strength, I ignored many people and things around me."

Dai Huabin reached out and took hold of Zhu Lu's hand resting on the edge of the table.

Zhu Lu's fingers were icy, but the moment he held them, she gripped back, holding on tight.

"You are my fiancée, the person who will stand at the peak with me in the future."

Dai Huabin looked straight into her eyes, his heterochromatic pupils reflecting the girl's slightly flustered face.

"If I don't even know how to cherish the person who is best to me, then even if I reach the Title Douluo realm, I would be nothing more than a lonely man."

"Huabin..." Zhu Lu's eyes reddened instantly.

These were words Zhu Lu had longed to hear for a very long time.

She had worked hard at her cultivation, striving to keep pace with Dai Huabin; even when she was neglected or scolded by him, she had never thought of leaving.

Zhu Lu had assumed her life would just be like that.

She hadn't expected happiness to arrive so suddenly.

"Alright, don't cry. You won't look pretty if you cry."

Dai Huabin handed her a tissue with a faint, amused smile.

"It was my fault before; I was blind. That won't happen again. Eat up, and after we're done, we'll go for a walk by Sea God Lake."

"Mm!"

Zhu Lu nodded heavily, held back her tears, and began to eat the food on her plate in large bites.

Today's meal tasted exceptionally delicious.

After the meal, the sky began to darken.

The lights of Shrek City flickered on, adorning the ancient city in brilliant, flowing colors.

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

The evening breeze blew gently, carrying the unique, moist scent of the lake water. Occasionally, one could see pairs of senior students in yellow uniforms appearing and disappearing among the trees nearby.