"Back when you were guiding me, you threw me straight into the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and left me soaking for three days and nights."
"..."
Chen Xuan glanced at her.
"Your Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul needed the balance of ice and fire to shed its mortal bones. Her Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda is rooted in the self, so naturally, the method is different."
"Simply teaching according to each person's needs."
"Yes, yes, yes. Teacher, you're always right."
Dugu Yan stuck out her tongue and said no more.
She knew that every arrangement her teacher made had a deeper purpose.
Just then, faint footsteps sounded outside the courtyard.
A servant from Blue Silver Academy stood respectfully beyond the moon gate and said softly:
"Dean, the Crown Prince requests an audience."
The Crown Prince?
Xue Qinghe?
Dugu Yan's brows lifted slightly, a trace of amusement flashing in her eyes.
The Crown Prince had been making quite a lot of trips to the academy lately.
Chen Xuan's hand, holding his teacup, did not pause in the slightest.
"Show him in."
"Yes."
The servant withdrew.
Before long, a tall, slender figure appeared in the courtyard.
The visitor wore pale gold casual robes. With a face as fair as jade and a gentle air, he was none other than the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe.
Only, at this moment, he—or rather, she—looked a little pale, and her breath was somewhat unsteady. Clearly, she still hadn't recovered from the injuries Chen Xuan had inflicted that day.
"Qinghe pays his respects to you, sir."
Qian Renxue stepped forward and bowed to Chen Xuan, her manner exceedingly deferential.
Her gaze settled on Chen Xuan, carrying an extraordinarily complicated mixture of emotions.
Wariness, curiosity, and even a hint of... dependence.