Zhu Zhuqing's First Appearance

As the footsteps gradually drew closer.

At last, a slender figure slowly entered Lin Yi and Xiao Wu's field of vision.

When they saw the newcomer's face clearly, the two exchanged glances and paused slightly.

At the same time, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

She was not as strong as they had imagined, nor did she pose much of a threat.

She was merely a girl who appeared to be about their age.

Her long black hair draped over her shoulders. Her delicate face bore a cold, striking air that did not suit her age, while a pair of cat-like eyes gleamed warily in the firelight.

She wore a tight black leather outfit that outlined her astonishing curves. Though she was still young, her figure was already outrageously developed.

The most eye-catching thing, of course, was the spectacular view up front.

How should he put it? Baby face, killer body... That phrase suited her perfectly.

Lin Yi's eyes widened involuntarily.

[Holy shit, Zhu Zhuqing?!]

[No wonder she's the hottest one in the original story. That visual impact is just unreal.]

[No wonder that playboy Dai Mubai changed his mind after seeing her, even though he already had a pair of twins.]

Xiao Wu heard his Heart Voice, then looked at his expression. A sudden sourness rose in her heart, and she could not resist pinching his arm.

Lin Yi winced in pain, then quickly recovered.

Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing was utterly baffled.

What was going on?

Who was talking?

She swept her gaze around vigilantly. Other than the young man and woman before her, who looked to be around her age, there was no one else.

And no one seemed to have spoken aloud.

Could it be that she was simply too tired from traveling and had started hearing things?

Shaking her head inwardly, she looked over the two of them and said softly, "I was just passing by. I saw light here, so I came over to take a look."

Xiao Wu sized Zhu Zhuqing up.

Although the sudden appearance of this unfamiliar girl, especially Lin Yi's reaction to her, made Xiao Wu unhappy, she still responded politely out of courtesy.

She smiled. "It's fine, it's fine. Are you alone?"

Zhu Zhuqing nodded without saying much else.

She could sense that neither of their Soul Power fluctuations was particularly strong. One should be at the Soul Grandmaster level, while the other was even weaker, seemingly just a Soul Master.

Such a combination was relatively safe in the outer regions of Star Dou Forest, but if they encountered a thousand-year Soul Beast, they would likely be in danger.

[This girl really is just like in the original story: beautiful and quiet.]

[But I have to admit, she's got guts. Traveling alone from the Star Luo Empire to the Heaven Dou Empire takes determination most people don't have.]

[But she went all that way just for that playboy Dai Mubai?]

[Speaking of Dai Mubai, that guy really is scum. He clearly has a marriage engagement, yet he's out there fooling around with flowers and wine—still with twins, too...]

[I have to admit, though, he sure knows how to have fun.]

Lin Yi ranted wildly in his heart, but he maintained a polite smile on the surface. "If you don't mind, you can travel with us. This forest isn't safe at night."

Hearing that, Zhu Zhuqing froze again.

More precisely, it was Lin Yi's Heart Voice that stunned her.

Those voices had appeared again.

This time, she heard them clearly. The source of that string of voices... seemed to be the handsome young man in front of her?

But he had clearly not said that much.

Could she really hear his Heart Voice?

The thought sent a shudder through Zhu Zhuqing's heart, but she quickly calmed down and decided to observe for now.

"Thank you." Zhu Zhuqing nodded and walked over to sit beside the campfire.

After Zhu Zhuqing settled down, the atmosphere became somewhat strange.

She was thinking about Lin Yi's Heart Voice from earlier.

Meanwhile, Xiao Wu occasionally sneaked glances at the black-clad girl's exaggerated curves, then lowered her head to look at her own somewhat flat figure, her lips pouting slightly.

When she recalled the way Lin Yi's eyes had nearly popped out of their sockets earlier, she felt inexplicably stifled.

Lin Yi had no idea what the two girls were thinking. On the surface, he calmly added firewood to the campfire, while his thoughts continued to churn.

[Zhu Zhuqing's figure really is... Ahem, stop, stop.]

[Still, she knows her fiancé is unreliable, yet she traveled thousands of miles to find him. Why bother?]

[If you ask me, instead of seeking out that unreliable fiancé, she should work hard to become stronger. Once she's strong enough, she can go back and beat up Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun directly. Wouldn't that solve everything?]

[As for those rules? Bullshit! Aren't rules made by the strong?]

Hearing his Heart Voice, Zhu Zhuqing's heart was already in turmoil.

She was certain now. She truly could hear the Heart Voice of the young man before her.

Those words about her identity, her circumstances, and even her future echoed clearly in her mind.

This was absolutely not some auditory hallucination, but a reality she could not comprehend.

She secretly studied Lin Yi. He looked clean-cut and refined, with a gentle temperament unlike any aristocratic child she had ever seen.

He appeared ordinary, but how did he know so much?

And judging by his tone, it was as if he knew everything about her.

When Xiao Wu noticed Zhu Zhuqing's gaze occasionally falling on Lin Yi, that inexplicable sourness rose in her heart again.

She gave a light cough, breaking the silence. "Um... let me introduce us. My name is Xiao Wu, the Wu from dancing."

Pointing at Lin Yi, she continued, "His name is Lin Yi. What's your name?"

Zhu Zhuqing came back to herself, her voice cool. "Zhu Zhuqing."

Three simple words, and nothing followed.

The atmosphere became awkward again.

Lin Yi sighed inwardly.

[Sigh, this atmosphere is so awkward I could dig out an entire Spirit Hall with my toes.]

[Isn't Xiao Wu usually pretty talkative? Why has she gone mute now?]

[But then again, her personality was forced upon her. In a place like the Star Luo Royal Family, one wrong word could cost you your life. After long enough, who would still dare to talk much?]

[Forget it. I'll just treat her as an NPC we ran into on the road. Tomorrow, we'll all go our separate ways anyway.]

Hearing those Heart Voices, Zhu Zhuqing's heart shook once more.

He even knew the reason her personality had formed this way?

Just who was this Lin Yi?

Unable to hold herself back, she asked. Her tone remained cold, though it carried a hint of probing. "Are you here to hunt for a Soul Ring?"

Xiao Wu nodded. "Mm, I'm almost level thirty, so I came here to find a suitable Soul Ring. As for Lin Yi..."

She glanced at Lin Yi and deliberately drew out her words. "His level is low. He's just here to accompany me."

Lin Yi gave an awkward laugh. "That's right. I'm just support, tagging along to gain experience."

[What's wrong with having a low level? Is it costing you rice?]

[If it weren't for keeping a low profile, I'd pull out my gun right now and see whether you'd still dare underestimate me.]

[But Little Rabbit, you got that wrong.]

[To be precise, I'm planning to send you back to Star Dou Forest before making my getaway.]

Pull out his gun?

Could he have some incredible secret?

Zhu Zhuqing did not understand what Lin Yi meant in his heart, but she could tell from his words that he was no ordinary person.

Then again, the fact that she could hear his Heart Voice was already extraordinary enough.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, letting her gaze linger on Lin Yi a while longer as she tried to uncover more of his secrets.

Yet Lin Yi's expression never changed, leaving her unable to discern anything.

When Xiao Wu heard that Heart Voice, her gaze dimmed, but she quickly returned to normal and smiled at Zhu Zhuqing. "What about you? Where are you going?"