Why is your face red?

On the way back to Eastsea Academy, Xie Xie looked at Wu Changkong carrying Tang Wulin on his back and leaned towards Lin Chen, "Lin Chen, what did you say to Teacher Wu? Why does he look so unhappy?"

Lin Chen looked at Xie Xie with disdain, "Don't ask what you shouldn't, or Teacher Wu might give us extra training."

Recalling the "happy" training from before, Xie Xie couldn't help but shiver and shrink his neck, not asking any more questions.

Lin Chen turned and looked at Gu Yuena beside him, speaking softly, "Na'er, how did you find the Spirit Ascension Platform?"

Gu Yuena turned her head to look at the young man beside her, a gentle smile curving her eyebrows, "It was quite good, thanks to you all."

Wu Changkong, who was walking ahead carrying Tang Wulin, heard this. Xie Xie, who had just settled down, immediately perked up his ears, curiously eavesdropping on their conversation.

Upon returning to the academy, Gu Yuena invited Lin Chen to her room.

Lin Chen was slightly taken aback, feeling a bit embarrassed. When he lived in Shrek City as a child, he had hardly ever entered Na'er's room.

The room was spotlessly clean, with simple and tidy furnishings. A desk by the window was neatly placed. Upon closer inspection, one could see a book titled "100 Ways to Catch the Boy You Like" on the bookshelf.

Most striking was the photo frame on the corner of the desk, which held a picture of Lin Chen and Na'er taken by the sea three years ago.

Gu Yuena followed his gaze to the frame and said softly, "It's always been placed here."

Lin Chen's eyes inadvertently swept over a book slumped on the bookshelf, and he reached out to straighten it.

As soon as his arm was raised halfway, Gu Yuena beside him reacted suddenly. A blush spread across her fair face, and she quickly pulled out the book before Lin Chen could, quickly straightening it and tucking it between the other books.

After finishing, Gu Yuena calmed herself slightly, her eyes downcast, her earlobes still red, and secretly rejoiced, "Phew, luckily the title is only printed on the cover."

Seeing Gu Yuena's series of actions, Lin Chen felt a little confused and asked, "What book is that?" Lin Chen then noticed a blush on Gu Yuena's cheeks and asked again, "Na'er, why is your face red?"

Gu Yuena looked up and glared at him, feigning composure, "I just bought it to read, nothing special..." Her voice grew softer as she spoke.

As he stepped forward to arrange the book, Lin Chen unconsciously took half a step forward. Gu Yuena happened to step in, placing the book before him.

In the back and forth, his arms were braced on either side of the desk, effectively trapping Na'er within, in a classic "wall slam" pose.

He could smell the pleasant fragrance emanating from her with each breath. They were far too close, their eyes meeting.

Lin Chen, only now realizing the extremely ambiguous posture, immediately blushed, his earlobes turning bright red.

He hastily withdrew his arms from the desk and stepped back quickly, not knowing where to look in his haste.

Gu Yuena's already shy heart skipped a beat. She froze against the desk, her violet eyes fixed on the young man before her.

The blush on her cheeks not only didn't fade but intensified, her heart pounding like a drum. The quiet room was filled only with the soft intermingling of their slightly rapid breaths.

Lin Chen's mind went blank, and he blurted out, "Uh, Na'er, the night... is quite beautiful today, isn't it?"

He turned to look out the window. The sun was bright, and warm rays streamed through the glass, filling the entire room.

Gu Yuena's shy heart was instantly pierced by this foolish remark. She let out a soft chuckle, her lips pressed together, gazing at the flustered young man before her.

"With all this sunshine, where's the night?" she said softly, with a hint of teasing. The blush on her cheeks had not yet faded, instead adding a touch of charming liveliness.

Lin Chen wished he could disappear into a crack in the floor. He raised a hand to scratch the back of his head, his earlobes reddening even more, and stammered, "Uh, yeah, the sunshine is indeed very nice, warm and cozy."

As they were in a slightly awkward yet ambiguous atmosphere, a rustling sound came from the doorway.

"Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, stop pushing me! We'll be discovered if we're not careful!"

Lin Chen and Gu Yuena froze. Gu Yuena's smiling face flushed again. Without a doubt, it was that idiot Xie Xie, along with Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, eavesdropping outside the door.

Lin Chen seized the opportunity, "Na'er, I'll go out and see."

Gu Yuena pursed her lips and nodded.

Lin Chen opened the door and turned to look down at the three eavesdroppers, the blush on his face spreading to his neck.

Lin Chen asked, "What are you three doing here? Go back and rest."

Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi stood up, rubbing their hands and chuckling sheepishly. Their eyes darted around, not daring to meet his gaze, and they pushed all the blame onto Xie Xie.

"We were just passing by," Wang Jinxi nodded. "We really weren't eavesdropping on purpose. It was Xie Xie who blocked the way and called us over to join the fun."

Caught in the act and blamed, Xie Xie froze and quickly retorted, "Hey! We all came together, okay?"

Lin Chen's mouth twitched slightly, and he asked, "You didn't hear anything, right?"

Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, acting pragmatically, quickly nodded, "Yes, we didn't hear anything."

Xie Xie, as if not understanding the situation, chuckled, "Lin Chen, why is your face so red? Let me see!"

A cold glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes. He ignored the grinning Xie Xie, stepped aside, and said to Gu Yuena inside, "Na'er, please report to Teacher Wu later that I'm taking these few to the combat arena."

Gu Yuena, still by the desk inside, nodded. The previous blush had faded, and she softly replied, "Okay."

As soon as he finished speaking, the grin on Xie Xie's face froze. He frantically waved his hands, begging for mercy, "Lin Chen, no, no, no, I was wrong, okay? It's not necessary, not necessary."

Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, who had been pretending to be uninvolved, also panicked. They wished they could distance themselves from Xie Xie. Zhang Yangzi wailed, "I knew we shouldn't have come!"

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow at the three of them, "You were enjoying yourselves eavesdropping at the door just now. Coincidentally, I've just grasped some new insights. Teacher Wu is looking after Wulin, so the three of you can practice with me."

Gu Yuena watched the four figures gradually walk away, feeling her heart settle down. She murmured, "Was I wall-slammed?" Shaking her head, "Never mind, I'll continue studying."

The group ambled their way to the combat arena. With no one else around, Lin Chen stood in the center, crackling green lightning dancing around him.

Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, and Wang Jinxi swallowed hard as they watched the rampant lightning.

The three huddled together, forcing out fawning smiles, shrinking their necks and cautiously begging, "Boss Lin Chen, please go easy on us later, don't hit our faces, okay?"

Lin Chen glanced at them, his fingertips trembling with lightning, and said indifferently, "It's fine, it won't hurt. I've just grasped some new insights, and I can use them to heal you."

The three exchanged glances, then reluctantly activated their martial souls and slowly adopted defensive stances. The empty combat arena was filled with the crackling sound of lightning explosions and the trio's wails.

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