Tang An: Xiao Xiao Takes Off Her Shoes and Sits on the Bed

Xian Lin'er was slightly taken aback, her blue eyes blinking. Her body reacted faster than her brain; her spine straightened, and her chin lifted as if she had just accepted a major mission.

She spoke with a solemn expression, "Vice Pavilion Master, please give your orders! As long as it is within my power, I will not refuse."

Tang An took half a step forward, closing the distance between them until it was so narrow that Xian Lin'er could clearly see the playful, mocking glint in his eyes.

Xian Lin'er reflexively took half a step back, only to find her lower back pressed against the edge of the desk, leaving her with nowhere to retreat.

"Vice Pavilion Master?" Xian Lin'er's voice remained steady, but her tone rose slightly, betraying a hint of uncertainty. There was no panic in her blue eyes, only confusion and a faint, lingering premonition.

Tang An chuckled, "Since Secretary Xian feels so indebted, then kiss me. Consider the favor repaid."

Xian Lin'er blinked, stunned.

She had just imagined countless possibilities: the Vice Pavilion Master might ask her to help stabilize a "Soul Power Tide," perhaps arrange a "Special Service Course," or even suggest they "practice in close proximity."

And yet, his request was just this?

"Vice Pavilion Master, what you said... is this it?" Xian Lin'er tilted her head slightly, her blue eyes filled with uncertainty.

"What, you aren't willing?" Tang An raised an eyebrow.

"No, no, I am willing!" Xian Lin'er quickly interrupted him, only realizing after the words left her lips that she had spoken too hastily. Her earlobes began to heat up.

She took a deep breath, regaining the composure of the Soul Guidance Department Dean. "Since it is the Vice Pavilion Master's order, I shall obey."

Xian Lin'er stepped forward, stood on her tiptoes, and pressed a swift kiss to Tang An's cheek. She pulled back immediately, her movements crisp and efficient, as if she were completing a precise military task.

She clasped her hands behind her back, lifted her chin, and stared straight at Tang An with an "assignment complete" expression, though her slightly flushed cheeks betrayed her feigned composure.

Tang An looked at her with a mocking smile, raised his hand, and tapped his own lips with his fingertip. "Xian Lin'er, when I said to kiss me, I meant here, not the cheek."

Xian Lin'er's eyes widened slightly, a flash of surprise crossing her blue gaze. She opened her mouth to speak, only to find she had no grounds for rebuttal.

She had indeed agreed to "kiss him," and the Vice Pavilion Master had never specified where. It was her own "misunderstanding."

Xian Lin'er bit her lower lip and stepped forward once more.

This time, she didn't stand on her tiptoes. Instead, she raised both hands to gently cup Tang An's face. Her fingers were long and strong, yet they trembled slightly.

Xian Lin'er closed her eyes and leaned in, pressing her lips against his.

It was a light, fleeting touch, like a dragonfly skimming the water. By the time she pulled away, her ears were burning red, yet she stood straight, her hands folded in front of her.

Her voice, however, was somewhat unsteady. "Very well, the debt is repaid. If the Vice Pavilion Master has no other orders..."

Before she could finish, Tang An reached out, hooked his arm around her waist, and pulled her back in.

Before Xian Lin'er could even gasp, his warm breath washed over her. Unlike her previous dragonfly-light touch, this was a real kiss, carrying the arrogance and refusal to be denied that was unique to a young man.

Her mind exploded with a dull roar. She instinctively pressed her palms against Tang An's chest, only to find that the youth's arms were as steady as a mountain; she couldn't push him away at all.

She closed her eyes, her fingers unconsciously clutching the lapels of Tang An's shirt.

After a moment of stalemate, the look in Xian Lin'er's eyes changed.

She was Xian Lin'er, the Dean of the Shrek Martial Combat Department, a Title Douluo forged in the fires of the battlefield. When had she ever been pressured and bullied like this?

Even if she were repaying a favor, she should be the one in control.

Once this thought took root, the unyielding spirit within Xian Lin'er overcame all her shyness and hesitation.

She tightened her palms against Tang An's chest, grabbed his shoulders in return, and kissed him back.

Xian Lin'er's movements carried a stubborn defiance, yet they were also remarkably earnest due to her lack of experience.

Her sapphire-like eyes opened for a split second, glaring straight at Tang An. Her gaze held both the challenge of "don't underestimate me" and a sense of reckless resignation.

Since it had come to this, she, Xian Lin'er, would not admit defeat easily.

A long while later, they parted.

Both were breathing heavily. Xian Lin'er's hands still rested on Tang An's shoulders. She looked at the face inches from her own, those star-like eyes watching her with that same mocking smile.

But Xian Lin'er did not dodge, nor did she lower her head.

She simply took a deep breath, withdrew her hands, and tugged at her hem, smoothing out the wrinkles one by one.

Then she looked up. Though the flush on her face had not yet faded, her eyes had regained the calm composure of the Martial Combat Department Dean. Her voice was steady, as if nothing had just happened. "Vice Pavilion Master, today's business ends here. You should go."

Tang An raised an eyebrow and did not move.

Xian Lin'er met his gaze for a moment before finally conceding. She turned her head away, a trace of imperceptible annoyance creeping into her tone. "Hurry out. Let me be alone for a while."

Tang An smiled slightly, knowing that for someone of Xian Lin'er's temperament, saying those words was already a significant concession.

He straightened his collar, turned, and walked toward the door. Just as he reached it, a faint whisper came from behind him—half to herself, half for him to hear: "Next time... not in the office."

Tang An paused, nodded slightly without answering, and then strode out the door, feeling refreshed as he headed toward his class.

When he returned to Freshman Class One, the morning session had just ended.

The students were walking out in small groups. Seeing him enter, they cleared a path, their eyes filled with a mixture of awe and curiosity.

After Tang An had crushed everyone in the training grounds that morning without even using his martial soul, he had become an existence in Freshman Class One that absolutely no one dared to provoke.

Zhou Yi was standing on the podium organizing her lesson plans. Seeing Tang An enter, she immediately wore a fawning smile on her aged face and hurried over, whispering, "Student Tang An, regarding that matter I mentioned earlier..."

Tang An waved his hand, his tone casual: "You and Mu Jin, wait for me in the office tonight. We'll discuss things together."

Zhou Yi was stunned. She and Mu Jin waiting together? What kind of medicine was this kid selling in his gourd?

Her brows furrowed instinctively at these words, but then she recalled the way the grey-robed man in the Dean's office had respectfully addressed him as "Young Master An" that morning, and looked at Tang An's calm face.

In the end, she didn't ask further, simply nodding: "Fine, I will inform her."

Tang An said nothing more, his gaze sweeping across the classroom before landing on Xiao Xiao, who was packing her things in the back row: "Xiao Xiao, come with me."

Xiao Xiao froze for a moment, blinking her large eyes. Though she was bewildered, she obediently stood up and followed him.

The surrounding students whispered among themselves, wondering what kind of background this girl, handpicked by Tang An to be the vice monitor, could possibly have.

Along the way, Xiao Xiao followed behind Tang An, her heart pounding. She wanted to ask but didn't dare, only gathering the courage to speak in a low voice halfway there: "Classmate Tang An, where are we going?"

"To my dormitory," Tang An said without looking back. "I have something to tell you."

Xiao Xiao's footsteps faltered, her face flushing slightly. Going to a boy's dormitory?

But Tang An's tone was so straightforward, completely devoid of any ambiguity, that she felt she was overthinking it. Biting her lip, she followed him anyway.

Xiao Xiao followed Tang An into the dormitory, pushing the door open to find the furnishings simple yet tidy.

Tang An took off his outer robe and draped it over the back of a chair, then sat cross-legged on the large bed, gesturing with his chin: "Take off your shoes first, then come up and sit."