At that moment.
Tang San was still asleep when a dull thud sounded from the room next door, followed by Xiao Wu's soft gasp.
His heart tightened. Ignoring his own discomfort, he hurried over and staggered through the door.
Xiao Wu was dressed in pink pajamas and sprawled awkwardly on the floor. Her brows were furrowed, her cheeks flushed an unnatural red, and a light sheen of sweat clung to her forehead.
She struggled to get up, but her legs trembled. She was clearly weak all over.
"Xiao Wu! What's wrong?"
Tang San asked anxiously, instinctively reaching out to help her.
But he was barely holding on himself. His knees buckled, and instead of catching Xiao Wu, he lost his balance and fell toward her.
Just as the two were about to collide, the door creaked open. Fu Qin appeared in the doorway, his tall frame filling it. He scooped Xiao Wu safely into his arms and caught Tang San by the arm with his other hand, his steady grip reassuring.
"Careful." Fu Qin's voice was hoarse with sleep. His gaze swept over Tang San's unsteady footing and Xiao Wu's flushed cheeks, and a flicker of amusement passed through his eyes. "Didn't get much rest last night, Brother San? And how did Sister Xiao Wu end up falling?"
Tang San looked a little awkward and avoided Fu Qin's gaze. "Maybe I didn't sleep well last night. I'm a little drained. Xiao Wu..."
Before he could finish, Xiao Wu bit her lip, her eyes reddening. "I—I twisted my ankle when I got out of bed. My legs went weak, and I fell."
She deliberately straightened her back, trying to hide how weak she felt. But the lingering sultriness in her eyes, paired with her fragile appearance, only made her more alluring.
Fu Qin looked down at the petite girl in his arms. A faint milky fragrance mingled with a trace of sweetness around her—the scent left from their early-morning bath together.
He could clearly feel the softness and firmness of her skin beneath his palm, and the slight tremor that passed through her body. He silently marveled at the constitution of someone with Innate Full Soul Power. Even after a whole night of exertion, she was still as lovely and delicate as ever.
"Twisted your ankle? Is it bad?" Fu Qin asked with feigned concern. He tightened his arms slightly and lifted Xiao Wu into a bridal carry. "The floor's cold. Let's get you back on the bed."
Xiao Wu wrapped her arms around Fu Qin's neck and rested her cheek against his warm chest. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Tang San's grim expression, and a secret smile tugged at her lips.
She could imagine how Tang San felt right now. Last night, he had held other women in his arms at the brothel, while she had been in Fu Qin's embrace. Now both of them were exhausted in body and spirit. They were quite a "well-matched pair."
Tang San watched Fu Qin carry Xiao Wu toward the bed, and a strange discomfort stirred in his heart.
He wanted to step forward and say he would take care of her, but the moment he moved, dizziness swept over him and he nearly fell again.
Fu Qin caught him in the nick of time, his tone teasing. "Brother San, you can barely look after yourself in this state. You'd better rest. I'll take care of Xiao Wu."
Tang San's face turned pale, then flushed. In the end, he could only sit helplessly on the chair beside the bed.
He could feel Xiao Wu's gaze on him, filled with a strange emotion he couldn't quite name.
He assumed she was angry because he hadn't come back last night, never realizing that the girl's eyes had long since lost the trust and dependence she once felt toward him.
Xiao Wu leaned against the headboard and rubbed her ankle, her voice sweet and soft.
"Fu Qin, I twisted my ankle pretty badly. If we're going to Shrek Academy later, I'm afraid I won't be able to walk." As she spoke, she glanced at Tang San now and then, clearly hinting at something.
Tang San wanted to offer to carry her, but he could barely walk straight. If he carried Xiao Wu, they would probably both tumble to the ground before they'd gone very far. That would be even more humiliating.
He opened his mouth, but in the end, no words came out.
Fu Qin immediately understood and smiled. "It's fine. I'll carry you. Shrek Academy isn't too far from here. We'll just take it slow."
Xiao Wu's face lit up with delight, and she nodded obediently. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Fu Qin." She deliberately ignored Tang San's hesitant expression, privately pleased with herself.
Making Tang San watch another man carry her, seeing how helpless he was—that might be the perfect revenge for his betrayal last night.
Tang San sat to one side and watched Fu Qin hoist Xiao Wu onto his back. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Fu Qin's neck, her cheek pressed to his back. Their intimate closeness was painful to look at.
A restless irritation rose in Tang San. The heat from last night seemed to return, but his weakened body left him powerless to change anything.
All he could do was follow silently behind them, staggering one step at a time as they left the Rose Hotel.
The road outside the city was uneven, its rutted yellow earth muddy.
Fu Qin carried Xiao Wu with steady steps, showing no sign of strain.
Xiao Wu's arms circled his neck, her chest pressed firmly against his back. She could clearly feel his strong, steady heartbeat.
She lowered her head slightly. The faint, woody fragrance from Fu Qin was completely different from the scent of Blue Silver Grass that clung to Tang San, yet it made her feel inexplicably at ease.
"Fu Qin, you're really strong," Xiao Wu said sweetly. Her fingers brushed his neck by accident, sending a faint shiver through him.
Fu Qin chuckled, amusement in his voice. "You're so light. Carrying you is nothing. What about you, Brother San? Still holding up? If not, take a break."
He glanced back at Tang San. The other boy was pale, with fine beads of sweat already on his forehead. He was clearly having a hard time keeping up.
Tang San shook his head and gritted his teeth. "I'm fine. I can manage."
He didn't want to look weak in front of Xiao Wu, much less let his own junior brother Fu Qin look down on him.
But exhaustion washed over him like a tide. The strength drained from him by the women at the brothel the previous night still hadn't returned. Every step felt like he was spending his life away.
Xiao Wu glanced at Tang San's miserable state, feeling not the slightest pity. Instead, a hint of satisfaction rose in her heart.
She buried her face even deeper against Fu Qin. Her lips nearly brushed his ear as she whispered, in a voice only the two of them could hear,
"Fu Qin, last night... you did really well."
Fu Qin stiffened slightly, then replied in a low voice, "As long as Sister Xiao Wu enjoyed herself."
He could feel the softness of the girl on his back and could guess what was on her mind.
Tang San's betrayal had made Xiao Wu completely let loose, and Fu Qin happened to have become the tool she used for revenge. But he was more than willing to play that role.
The three of them walked in single file, the air between them strange and charged.
The intimacy between Fu Qin and Xiao Wu was like a thorn, buried deep in Tang San's heart.
He wanted to demand an explanation, to fly into a rage, but each time the words reached his lips, he swallowed them back down.
He really had gone to the brothel last night. He really had betrayed Xiao Wu. What right did he have to criticize her now?
Half an hour later, a rundown village finally appeared ahead.
At the village entrance stood a crooked wooden sign. Three large characters had been painted on it in black: Shrek.