The Lingering Tang San

As the first rays of morning light pierced through the thin, ivory-colored curtains of the hotel, casting dappled patterns across the expansive soft bed, Zhu Zhuqing's long eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a startled butterfly before she slowly opened her eyes.

This was the deepest, most peaceful sleep she had experienced in a long time, and the only night she had not been jolted awake by nightmares.

Outside the window, Star Luo City was already bustling with the morning rush, but the tranquility within the room formed a world of its own.

Zhu Zhuqing lay amidst the soft velvet bedding, savoring a sense of relaxation she had never known before. Here, there were no suffocating, icy winds like those in the Zhu Residence at night, no surveillance from her sister Zhu Zhuyun that felt like needles pricking her back, and certainly no lingering shadow of a funeral shroud.

The air was filled with a faint scent of ambergris—the unique fragrance of the youth beside her—steady, profound, and carrying a majesty that was both heart-stopping and incredibly reassuring.

Zhu Zhuqing turned her head to gaze at Gu Tian, who was still fast asleep.

Under the morning light, the youth's features appeared handsome and gentle, entirely devoid of the domineering aura that had shaken the entire assembly hall the previous night. Recalling the hand he had extended to her in that cold, dark basalt hall, and the words that still echoed in her ears—"The life the Dai Family cannot give you, I will"—Zhu Zhuqing's heart, frozen by her family's cold-bloodedness for six years, melted completely in this moment. This feeling of salvation made her believe that the youth before her was not only her destination but the sole faith of her remaining life.

"Xiao Tian, wake up, stop sleeping in. There's some unexpected good news I need to tell you."

On the spacious terrace of the villa, Ao Linxi sat in a rattan chair, swinging her fair, jade-like calves as she leisurely sipped tea condensed from divine power. Her nine-colored eyes curved into crescent moons as she watched Gu Tian with a smile.

"Sister Linxi? What good news could there be this early in the morning?" Gu Tian rubbed his bleary eyes and sat down at the edge of the terrace.

"Your Dragon God's Second Trial—the Zhu Zhuqing segment has been completely locked in." Ao Linxi pointed a jade finger into the air, and a golden divine trial panel materialized, its characters shimmering with a sacred aura.

[Dragon God's Second Trial Progress: Subjugate secondary harem member (1/2). Target: Zhu Zhuqing. Sincere bond value: 100%.]

"It reached 100% just like that?" Gu Tian raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Last night, I only took her out of that cold family because I felt sorry for her. I haven't even had the chance to do any real 'conquest' work, have I?"

"You may think you did nothing, but in the eyes of a young girl who has lived in a long-term abyss of despair, abandoned even by her own father, the hand you reached out last night was the salvation of her entire world." Ao Linxi shifted into an elegant posture, her tone laced with a hint of teasing.

"You must understand, the Hell Spirit Cat clan is naturally sensitive but also extremely insecure. Last night, you didn't just save her life; you gave her a home with that overbearing tenderness during her darkest hour. This debt of gratitude, combined with your natural bloodline suppression and fatal attraction as the heir to the Dragon God toward her feline martial soul, meant that the moment she took your hand, she had already decided in the depths of her soul to give herself to you."

"However, this is a subconscious act; perhaps she is still undergoing an intense internal struggle herself." Ao Linxi changed the subject, her slender finger pointing to the empty slot on the panel, her expression becoming playful.

Gu Tian touched his nose thoughtfully and nodded in agreement. Indeed, if the pace were too fast, it would seem cheap; the emotional sedimentation that comes naturally was the ultimate goal he pursued.

He slowly opened his eyes, meeting Zhu Zhuqing's gaze, which held a trace of panic. She was sitting on a wooden chair by the window, the sunlight casting a holy golden rim around her. She had already changed into the new red dress Gu Tian had left on the bedside table the night before.

"Awake?" Gu Tian sat up, a warm smile playing on his lips—a warmth Zhu Zhuqing had never seen him show anyone else.

Seeing Gu Tian wake, Zhu Zhuqing's originally cold, pretty face flushed to the roots of her ears. She lowered her head in embarrassment, her small hands nervously twisting the hem of her skirt, before she spoke in a voice tinged with bashful innocence: "Gu Tian... this dress... it doesn't seem to fit quite right. It's a bit... too small."

Gu Tian was stunned, his gaze shifting to Zhu Zhuqing, and he froze slightly.

He suddenly slapped his forehead, remembering that this outfit had been tailored to the lithe, slender, and flat-chested physique of Xiao Wu.

Although Zhu Zhuqing was similar in age to Xiao Wu and even appeared somewhat thin due to long-term malnutrition, the bloodline of the Zhu family's Hell Spirit Cat was truly astonishing in its development.

At this moment, the red pleated skirt, which should have been loose, was stretched to its limit. While her slender waist was cinched to reveal an astonishing curve, the buttons on her chest were strained to the breaking point; with every nervous breath Zhu Zhuqing took, the fragile threads seemed ready to snap under the pressure.

"Cough... that's my oversight. I was only thinking about how it looked and forgot to account for our Zhuqing's growth."

Gu Tian scratched his head in embarrassment. Seeing Zhu Zhuqing so shy she wanted to bury her head in her knees, he hurriedly fished out a spare, oversized white T-shirt from his Soul Guidance Ring and handed it to her. It was a new shirt he had bought for himself.

"Put this on first, and throw a cloak over it. After breakfast, I'll take you to the best silk shop in Star Luo City to have a few sets custom-made to your measurements."

Zhu Zhuqing took the white T-shirt, which still held Gu Tian's body heat, and obediently went behind a screen to put it on. The long hem of the oversized shirt covered the tops of her thighs. This style—known in his previous life as "bottomless" fashion—combined with her straight, long jade legs and cold, peerless beauty, exuded an exotic allure that was even harder to look away from than the tight-fitting dress, causing Gu Tian to silently praise her.

At this moment, Gu Tian was still unaware of the ten-thousand-gold reward notice the Zhu Residence had issued that morning.

After a quick breakfast, he walked openly through the bustling, iron-blooded streets of Star Luo City with Xiao Wu, Gu Yue, Na'er, and the newly joined Zhu Zhuqing. Zhu Zhuqing wore a wide-brimmed sun hat pulled low, her cold little hands gripping the corner of Gu Tian's shirt tightly, fearing that this might just be a fleeting dream.

Just as they passed a sophisticated clothing store, a somewhat rigid yet unusually familiar voice cut through the crowd and reached Gu Tian's ears.

"Teacher, although the architectural style of Star Luo City is not as exquisite as Heaven Dou City, this solemn and heavy charm is indeed a good place to cultivate one's will."

Gu Tian stopped in his tracks, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. At the street corner, two figures—one tall and one short—were walking toward them. The tall one wore his unchanging gray robe, his face as stiff as withered wood; it was the "renowned" theoretical master, Yu Xiaogang. Beside him, the shorter youth, with slightly dark skin and eyes revealing a sinister, profound depth inconsistent with his age, carried a large cloth bag on his back. Who else could it be but Tang San?

Good grief, this Tang San is like a ghost that won't leave. Even after Holy Soul Village collapsed, I still run into him here, Gu Tian couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

At this moment, Yu Xiaogang also spotted Gu Tian ahead. His tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and his stiff face squeezed into a complex smile that was both ingratiating and trying to maintain a sense of dignity as he hurried over. After all, in his eyes, Gu Tian was a rare "experimental subject" and a synonym for potential.

"Gu Tian? How did you all end up in Star Luo City?" Yu Xiaogang greeted them warmly, as if meeting a direct disciple in a foreign land.

Gu Tian's expression remained indifferent, responding neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Master, my home is in a small village on the border of the Star Luo Empire. With the end of the year approaching, I brought them to the capital to pick up some decent supplies. What about you, Master? Why have you brought Brother Tang San across the border to this place?"

Yu Xiaogang sighed, his tone filled with helplessness and a deeply hidden greed as he whispered: "It's a coincidence. A life-and-death friend of mine—Flender, the Dean of Shrek Academy—suddenly received a plea for help from Star Luo City some time ago. The letter not only described a dire situation but also included ten thousand Gold Soul Coins."

"The person who wrote the letter was none other than the Third Prince of the Star Luo Empire, Dai Mubai. He claimed that to escape the dead end of the imperial infighting, he had fled the palace and hoped Flender would come to meet him. That fellow Flender has been obsessed with money his whole life; he wouldn't turn down such a big deal, so he invited me to come along and assist. As for San... he's had a family tragedy, his father is missing, and he has nowhere to go, so I brought him along to gain some experience."

Gu Tian's mouth twitched slightly upon hearing this. So that was it. To save his own skin, Dai Mubai had really emptied his coffers to buy a life-saving charm. And as for how Yu Xiaogang managed to cross the border and enter the city so quickly, it was likely thanks to the Martial Soul Hall Elder Token that Tang Hao had left behind before he disappeared.

Gu Tian looked at Tang San, who was hanging his head, his fingertips trembling slightly from jealousy and suppression, and sneered internally. In this life, Tang San seemed to be having an even more miserable time than in the original story, having completely devolved into a follower tagging along with Yu Xiaogang to beg for meals.

"In that case, I wish Master and Brother Tang San a smooth journey in successfully meeting that big benefactor."

Gu Tian flashed a brilliant, sunny smile, then turned away without a second thought, naturally and gently taking Zhu Zhuqing's slightly cold hands. He leaned in and whispered softly to her: "Let's go, let's go buy your clothes. Don't let these irrelevant people ruin our good mood."

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head submissively and murmured an "Mm," as docile as a house cat. As she passed Tang San, her cold eyes didn't even linger for a second on her so-called "fiancé."

Watching the back of Gu Tian as he walked away, laughing and chatting with four peerless beauties, Tang San's face turned livid in the cold wind. He stared fixedly at Zhu Zhuqing, who was being held tightly by Gu Tian. Even though she wore a hat, the glimpses of her features left a deep impression on him.

Damn that Gu Tian, in just a few days, he's hooked another one!