Do You Like Senior Sister?

"Hahaha, of course you can! As long as there's money, anything is negotiable—oh wait, no, as long as you're here, anything is negotiable!"

Seeing Ning Tian willing to join his side, Su Ming's eyes instantly brimmed with genuine warmth, and his tone grew noticeably lighter.

Following this, the three of them stayed in Su Ming's private Soul Tool laboratory, patiently listening as he explained the fundamental structures of Soul Tools, the principles of rune arrangement, and the quality gap between Thousand-Refinement and Hundred-Refinement materials.

They listened with great focus, occasionally asking questions, and Su Ming answered everything without reservation, imparting all the introductory knowledge he had mastered.

When it was time to leave, Ning Tian didn't stand on ceremony at all, casually picking out a Level 4 standard Soul Tool.

That piece had been forged by Su Ming himself using high-grade Thousand-Refinement refined materials, its quality far exceeding that of ordinary goods of the same rank, yet Su Ming didn't mind in the slightest, laughing as he gifted it to her generously.

Once everyone had cleared out of the lab, Su Ming finally relaxed and stretched his back, his joints emitting a series of soft, satisfying pops.

"Ah, finally got everything sorted out. As expected, with financial backing, everything goes much more smoothly."

He casually locked the alloy door of the lab, walking at a leisurely pace toward the Shrek Outer Court dormitories.

Strolling aimlessly, he found himself by the Sea God Lake before he knew it; the lake surface shimmered, and a gentle breeze stirred up layers of fine ripples.

Su Ming swept his gaze across the area and caught sight of three familiar figures on the lakeside path. His heart skipped a beat, and he approached slowly.

He realized it was Bei Bei, Tang Ya, and Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

The moment he saw Zhang Lexuan, Su Ming's eyes lit up, and a smile immediately spread across his face. Before he even reached them, he shouted, "Senior Sister Lexuan, you're back!"

The three turned toward the voice in unison. Seeing Su Ming approaching with a jubilant expression, Bei Bei let out a long, quiet sigh of relief, thinking to himself: The great savior has finally arrived!

Su Ming walked up to them and, without a trace, gave Bei Bei a subtle wink, his eyebrows arching slightly.

Signaling him to quickly find an excuse to take Tang Ya and leave, Bei Bei immediately understood Su Ming's intent.

Bei Bei stepped forward at once and spoke respectfully to Zhang Lexuan:

"Senior Sister Lexuan, Tang Ya and I still have quite a few Tang Sect matters to attend to, so we must take our leave.

Please rest assured, I will focus on my cultivation from now on and will never slack off."

Zhang Lexuan was a powerhouse at the level of an eight-ring Douluo with formidable spiritual power.

The small exchange of glances between the two had long since been caught by her, and she immediately moved to stop them.

But just then, Su Ming intentionally leaned in closer, grinning to reveal a mouthful of white teeth, and gave her a goofy, simple smile.

Taking advantage of the moment Zhang Lexuan was distracted by his antics, Bei Bei immediately took Tang Ya's hand and, moving with haste, turned and slipped away along the lakeside path.

They ran quite a distance before Tang Ya couldn't help but stop, looking back curiously at the figures of Su Ming and Zhang Lexuan by the Sea God Lake. She tilted her head and whispered to Bei Bei:

"Bei Bei, do you think... Su Ming likes Senior Sister? I've noticed that Su Ming is always polite and keeps his distance with other girls.

But whenever he's with Senior Sister Lexuan, he always grins like a fool; it's completely different from how he usually acts."

Hearing Tang Ya's words, a flash of realization struck Bei Bei's mind, as if he had been enlightened.

That's right, Su Ming's treatment of Zhang Lexuan had indeed always been unique.

He and Su Ming had known each other since they were eight, when Su Ming entered the Shrek Outer Court with peerless talent that stunned everyone.

Many beautiful and gentle senior sisters in the Outer Court had favored him, yet Su Ming had always remained distant and polite, never showing special warmth to anyone.

He had a deep friendship with Su Ming, and because Zhang Lexuan had been entrusted by Shrek Ancestor to look after Su Ming, he often saw the two of them together.

Recalling the past, Su Ming used to ask him from time to time when Senior Sister would come to guide their cultivation, his words full of anticipation. Thinking back on it now, the meaning was indeed unusual.

At this thought, a sense of joy quietly sprouted in Bei Bei's heart.

He was in love with Tang Ya, but there was an old, betrothed-child-bride agreement with Zhang Lexuan from his youth, which made their relationship awkward and left him unable to find a breakthrough.

If Su Ming truly had feelings for Zhang Lexuan, and if the two could end up together, then this awkward burden on him would be completely lifted, and all his problems would be solved.

Thinking of this, Bei Bei continued walking while holding Tang Ya's hand, silently cheering for his good brother in his heart: Su Ming, oh Su Ming, you must step up! My happiness for the rest of my life depends on you! You rascal, you've been holding back a big move, don't let me down.

On the lakeside path, watching the backs of Bei Bei and Tang Ya as they disappeared into the distance, Zhang Lexuan shook her head helplessly. She reached out with her fair, slender fingers and tapped Su Ming on the forehead, chiding:

"You brat, it's obvious you were helping them slip away. Did you really think I wouldn't notice your little tricks?"

Caught in the act, Su Ming sheepishly covered his forehead, a shy smile on his face.

He then proactively suggested accompanying Zhang Lexuan for a walk along the lakeside path to chat.

As the evening breeze blew and ripples danced on the lake, Zhang Lexuan looked at the clear water and spoke slowly:

"Mu En specifically instructed me to come and keep an eye on Bei Bei's cultivation, saying he's been spending too much time with that little girl from the Tang Sect lately, his mind is elsewhere, and he's becoming increasingly slack and lazy in his training."

"I had just started to lecture him when you ran over to cause trouble. You really deserve a good scolding."

As she spoke, Zhang Lexuan feigned raising her hand, making a gesture to tap his forehead again.

Seeing this, Su Ming quickly pulled his neck back, putting on a submissive and weak act, then cheekily joked:

"Hehe, Senior Sister Lexuan, why would you need to waste your breath lecturing him? Just tell me, and I'll go discipline Bei Bei for you.

A few punches from me will guarantee he's obedient, and I promise he'll be burying his head in hard cultivation from now on, not daring to slack off at all."

"Besides, they're a young couple, aren't they? I was just worried you'd feel awkward, so I stepped in."

Seeing his rogue-like behavior, Zhang Lexuan shook her head in resignation.

The two walked slowly to the lakeside railing, stopped side by side, and stood quietly leaning against it.

The setting sun hung low in the west, its orange-red afterglow blanketing the entire lake. The shimmering ripples were stained with a layer of gilded light, and the clouds across the sky spilled their radiance upon the world.

The earth, the trees, and the surface of the lake were all plated in a gentle, golden luster, creating a scene that was both tender and beautiful.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Lexuan turned to look at Su Ming beside her. Her eyes held a trace of genuine concern as she asked softly:

"I heard that while you were in Star Luo City a while back, you took action and wiped out quite a few evil soul masters?"

"Was the process dangerous? Were you injured?"

Feeling the sincerity of Zhang Lexuan's concern, a wave of warmth washed over Su Ming. He immediately puffed out his chest in a show of vanity, lifting his arm slightly to display his firm muscles, and said with a face full of confidence:

"How could such a trivial matter possibly hurt me? They were nothing but a rabble who had fallen into evil ways; they weren't even worthy of being my opponents. I took care of them in a few moves."

As his voice fell, he raised his eyes to gaze at the vast, misty expanse of Sea God Lake, the evening breeze carrying the cool, refreshing scent of the water toward them.

It brushed through the hair on his forehead and stirred the burning passion deep within the youth's heart.

He slowly took a deep breath of the lakeside evening air, a faint surge of soul power quietly stirring and swirling around his body. He then straightened his back and shouted toward the boundless lake.

The youth's clear, resonant voice, laced with a steely resolve and filled with grand ambition, rippled out along with the evening breeze, echoing across the shores of Sea God Lake and lingering for a long time.

"I, Su Ming, swear this day that I shall eradicate all evil soul masters in this world!"

The setting sun melted into gold, the orange-red evening clouds poured down, and the shimmering lake surface was paved with a layer of shattered, golden light.

The afterglow stretched Su Ming's tall figure into a long shadow. The youth stood proudly by the lakeside railing, his brows and eyes filled with unyielding arrogance.

His entire being radiated the high spirits of youth, with a burning, fervent fire in his eyes—a mix of sincerity and the unique, idealistic bravado of a young man, passionate and vivid.

Zhang Lexuan stood quietly to the side, her gaze fixed on him with tenderness.

Watching him in such a high-spirited, yet slightly childish and stubborn state, a warmth welled up in her heart. She could no longer hold back, and her slender, delicate hand gently covered her lips.

As her eyes curved into crescents, a soft, sweet smile blossomed. Her eyes were filled with the gentle light of the sunset, along with a trace of undisguised doting and tenderness, quietly frozen in this sunset lakeside scene.