Lexuan, You Actually Tricked Me on Purpose

The twilight was gentle, and fragmented rays of sunset filtered through layers of leaves, scattering across the shaded paths of the Shrek Inner Court.

Su Ming stood beneath a tree, his gaze fixed for a moment before slowly turning toward Zhang Lexuan at his side.

He leaned in slightly, his handsome face drawing closer until the distance between them was compressed to the absolute limit, leaving a gap of barely two and a half fists.

At such a close proximity, they could clearly see the trembling of each other's long eyelashes and feel their warm breaths intertwining.

His eyes, usually clean and bright, were now filled with undisguised heat and focus. His burning gaze rested steadily upon Zhang Lexuan's delicate features, open and fervent, without a hint of evasion—so direct it made one's heart tremble.

Being stared at with such scorching intensity by the young man, Zhang Lexuan, who had always possessed a tranquil heart and remained unmoved by favor or humiliation, felt a ripple of fine waves stir within her.

A faint, delicate crimson bloomed across her fair, translucent cheeks, spreading slowly along her fine skin. Her heartbeat, long steady, suddenly lost its rhythm, fluttering with a soft, rapid thumping.

Yet, she was, after all, the highly respected Senior Sister of the Shrek Inner Court, a calm, dignified, and self-possessed Douluo powerhouse.

Even with shyness and panic in her heart, she maintained her usual composure on the surface, frowning in feigned reproach as she spoke in a voice that was gentle yet carried a hint of stern discipline:

"You brat, who gets this close and stares straight at a girl like that? You have no sense of propriety at all."

A soft evening breeze swept through the woods, causing the leaves to rustle, while mottled light and shadow flowed over them, making the surrounding atmosphere quiet and tender.

Zhang Lexuan stood still, and despite being cornered by Su Ming's close-range gaze, she did not retreat or evade.

Her simple, clean Shrek uniform was stirred by the evening breeze at the hem and cuffs, and her waterfall-like black hair hung softly over her shoulders, swaying with the wind.

Her expression was calm and gentle, her features refined and ethereal, and the stern, sharp aura of a Douluo had faded from her entire being.

Only a water-like softness and tranquility remained; standing there quietly, she resembled warm jade bathed in moonlight and evening breeze, elegant and refined, untainted by the dust of the world.

Her gaze rested gently on Su Ming before her, and a long, soft wave of emotion suddenly surged in her heart.

In a daze, it felt as if it were still the image from several years ago.

Back then, when Su Ming first entered the academy, he was still childish, thin, and malnourished, standing barely as tall as her knees.

She had been entrusted by Mu En to look after Bei Bei, and having happened upon them both, she ended up taking care of Su Ming as well.

He was like a clingy and well-behaved little kid, always following right behind her, sweetly calling her "Sister Lexuan."

He relied on her for everything, following her every step. When he encountered problems, he would obediently come to her for guidance, and when he felt wronged, he would quietly come to her to vent. His small figure was always trailing tightly behind her.

But time flew by, and in just a few short years, the little one who once needed her care and protection had long since shed his childishness.

Today's Su Ming stood tall and straight, his shoulders broad and relaxed, his build lithe and sturdy. At a height of one point eight meters, he was handsome and imposing.

He was even half a head taller than her, despite her own height being around one point eight meters.

The young man's contours had become more defined, his features clean and handsome, and he was wrapped in a vibrant, dazzling aura of sunshine—spirited and in the prime of his youth.

His mature and steady temperament had grown stronger; he had long since become an outstanding young man capable of standing on his own, stunning all of Shrek.

In the past, he looked up at her with eyes full of reliance; now, she looked him in the eye, seeing the unique, dazzling brilliance of the youth before her, yet still catching glimpses of that same reliance.

At this thought, a strand of indescribable tenderness and melancholy quietly spread through Zhang Lexuan's heart. Her lips relaxed subconsciously, and a faint, soft smile bloomed in her eyes, melting into a mess of softness.

The two stood side by side, their figures tall and well-proportioned, a perfect match. Within that close distance, their shoulders and arms were almost touching, their warm breaths blending and entangling.

The evening breeze wove between them, mixing the light, elegant scent of vegetation on Zhang Lexuan with the clean, refreshing scent of the youth on Su Ming, gently intertwining in a moving, lingering way.

On one side was a refined beauty, tempered by time, gentle and quiet as water; on the other was a spirited, free-spirited, and dazzling young man, full of vigor and bright warmth.

Such close companionship felt neither forced nor abrupt; everything was natural and harmonious. Under the shroud of twilight, the atmosphere was quiet and tender, hiding a hint of indescribable, ambiguous warmth.

Su Ming appeared calm, maintaining his composed demeanor, but deep in his eyes lay a hint of irrepressible, fragmented anticipation.

He slowed his speech, his voice clear and gentle, carrying a trace of cautious probing:

"Sister Lexuan, you must have finished handling all the trivial matters and tasks in the academy recently, right? You should finally be able to have some free time and take a break for a while."

As his voice fell, he stared at her without blinking, his dark eyes filled with genuine expectation, waiting quietly for her reply, looking sincere and obedient.

Zhang Lexuan looked down at his expectant expression, then recalled his clingy, soft-hearted childhood self.

The old and new images overlapped quietly in her heart, the contrast becoming increasingly obvious, and a mischievous thought was instantly piqued.

Intending to tease the youth who was full of anticipation, she immediately reined in the gentle smile in her eyes.

She feigned a look of helplessness and regret, though a hint of irrepressible playfulness was hidden at the corners of her lips, and her tone was perfectly natural:

"It's not as easy as you think. The academy's affairs are complex and tasks keep piling up. I'm afraid I'll have to head out to execute another mission before long.

As for the specific return date, it's not clear yet, so whether I can have some leisure time is hard to say."

This sentence, like a gentle evening breeze, instantly extinguished all the light in Su Ming's eyes.

The anticipation on the young man's face vanished, his brows drooping slightly, and his bright eyes were instantly veiled in thick disappointment. He wilted, his tone full of grievance and helplessness:

"Huh? You have to go out on a mission again... Is there not even a little bit of time to rest and relax?"

With his expectations dashed, Su Ming was filled with gloom. He turned around sullenly and began to walk slowly toward the path by the lake.

His long strides were sluggish and lazy, his mood low. From time to time, he would stretch out his toe to kick away the small pebbles scattered on the road, which rolled along the surface with a faint, crisp sound.

As he walked slowly, he lowered his voice and grumbled, his tone full of a young man's sense of injustice and protectiveness:

"The elders of the Sea God Pavilion are too good at slacking off. They spend their days in leisure and comfort, doing none of the tedious or tiring work, and as soon as there's a mission, they push it all onto you.

Sister Lexuan, you're just too gentle and too honest, carrying everything for the academy and never knowing how to push back or step aside, which is why they keep calling on you every single time."

"Next time this happens, you must be bold enough to say no. Don't just bottle up all the grievances yourself."

Zhang Lexuan followed his pace closely from behind, quietly listening to the boy's childish complaints.

Watching the dejected, sullen back of the boy ahead, seeing him kick pebbles to vent his frustration and mutter to himself in such an adorable manner, her usually composed and calm state of mind completely collapsed.

The laughter she had been suppressing all along burst forth, crisp and melodious like silver bells swaying in the wind, ringing gently through the twilight of the forest.

She laughed until her eyes curved into crescents, shimmering with moisture, her shoulders trembling slightly with the mirth she had been trying so hard to hold back.

She even laughed until the corners of her eyes were slightly damp, looking gentle and charming, completely devoid of the dignified distance of the usual Senior Sister.

"Hahaha, little Su Ming, are you really that easy to fool?"

Zhang Lexuan chuckled as she quickened her pace, raising a slender fingertip to gently wipe away the tiny traces of moisture from the corners of her eyes.

With her eyes curved into two gentle crescents, she looked at the crestfallen boy and tenderly revealed the truth:

"I was just teasing you. All my tasks were finished long ago, and all the loose ends have been tied up.

Around the time of the Freshman Grand Competition, I have no external assignments. For a long time to come, I will be staying safely at Shrek Academy to focus on my cultivation, so I have plenty of free time."

Su Ming's footsteps came to an abrupt halt, and he froze in place.

He turned his head sharply to look back, meeting the undisguised playfulness and gentle gaze in Zhang Lexuan's eyes, and realized in an instant—he had actually been thoroughly teased by the gentle and quiet Senior Sister Lexuan.

The boy's fair cheeks flushed bright red instantly, spreading from his face to his ears. Between shame and embarrassment, his previous disappointment turned entirely into indignation, and a childish, ruffled look appeared in his eyes.

"Senior Sister Lexuan!"

He gritted his teeth and let out a soft huff, his eyes gleaming with a cunning yet defiant light, like a little beast that had been gently teased and refused to admit defeat.

He turned instantly and lunged toward the smiling Zhang Lexuan, his tone full of playfulness and defiance:

"I was so sincerely concerned for you, standing up for you, and you actually tricked me on purpose just to have fun at my expense! Today, I must make you see what I'm capable of!"

Watching Su Ming, who had instantly ruffled up and lunged at her, shedding all his composure to reveal only the pure, childish nature of a boy, the smile in Zhang Lexuan's eyes grew even deeper.

Her figure was light and agile, with a faint flicker of soul power beneath her feet. She shifted slightly to the side, dodging his playful lunge with gentle ease, without a hint of panic, letting the boy chase her in their frolic.

The evening breeze blew, tree shadows danced, the lake surface shimmered, and the gentle twilight blanketed the earth.

Two tall, slender figures, one chasing and one dodging, one playing and one laughing, frolicked wantonly under the trees by the lake.

The boy's crisp, feigned angry shouts and the woman's gentle, melodious laughter intertwined and blended, echoing softly throughout the entire Inner Court of Shrek Academy.

The afterglow of the setting sun slowly sank behind the mountains, the brilliant sunset clouds gradually faded, and the soft night slowly descended, yet the gentle playfulness by the forest and lake lingered on, long and lingering.