Seeing the two of them looking like their hearts were about to burst with impatience, Su Ming remained completely unruffled. He turned and leisurely sat back down on the bed.
He casually picked up a bright red apple from the fruit bowl beside the table and gently brushed the dust from its skin with his fingertips.
He took his time chewing the fruit, all the while pretending to ponder how to phrase his answer.
Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei were left dangling by his unhurried manner, their hearts like rabbits dashing wildly inside their chests.
They paced back and forth, scratching their heads and tugging at their hair, so impatient they could hardly wait to pry the answer from Su Ming's mouth.
When it looked as though the two of them could barely hold back any longer, Su Ming finally slowed his speech and revealed the feelings he had kept buried for so long:
"That's right. I really do like Senior Sister. From the day she first came to look after Bei Bei, that affection had already taken root and begun to grow in my heart."
His blunt, explosive confession hit the two of them like a thunderbolt. Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei's pupils contracted, and they both stared at him wide-eyed, their faces filled with shock.
Xu Sanshi immediately strode over and plopped down right beside Su Ming, his voice full of curiosity and teasing:
"Come on, tell us the whole story! No wonder you never budged when all those beautiful senior and junior sisters from the outer courtyard showed you interest.
"So you'd already set your heart on someone as gentle and quiet as Senior Sister. You've kept this hidden deep, you rascal—even from your own brothers."
Bei Bei let out a long breath. The worry that had weighed on him finally lifted, and a sincere smile spread across his face:
"That makes things much more reassuring. With your feelings laid bare, Senior Sister and I won't have to face any awkwardness between us anymore.
"So have you thought about pursuing her? If you need help, I'm always ready to lend a hand."
Noticing how genuinely Bei Bei had been worrying about him, Su Ming waved a hand, his expression firm and confident:
"No need to trouble yourselves. I want to pursue this relationship myself.
"Just focus on getting along with Tang Ya and nurturing the love the two of you share."
The three of them sat together after that, talking freely about the little things on their minds and what they hoped for in the future.
The dormitory stayed brightly lit, filled with laughter and chatter. It was only when the night grew deep that the lights inside finally went out.
At daybreak, pale light emerged as morning mist drifted over the dormitory district of Shrek Academy.
Su Ming was the first to emerge from his meditative cultivation. Soul Power surged and flowed through him, and after settling and breaking through, his cultivation reached rank forty-four, making him a Soul Ancestor.
He stretched his limbs, loosening the stiff, sore muscles from sitting in cultivation for so long. When he looked around, he saw that Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi were still immersed in their cultivation, their breathing steady and deep.
Afraid of disturbing them, Su Ming lightened his steps, rose on tiptoe, and slipped silently out of the dormitory.
He had a clear goal in mind today. He was heading out to formally ask Elder Mu for Zhang Lexuan's hand in marriage.
The engagement between Zhang Lexuan and Bei Bei had originally been arranged by Mu En.
Now that Su Ming wanted to pursue Zhang Lexuan and make her his wife, he had to speak with Mu En first.
As he stepped outside, gentle, warm morning light washed over him.
Su Ming looked into the distance and immediately spotted the person he had come to find.
Mu En was reclining lazily in a wicker lounge chair beneath a tree, eyes closed as he basked in the morning sun. He looked utterly at ease.
Su Ming strolled over at a leisurely pace. Mu En, who had been resting with his eyes shut, seemed to have sensed him coming long ago and slowly opened them.
His cloudy yet wise eyes settled on Su Ming. A kindly, warm smile rested on his face as he spoke softly:
"Young man, you've been staring at this old man since early morning without looking away. Let me guess—you came especially to discuss something with me, didn't you?"
Su Ming smiled at that. He took a matching lounge chair from his Storage Soul Tool and set it down beside Mu En's, then stretched out on it to bask in the warm sunlight as well.
The sunlight bathed them, driving away the morning chill. A little while later, Su Ming's smile faded, and he spoke in earnest:
"It's nothing major. I came today to ask for your blessing."
Mu En paused at that, then burst into laughter, amusement bright in his eyes:
"Hahaha! You're teasing an old man now. Bei Bei is the only youngster left in my family. Don't tell me you're asking for Bei Bei's hand?"
At Mu En's teasing misunderstanding, several black lines appeared at Su Ming's temple.
He could only laugh helplessly to himself, wondering how Mu En could possibly think he would be interested in Bei Bei.
Seeing that Mu En had completely misunderstood, Su Ming quickly rephrased, clearing things up with a playful tone:
"You've got it wrong, Elder Mu. The person I like is Senior Sister Lexuan, so I've come to ask for her hand and seek your approval.
"I don't have any unusual tastes. Why would I like Bei Bei?"
Once he understood Su Ming's true intentions, Mu En showed no great surprise.
He knew perfectly well that Bei Bei loved Tang Ya and had never felt anything for the engagement arranged in his childhood.
Back when Mu En had arranged the engagement, he had only wanted to ease Bei Bei's loneliness as a young child, thinking it would be good for him to grow up with someone his own age. It had been a selfish decision made on a whim.
But as Bei Bei grew older, his heart became wholly devoted to Tang Ya, and the engagement Mu En had forced upon him became a burden. Mu En had long regretted it.
Over the years, he had often urged Zhang Lexuan to let go of the past and seek her own happiness.
But Zhang Lexuan was too stubborn. She had held fast to her principles and refused to open her heart, which only deepened Mu En's regret.
It was only after Su Ming came along that the frozen lake of this resilient young woman's heart finally began to ripple with emotion.
Knowing all the reasons behind it, Mu En had already given his tacit approval. He smiled calmly and said:
"Lexuan is an exceptional girl, both in character and talent. She's a rare treasure.
"As long as she's willing to accept your feelings, I won't stand in your way."
Su Ming had been quietly planning how to pour out his feelings and determination, ready to persuade Mu En with all the eloquence he could muster. He hadn't expected Mu En to agree so readily.
Delight surged through him. His eyes lit up, and he asked, unable to hide his excitement, "Elder Mu, does that mean you approve?"
Mu En gave a gentle nod, offering him a warm reply.
Su Ming's heart leapt with joy. He sprang up from the lounge chair, so light on his feet he seemed to rise three feet into the air, his face brimming with happiness.
He turned to leave with a spring in his step, but just as he was about to go, he stopped and called back to Mu En:
"Thank you for giving us your blessing! Don't worry. If Bei Bei ever runs into trouble while seeking a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, I'll do everything I can to help. I won't stand by and do nothing!"
Mu En watched the energetic young man's retreating figure and shook his head with helpless affection, murmuring:
"Young and full of spirit, throwing yourself into everything with such passion. That kind of vitality is truly enviable."
Morning light filtered through layers of leaves, casting dappled shadows across the ground as a gentle breeze stirred the treetops.
Mu En closed his eyes again and reclined in his lounge chair, quietly enjoying the peace and comfort of retirement.