Long Jinyu braced both hands on the back of the sofa beside Ma Xiaotao's head and leaned forward slightly, completely enveloping her in his shadow.
His heterochromatic eyes, which usually held a warm smile, now flashed with an intensely predatory light as they fixed on the woman beneath him, reflecting her flustered expression.
The sudden turn of events had come so fast that Ma Xiaotao was completely stunned!
How had the junior she'd just been holding in her arms to "protect" suddenly become so... oppressive?
The faint, pleasant, fresh scent on him forcefully invaded her breathing.
Where had all of Ma Xiaotao's blazing fury gone?
Her cheeks and ears felt unbearably hot, and her heart pounded as if it were about to leap out of her throat!
She instinctively tried to push Long Jinyu away, only to find that his arms were as immovable as iron.
Forced to meet his gaze, her mind became a muddle as all kinds of thoughts flashed through it:
'He... what is he trying to do?'
'This position... we're too close!'
'Could he... could he be about to kiss me?'
'No, no! We only met yesterday! This is moving way too fast!'
'But... why am I kind of... looking forward to it? Pah, pah, pah! Ma Xiaotao, get a grip!'
Long Jinyu watched Ma Xiaotao's rare, bashful helplessness with a mischievous smile. Her usual fierce Fire Phoenix spirit had vanished without a trace, leaving only a young woman's flustered embarrassment. The sight filled him with delight.
'Who told Big Sis Xiaotao to be so fierce all the time? Giving her a little scare doesn't seem so bad.'
He deliberately lowered himself a little more. His nose nearly touched hers, and his warm breath brushed her cheek. His voice dropped, taking on a bewitchingly magnetic quality.
"Senior... you smell so lovely..."
He paused, watching Ma Xiaotao's phoenix eyes widen, shimmering with tears, then chuckled softly and continued:
"So... be a little gentler, okay? Don't always go around shouting about beating people up, hmm?"
His voice rose slightly at the end, as if he were coaxing her—or giving her an order.
Wu Ming had long since stopped eating her apple. Her mouth hung open in an O, and her eyes blazed with gossip-bright excitement, as dazzling as an exploding Golden Crow. She waved her fists silently, just short of shouting, "Kiss her! Kiss her!"
Long Jinyu watched as Ma Xiaotao turned her head away, even her snow-white neck flushing crimson. She squeezed her eyes shut, her long lashes trembling like the wings of a startled butterfly. She looked so pitifully resigned, like she was offering herself up to him, and he decided he'd gone far enough.
'So... so cute! Cough, cough... I'd better quit while I'm ahead. If I really kiss her, it'll change the whole mood.'
His thoughts raced. He knew Ma Xiaotao wasn't a frivolous person. Even when consumed by Evil Fire in the original story, she had held fast to her principles. A good girl like her deserved not only respect, but to be cherished sincerely.
Stealing her first kiss on their second day of knowing each other? How was that any different from being a lecher?
Love was like savoring tea... it had to be taken slowly.
He was just about to straighten up and end the "prank" when he never imagined there was still a super "head-pusher" beside him!
Seeing Long Jinyu about to get up, Wu Ming cried, "Oh, no!" In almost a reflex, she shot out a hand and forcefully shoved the back of his head down. If you were going to enjoy the show, you had to see it through! Who stopped just short of the finish line?
"Mm...!"
Long Jinyu hadn't expected Wu Ming to pull a stunt like that. The tremendous force shoved him sharply downward!
At the last possible moment, relying on his powerful core and quick reflexes, he managed to turn his head in midair, narrowly avoiding Ma Xiaotao's lips—
A soft, moist sensation landed on a stretch of delicate, smooth skin that carried the enchanting fragrance of phoenix flowers.
It was Ma Xiaotao's neck.
Long Jinyu: "!!!"
Time seemed to freeze for a second.
Ma Xiaotao's eyes flew open, and her whole body shuddered violently, as if she'd been struck by lightning!
She felt the unmistakable warmth against her neck and the young man's slightly hurried breathing.
'He... he really kissed me?! And... and he kissed my neck?!'
A jumble of emotions surged through her in an instant! Embarrassment, fluster, and a secret thrill she was unwilling to admit even to herself all tangled together.
Although she did have a bit of a soft spot for Long Jinyu, she had always been proud, self-respecting, and pure. She simply couldn't accept a junior she'd known for only two days making such an intimate move! Did he think she was some easy woman?!
Her anger flared back to life with a whoosh, burning even hotter than before!
She was just about to explode—
"Senior Wu! Ming!"
The question, brimming with embarrassment and indignation, rang out first, cutting off the anger about to erupt from Ma Xiaotao.
Long Jinyu jerked upright as if he'd been burned. His cheeks and ears were even redder than Ma Xiaotao's.
He turned toward the culprit, Wu Ming, brows knitted. His tone was more serious than she'd ever heard it—and tinged with lingering alarm and reproach.
"You went too far! Do you think this is funny?! How could you... how could you tease Senior Xiaotao like that? It's completely disrespectful!"
His reaction was even more intense than that of Ma Xiaotao, the "victim." His heterochromatic eyes were filled with panic at having "made a huge mess" and genuine remorse. There wasn't the slightest hint of smugness at having gotten away with something.
Ma Xiaotao, who had been ready to demand an explanation, was caught off guard by his reaction.
Wu Ming, too, was thrown by Long Jinyu's unusual seriousness and direct rebuke. Her mischievous grin froze, and for once, she looked awkward and guilty.
"Cough... cough, cough... Um... junior, I'm sorry... Xiaotao, I'm sorry..."
Her voice dropped, edged with embarrassment.
"I... I just saw the atmosphere between you two and thought... thought you'd already gotten that close... I was only joking. I didn't expect..."
Hearing Wu Ming's explanation and seeing Long Jinyu so anxious he was practically sweating, his face saying, "I didn't mean to! I've been wronged!" Ma Xiaotao felt the anger at being offended drain away. In its place came a sudden clarity—and relief.
'So Wu Ming, that idiot, was behind it...'
She secretly let out a breath, her tense body relaxing.
'I knew it... this kid didn't seem like that kind of person...'
She suddenly recalled that she'd suspected earlier that he might have taken advantage of her while she was unconscious. Thinking back on it now, that seemed rather ridiculous.
Given Mu En and her teacher's ability to judge people, if Long Jinyu really were a lecher, they would never have arranged for him to live with her, even if he could suppress her Evil Fire—let alone shown him so much regard and praise.
At the thought, she even felt a little guilty for having doubted him in that brief moment.
By then, Long Jinyu had turned back toward her. Just before he could apologize, a storm of thoughts flooded his mind, battering his reason:
'Long Jinyu, you bastard!'
A wail of self-reproach rang out inside him.
'What the hell did you just do?! Acting tough? Going on the attack? You think that makes you impressive or something?!'
Looking at her slightly flushed cheeks, still marked by shock and indignation, he felt that his actions had been utterly stupid.
'Who is Ma Xiaotao? She's the good girl who wouldn't let herself go, no matter how much the Evil Fire tormented her. She's as chaste and self-disciplined as they come!'
'You bastard! How could you... Damn it! Sure, Wu Ming, that lunatic, was the one who pushed your head down, but you gave her the chance! You're the one who ultimately offended Big Sis Xiaotao!'
A powerful wave of guilt threatened to drown him.
'She must be disgusted with me now, right? She probably thinks I'm no different from a lecher! I've ruined all the trust and goodwill I worked so hard to build with one stupid move!'
He couldn't even bear to imagine how much Ma Xiaotao must hate him at that moment.
'I'm done for... Forget helping her suppress her Evil Fire from now on. She probably won't even give me the time of day...'
The surge of self-recrimination drained some of the color from his face, leaving behind genuine, unfeigned remorse and anxiety.
With that crushing guilt weighing on him, he faced Ma Xiaotao and bowed slightly, his manner so sincere it was almost reverent. His voice was lower than usual, filled with unmistakable unease.
"Senior Xiaotao, I'm sorry!" Every word seemed to be dragged out from the depths of his heart. "Even though Senior Wu Ming pushed me, I did offend you! I was wrong, and I won't make excuses!"
He raised his head and looked Ma Xiaotao straight in the eyes. His gaze was clear but uneasy, without a hint of evasion—only deep regret and calm acceptance of whatever punishment she chose. "You can hit me or punish me. I won't complain. I'll accept whatever you decide, Senior!"
Watching him apologize with more embarrassment, anxiety, and seriousness than she'd shown herself, Ma Xiaotao somehow felt the last of her displeasure fade. Instead, she almost wanted to laugh.
'Why's this kid acting like he's committed some unforgivable crime? He's... kind of cute.'
Her temper was fiery, but she knew how to distinguish right from wrong and make sure blame fell where it belonged. She knew perfectly well who was mainly responsible.
"All right, all right."
She waved a hand, trying to maintain her senior's dignity, but her tone softened despite herself.
"I know you didn't do it on purpose. The one at fault is Wu Ming, with her meddlesome hands!"
She shot a disgruntled glare at Wu Ming, who was trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.
Seeing Ma Xiaotao's softened tone, Wu Ming immediately sidled over with a grin and began massaging her shoulders ingratiatingly.
"Oh, my dear Xiaotao, it's all my fault, all my fault! I saw the two of you living under one roof, looking so perfect together, and my thoughts just went astray!"
"Who knew you were making such... pure progress? Forgive me this once, okay? I won't do it again!"
Her technique was practiced and her tone fawning. Clearly, she had plenty of experience coaxing Ma Xiaotao.
Wu Ming's shameless antics left Ma Xiaotao both exasperated and amused.
Wu Ming was sharp-tongued and loved stirring up trouble, but she was one of the few close friends in the inner court whom Ma Xiaotao could truly confide in.
Seeing her apologize sincerely—though she still didn't look entirely trustworthy—Ma Xiaotao gave a reluctant snort. "Don't let it happen again!"
"Of course, of course!" Wu Ming promised at once, grinning from ear to ear.
Watching the whole affair settle without serious consequences, Long Jinyu breathed a sigh of relief. He felt more exhausted than he had been solving problems at the Medical Pavilion.
He couldn't help but rub his forehead, his thoughts a stampede of curses.
'My goodness, what a walking disaster! Can't get anything right, can you? Give it a rest from now on... You stirred up trouble with that smart mouth of yours the last time we fought at the cafeteria entrance, too. I give up!'
'I finally worked up the nerve and came up with a brilliant idea! I could scare Senior Xiaotao a little to keep her from getting angry, and bring us a little closer at just the right time. The atmosphere was just starting to sizzle! Then you came along and smashed it all to pieces with one shove!'
'Captain of the Head-Pushing Squad, is that it? You love a juicy bit of gossip, huh? You nearly turned this into a crime scene! My perfect plan! My elegant, just-enough teasing! All in shambles! Boo-hoo...'
'I went to all that trouble to keep you two from fighting, and you turn around and dump me in the pit! What a useless teammate! An absolute liability! Worse than the system!'
[Ah-choo!...]
He muttered under his breath, "Looks like I really need to find those two some books to read. They could learn about social skills and... how to keep their tempers in check..."
"Cough, cough... From now on, I'll have to properly... educate Wu Ming, that genius, and tell her to stop causing trouble every chance she gets..."
As he spoke, he remembered the "important matter" and hurriedly took three exquisite insulated food containers from his Storage Soul Tool. As soon as he opened the lids, the rich, fragrant aroma of the soup, infused with the distinctive scent of medicinal cuisine, filled the room.
"You two worked hard moving today, and you were... startled just now."
His face still a little red, he eagerly offered them bowls of soup.
"This is the 'Basalt Soul-Shocking Soup,' which I happened to come across. I heard it's delicious and nourishing for Soul Power."
"Why don't you try some? Think of it as... letting me make amends, and help you calm down."
Ma Xiaotao caught a hint of the soup's aroma and her eyes lit up. "Hmm? Xiao Xu's 'Basalt Soul-Shocking Soup'?"
She looked at Long Jinyu in surprise.
"You've got pretty good taste, kid. You even managed to get some of his family's soup? And you know it's good?"
She accepted the bowl, a hint of approval in her voice.
"His family's soup is fairly well-known in Shrek City. It's especially good for calming the mind and nourishing the Martial Soul. It's expensive and hard to come by."
"Huh? Is it... really that amazing?" Long Jinyu looked surprised. 'Guess I underestimated this soup.'
Wu Ming leaned over curiously, too. "Oh? You mean that 'human meat punching bag...' Cough, cough! The kid with the ancestral secret recipe and the Black Tortoise Shell Shield? I heard it's really nourishing! I want some, too!" Without the slightest hesitation, she took a bowl for herself.
The tense atmosphere in the living room finally eased completely, leaving only the rich aroma of soup and a delicate, peaceful warmth—for now.
Watching the two seniors begin to drink in silence, Long Jinyu finally felt his wildly unsettled heart settle back into his chest.
"I'm glad you like it, Senior Xiaotao. By the way, didn't the teacher arrange for me to sit in on the first-year classes in the outer court for seven days, starting the day after tomorrow? Could you show me around, Senior—and maybe... look out for me a bit?"
Ma Xiaotao was savoring the lingering taste of the soup. At his words, she glanced at him, remembering Yan Shaozhe's instructions to "look after her junior" and Mu En's deeper intention of helping him "fit into the group." But she still gave her habitual snort. "Hmph, you're such a handful! Got it. Just don't sleep in."
Wu Ming started "asking for trouble" again. "First-year classes in the outer court? Sounds interesting! Xiaotao, I'll come too—"
"Shut up!" Ma Xiaotao cut her off at once. "Why are you trying to join in? Go back to the inner court and train!"
Watching the two of them start bickering again, Long Jinyu sighed helplessly and lowered his head to keep drinking his soup.
'First-year classes... Heh, heh, heh. This should be... interesting, right?'
The lights of Phoenix Perch Pavilion glowed warmly in the night on Sea God Island...
Before you continue