Chapter 81

"I just feel..." Chen Ce scratched his head, then said seriously:

You look very cute.

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Syndra's face flushed even more—but this time it might not be from embarrassment or anger.

She silently turned her head to the side.

The plates on the table floated over as well.

Even so, the red mark behind her ears betrayed her.

Chen Ce remained silent, simply smiling as he waited for the other person to finish their meal.

Soon, the head of state, who had been starving for decades and looked like a mature woman but was actually a young girl, finished her meal.

She touched her flat, slightly protruding belly with satisfaction, her eyes softening considerably.

"I'm stuffed."

The empty plate floated back into Chen Ce's hand automatically under the influence of magic.

So clean that not a single crumb was left.

"Looks like my cooking skills aren't bad." Chen Ce put down the plate and smiled again. "At least it suits your taste."

"So-so." Syndra remained with her back to the other person, exuding an air of arrogance from head to toe.

Chen Ce didn't mind, picked up the plate, and prepared to leave.

But just as he stood up, he suddenly remembered something else.

He turned around again, facing Syndra's slender and beautiful back.

Reach out and pat his head.

"Get some rest, see you tomorrow—I'll bring you another bottle of Corrupting Potion tomorrow morning."

Syndra stiffened as her head was patted again. "You... don't touch me like that..."

As she said this, the crown on her head honestly disappeared—or perhaps it was subconscious.

"Who told you to turn your back to me?" Chen Ce chuckled and continued patting my head. "If we can't give each other a high five or shake hands, then I guess I can only pat your head?"

"What does this have to do with high-fives and handshakes...? Is there some special meaning behind it...?"

"Because in my hometown, it's a way of expressing friendliness, just like a high-five or a handshake."

Syndra remained silent, waiting for the other person to remove their hand.

Or rather...

She silently savored this warmth she had never experienced before, until the other person removed their hand.

The next day, Chen Ce delivered the Corrupting Potion as promised. Syndra drank it all in one gulp, then covered her head with the blanket and went to sleep.

She seemed much more relaxed, less wary than before, and her magic had recovered to some extent.

On the third day, Chen Ce brought the medicine again and chatted with Syndra for a while—about some interesting and not-so-unbelievable little stories he had encountered on Blue Star. The latter rarely showed a smile.

She's in good condition, and her magic has recovered somewhat.

The situation was similar on the fourth day.

It wasn't until the fifth day that something different happened.

As usual, Chen Ce delivered the Corrupting Potion and food that day, and Syndra, as usual, silently took it throughout.

But just as she finished eating and drinking, Chen Ce was about to pack up and leave, she suddenly called out to Chen Ce —this was the first time she had ever called out to him on her own initiative.

"What's wrong?" Chen Ce turned his head in confusion.

"You haven't... yet today..." Syndra pursed her lips, looking a little embarrassed. "... haven't... expressed any goodwill..."

"Huh?" Chen Ce was a little taken aback.

Seeing this, Syndra lowered her head and waved her hand.

The empty plate and bottle in Chen Ce's hand immediately floated to the table and were placed there automatically under the effect of magic.

Then, under the influence of magic, his body uncontrollably floated toward the bedside—yes, floated. The powerful magic left him with absolutely no chance to resist.

The terrifying force only vanished when half of his body was resting on the bed.

Syndra silently moved forward.

She kept her head down.

The crown on her head was slowly disappearing, revealing her beautiful, smooth, long silver hair. It cascaded down like a waterfall, falling around her slender waist and beside her thighs encased in footed stockings, creating a striking contrast with her pure black clothing.

Her meaning seemed quite clear.

"As always... express goodwill... in the way you're from your hometown..."

"Oh!" Chen Ce finally understood.

He reached out and gently touched the top of the other person's head, which they had offered to him.

This time, Syndra didn't have that stiff feeling; instead, she was just "soft."

It's like your whole body becomes softer, a very relaxed state and feeling.

She had never experienced this feeling of being treated gently before... no, she had never even felt it before.

Even though she still felt uneasy and wary, she couldn't bear to part with this warm feeling—something she had never experienced before.

Maybe...

Perhaps sometimes strength isn't the solution to everything...

Warmth is what matters.

"Call..."

Syndra a long sigh of relief, as if she had found an unprecedented peace in her heart.

Chen Ce suddenly heard a familiar voice:

[Hero [Syndra, the Dark Sovereign] Affinity +15, Current Interaction Level 15.]

Ahri looked at Lillia, Lillia looked at Ahri.

"I haven't received my salary for five days. Do you have any ideas?" Ahri asked.

"Lillia doesn't know either..." Lillia replied.

"What have you noticed Chen Ce been up to lately?" Ahri asked again.

"It seems like they're all spending time with Miss Syndra ..." Lillia replied again.

Ahri nodded, her face expressionless.

"Perhaps I should eat something else... Don't you think so?"

Chapter Ninety-Two: White Hair, Black Stockings, and Floating

With her blood-stained red and white light armor removed, Irelia was finally able to show her exhausted side in the empty room.

The long day of fighting left her physically exhausted, and as soon as her tense nerves relaxed, she was overcome by drowsiness.

Fortunately, today's results were good.

The Resistance Army defeated another Noxus legion, and the front line advanced more than ten miles westward once again.

Since deciding to drive out the enemy in one fell swoop, the Resistance Army has achieved remarkable results.

They've basically never suffered another defeat.

This is the best news for all of Ionia in the last two and a half years.

As the leader of the Resistance Army, Irelia was naturally very pleased—even though she had paid a heavy price in recent battles.

It's very tiring, and I get injured sometimes.

But it was all worth it.

"Cheer up... there will be new victories tomorrow!"

Irelia slapped her cheeks hard and then took off the rest of her clothes one by one.

Without the armor covering her, her originally smooth and fair skin was exposed to the air.

She then removed the hairband, and her smooth, long black hair cascaded down, draping over her slender yet strong shoulders and her delicate yet powerful waist.

She stood in front of the mirror and briefly examined her near-perfect body—her curvaceous figure looked no different from that of an ordinary young girl, who was not even twenty years old.

But she knew she couldn't do what teenage girls did—dance, paint, play strings—things that had been irrelevant to her since the "The Stand."

Her former dancing skills were transformed into martial arts, and the quill pen in her hand became a deadly weapon.

Even though she remains beautiful.

She shook her head and went into the bathroom.

Warm water flowed over her partially naked body, and white mist dispelled her fatigue.

Ten minutes later, she returned to the room wrapped in a pure white bathrobe, but there was now another person in the previously empty room.

But she didn't nervously wrap herself tighter in her bathrobe or throw a knife at him directly—she was already quite familiar with this person, and they often meditated together.

Karma.

"Just finished showering?" The newcomer brandished her keys, her beautiful emerald eyes openly scrutinizing the other person—not in a lewd way, but with an expression akin to appreciating a work of art. "Well, maybe my question was a bit redundant."

"I hope you'll knock before you come in next time." Irelia rolled her eyes—she was now much more casual and relaxed when talking to Karma, no longer maintaining the polite and respectful distance she used to have.

After all, Karma is just a girl in her early twenties.

She simply inherited the knowledge of previous Karma's.

"This is my room too. Who knocks before entering their own room?" Karma sat casually at the desk, seemingly unaware that she had done anything wrong. "Speaking of which... Irelia, you have a really great figure."

"Because I used to dance a lot—before the war started." Irelia didn't mince words, pointing directly to her most prized asset: her perfect figure. "You know that."

"Mr. Chen Ce is truly blessed," Karma chuckled. "You are beautiful, gentle, and so powerful... Really, I feel so fortunate for Mr. Chen Ce."

"What nonsense are you talking about..."

"What, aren't you two in that kind of relationship?"

"Hmm..."

"There's no point in hiding it; everyone knows."

"Is it... is it that obvious...?" Irelia's pretty face flushed slightly.

"Who doesn't know that our great leader is infatuated with Mr. Chen Ce?" Karma laughed even louder. "Everyone envies him."

"..." Irelia blushed, unsure how to respond, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile—if everyone thought she and Chen Ce had that kind of relationship, she would be overjoyed.

It feels like I've received everyone's blessings and approval...

"Alright, enough chit-chat." Karma, seeing the other woman's girlish demeanor, was a little worried that she might be blinded by love. "I have something good to tell you."

"What good stuff?" Irelia's originally tired spirits relaxed after a few casual words, and she even felt a little happy.

Karma didn't keep them in suspense and simply pulled a letter out of her pocket.

"It's a letter from Mr. Chen Ce."

"!" Irelia was even happier.

She eagerly tore open the envelope, carefully reading every word, afraid of missing even the slightest detail.

After she finished reading it, her smile became even more radiant with happiness.

The letter contained little information, but it surprised and delighted her.

"What's wrong? Did Mr. Chen Ce write you another love letter?" Seeing the other person's smiling face, Karma couldn't help but sigh. "Youth is truly wonderful..."

"It's not a love letter at all." Instead, Irelia frankly placed the letter in front of the other person. "Look, Chen Ce said he's confident he can directly take over the already fallen Fae'lor Island!"