Chapter 89

Chen Ce woke up with dark circles under his eyes the next morning.

There was no other reason than Syndra had "tortured" him for most of the night.

Upon realizing she had been "tricked," this aloof and arrogant girl, like a queen, barefooted and trampled on the other person for a very long time...

Well, in the end, she even had to ask the other person to help her put her socks back on...

Chen Ce dared neither to be angry nor to speak out.

However... actually, this so-called "torture" wasn't that torturous, it was even a bit like... cough cough... a reward or something... after all... cough cough... um...

Anyway, it's alright...

I'm just a little sleepy when I wake up in the morning...

And there's a little fox who might cause a ruckus...

"Where did you go last night, darling?"

Wearing a long robe and white stockings Ahri wasn't as alluring as when they were embracing last night, but she looked even more beautiful—the allure of being partially concealed is what truly captivates; being completely naked simply doesn't evoke the same feeling.

Her charming tone carried a hint of reproach and grievance, making one feel guilty and tender towards her.

"You must have gone to keep Miss Syndra company... It's alright, I understand, my dear... You even went out very quietly, so as not to wake me, that thought alone makes me very happy..."

"..." Chen Ce felt even more guilty.

Syndra, standing to the side, didn't react much.

Ahri then continued in an almost sobbing tone:

"I suppose I'm superfluous... My dear, you don't need to worry about me anymore. Go find Miss Syndra if you want... She's much better than Syndra; she'll definitely take good care of you..."

"My dear, your attitude of being so afraid of being discovered by me makes me seem rather unreasonable... My dear, you might as well just ignore me..."

"I am so happy that my dearest can come and keep me company... I am also happy that my dearest cannot come and keep me company, because I know that my dearest must have someone better to keep me company..."

"That's fine then..."

Ahri covered her eyes with her sleeves, her soft, fragrant shoulders trembling slightly, as if she were secretly rubbing tiny pearls.

This tea ceremony caught Chen Ce completely off guard.

Syndra, unaware of the wickedness of human nature, appeared indifferent on the surface but was actually somewhat moved inside.

She haughtily turned her head to the side, but secretly glanced at Ahri, who seemed to be shedding tiny pearls. "Last night... I only taught Chen Ce a lesson last night, don't overthink it—he doesn't deserve to be hugged by me."

"Hmm...?" Ahri continued to sob, but her amber eyes were filled with a sly smile. "Then... how did Sister Syndra discipline Chen Ce...? My heart aches for her..."

"I only kicked him a few times." Syndra maintained her aloofness, but she vaguely sensed something was wrong—she felt like she'd been tricked into revealing information.

"Then... my dear, it must hurt a lot...? Let me see..."

"He's not in pain, don't worry."

"Sister Syndra didn't know my dear was so frail; that's my fault... Darling, come quickly, let me blow on you..."

"You mean I'm barbaric?" Syndra raised an eyebrow.

Ahri dropped the pretense, revealing a sly smile as she pulled back her sleeves, "What else? Someone as gentle as me would never bully my darling~"

"Then tell me, what's with the claw marks on his back?"

"Those are marks from our intimacy~ Unlike you, you only ever bully our darling~"

Ahri continued her sarcastic remarks, but suddenly discovered another key point—

"Wait, how do you know there are claw marks on your darling's back?"

"Hehe." Syndra chuckled without saying a word, then shifted her gaze to Chen Ce.

That terrifying gaze seemed to say, "[You said it was just a transfer of magic, but it turns out it really is a trace left from intimacy?]"

Ahri also stared intently at Chen Ce with an angry look.

She initially thought the other person was just secretly chatting with that lonely, wicked woman behind her back, but now it seems... it's probably more than that.

"Darling~" Ahri gave a kind smile.

"Chen Ce." Syndra calmly extended a hand.

"Explain?"

The two girls spoke in unison.

Chen Ce nervously swallowed, looking with pleading eyes at a little deer-like girl not far away—the latter was eating watermelon and humming a song, her face full of innocence.

"Um... Miss Lillia... would you be interested in taking a stroll through the Death Realm...?"

When Kalan saw Chen Ce again, she found that the latter's face was still covered with scars.

No... these scars seem different from the ones I've seen before.

These are... new scars.

"You must have done something bad again!" Kalan shouted loudly, deliberately seeking revenge for the theft of the Flame Berries.

Chen Ce opened his eyes wide and said, "How can you slander someone's innocence like this!"

"What innocence? I saw you floating in the sky last night, being dangled and trampled," Kalan said again.

Chen Ce's face flushed red, and the veins on his forehead bulged as he argued, "Being stepped on doesn't count as doing something bad! Being stepped on... is something related to the Resistance Army? Can that be considered a bad thing?" He then launched into a string of incomprehensible words, such as "transferring magic" and "foot fetish benefits," which made Kalan burst into laughter, filling the study with a joyful atmosphere.

"Alright, I'm not kidding anymore." After laughing for a while, Kalan gradually became serious. "First of all, I need to apologize to you—I offer you my deepest apologies for my previous distrust and arrogance."

Chen Ce smiled as he watched the Vastaya bow in apology. "No need for that. I understand your concerns."

"But I insulted you before."

"What a coincidence, I've also secretly called you incredibly stupid, so we're even."

"...Okay." Kalan wasn't the type to be coy, so he readily accepted the other party's kindness.

The two lightly bumped fists, which was considered a reconciliation.

They had only one goal—to fight for their First Lands.

"What are your plans now?" Kalan asked, generously taking a Flameberry from the drawer and handing it to him.

"Go back to Irelia." Chen Ce didn't stand on ceremony, taking the Flame Berry and stuffing it into his bag, but didn't eat it right away—he planned to take it back for Ahri and Syndra to try.

"Irelia? You mean the Resistance Army leader?"

"Yes, I need to meet up with her first."

"I see... Should I write a letter for you and send it to the Resistance Army camp? I think the leader must be quite busy, and if you send the letter in your personal capacity, she might not receive it."

"No need, Irelia should still be able to receive my letters."

"Hmm? Does that mean you hold a significant position in the Resistance Army?"

"No, I'm just a squad leader."

"It's probably quite difficult for the squad leader. Let me write the letter for you—I can send it in the name of the Nameless of Fae'lor Island. I think that should attract the attention of the Resistance Army."

"Really, no need... My letter can be sent directly to Irelia." Chen Ce scratched his head.

"Huh?" Kalan looked puzzled again.

After a moment's thought, he lowered his voice and asked cautiously, "Could it be... that you are the secret agent sent by the leader to resolve the troubles on Fae'lor Island?"

"That's not entirely true..." Chen Ce scratched his head again, a look of embarrassment on his face.

Kalan was still completely bewildered. "Then why is that? What is your relationship with the chief?"

"It's... a pretty good relationship..."

Which one?

"It's that kind of..."

"What exactly is that—wait?!" Kalan's eyes widened suddenly halfway through his sentence.

He suddenly realized something.

"You mean... that kind of relationship...?"

"Perhaps..." Chen Ce coughed twice to cover his embarrassment.

Kalan slumped back in his chair, utterly dejected, and after a long silence, managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth:

"You're such a beast..."

"Hey... can you call the Resistance Army beasts?" Chen Ce chuckled.

But Kalan wasn't buying it. "Miss Ahri, the leader, and that... no, I should call her 'Miss Syndra' now... you're really not human!"

Let's leave Syndra aside for now. Ahri is so beautiful, and Irelia, the leader, is so outstanding, so how could... how could...

Why do they both fall for the same person?

This is definitely drugged, isn't it?

"You're really outrageous..." It took Kalan a while to fully process this huge amount of information. "Alright, alright... First, tell me what your plans are after you go back and meet up with the leader?"

"Naturally, we're preparing for a direct counterattack against the Noxus invaders," Chen Ce replied. "Irelia began advancing westward a month ago, and if I go there now, I should be able to meet up with her near Wuju."

"A counterattack in one fell swoop? On what basis?"

"By Syndra."

"Are you really that confident you can control her? Last time... it might have just been luck." Even now, Kalan couldn't completely trust that terrifying power that required the Spirit of Ionia to barely suppress.

"Don't worry, I have a plan." Chen Ce said firmly.

This "brilliant plan" only requires the sacrifice of someone...

Mordekaiser is probably cursing every day in the Death Realm...

"Alright." Now that things had come to this, no matter how worried Kalan was, he had no choice but to trust the other party—he had to convince himself that it wasn't a low-probability event that Syndra had conquered Fae'lor Island without losing control.

"And what about you? Are you going to come with us towards Placidium?" Chen Ce asked in return.

"No." Kalan shook his head, then looked out the window at the town. "There are still many unresolved minor problems on Fae'lor Island, and someone needs to stay here... I think I should stay a little longer."

"Alright then, do as you see fit." Chen Ce didn't try to stop him and prepared to leave. "In any case, the First Lands will always welcome you—our great hero."

"Hero...heh." Kalan leaned back in his chair, his eyes, no longer clear, slowly closing.

Chen Ce did not disturb his rare moment of peace and quietly left the study.

Then, he was grabbed by two girls as soon as he stepped out of the room.

One person was grabbing one of his hands, as if trying to tear him in two.

"When are you coming with me?" Ahri pressed on relentlessly. "We need to get away from here quickly, away from that wicked woman!"

"What a coincidence, I was also planning to leave." Syndra snapped her fingers lightly, then used her magic to forcibly drag Chen Ce along. "Besides, we already agreed on this."

"Who said that to you?" Ahri revealed her sharp little tiger... no, little fox teeth.

"If you don't believe me, ask Chen Ce." Syndra remained arrogant. "I'll resolve the war for him, and from now on he'll obediently stay by my side and concoct Corrupting Potion for me."

"What? You've started clinging to your darling now?"

"Hehe, I just plan to leave after my magic is fully restored."

"You said last time you'd leave after drinking the last bottle of medicine!"

"That's... pfft, none of your business."

They started arguing again.

Chen Ce's hand... was almost torn off as well.

This is the enviable life that Kalankalan talks about...

Irelia donned her armor, but today she didn't rush to order an attack.