Deep Night Secret Talk

11:00 PM, second floor of the girls' dormitory.

The dormitory door was shut tight, and the curtains were drawn. A small desk lamp sat on the table, its amber light illuminating only the small area in the center of the room, casting the shadows of four people against the wall.

Xiao Wu sat cross-legged on her bed, her pink nightgown draped loosely over her knees. Her scorpion braid was undone, her long hair cascading over her shoulders.

Ning Rongrong sat on the edge of the opposite bed, changed into light blue pajamas. She was barefoot, her toes resting on her slippers, with her white silk stockings folded beside her pillow.

Zhu Zhuqing sat in a chair in the corner, still in her black leather outfit. The zipper was pulled down to her collarbone, revealing a patch of fair skin. Her short black hair was still damp from dried sweat, and her body radiated the lingering heat of a workout.

Bai Chenxiang sat on the floor beside Zhu Zhuqing, knees pulled together. She wore a thin, light green jacket zipped all the way to the top, the collar covering her chin. Her hair was tied into two low ponytails that rested against her chest.

Zhu Zhuqing was the last to return, her expression grim as she pushed the door open.

Ning Rongrong handed her a cup of hot water. Zhu Zhuqing took it, downed two gulps, set it on the table, and spoke in a muffled voice.

"I ran into Dai Mubai again today."

Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong exchanged a glance.

"What did he do this time?" Xiao Wu asked.

Zhu Zhuqing recounted what happened at the practice grounds. Dai Mubai had talked about liking white tigers, about wanting to ride a white tiger to watch the sunrise, and about how she would have no choice but to marry him once she graduated.

"I swiped at him with my claws, but he blocked it with one hand." Zhu Zhuqing's voice was flat, devoid of much emotion. "Level 68. I can't beat him."

The room fell silent for a few seconds. Bai Chenxiang, huddled in the corner, spoke in a small voice: "Ma Hongjun pestered me today, too."

All three pairs of eyes turned to her.

Bai Chenxiang kept her head down, her fingers twisting the drawstring of her jacket's zipper.

"This afternoon in the cafeteria, Ma Hongjun insisted on sitting across from me, rambling on while he ate. Things like 'Chenxiang, you look so beautiful today,' or 'Should we go to the back mountain to watch the stars?' I told him no. He flew into a rage right there and flipped the table. He even tried to hit me, but luckily other students came over to help."

Xiao Wu gritted her teeth. "Hmph, that Ma Hongjun, he's always had that foul temper. A total brute!"

"These guys, they're all disgusting," Zhu Zhuqing said, clenching her fists. "If I were just a little stronger, I wouldn't have had to swallow that humiliation today."

Bai Chenxiang nodded, but said nothing.

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy.

Xiao Wu looked at Ning Rongrong, who was already looking back at her.

The two exchanged a look, and Xiao Wu cleared her throat.

"Zhuqing, Chenxiang, I need to tell you something."

Zhu Zhuqing and Bai Chenxiang both looked up.

Xiao Wu pulled the Pink Rabbit Pendant from under her pillow and placed it under the desk lamp.

"Do you see this?"

Zhu Zhuqing glanced at it. "A cloth rabbit?"

"Right, just a cloth rabbit. But this rabbit helped me jump from level 62 to level 70."

The room went quiet again. Zhu Zhuqing blinked, and Bai Chenxiang opened her mouth, then closed it.

"What did you say?" Zhu Zhuqing asked for confirmation.

"From level 62 to level 70. Eight levels. It happened this afternoon."

Xiao Wu pointed at Ning Rongrong. "Rongrong is the same; she went from level 59 to level 61. She even got an 8,000-year soul bone."

Ning Rongrong took the White Kitten Pendant out of her purse and placed it next to the rabbit.

"It's true," Ning Rongrong nodded.

Zhu Zhuqing stared fixedly at the two palm-sized dolls on the table—one pink rabbit, one white kitten.

The craftsmanship was decent, and the velvet felt soft, but they looked like the kind of ordinary trinkets sold at street stalls.

In reality, these were just two ordinary toys; Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong wanted to use them as a pretext to discuss something else.

"That's impossible," Zhu Zhuqing said.

"I know you think it's impossible," Xiao Wu said, standing up. "If you don't believe me, try punching me. Go ahead and hit me hard; you won't be able to hurt me anyway."

Zhu Zhuqing hesitated, then stood up.

She channeled thirty percent of her soul power into her right fist and shoved it toward Xiao Wu's shoulder.

The fist landed on Xiao Wu's shoulder, but Xiao Wu didn't budge.

Zhu Zhuqing frowned. She had used thirty percent of her strength; it wouldn't be strange for a level 62 Soul Emperor to withstand it, but Xiao Wu hadn't even swayed. This required a physical constitution of at least level 63.

"Use more force," Xiao Wu said.

Zhu Zhuqing increased it to ninety percent. With a bang, Xiao Wu's body retreated half a step before standing firm.

"How about that? Am I stronger than I was during the day?"

Zhu Zhuqing pulled her fist back, the recoil making the web of her hand go numb.

Even with ninety percent force, the other party hadn't moved. This defensive capability was at least level 65.

Zhu Zhuqing's breathing quickened. "What exactly is going on? How did you do it?"

Xiao Wu lowered her voice to a whisper and recounted everything about the "Happy Claw Machine" on the west street by the school gate from start to finish.

From her first time entering the shop, to the crystal ball transmitting messages directly into her mind, to the contents of the non-disclosure agreement, and finally the eight-level surge in her spirit power after catching the rabbit.

Ning Rongrong added her own experience from the side: a two-level increase in spirit power, plus an 8,000-year Medusa Head Spirit Bone.

Once the two finished speaking, Zhu Zhuqing and Bai Chenxiang remained silent for a long time.

Bai Chenxiang was the first to speak.

"This... it really only costs one gold soul coin?"

"One gold soul coin for three attempts." Xiao Wu held up three fingers.

Zhu Zhuqing's gaze shifted.

It wasn't that she didn't believe them; the feedback from landing a punch with ninety percent of her strength on Xiao Wu couldn't be faked.

"Where is that shop?"

"West street by the school gate."

Zhu Zhuqing stood up. "Is it still open? I'm going now."

"At this hour, the school gates are already locked. The shop's business hours are from 9 AM to 6 PM. I'll take you there tomorrow," Xiao Wu said.

Zhu Zhuqing didn't speak, but her lips pressed into a thin line, and the light in her eyes was completely different from before.

Bai Chenxiang also slowly stood up, her hands gripping the hem of her jacket tightly.

"I'm going too."

"Great!" Xiao Wu clapped her hands. "Tomorrow morning at nine, the four of us will go together!"

"But," Ning Rongrong suddenly said, "there is one thing you must remember."

Zhu Zhuqing and Bai Chenxiang looked at her simultaneously.

"The non-disclosure agreement states that no information can be revealed to any male. This includes explicit statements, hints, or any other method. If violated, all rewards will be confiscated, and spirit power will be reduced to level 1."

Bai Chenxiang shivered.

Zhu Zhuqing nodded. "I won't say a word."

The four reached an agreement, the desk lamp was turned off, and the room plunged into darkness.

They each lay in their beds, but none of them fell asleep immediately.

Zhu Zhuqing lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind filled with Dai Mubai's arrogant face.

Level 62. She was six levels behind him and couldn't beat him.

If that shop was truly as Xiao Wu described, and one could rapidly increase their strength as long as they had good luck.

Then the next time she faced Dai Mubai, she wouldn't have to endure it anymore.

Zhu Zhuqing turned over, pulled the quilt up to her chin, and closed her eyes.

Tomorrow morning at nine.