Gu Yue stared at her coldly, her dark eyes showing no sign of backing down. "So what if he's delicious? He's not part of your family; he can't eat at your house every day."
"I didn't say every day," Xu Xiaoyan pouted. "I only said today."
"Not today either."
Gu Yue's voice was calm, but her tone carried an undeniable firmness. "He already has plans."
Xu Xiaoyan was taken aback. "What arrangements?"
Gu Yue turned her head and glanced at Zhong Shenxiu. Zhong Shenxiu stood there expressionless, his left arm held by Gu Yue and his right arm held by Xu Xiaoyan, looking like a pillar Entangle by two vines. His Light Gold Vertical Pupils stared ahead, his eyes devoid of any emotion, as if the two women were holding not his arms, but two pieces of wood.
Gu Yue withdrew her gaze, looked at Xu Xiaoyan, and said with a slight smile, "He's going to cultivate with me tonight."
Xu Xiaoyan's eyes widened even more. "Cultivation? Cultivate what?"
Gu Yue's lips curled slightly upward, a hint of mockery flashing in her dark eyes. She deliberately slowed her speech, enunciating each word clearly. "What business is it of yours what we cultivate?"
Xu Xiaoyan glared angrily at Gu Yue, her face flushed with rage.
Seeing Xu Xiaoyan's reaction, Gu Yue's smile deepened. She leaned closer to Xu Xiaoyan, her voice low, but every word reached Xu Xiaoyan's ears clearly.
"A lone man and woman, alone in a room, cultivating until very, very late."
Xu Xiaoyan was stunned for a moment, then her face flushed red. It wasn't a light pink, but a deep red that burned from the base of her neck all the way to the tips of her ears, as if someone had poured a bucket of boiling water on her face.
Gu Yue continued, "During cultivation, some physical contact is inevitable. And if I always learn very slowly, I might have to practice until late at night, and then..."
"Enough! Enough! Enough!"
Xu Xiaoyan shouted loudly, startling even the passing students. Her face was flushed red, and her two braids swayed violently with excitement. She released Zhong Shenxiu's arm, covered her ears with her hands, and closed her eyes tightly, looking like a cat with its fur standing on end.
"Stop talking! I don't want to hear it!"
Gu Yue couldn't stop smiling as she watched Xu Xiaoyan's reaction. She held Zhong Shenxiu's left arm, exuding the composure of a victor, her dark eyes filled with obvious smugness.
"You don't want to hear it, but that's the truth." Gu Yue's voice remained calm, but every word pierced Xu Xiaoyan's heart like a knife. "He and I will cultivate together tonight. Do you have anything else to say?"
Xu Xiaoyan lowered her hands from her ears, took a deep breath, and then took another deep breath.
Her face was still red, but the panic in her eyes had mostly disappeared, replaced by a stubborn determination.
"No!"
Xu Xiaoyan's voice was still trembling slightly, but her tone was more resolute than before. "I won't let Shenxiu be led astray by you!"
Gu Yue replied expressionlessly, "So what?"
Xu Xiaoyan's voice calmed down, but her tone carried an undeniable firmness. "I won't give up just because you said a few provocative things. Shenxiu is coming to my house for dinner tonight; that's already decided."
Gu Yue's eyes narrowed slightly. "When was this decided?"
"Just now," Xu Xiaoyan said confidently, "Brother Shenxiu already hummed in agreement, which means he agreed."
Gu Yue sneered, "A simple 'hmm' means agreement? Then I might as well have said 'hmm' too."
When did you say "hmm"?
"I'll show you now." Gu Yue gave a blank "hmm," then looked at Xu Xiaoyan. "Alright, I've said 'hmm' too, so he's agreed to cultivate with me."
Xu Xiaoyan opened her mouth, unsure how to refute him. She knew Gu Yue was being unreasonable, but she couldn't find any flaws in her argument.
The two women's eyes met in mid-air, sparking an invisible flame.
Gu Yue's black eyes held a chilling, oppressive quality, like a bottomless, icy pool. Xu Xiaoyan's light blue eyes shone with a stubborn light, like the brightest star in the night sky.
Neither of them was willing to back down or give in.
The air seemed to freeze.
The students passing by avoided the area, none daring to approach it. Although they didn't know what was happening, the invisible aura made them instinctively feel danger.
They stared at each other for about ten seconds.
Gu Yue was the first to look away.
It wasn't because she lost, but because she felt it was beneath her to compete with a little girl. She turned her head to look at Zhong Shenxiu, her dark eyes filled with a scrutinizing gaze.
"So, what are you planning to do tonight?"
Xu Xiaoyan also turned her head to look at Zhong Shenxiu, her light blue eyes filled with anticipation and nervousness.
"Brother Shenxiu, you said you were coming to my house for dinner, right?"
Both women's gazes fell on Zhong Shenxiu at the same time.
Zhong Shenxiu frowned slightly.
He stared ahead, his pale gold vertical pupils devoid of any emotion. His left arm was held by Gu Yue, and his right arm by Xu Xiaoyan; the two girls' bodies were pressed very close together, but he felt absolutely no softness or fragrance.
He was just thinking about one thing.
Why can't these two people walk properly?
"Let go," Zhong Shenxiu said, his voice low and his tone flat.
Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan were both stunned for a moment.
"You two, let go." Zhong Shenxiu repeated, his voice still not loud, but with a hint of impatience in his tone.
Gu Yue was the first to release her grip. She took a step back, her dark eyes looking at Zhong Shenxiu, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, seemingly unsurprised by his reaction.
Xu Xiaoyan hesitated for a moment, then let go of her hand. She took a step back, lowered her head, and her two braids hung down beside her face, obscuring her expression. Her fingers were twisted together, her knuckles turning white from the force.
Zhong Shenxiu stretched his arms and felt a little better. He didn't look at Gu Yue or Xu Xiaoyan, but just kept walking forward on his own.
Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan stood there and looked at each other.
Gu Yue's eyes held a hint of smugness, and her smile deepened. Xu Xiaoyan bit her lip, a trace of resentment flashing in her light blue eyes, but she didn't chase after him. She simply stood there, watching Zhong Shenxiu's retreating figure.
Gu Yue took a step and caught up with Zhong Shenxiu. She walked beside him, keeping a half-step distance, neither too close nor too far. Her steps were unhurried, her long black hair swaying gently behind her, and she exuded a cool and noble aura.
Xu Xiaoyan stood there for a few seconds, then took a deep breath and jogged after him. She no longer clung to Zhong Shenxiu 'Zhong Shenxiu arm, but walked on his other side, maintaining a symmetrical distance from Gu Yue.