Yue Shen: On What Grounds?!

Zhao Linchuan remained composed, turning a blind eye to the silent rivalry and the subtle exchange of glances between the two women, content to enjoy this rare "service."

After all, being pampered by two stunning beauties was truly a pleasant experience.

After the meal, Yan Fei cleared the dishes and brewed a pot of tea before speaking softly, "Young Master, my internal soul power broke through to level eighty on its own today."

"I wonder... when it would be convenient to go hunt for a soul ring? I await your instructions, Young Master."

Her tone was respectful, yet her eyes held a flicker of anticipation.

"No rush." Zhao Linchuan set down his teacup, offering the exact same response he had given Yue Shen.

Then, under Yan Fei's slightly puzzled gaze, he once again redeemed a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone that radiated a soft golden light from the System Mall and placed it casually on the table.

"Absorb this soul bone first," Zhao Linchuan said in a flat tone. "It won't be too late to hunt for a soul ring once you have collected a full set and tempered your physical foundation to the limit."

"By then, your starting point will be completely different."

"This... thank... thank you, Young Master!" Yan Fei was stunned at first, then a look of joyful surprise erupted in her beautiful eyes.

She never expected that by merely asking about a soul ring, the Young Master would bestow such a precious Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone upon her!

This "generous gift" far exceeded her expectations!

This entire scene fell squarely into the eyes of Yue Shen, who sat nearby.

Yue Shen felt a sudden tightness in her chest, as if she had been struck hard by a heavy hammer!

Her breathing became difficult in an instant, and a surge of intense bitterness, resentment, and grievance erupted in her heart like a volcano!

Why?

Why on earth?!

She had spent the whole day running around with the Young Master, visiting that foul-smelling forest, and even enduring his... lighthearted teasing, all just to earn one Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone!

But what about Yan Fei?

She had simply stayed in the residence, cooked a meal, and asked a question, only to receive one just the same!

The Young Master had even said the exact same words to both of them!

Then what did her "efforts," her patience, and her calculations today amount to?

Did the Young Master view her and Yan Fei as having the same value?

To be rewarded at will, without a shred of favoritism?

A massive sense of loss and unfairness swallowed her whole.

As she thought about it, her nose stung and her eyes grew uncontrollably hot; two lines of clear tears slid down her fair cheeks without warning, dripping onto the table before her.

Zhao Linchuan was lifting his teacup when his peripheral vision caught the tear tracks on Yue Shen's face, and his movements paused slightly.

Tsk, it seems... I overdid it? Giving them both soul bones actually made Yue Shen feel that her "special treatment" had been leveled out? She even feels aggrieved?

He pondered for a moment, and a plan formed in his mind.

Setting down the teacup, he redeemed another item from the System Mall—an elegantly designed ring, its band crafted from mithril and its face inlaid with a warm, white jade stone.

"Yue Shen," Zhao Linchuan said, his voice calm.

Yue Shen hurriedly lowered her head, trying to wipe away her tears, but he stopped her.

Zhao Linchuan pulled her hand from her lap and, without a word of explanation, slid the ring onto the ring finger of her left hand.

The ring adjusted its size automatically, fitting perfectly.

"This is for you." Zhao Linchuan let go of her hand, his tone casual. "It's a storage soul tool; you should have read about them in books."

"This ring contains an independent storage space of 100x100x100, enough for you to keep many personal items and cultivation resources."

"With it, things will be more convenient for you in the future."

Yue Shen stared blankly at the warm white jade ring on her finger.

The surging grievance and bitterness from moments ago seemed to be diluted by this sudden gift, which carried a hint of "exclusivity."

She bit her lip, eyelashes still damp with tears, and whispered, "Tha... thank you, Young Master."

Zhao Linchuan stood up. "I should head back to the academy. Both of you, cultivate well, absorb your soul bones, and stabilize your realms." With that, he walked out.

"Young Master, let me see you off." Yan Fei immediately rose to follow.

The two figures disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Yue Shen sat alone in the dining room, slowly raising her left hand to examine the storage ring on her finger under the daylight streaming through the window.

The white jade on the ring face was warm and understated, and the mithril patterns were exquisite and clever.

Although this wasn't a soul bone, it was an incredibly practical and precious soul tool, and the Young Master had put it on her himself...

She gently stroked the ring face with her fingertips, and the corners of her mouth curled upward involuntarily into a small, slightly awkward, and prideful arc.

Hmph, a storage ring... does Yan Fei have one?

A moment later, Yan Fei returned. Seeing Yue Shen still sitting there, looking somewhat dazed as she touched the ring, a flash of confusion crossed her eyes. She walked to the table to clean up and asked casually:

"Yue Shen, why were you... crying just now?"

Yue Shen's brows furrowed instantly upon hearing this. Just as she was about to retort, her gaze suddenly locked onto the left hand Yan Fei was using to wipe the table—there, strikingly, sat a ring!

The style was identical to her own, only the gemstone inlaid on the band was a pale red!

Exactly the same! Only the color was different!

In that moment, Yue Shen felt the small shred of comfort and pride she had just felt completely shattered.

So... it wasn't exclusive! It was just "standard issue"!

An intense sense of betrayal and loss surged up, even stronger than before!

She stood up with a "swish," her hands clenched into fists, her voice trembling with irrepressible agitation and bitterness, "Yan Fei! Do you really... have to compete with me for everything?!"

"Even for a ring, you had to get one just like it?!"

Yan Fei was stunned by her words. She stopped what she was doing, looked at the ring on her own hand, then back at Yue Shen, and asked in confusion:

"What have I competed with you for? The Young Master gave me this ring just before he left, saying it would be convenient for me to store things. Is there a problem?"

"You!" Seeing her look so matter-of-fact and completely oblivious, Yue Shen was choked with anger, her chest heaving violently.

She stared daggers at Yan Fei and said, word by word, "Fine! Fine! Since you won't admit it! Then let's see who has the ability! We'll see who can truly win the Young Master's favor!"

With that, she turned around, aggrieved, and hurried toward her room.

Yan Fei stood where she was, watching the direction in which Yue Shen had disappeared, then looked down at the ruby ring on her finger, puzzled, "What on earth is wrong with her?"

Night shrouded Nuoding City.

The lights in Dorm Seven had already been extinguished. Zhao Linchuan felt his way through the dark to his conspicuous pink bedding. Just as he pulled back the covers to sit down and prepare to lie down, he locked eyes with a pair of large, glistening eyes in the darkness that were filled with resentment.

Xiao Wu was curled up at the other end of the bed, her arms wrapped around her knees, her little mouth pouting enough to hang an oil bottle on. She stared straight at Zhao Linchuan—specifically at his empty hands.

"Where is my carrot..." she asked aggrievedly, her voice laced with the sadness of being deceived. "You said you would bring me one when you came back tonight... I knew you were lying to me, hmph!"

Having said that, she huffed and turned her head away, pulled the quilt over her head, and left only a rounded back facing Zhao Linchuan, using her actions to declare, "I'm ignoring you."

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Haha, Happy New Year. The temperature has dropped significantly, everyone please stay warm.