Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's Repayment!

The two of them pushed and yielded to each other in the changing room, their voices kept extremely low, yet neither was willing to take the first step. In the end, Ning Rongrong took a deep breath, hardened her heart, and pushed open the inner door.

Steam rushed over her face. Ning Rongrong narrowed her eyes and took two seconds to adjust before she saw the scene in the pool clearly. Gu Qing was leaning against the edge of the pool, both arms resting on the rim. The hot water covered his chest, while the muscles of his shoulders and arms above the surface were sharply defined. His eyes were closed and his breathing steady, as though he were resting with his eyes shut.

"Brother Gu?" Ning Rongrong called out tentatively.

"Mm."

Gu Qing did not open his eyes. His voice sounded a little deeper than usual amid the steam. "You two whispered outside for ages. Finally willing to come in?"

Ning Rongrong's face instantly turned red. So Brother Gu had heard them all along. Zhu Zhuqing followed her inside, still holding a towel and a porcelain bottle, a faint blush already creeping across her face.

"Put the things by the pool and come over."

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance, placed the cloth bag and porcelain bottle on the stone platform beside the pool, then took off their shoes and socks and walked barefoot to the edge.

Ning Rongrong rolled up her sleeves and knelt by the pool. The moment her fingers touched Gu Qing's skin, she recoiled slightly. His body temperature was frighteningly high. Years of cultivating the Mystic Jade Body had made his physical functions far exceed those of ordinary people. Ning Rongrong bit her lower lip, pressed all ten fingers back against that scorching skin, and began kneading forcefully.

Zhu Zhuqing sat on the other side, poured the medicinal oil from the porcelain bottle into her palm and warmed it by rubbing her hands together. Then she placed both hands over the meridians in Gu Qing's arms, slowly pressing along the lines of his muscles.

Guiding the medicinal power during the day had drained a considerable amount of Gu Qing's mental energy. Now, soaked in hot water and under the pressure of their hands, the muscles in his shoulders, neck, and arms gradually began to relax.

As Ning Rongrong massaged him, her gaze unconsciously slipped from Gu Qing's shoulders to his collarbones, then to the faint outline of the muscles on his chest. Her fingers slid a little farther down along his shoulder blade, her strength growing lighter and lighter as her fingertips traced circles across his back through the steam.

Gu Qing did not open his eyes, but his brow furrowed slightly.

Seeing no reaction from him, Ning Rongrong grew bolder. Her palm followed the lines of the muscles on Gu Qing's back downward, passing his shoulder blades and slowly pressing along both sides of his spine.

When her palm reached the surface of the hot water, it paused for a moment before continuing down to Gu Qing's lower back. The muscles there were equally firm, though softer than those in his shoulders. Her fingertips could feel the shallow depressions on either side of his lumbar spine.

Zhu Zhuqing noticed Ning Rongrong's movements, and the pressure of her hands paused for a moment. But she said nothing, merely continued focusing on massaging the meridians in Gu Qing's arms.

After massaging his lower back, Ning Rongrong's hand moved around to the front and pressed against Gu Qing's chest. Her fingers lightly kneaded his pectorals, her palm against his warm skin, allowing her to clearly feel his steady, powerful heartbeat.

Ning Rongrong's heartbeat accelerated as well. Her breathing became slightly hurried, and her fingers unconsciously slid a little lower, passing over Gu Qing's abs.

Gu Qing abruptly opened his eyes. His body reacted; no matter how powerful the Mystic Jade Body was, it could not control that. Although the warm pool water was murky, the subtle ripples shifting across the surface were enough to explain everything.

Ning Rongrong had clearly noticed as well. Her fingers froze, and her entire face instantly burned crimson. Zhu Zhuqing's hand on his arm stopped at the same time, and a rare flicker of panic passed through her deep violet eyes.

The bathroom fell silent for two seconds. Only the crackling of the fire and the faint sound of rising steam remained.

"You two!"

Gu Qing's voice was much deeper than usual, carrying a restrained hoarseness. "A massage is a massage. What are you groping around for? Get out."

Ning Rongrong bit her lower lip. The crimson flush on her face spread from her cheeks to the base of her neck, yet the corners of her mouth curled upward despite herself. So Brother Gu was not entirely unaffected after all.

"Brother Gu, are you..."

Before Ning Rongrong could finish, Gu Qing raised his hand and flicked her forehead.

"Get out!"

Ning Rongrong covered her forehead, but showed no intention of standing up. She bit her lower lip, then suddenly made a move that even startled Zhu Zhuqing.

Bracing herself against the pool's edge, she flipped straight into the bath. Water splashed everywhere, and her pale green long dress spread out beneath the water like a blooming lotus leaf.

Ning Rongrong stood in the pool, the spring water reaching her waist. Her soaked dress clung tightly to her body, outlining the slender curves of a young girl. Her long hair floated across the water's surface, and steam had flushed her cheeks red, but her eyes shone with astonishing brightness as she stared straight at Gu Qing.

"Ning Rongrong!"

For once, Gu Qing's voice carried clear astonishment.

"Brother Gu, I know your body must be uncomfortable. I'm not afraid. I'll help you, so stop holding it in."

Ning Rongrong's voice was soft enough to drip with sweetness, but her actions were unexpectedly bold. She climbed onto Gu Qing's shoulders with both hands and pressed herself against him. Her soft body, separated only by the thin soaked dress, pressed against his chest as warm ripples spread outward between them.

Gu Qing closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The restless heat she had stirred within him burned through his entire body like flames. If he kept enduring it, he suspected his Mystic Jade Body might explode from the strain.

He raised a hand to hold the back of Ning Rongrong's neck and pulled her close enough that they could feel each other's breath. His voice was low and hoarse. "Don't beg for mercy later!"

Ning Rongrong's cheeks were crimson, but a smug curve rose at the corner of her lips. Before she could say, "Who will be begging for mercy isn't certain yet," Zhu Zhuqing suddenly stood up from the edge of the pool.

She untied the belt at her waist, and her black fitted outfit slipped from her shoulders, revealing the plain bandeau beneath. With her clothes removed, her figure became even more stunning—her waist slender, the curve of her chest full and upright, and her two long legs straight and shapely.

Unlike Ning Rongrong, she did not throw herself at him directly. She merely walked quietly behind Gu Qing and placed both hands on his tense shoulders and neck. Her fingers slowly slid down along his collarbones, lightly tracing circles over Gu Qing's chest before continuing down along the grooves of his abs.

Zhu Zhuqing's fingers paused slightly when they touched his firm abdominal muscles, then continued downward beneath the water's surface.

Gu Qing's body visibly tensed for a moment. Ning Rongrong was in front of him, pressed tightly against his chest, her fingers drawing circles over his chest. Zhu Zhuqing was behind him, her arms wrapped around him from the back, her soft, full chest pressed against his broad back as her hands moved gently yet firmly beneath the water.

Outside the bathroom, Dai Mubai should have already left, but he had not gone far. He leaned behind a stone pillar at the corner of the corridor, listening to the faint sounds of water and suppressed breathing coming from the bathroom.

Dai Mubai knew what was happening inside. Gu Qing—the youth who had crushed all of Shrek beneath his feet a month ago—was now surrounded front and back by his former fiancée and another girl.

And he could only stand outside and listen, without even the right to approach. Dai Mubai's fingers dug into the cracks of the stone pillar, blood flowing freely, but in the end, he still did not take that step.

Dai Mubai silently turned around, pulling his lips into an unbearably bitter curve. With heavy steps, he left the corridor. Even after walking far away, he could still hear his own heartbeat pounding against his eardrums like a drum.

About half an hour later, Gu Qing had the two of them stop. He told them to wait outside first, then rose from the bath, dried himself, and changed into clean robes.

When Gu Qing walked out of the bathroom, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were sitting side by side on a wooden bench in the outer room. The moment they saw him emerge, both stood up.

"Let's go. I'll take you back to the dormitory."

The three had just stepped out of the bathroom when they ran into Xiao Wu, who was approaching with a bundle of clean clothes in her arms. The clothes in Xiao Wu's hands nearly fell to the ground. She stared wide-eyed at Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, whose faces were flushed red as they came from the direction of the bathroom, droplets of water still clinging to the ends of their hair.

This was obviously Gu Qing's bathroom. Why were the two of them here?

"You..."

Xiao Wu cried out in surprise, then abruptly turned toward Gu Qing. "Brother Gu! They went in while you were bathing?!"

Before Gu Qing could speak, Ning Rongrong hurriedly refuted her. "We were only giving Brother Gu a massage! To repay him for teaching us this past month! It's not what you think!"

Xiao Wu narrowed her eyes, looking from Ning Rongrong to Zhu Zhuqing before finally fixing her gaze on the small porcelain bottle Zhu Zhuqing had not yet had time to put away.

Without changing her expression, Zhu Zhuqing slipped the porcelain bottle into her sleeve. Her face remained as cool as usual, though the faint pink on her ears had not yet completely faded.

"Repayment? A massage?"

Xiao Wu was so angry that her ponytail nearly stood straight up. "Then why didn't you call me?"

Ning Rongrong froze for a moment. "Weren't you bathing by yourself?"

"I don't care!"

Xiao Wu stamped her foot and grabbed Gu Qing's sleeve. "Brother Gu, next time you get a massage, you have to include me! You can't let only the two of them take advantage!"

Gu Qing raised a hand and flicked Xiao Wu's forehead. "We have to travel tomorrow. Go back and sleep."

Early the next morning, before dawn had fully broken, the academy gate was already prepared with travel supplies.

"What are you planning to hunt for your fourth soul ring?"

Tang Hao looked at Gu Qing. His tone was not that of an elder questioning a junior, but more like one equal speaking to a fellow traveler.