Unlike the fleeting anger in her eyes, the unfamiliar young man before her was just as stunned, rooted to the spot. He opened his mouth, but said nothing, simply staring straight at her.
His gentle, deep-purple eyes were faintly reddened.
Did he... know her?
Xue Qinghe furrowed her brow slightly, suspicion rising in her heart, but she quickly dismissed the thought.
Faced with this man's bold behavior, she should have smiled and gently reminded him of his manners, displaying the crown prince's benevolence. Yet for a moment, she was like a startled kitten, instinctively wanting to look away, standing there timidly, even aggrieved.
She had no idea why she felt this way. Was it because those eyes looked so much like someone's?
If that madwoman looked at her with those eyes, she would definitely react the same way!
A long silence followed.
At last, the young man seemed to come to his senses. The warmth in his eyes gave way to evasion, and a trace of panic flashed through them.
In the blink of an eye, the complicated emotions in his eyes vanished before her very eyes.
"I'm suddenly feeling a little unwell!"
Inside the Sealing Space, Bibi Dong sat stiffly with her lips clenched, panic filling her pretty face. She swiftly withdrew her spiritual power, then reached out and shoved Naruto beside her.
"Little Ming, you do it!"
"Damn it!" Naruto's eyes flew wide as Dong Trumpet shoved him. He couldn't help turning back to curse, "I gave you the chance, and you blew it!"
There was no point saying that now. Naruto shot one last glare at the awkward Bibi Dong, withdrew his consciousness, and smoothly cupped his hands in greeting.
"Your Highness, Crown Prince."
"Huh?"
Faced with Naruto's greeting, Xue Qinghe gaped in bewilderment, feeling that the person before her had changed his attitude as quickly as an actor changing faces.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?"
The steward following behind her couldn't help stepping forward to ask. There was no way he could ignore the strange atmosphere between the two just now.
"It's nothing..."
A trace of suspicion flashed in Xue Qinghe's eyes as she studied the man in front of her. His appearance hadn't changed at all, but the aura he gave off seemed to have undergone a complete transformation.
At least now, Xue Qinghe could no longer mistake him for a woman.
"No, it's fine. Nothing happened."
She waved to stop the steward behind her, then exhaled softly and composed her expression. A warm smile returned to her lips, restoring the image of the benevolent crown prince she had shown before.
"Sorry, sorry. Little brother, you reminded me of an old friend of mine. I neglected you."
As she spoke, Xue Qinghe hurried forward and helped Naruto up from his bow.
The two sat down at the table. Xue Qinghe casually waved for a servant to bring some tea, then immediately asked after Naruto's circumstances, using her concern as a roundabout way to probe his background.
To be fair, there was no need for Naruto to hide his humble background.
He was born in a small city on the outskirts of Tiandou, his parents were both dead, and he had a house but no younger sister. It couldn't have been simpler.
Xue Qinghe sipped her tea, smiling as she listened and occasionally nodding in agreement or expressing concern. Yet her doubts only grew. His background was so simple that it sounded like a fabricated record, making it hard to believe.
Still, that wasn't important. She could have Snake Lance or Pufferfish investigate later.
Back to the main topic.
The crystal ball on the table lit up, its dazzling azure radiance filling the entire reception room.
Xue Qinghe's calm eyes slowly widened, a hint of surprise surfacing. This Innate Full Soul Power talent was far stronger than the three good-for-nothings from Spirit Hall.
Of course, that was from the perspective of the genius Qian Renxue. From the perspective of an ordinary person like Xue Qinghe, she sprang up from her seat, grabbed Naruto's hand, and beamed with joy.
"Little brother Naruto! You're only ten years old, yet you're already a twenty-eighth-level Soul Grandmaster. I'm afraid there's no one on the entire continent who can surpass you! Your future is limitless!"
"Your Highness..."
Naruto was about to modestly reply.
Xue Qinghe, who had been quietly studying Naruto, seemed to suddenly remember something. A subtle look crossed her face, and the corners of her lips curled in an almost imperceptible smirk as she interrupted him.
"Hey, I've called you little brother. Why are you still addressing me as Your Highness? Isn't that a bit too formal?"
"If you don't mind, you can just call me Brother Xue." Xue Qinghe's expression was utterly sincere as she watched Naruto's face closely through her narrowed eyes.
Seeing a trace of awkward hesitation appear on that familiar face filled Xue Qinghe with the joy of victory, and she could hardly keep the corners of her mouth from rising.
To be honest, Xue Qinghe was nearly twenty and a head taller than Naruto. Calling each other brothers was perfectly ordinary.
It was just...
Naruto glanced inward, taking a look at Dong Trumpet, who had already fallen into complete disarray.
If he agreed to call her brother now, it would be difficult for Bibi Dong to take his place and meet Qian Renxue in person again.
There was no time to think it over.
Outside, Xue Qinghe was already growing impatient. She pursed her lips and tugged at Naruto's arm, urging him on.
Faced with this childlike gesture, Naruto could only nod reluctantly.
"Brother Xue..."
"Right!"
Xue Qinghe was overjoyed. She could no longer hold back the smile in her eyes. Especially when she caught the hint of unwillingness in Naruto's, it struck her right in the heart, and she covered her mouth with a giggle.
If that madwoman were in his place, the look on her face would be even more entertaining!
It had been a long time since she'd felt so carefree.
Xue Qinghe chuckled for quite a while before Naruto's call jolted her back to her senses.
"Brother Xue?"
"Ahem!"
She quickly stifled her laughter, coughing awkwardly. Her behavior just now had been nothing like that of the Tiandou Crown Prince. Reminding herself to be more careful, Xue Qinghe happened to notice Naruto's changing hair color and seized the opportunity to change the subject. "Little brother Naruto, what's the story with that rather nice hair color of yours? Did you dye it on purpose?"
"This?"
Naruto looked up and ran his fingers through the tips of his light-purple hair.
Knowing why Xue Qinghe had been teasing her, Naruto couldn't expose her and had no choice but to go along with the awkward change of subject.
"My hair wasn't originally this color. I asked a teacher at the academy, and it seems my Martial Soul gradually changed it into this."
"I see."
Perhaps she had realized that she'd acted out of character, because Xue Qinghe gently pressed a hand to her chest and forced down all the thoughts stirring within her. After that, their conversation returned to normal.
She first got a look at Naruto's Martial Soul, then praised his thousand-year Second Soul Ring again and again, while taking the opportunity to mock a certain Grandmaster.
If you ignored how Xue Qinghe would suddenly reach out from time to time as they chatted, trying to pat Naruto on the head—only for him to notice and dodge with a shocked expression—the two really did look just like brothers.
Time flew by as they talked. Naruto glanced toward the window, where night had completely fallen, and prepared to take his leave.
"Brother Xue..."
Before he could stand, Bibi Dong's somewhat anxious voice suddenly rang in his ear. "Wait! We still haven't asked how Xiao Xue has been all these years!"
Naruto froze, frowning. He could understand why Bibi Dong was so eager, but was it really appropriate for him to ask those questions in his current role?
"Ask her!"
Bibi Dong couldn't wait any longer. She gathered her spiritual power into a thin thread and secretly tugged at Naruto's sleeve.
Seeing this, Naruto could only shake his head helplessly. What else could he do? He had to rack his brains for a solution.
Xue Qinghe had also noticed how late it had gotten. She turned to look at the night outside the window, her pupils shrinking slightly. She hadn't realized they'd been talking for so long.
"It's already this late..."
She murmured to herself, then heard the person beside her call out.
"Brother Xue?"
Noticing Naruto's hesitant expression, Xue Qinghe was in such a good mood that she had no reason to refuse. She lifted her chin, signaling for him to go on.
Only then did Naruto relax and ask, "I saw you only returned home to rest today when the sun was about to set. As crown prince, are you really that busy with work?"
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