On the throne.
Bibi Dong's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly.
She really hadn't been asleep.
Or rather, she wouldn't dare fall into a deep sleep in front of this little rascal.
Who knew whether this audacious, rebellious disciple might take the opportunity to do something outrageously disrespectful?
But she never would have expected the boy to start writing in his diary again!
And right in front of her, too!
"Steal a kiss?"
"Liu Xiahui?"
Bibi Dong sneered inwardly.
Did he even have the guts?
But when she saw the passage about the hedgehog and the nightmare, her heart skipped a beat despite herself.
A hedgehog?
So that was what she looked like in his eyes?
The line, "Don't be afraid. I'm here," might have seemed a little chuunibyou and arrogant, but in the quiet of the deep night, it was like a warm current, quietly seeping into her heart, long since battered and bruised.
"Hmph. All you know how to do is say nice things."
Bibi Dong cursed him inwardly, but her tightly furrowed brows really did slowly relax.
Even her tense body gradually loosened.
An unprecedented sense of security enveloped her.
Perhaps it was the faint sandalwood fragrance. Perhaps it was the arrogant yet comforting promise in his diary.
This empress, who was always on edge, actually began to feel a trace of drowsiness.
Su Yun finished writing and looked up.
"Hm?"
He keenly noticed that Bibi Dong's breathing seemed steadier, and the slight furrow between her brows had smoothed out.
"Did she really fall asleep?"
Su Yun's courage swelled.
He rose to his feet as quietly as he could and crept toward the throne, like a mouse sneaking off with some oil.
Up close, the woman really was stunning.
Even without makeup (though Douluo had no concept of that), even under such unflattering lighting, she was still breathtakingly beautiful.
After a moment's hesitation, Su Yun pulled a Snow Fox fur cloak from the System Space. He'd bought it in Notting City and originally planned to give it to Xiao Wu.
"You can have it, then."
He sighed and gently draped the cloak over Bibi Dong.
His fingertips inevitably brushed her shoulder.
For an instant, Su Yun felt the delicate body beneath his hand stiffen, but it soon softened again.
Hadn't she woken up?
Or was she pretending not to notice?
A mischievous smile curled Su Yun's lips.
He leaned close to Bibi Dong's ear and whispered so softly that only a mosquito could hear him:
"Good night, honey."
Then he flashed back to the meditation cushion below with lightning speed, sat up straight, and fixed his gaze forward as if the person who'd just taken advantage of her had never been him.
On the throne.
Bibi Dong kept her eyes closed, her breathing even.
But beneath the Snow Fox fur cloak, the hand that had been resting casually on the armrest suddenly gripped the hem.
Her ears were red as could be.
Honey!!!
The unfamiliar endearment, with its down-to-earth warmth and boundless intimacy, exploded in her mind and echoed there for a long time.
That bastard...
That bastard!!!
The night passed without a word.
Though both of them knew perfectly well that neither had truly slept that night, neither broke the unspoken understanding.
That was what you called romance.
That was what you called a game of push and pull.
The next morning.
When the first ray of sunlight entered the hall, Bibi Dong "slowly awoke."
The Snow Fox fur cloak slipped from her shoulders, revealing the black dress underneath.
Su Yun had already gotten up and was doing his morning exercises (stretching). When he saw Bibi Dong wake, he immediately flashed her a bright smile.
"Good morning, Teacher!"
"Did you sleep well last night?"
Bibi Dong glanced at him, her expression complicated.
She reached out and touched the cloak. It was made of fine Snow Fox fur, warm and still carrying a trace of the boy's body heat.
"Mm."
She answered flatly, her voice a little hoarse.
"Not bad."
"This cloak..."
"Oh, it's a gift from your disciple."
Su Yun put on an ingratiating smile.
"Even though Teacher's cultivation is peerless and you're impervious to heat and cold, you are still a woman, after all. It's easy to catch a chill at night."
A woman...
Bibi Dong's mouth twitched.
She was old enough to be his mother, and he was calling her a woman?
But for some reason, the words didn't grate on her at all.
"You're all honeyed words."
Bibi Dong rose and casually tucked the cloak into her Soul Tool (with no intention of returning it to Su Yun), then regained her usual aloofness.
"Since you're awake, let's discuss serious matters."
"About that Rabbit..."
Su Yun's heart tightened.
Here it comes!
He couldn't avoid it after all!
"Go ahead, Teacher. Should we steam the Rabbit or braise her? Just say the word, and I'll take care of it!"
Su Yun hurried to declare his loyalty.
Bibi Dong shot him an enchanting sidelong glance.
"Stop talking nonsense."
"I thought about it last night. Since you said she was your 'dowry'..."
She paused, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Then you can keep her for now."
"But..."
"You may be spared the death penalty, but you won't escape punishment."
"To keep you from neglecting your cultivation, I've decided to give you a mission."
A mission?
Su Yun had a bad feeling about this.
"What mission?"
Bibi Dong walked to the entrance of the hall and opened the doors. Looking out at the brilliant sunlight, she spoke with her back to Su Yun.
"The Heaven Dou Empire has been unsettled lately."
"Xue Qinghe—that is, Qian Renxue—sent word that she's hit a stalemate in Heaven Dou City."
"She needs an accomplice."
"Someone clever, shameless, and capable of talking people into knots."
Bibi Dong turned around and gave Su Yun a knowing smile.
"I think you're perfect for the job."
Su Yun: "..."
What the hell?
Was she exiling him to the frontier?
To Heaven Dou City?
To meet Qian Renxue?
This wasn't how the script was supposed to go!
He'd only just gotten halfway through winning Bibi Dong over, and her affection had barely reached friendly. Now he had to change maps?
"Teacher, I'm not going!"
Su Yun immediately clung to Bibi Dong's leg, his face crumpling.
"I can't bear to leave you! How will I improve without your discipline? How will I grow without your guidance?"
"I was born a member of Spirit Hall, and I'll die a Ghost of Spirit Hall! I'm not going to Heaven Dou as a spy!"
More importantly, that woman, Qian Renxue, was even harder to deal with!
She really would kill him!
Bibi Dong found his shameless antics amusing, but kept her face stern.
"Your protest is denied."
"This is part of your training."
"And besides..."
A glint flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes.
"Didn't you write in your diary that Qian Renxue would fall in love with Tang San in the future?"
"I have a mission for you."
"Go and nip that 'future'—which hasn't even happened yet—in the bud!"
"If Qian Renxue really takes a fancy to Tang San..."
Bibi Dong bent down and whispered into Su Yun's ear.
"Bring me your head."
Su Yun: "..."
Well, damn.
Was she making him head of the Anti-Pervert Squad?
Or was she asking him to become...
That audacious guy who'd "knock up the teacher while she was on maternity leave"?
Su Yun looked into Bibi Dong's eyes, filled with amusement, and suddenly felt that this trip to Heaven Dou might actually be pretty interesting.
Qian Renxue!
The Angel God's heir, hailed as Douluo's number-one beauty.
And right now, she was disguised as a man, posing as the crown prince.
This...
Wasn't this the legendary "cross-dressing" play (strike that)!
Wasn't this the legendary spy drama?
"All right!"
Su Yun gritted his teeth, his face solemn.
"For Teacher, for Spirit Hall, I'll go!"
"But I have one condition."
"Speak."
"Can I get my travel expenses reimbursed?"
"Get out!"
Before you continue