(The chapter title's wrong...)
A gentle breeze drifted through the woods, rustling the leaves and carrying off the lingering heat of the day.
Xie Xie followed behind Tang Wuyue, half-reluctant and half-willing,
the blush on her cheeks not yet fully faded.
Looking at Tang Wuyue's triumphant grin,
she felt both annoyed and helpless.
Now that her head had cleared,
she knew Tang Wuyue had been playing her from start to finish,
but she just couldn't suppress that secret flutter in her heart.
"Come on, come on! Don't just stand there!"
Tang Wuyue grabbed Xie Xie by the wrist
and hurried toward the place where Lu Chuan was training, light on her feet,
mischief plain in her eyes.
She'd finally managed to talk Xie Xie into it,
so today, no matter what, she was going to tie this red string tight!
Still,
one thing had caught her by surprise:
the usually haughty young lady, Xie Xie, was being so cooperative today.
She'd already been prepared
to give Xie Xie a full-body Blue Silver Grass spa treatment
and bind her up in front of Lu Chuan the moment she refused.
As they walked along the campus path,
the sun had just set,
and the afterglow painted the horizon a breathtaking array of colors.
So the path was crowded with couples.
Tang Wuyue knew that, of course,
which was exactly why she'd led Xie Xie this way.
Xie Xie had walked this path plenty of times before,
and had even enjoyed interrupting couples when they were getting affectionate.
But today,
for some reason,
after seeing several couples kissing,
and even one pair getting handsy,
Xie Xie suddenly felt a wave of heat wash over her.
That was precisely the effect Tang Wuyue had wanted.
Only when Xie Xie's body had gone faintly red
did Tang Wuyue finally feel satisfied and stop,
leading her to meet Lu Chuan for real.
"Bro! Over here!"
Tang Wuyue waved to Lu Chuan from a distance.
At the time,
Lu Chuan had only just parted ways with Wu Zhangkong.
Hearing Tang Wuyue call out,
Lu Chuan instinctively looked in the direction of her voice.
The little girl came bouncing over,
holding Xie Xie's hand.
The girl he'd met once before.
"Nice work in today's match. You've got the makings of a champion!"
Lu Chuan smiled as he praised her.
In that recent match,
although her higher level had given her an advantage,
Tang Wuyue had improved by more than one level in everything from the finesse of her Soul Power control
to her reaction speed in battle
and her ability to adapt her moves.
She'd grown steadier and more agile,
clearly having mastered the combat techniques he'd taught her.
Her brother's praise made Tang Wuyue's eyes curve into crescents,
and sweetness filled her heart.
She instinctively straightened her back.
"Of course! As the little sister of Eastsea Academy's legendary figure, I've got to have some skills. Otherwise, I'd embarrass you!"
Watching his little sister gloat, looking as adorable as a cat with its tail held high,
Lu Chuan's lips lifted in the faintest smile.
"You must be hungry. Come on, let's get something to eat."
"Yeah, I'm hungry, but I don't want the cafeteria!"
Tang Wuyue rubbed her belly,
her little face scrunching up,
her voice dripping with disdain.
"They serve the same dishes every day. I'm so sick of them, I've practically forgotten what food tastes like! Bro, let's eat out today!"
As she spoke,
she stole a glance at Xie Xie.
How could Xie Xie not see what Tang Wuyue was up to?
She was clearly determined to play matchmaker.
The food at Eastsea Academy's cafeteria was always excellent.
Only the free C-grade meals tasted a little bland,
while the A-grade meals had a good balance of meat and vegetables and were rich with flavor.
Even if you ate them every day, you'd never get tired of them.
Tang Wuyue had just made that up on the spot!
She wanted to use dinner out as an excuse to give her and Lu Chuan some time alone.
[Wuyue, does your brother need another little sister?]
[No, but he needs a wife!]
She was serious!
At the thought,
Xie Xie's heart suddenly raced,
and her little hand clenched unconsciously.
She felt shy and flustered,
but didn't dare call Tang Wuyue out.
All she could do was pretend nothing was wrong
and lower her eyes to hide her turmoil.
Lu Chuan had no idea what was going on with Xie Xie today.
The girl who'd once been full of confidence and eager to challenge her
was unusually quiet now.
His gaze swept over Tang Wuyue's impish expression,
and he figured she was probably behind it.
But for now, the most pressing matter was
that the little girl had learned to swear!
That wouldn't do!
The next second,
he reached out and gently tapped Tang Wuyue on the forehead with a long finger.
"Watch your language. You're a young lady—you can't just say whatever you like."
A clear little tap sounded,
a gentle warning.
It didn't hurt at all,
but Tang Wuyue immediately covered her forehead and pouted.
She lifted her head,
looking at her brother with an aggrieved expression,
and muttered her protest.
"Bro! You've said things like that before, too! You're such a hypocrite!"
Lu Chuan paused at that,
then thought it over for a moment.
He did seem to remember making a few offhand complaints himself.
"Is that so? Then I'm sorry!"
Tang Wuyue heard his half-hearted apology
and rolled her eyes.
"Bro, that was such an insincere apology! You don't look sorry at all!"
"Really? I thought it was pretty sincere!"
Lu Chuan raised an eyebrow,
not sure what exactly he'd done wrong.
So he simply changed the subject without hesitation.
After all,
he'd been the Golden Dragon King for so many years that he'd almost forgotten what it meant to apologize.
"Let's not get hung up on that. Where do you want to eat?"
"I don't know."
Tang Wuyue was passionate about food,
and the moment she heard the word, she forgot their little spat.
She spread her hands, looking innocent.
"I'm either at the academy or at home in Eastsea City. I don't know the place at all, so how would I know which restaurants are good?"
Then she had a thought. Wasn't Xie Xie a local?
She immediately turned to her, her excitement renewed.
"Xie Xie! You're from here, so you must know! Any good restaurants you'd recommend?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Lu Chuan's gaze fell on Xie Xie as well.
The moment their eyes met,
Xie Xie felt her heart skip a beat.
Her whole body tensed,
and her mind went completely blank.
She forgot every excuse she'd thought up.
She'd still been trying to figure out how to slip away
and keep her composure,
but now Lu Chuan was gazing at her in silence,
All her composure and calm collapsed in an instant.
The words almost leaped out of her mouth.
"Braised beef in a clay pot!"
The moment she spoke, the air fell briefly silent.
Xie Xie froze the instant the words left her mouth, wishing she could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.
How had she blurted it out so bluntly?!
This was her secret favorite, a little old restaurant she'd kept to herself.
The food was delicious,
and she hardly ever even mentioned it to anyone.
But now she'd blurted it out,
making it seem as if she'd planned it all along,
and had specifically wanted to take Lu Chuan there!
At the thought,
Xie Xie's cheeks turned so red they seemed about to drip blood.
Her long eyelashes fluttered rapidly,
her eyes darting away,
and she didn't dare look at Lu Chuan again.
Seeing Xie Xie's reaction,
Tang Wuyue's eyes lit up,
and she secretly rejoiced.
It worked!
Xie Xie's flustered appearance was proof she'd completely fallen for him!
She suppressed a grin that threatened to stretch from ear to ear,
deliberately pretending she hadn't noticed anything,
and asked with feigned curiosity:
"Braised beef in a clay pot? It sounds way tastier than the cafeteria food! Why don't we eat that?"
As she spoke,
she secretly watched Lu Chuan's expression.
By now,
how could Lu Chuan not see it?
That girl had probably been talking nonsense again and trying to set him up,
but then again,
he did want to try the snack that the original story had praised so highly,
so he said:
"If you recommend it, then let's go there. Is it far?"
"N-no, not far..."
Xie Xie's voice grew faint,
"It's in the old lanes outside the academy. It's only about a ten-minute walk. It's been there for years, and the food and atmosphere are lovely. It's very clean."
In her fluster,
she even instinctively started listing all the reasons the place was great, afraid Lu Chuan might turn it down.
After she finished,
she secretly regretted being so eager,
but the words were already out,
and there was no taking them back.
All she could do was let her heart race wildly.
Before you continue