A Pitiful Girl: Zhu Zhuqing

After a night of rest, Zhu Zhuqing looked much better.

The healing power of the Law of Life was no joke. The wounds on her body, deep enough to show bone, had fully healed without leaving even a scar.

Only the weakness caused by excessive blood loss still needed time to recover from, leaving her complexion somewhat pale.

Early that morning, Lin Chen went into town and bought her a clean set of clothes—a light blue cloth dress. The material was ordinary, but it was clean and neat.

He also bought a hair ribbon and some toiletries, handing them all to Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing froze for a moment when she accepted them, then quietly thanked him before hugging the clothes to her chest and heading for the town's public bathhouse.

She stayed inside for more than an hour.

Lin Chen and Xiao Wu sat on the stone steps outside the bathhouse, waiting. Bored out of her mind, Xiao Wu drew circles on the ground with her toe and occasionally glanced toward the entrance.

"She's taking forever," Xiao Wu muttered. "Do all girls take this long to bathe?"

"You don't exactly finish quickly either," Lin Chen said.

"That's called caring about hygiene!" Xiao Wu shot him a glare, then leaned closer and lowered her voice. "Hey, what do you think she looks like?"

Lin Chen glanced at her. "How would I know?"

"Aren't you curious?"

"No."

"Liar." Xiao Wu snorted. "Don't boys all like looking at pretty girls?"

"I only need to look at you."

Xiao Wu's face instantly turned red. She smacked him hard. "Smooth talker!"

Lin Chen smiled without arguing.

After a while longer, the bathhouse door finally opened.

Zhu Zhuqing walked out.

Lin Chen looked up, and his gaze froze.

He finally understood why Zhu Zhuqing had taken so long.

The freshly washed Zhu Zhuqing was practically a different person from the blood-covered, dust-streaked girl from the night before.

She had changed into the light blue cloth dress. Her long black hair was loosely tied behind her head with the ribbon, while several damp strands clung to her cheeks, making her small face appear even fairer and more refined.

But her face was not what drew the most attention.

It was her figure.

She wore an ordinary cloth dress. By all rights, such a loose style should have concealed her shape.

Yet on her, the fabric fit far more tightly than expected, outlining an astonishing silhouette.

The neckline was not low, but the dress still fit awkwardly around her upper body, tugging it down slightly.

She was only ten.

Ten.

Lin Chen silently repeated the number in his heart, then quietly looked away.

When he had watched the anime in his previous life, he already knew Zhu Zhuqing had an exceptional figure. But seeing her in person was still far more startling than seeing her on a screen.

Xiao Wu was stunned too.

She looked down at herself, then at Zhu Zhuqing, opened her mouth, and silently closed it again.

Comparisons really could drive people mad.

Noticing that both of them were staring at her, Zhu Zhuqing tugged at her collar uncomfortably. But after pulling once, she realized it would not budge. The dress was too small, stretched too tight for her to adjust it properly.

"...The clothes are a little tight," she said softly, sounding embarrassed.

"It's fine. It looks good," Lin Chen said fairly, then stood up. "Come on. Let's get something to eat first."

The three of them headed down the streets of the small town toward the market.

Morning sunlight spilled across the bluestone road. Vendors along the streets had already begun setting up their stalls, and the scent of steamed buns and fried dough sticks drifted through the air.

Zhu Zhuqing walked beside Lin Chen with her head lowered, silent. Her steps were light, like a cat walking along a wall, making almost no sound at all.

As he walked, Lin Chen mulled things over.

Zhu Zhuqing's figure really was far too striking. At this age, she was already like this—what would she be like when she grew up?

No wonder she had amazed countless readers the moment she appeared in the original story. With that icy little face and those catlike eyes with vertical pupils, she was both innocent and alluring, cold yet captivating.

What a pity that such a fine girl had ended up with scum like Dai Mubai.

"You said earlier that you're going to Soto City to find Dai Mubai?" Lin Chen broke the silence.

"Mm." Zhu Zhuqing nodded.

"Do you know what he's doing now?"

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. "I only know that he was sent to the Heaven Dou Empire a few years ago. I don't know where exactly."

"He's in Soto City," Lin Chen said. "At Shrek Academy. He studies there."

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes brightened. "You know him?"

"No, but I've heard of him." Lin Chen chose his words carefully. "I heard he's been... living quite comfortably in Soto City."

Zhu Zhuqing did not catch the sarcasm in his words and merely nodded. "That's good. As long as I find him, we can figure something out together."

Looking into her bright eyes, Lin Chen suddenly felt an indescribable emotion rise in his heart.

This girl had fled all the way from the Star Luo Empire, wounded and pursued, surviving only after countless brushes with death. The thought of finding Dai Mubai was probably what had kept her going.

But she did not know that the person she saw as hope was no longer the man she imagined him to be.

Dai Mubai.

The third prince of the Star Luo Empire, the future God of War. In the original story, he was a notorious playboy who lived extravagantly in Soto City, changing women around him one after another.

Lin Chen remembered clearly that while Dai Mubai attended Shrek Academy, he frequently visited Soto City's pleasure districts and was especially close with a pair of twin sisters.

Though the twins were not soul masters, they were beautiful and attentive, and Dai Mubai spent quite a bit of money on them.

Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing—his fiancée in name—had fled thousands of miles from the Star Luo Empire to find him, while he did not even know what she looked like.

Pitiful.

Truly pitiful.

"Fine. I'll go to Soto City with you," Lin Chen said.

Zhu Zhuqing froze. "You'll come with me?"

"I don't have anything urgent to do anyway. I'll treat it as a trip." Lin Chen shrugged. "Besides, it isn't safe for you to travel alone. What if your sister sends people after you again?"

Zhu Zhuqing fell silent.

She knew she truly was not safe alone. Her strength was only in the twenties; any Soul Elder could easily take her down. If Lin Chen was willing to escort her, that would naturally be for the best.

"...Thank you," she said softly, lowering her head.

"You're welcome." Lin Chen smiled. "I happen to want to visit Shrek Academy too. I hear it's an interesting place."

Xiao Wu stood beside them, listening to their conversation. She pursed her lips but said nothing.

She knew Lin Chen's personality. Once he decided to do something, no one could stop him. Besides, she could tell that Lin Chen had no improper intentions toward Zhu Zhuqing. What he felt was more sympathy and pity than anything else.

Of course, if that changed in the future, that would be another matter.

They would see when the time came.

"Come on, let's eat first." Lin Chen stretched lazily. "We'll travel better on a full stomach."

The three of them found a steamed bun stall by the roadside and sat down. Lin Chen ordered three baskets of soup dumplings and three bowls of soy milk. Zhu Zhuqing looked at the buns placed before her, hesitated briefly, then picked up her chopsticks.

She ate very delicately, taking small bites and chewing slowly, as if savoring some precious delicacy. Lin Chen noticed that as she ate, her eyes suddenly began to redden.

"What's wrong?" Lin Chen asked.

"...Nothing." Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head and wiped the corner of her eye with her sleeve. "It's just been a long time since I've had a peaceful meal."

Lin Chen and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance, neither of them speaking.

From the Star Luo Empire all the way here, there was no need for her to explain what she had endured. Sleeping in the open, living in fear, always at risk of being caught and killed. Forget eating peacefully—just staying alive had already been a blessing.

"Things will get better," Lin Chen said.

Zhu Zhuqing raised her head and looked at him. Her catlike eyes held both confusion and expectation.

"Will they really?"

"They will." Lin Chen nodded. "I promise."

Zhu Zhuqing looked at him for a long time in silence, then lowered her head and continued eating her buns.

She did not say thank you.

But her eyes grew even redder.