Where Is It Ugly? This Outfit Clearly Looks Great...

But given her current status as both "hostage and maid," she could only force down the embarrassment and irritation in her heart. Pretending to remain calm, she picked up the purple clay teapot from the table and stiffly filled Qian Jue's cup.

As she poured the tea, she could not help sneaking glances at Qian Jue across from her, wanting to see how he would react to such absurd rumors.

Yet, to Zhang Lexuan's surprise, Qian Jue was far too calm.

He propped his chin up with one hand, his gaze lazily fixed on the bustling street outside the window. There was not the slightest ripple in his deep eyes.

Hearing the talk about them being a "couple," he showed no embarrassment at all.

Instead, he naturally picked up the hot tea Zhang Lexuan had just poured, took a light sip, and seemed long accustomed to being the center of attention.

"What are you looking at?"

Qian Jue set down his teacup and turned his gaze back from the window, meeting Zhang Lexuan's furtive stare.

A teasing half-smile curled across his lips. "Did you suddenly realize that serving me tea isn't embarrassing at all? It's actually quite an honor?"

"You—"

Caught red-handed and subjected to his narcissistic remarks, Zhang Lexuan's hard-won composure instantly crumbled. Gritting her teeth, she said in a low voice,

"How can you be so shameless? Everyone is spreading nonsense about us. Aren't you going to explain yourself?"

"Explain what?"

Qian Jue raised a brow, his tone perfectly matter-of-fact. "Explain that you're not my sweetheart, but a maid I kidnapped? They'd probably be even more excited."

Zhang Lexuan was completely speechless. She glared resentfully at the man before her. Sometimes, she truly wanted to pry open Qian Jue's head and see just how his mind worked.

How could he say something so brazen without changing expression?

"Just pouring tea isn't enough. I'm hungry." Qian Jue lightly tapped the tabletop with his knuckles, speaking with the self-righteous air of a spoiled young master ordering around a maid.

"Hmph!" Face flushed, Zhang Lexuan picked up the serving chopsticks and placed a piece of tempting-looking high-level soul beast meat heavily into his bowl.

Yet Qian Jue did not even pick up his chopsticks. Still sitting with his arms folded, he stared at her with an amused smile. The meaning in his eyes could not have been clearer.

Zhang Lexuan was instantly dumbfounded, the hand holding her chopsticks frozen in midair.

Did he expect her to feed him herself?!

In public like this, wasn't he taking things way too far?

Seeing Zhang Lexuan's ears turn crimson and her beautiful eyes widen as though she were about to flip the table in humiliation and fury, Qian Jue finally could not hold it in any longer. A hint of mischievous laughter flashed through his eyes.

He picked up his own chopsticks, leisurely lifted the meat from his bowl, and put it into his mouth. Then he glanced at her.

"What are you standing around for? Eat.

What, you've been staring at me this whole time. Do you expect me to pick food for you too?"

Seeing Qian Jue act as though he had gained an advantage yet still wanted to complain, Zhang Lexuan finally realized that he had been pretending all along. He had been deliberately teasing her!

Watching Qian Jue eat with obvious enjoyment across from her, Zhang Lexuan suddenly felt, for a brief moment, that this man was not some erratic evil soul master at all.

Nor was he the peerless powerhouse who had slapped Elder Xuan, a Rank 98 expert, straight into the ground with one move. Instead, he seemed like a brat who had only recently awakened his martial soul and loved nothing more than pulling little girls' braids for fun.

He was simply too mischievous, too awful!

Zhang Lexuan gritted her teeth, her delicate fists clenched tightly beneath the table. She really wanted to teach him a lesson!

Even knowing she could not defeat him, she still wanted to bite him hard just to vent her anger.

In the end, she could only turn her grief and indignation into appetite. Picking up her chopsticks, she viciously stabbed at the rice in her bowl as though it were Qian Jue's face.

Seeing her puffed-up yet helpless appearance, Qian Jue was clearly in a much better mood. Even his appetite improved considerably.

As the two ate amid this "strange" atmosphere, the hushed conversation of several soul masters at the next table suddenly drifted into their ears.

"Hey, have you heard? It seems something huge happened over at Shrek Academy!"

"What happened? That's the number one academy on the continent. What kind of trouble could possibly happen there?"

"According to reliable information, one of the Sea God Pavilion's top elders led a team to the Star Dou Great Forest, only to run into someone they couldn't handle. He was severely injured and carried back to the academy!

"They say even his Martial Soul True Body was forcibly shattered!

"Now all of Shrek City has entered the highest level of lockdown. Apparently, the upper ranks of the inner courtyard are urgently gathering an unimaginably enormous amount of resources. Even the Treasure Pavilion has been alerted..."

At those words, Zhang Lexuan abruptly stopped shoveling rice into her mouth. Her heart jolted, and she instinctively looked up at Qian Jue across from her.

Qian Jue swallowed his food, unhurriedly picked up his teacup to rinse his mouth, and smiled with satisfaction.

"Looks like that old man Xuan Zi may be terrible at leading a team, but his efficiency at running errands is barely passable."

Hearing those discussions, Zhang Lexuan could not help feeling anxious, deep concern settling between her brows.

Could Shrek Academy really gather that astronomical ransom?

If the elders of the Sea God Pavilion could not swallow this humiliation, would they clash with Qian Jue again?

Seeing Zhang Lexuan's worried, preoccupied expression, Qian Jue mercilessly added insult to injury.

"Enough. Put your mind at ease. Rather than wasting time worrying about others, you should worry about yourself first."

With that, Qian Jue stood after eating and drinking his fill, casually tossing several gold soul coins onto the table.

"What are you going to do?"

Zhang Lexuan's heart skipped a beat as an extremely bad premonition surged within her.

Now that he had eaten his fill, was he really going to make her... warm his bed?!

Qian Jue said nothing. He merely looked down at Zhang Lexuan, his gaze boldly sweeping over her from head to toe as he appraised her.

"Your figure isn't bad. You've got everything you should have.

"Unfortunately, these clothes are truly ugly.

"I'll take you to buy a new outfit first. Since you're my maid now, you should look like one.

"Seeing you parade around in Shrek's uniform every day is seriously bad luck."

"Clothes..."

Zhang Lexuan instinctively lowered her head to look at herself.

What she wore was clearly the exclusive red uniform of Shrek Academy's inner courtyard, a symbol of the highest honor among the continent's younger generation!

Countless soul masters dreamed of wearing this garment, a symbol of glory. How had it become "bad luck" and "ugly" in his mouth?

"Where is it ugly... It clearly looks great..."

Zhang Lexuan muttered a quiet protest, but beneath Qian Jue's gaze, her voice grew softer and softer.

The two left the restaurant and walked through Heaven Dou City's bustling streets for a while. Eventually, they stopped in front of a clothing store decorated rather exquisitely, with even a hint of pink, suggestive ambience.

"Mm, this is the one. Let's go."

Qian Jue slipped both hands into his pockets and raised his chin slightly.

Following his gaze, Zhang Lexuan instinctively looked up at the flashy sign above the storefront.

The moment she saw the large words written on it, she was struck as though by lightning and froze on the spot.

[High-End Maid Outfit Customization Experience Store]