On the first day after Wang Qiu'er left, the training grounds became much quieter. No one bickered and squabbled with Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong'er every day, no one suddenly dragged Huo Yuhao away without a care, and no pair of blue-gold eyes watched him.
Dong'er stood at his left as usual. When her Light Goddess Butterfly spread its wings, blue-gold radiance filled half the training grounds.
Everything looked perfectly normal.
Only Huo Yuhao knew that it was not. Whenever things quieted down, he would lose himself in thought. When Dong'er turned away and he could no longer see her, he would frown. When Xiao Xiao called for him to adjust the battle formation's spacing, he would react half a beat too slowly. And when his Spirit Detection habitually spread to both sides, he would find that she was no longer on his right.
Why hadn't Qiu'er returned yet?
Every time that thought surfaced, Huo Yuhao immediately forced it down. Dong'er was right beside him; he should not be thinking like this. Yet the more he suppressed certain things, the clearer they became—like the missing corner of the training grounds. Not speaking of it did not mean it was not there.
His Spirit Detection spread outward. On the left wing was Dong'er's steady, powerful aura of light. Behind him stood Xiao Xiao with her Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron. Bei Bei's Thunder Dragon Claw held the front line, while Xu Sanshi lazily occupied the vanguard, complaining all the while even as he held his Black Tortoise Shield steadier than anyone else.
But the golden dragon spear that should have crashed arrogantly into the enemy formation was gone.
Less than fifteen minutes into the simulated battle, Huo Yuhao suddenly gave an order. "Senior Brother Sanshi, Black Tortoise Transposition. Switch with me."
Xu Sanshi froze. "What are you up to now?"
Huo Yuhao did not explain. His Spirit Eyes lit up as spiritual interference descended upon the opposing team's control-type soul master. Ultimate Ice spread over the ground, freezing the ankles of two assault-type soul masters. In the next instant, Xu Sanshi switched him to the front of the formation's core. Huo Yuhao raised a hand, and icy-blue Soul Power condensed into a thin blade, forcibly dismantling the core runes of the enemy soul-tool barrier.
"Break."
The barrier shattered.
Xu Sanshi rubbed his nose. "Junior Brother, your cheating is getting a little unreasonable."
Jiang Nannan said calmly, "Yuhao is filling the gap himself."
Dong'er folded her wings and walked over to Huo Yuhao. Her voice was quiet. "Without her, you're filling it yourself?"
Huo Yuhao lowered his voice. "The formation can't have an opening."
"Was I asking about the formation?"
Huo Yuhao fell silent.
Dong'er watched him for a moment, then suddenly reached out and wiped the sweat from his brow. Her movements were gentle, but her words carried a trace of jealousy. "Just don't lie to me."
Huo Yuhao took her hand. "I won't lie to you."
Dong'er did not pull her hand away. "Then tell me—at that moment just now, were you thinking about Qiu'er?"
Huo Yuhao looked at her and, in the end, nodded.
"I knew it."
After saying that, she shook off his hand and turned toward the laboratory.
Huo Yuhao hurried after her. "Dong'er."
"Don't look like I'm about to get angry and give you the cold shoulder again." Dong'er did not turn around. "I'm just going to study the soul-tool recording disc."
Dong'er paused. "Didn't you say you wouldn't lie to me? Then I won't lie to you either." She turned to look at him. There was jealousy in her eyes, but also a clarity steadier than it had been a few days ago. "I don't like you thinking about her. I really don't."
"But she isn't someone insignificant. Now that she's gone, there really may be something missing from our battle formation. And I keep feeling that after she left, my strength seemed to weaken a little too... That's strange..." Dong'er's voice gradually faded, then suddenly rose again.
"Huo Yuhao, I won't pretend not to know any of this just because I'm jealous."
That night, the two of them studied the battle formation recording disc together. Dong'er sat beside him, her shoulder pressed against his. She no longer kept a slight distance between them as she had before, nor did she deliberately pretend that nothing was wrong. While Huo Yuhao inscribed the Spirit Conduction Runes, she assisted him with a thread of light Soul Power, helping him stabilize the Soul Power circuits.
Huo Yuhao said softly, "Dong'er, go back to the dormitory and rest. You'll get tired like this."
"Mind your own business."
Her words were cold, but she did not withdraw her hand.
After a while, she suddenly asked, "Do you regret what happened last night?"
Huo Yuhao's pen stopped.
"I don't."
Dong'er's ears reddened again. She turned her face aside and deliberately spoke in a cool voice. "That was a quick answer."
Huo Yuhao looked at her and chuckled softly. Dong'er grew even more embarrassed under his gaze and shoved him lightly.
"Watch your formation."
But Huo Yuhao suddenly took her hand. Dong'er had just been about to jab at him again when Huo Yuhao lowered his head and kissed her knuckles. It was very light, very slow, as though he were confirming that she was truly still willing to remain by his side.
The sharpness Dong'er had been forcing herself to maintain softened a little.
"Huo Yuhao, you're learning bad habits now."
Huo Yuhao smiled and refuted her. "I'm not."
"And this isn't a bad habit?" She leaned closer, teasing, "Back when 'Wang Dong' shared a dorm room with you, you never looked at me like this."
Huo Yuhao suddenly stood, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her up from the chair.
"Come on."
Dong'er blinked. "Where are we going?"
"We're not studying this tonight." Huo Yuhao looked down at her, his eyes holding a dark fire he could not suppress. He murmured, "The first time was here, and the second time is still here... This isn't appropriate..."
He pulled her outside, walking quickly without loosening his grip on her hand. Dong'er's ears burned fiercely, yet she did not struggle free. She only asked in a low voice, "Yuhao, where are you taking me?"
"Back to the dorm room I shared with 'Wang Dong.'" Huo Yuhao turned back and smiled at her. They kept holding hands, as though they were about to run all the way back.
The moment the dormitory door closed, Huo Yuhao pressed her against it and kissed her deeply.
This time, there was no hesitation.
His hand slid from her waist to her back, pressing hard against her through her clothes and pulling her entire body against his. Dong'er trembled as she returned the kiss, her arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers threading into his black hair. Their kiss grew fiercer and fiercer, their breaths intertwining, their lips damp as faint wet sounds filled the air.
Huo Yuhao lowered his head and kissed the side of her neck, moving downward until his teeth gently caught her collarbone and left a shallow red mark. Dong'er whimpered softly, her body so weak that she could barely stand, yet she still clutched his lapels.
"Yuhao... Huo Yuhao..."
"Mm?" His voice was terribly hoarse. His hand had already slipped beneath the hem of her clothes, his palm pressing against her smooth, burning waist as it slowly moved upward.
Dong'er's breathing fell into chaos, and the corners of her eyes were flushed red. Yet she still looked up at him. "When you're with me... you're only allowed to think about me."
Huo Yuhao wrapped an arm around her. "All right."
The darkness in his eyes deepened completely. He lowered his head and kissed her fiercely, lifting her into his arms as he did so and carrying her toward the bed.
When the two of them fell onto the bed, Dong'er's hair ribbon came loose and her long hair spread across the pillow. She took his hand and pressed it against her heart, where her heartbeat raced wildly. Huo Yuhao's kisses grew heavier. His fingers trembled as he undid her buttons, then he lowered his head to kiss her chest. His teeth and tongue moved together, making Dong'er arch her body and release soft, uncontrollable gasps.
Dong'er panted into his ear, her voice carrying both embarrassment and sweetness. "Why are you in such a hurry today...?"
Huo Yuhao gave a low laugh. "Because I didn't perform well last time."
He braced himself above her. His gaze was gentle, touched by a faint, dreamy light, yet he still asked quietly, "Dong'er... are you still afraid?"
The corners of Dong'er's eyes were red and her breathing was ragged, but she raised a hand to seize his lapels and pull him down. Her soft curves pressed fully against his chest.
"I'm not afraid anymore..."
Huo Yuhao's palm slowly slid down the curve of her back until it finally settled at her waist. He lifted her firmly, making their bodies fit together without a single gap. Dong'er took the initiative and kissed him, both hands slipping beneath his clothes as her palms pressed against his burning skin and gently caressed it. Huo Yuhao gave a muffled groan and held her even tighter. Their clothes fell away one piece after another amid their entanglement.
This time, there was none of the awkward tension from their first time. Dong'er's fingers slid down his chest, lightly tracing the muscles of his abdomen and making Huo Yuhao's breathing grow even more hurried.
"Yuhao... slower..."
"All right..." Huo Yuhao's voice was low and hoarse as he nipped at her earlobe. Dong'er was already blushing all the way to her ears, yet she still clung to his neck and bit his lip in retaliation. As they rolled together, Huo Yuhao pulled her onto him. Dong'er bent down, panting as she kissed him, her long hair falling like a curtain around them. They felt each other's responses, and Dong'er's voice softened completely.
"Huo Yuhao... you really have learned bad habits..."
Huo Yuhao held her with both hands, his gaze so tender it seemed almost liquid. "I'm only bad in front of you."
The dormitory was filled with their entwined breaths, the faint sounds of skin against skin, and the blazing heat of blue-gold light aura completely entwined with Ultimate Ice. Later, Dong'er lay exhausted on his chest, her fingertips still trembling slightly, yet she refused to loosen her arms around him.
At the same time, in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Qiu'er stood alone before an abandoned altar, her Golden Dragon Spear slanted into a crack in the stone. The altar still carried the Blood Baleful Intent of the Holy Spirit Cult, along with faint Sun Moon soul-tool markings. She had tracked the trail for an entire day before finally finding the first source. She copied the altar's patterns onto a soul-tool recording disc, then went to the Surveillance Transmission Array on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest and sent the clues back to Shrek. The message was brief: The Holy Spirit Cult is indeed connected to the Sun Moon Empire. There is more than one altar. Do not let Yuhao come into contact with the damaged formations alone.
When she wrote the word "Yuhao," she stopped for a long time.
She had considered returning immediately after uncovering the information, but when she thought of the blue-gold light spilling through the crack of the laboratory door, she tightened her grip on the Golden Dragon Spear.
I've already taken one step back.
Then I'll take another, farther back.
The wind passed through the forest. The possessiveness she had kept restrained within her golden eyes had not gone out; she had merely forced it deeper down.
Before you continue