"You're talking nonsense. How could I possibly think that?"
"I was happier than anyone that Xiao Wu returned safely. How could I be angry over something like that?"
Tang San listened to Li Qinglian's words.
In an instant, cold sweat broke out all over him.
He looked at Xiao Wu and saw that she was looking at him too, except her gaze was icy.
Tang San's face instantly turned deathly pale.
"Then I really don't understand. Tang San, why are you hostile toward me for no reason? I brought Xiao Wu back safely. Shouldn't you be thanking me?"
The corners of Li Qinglian's lips curled upward.
"Tang San, you really disgust me. Tricking me into kissing you was one thing."
"But when the girl you love returned safely, you actually pulled such a sour face, like you didn't want her to come back." Meng Yiran sneered, her eyes filled with hatred.
After Shrek's people had snatched two soul beasts from her in succession, she had already been furious.
But after Tang San defeated her with Hidden Weapons, much of her anger had dissipated. She had even faintly begun to admire this young prodigy.
Yet when Xiao Wu arrived, that tiny bit of goodwill she had held toward Tang San vanished completely.
She even felt somewhat grateful to Li Qinglian. If he had not brought Xiao Wu here, she would never have seen Tang San clearly for the secretly lustful scumbag he was.
If something similar had happened to Dai Mubai, the backlash definitely would not have been as severe as it was for Tang San. Dai Mubai's image had always been that of a womanizer, while Tang San had consistently cultivated the image of a pure-hearted romantic.
The better the image one built, the harsher the backlash when it collapsed.
"I... I really didn't think that."
Tang San's face darkened.
He gave Li Qinglian a deep look.
He realized that he had been completely led into a trap. This was the art of language.
What angered him was the timing of Xiao Wu's appearance and Li Qinglian's mocking smile, not Xiao Wu's safe return.
The two things simply could not be equated.
Yet the other party had merged them together in just a few words, deliberately conflating them.
In truth, Shrek Academy often did the same sort of thing. For example, they dressed up bullying the weak as "those who refuse to do anything outrageous are mediocrities."
Not being afraid to cause trouble and actively picking fights were also two different concepts, yet when Shrek Academy bullied Canghui Academy in the tavern, they had clearly forced those two concepts together as well.
For a moment, Tang San's face turned slightly pale.
He had encountered an expert.
Although Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, Zhao Wuji, and the others could not think that deeply, they could still see that Tang San was already at a complete disadvantage.
They could also see that Tang San was already at a complete disadvantage.
If this continued, Tang San and Xiao Wu's relationship would be ruined.
"Hmph. Naturally, we're grateful that you brought Xiao Wu back."
"But one thing is one thing."
"For example, I'm very unhappy with you right now. That's merely my personal attitude and has nothing to do with anything else."
Seeing that the situation was going badly, Ma Hongjun immediately stepped forward.
He walked in front of Tang San and tilted his head up at Li Qinglian.
He knew very well that if he did not take the initiative to help, Tang San would definitely hold a grudge against him once this was over.
At worst, being resented by Boss Dai meant getting beaten up a few times. But if Tang San held a grudge against him, Tang San would not simply beat him up. That was the truly frightening kind.
"Eh? Since when did Fatty become so perceptive?"
Seeing Ma Hongjun take over for him, Tang San let out a sigh of relief.
He now had a "moral stain," so whatever he said lacked conviction. And Li Qinglian was the benefactor who had brought Xiao Wu back, making it even harder for him to oppose him.
Fatty might look careless, but he's actually quite shrewd.
Directly attributing his displeasure toward Li Qinglian to a personal attitude might be rude, but it is already the best solution.
Still, after this, Xiao Wu and Tang San's relationship will probably never return to what it was.
Seeing Ma Hongjun step forward, Dai Mubai silently praised him.
Thinking of Xiao Wu and Tang San, he felt regretful, but also secretly pleased.
He and Zhu Zhuqing were still in a cold war, though it was Zhu Zhuqing alone who had been ignoring him.
Now, it was finally Tang San's turn.
"Unhappy with me?"
Li Qinglian raised his eyes and looked Ma Hongjun up and down.
"Yeah. Who do you think you are?"
Ma Hongjun snorted coldly.
He really was unhappy.
Dai Mubai and Oscar were undoubtedly among the most handsome peers he had ever seen.
Yet the youth before him was even cooler and more handsome than Dai Mubai and Oscar.
More importantly, it was his temperament: restrained amid flamboyance, sunlight shining through his wicked charm. It was exceedingly strange.
Looking at Li Qinglian's face beneath the refracted sunlight, Ma Hongjun always felt as though he could see two different versions of him.
One was gentle and refined, while the other was cold and sinister.
Ma Hongjun could not explain it.
But he knew women all liked boys with this sort of temperament.
His looks alone carried a mysterious air that made people want to unravel him!
At this moment, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing also turned their gazes toward Li Qinglian, a trace of surprise in their beautiful eyes.
Both of them came from great clans and had seen many geniuses and powerful experts.
Yet they had rarely encountered anyone as unique as Li Qinglian.
"He's so handsome. Much more handsome than Third Brother."
"Xiao Wu, you don't have anything to do with him, right?"
Ning Rongrong nudged Xiao Wu beside her with her elbow, a teasing look appearing on her pretty face.
Hearing Ning Rongrong's mutter, Tang San's face turned pale. Li Qinglian truly was handsome; even he, a man, thought so. Tang San did not care about appearances, but at this moment, he felt somewhat inferior.
When Xiao Wu stood beside Li Qinglian, he felt inferior.
The key was that a rift had now appeared between him and Xiao Wu.
"I don't have any relationship with him."
"He's Spirit Hall's Holy Son. How could someone like me possibly be worthy of him?"
Xiao Wu shook her head.
Soul beasts observed strict hierarchies. She knew Li Qinglian had no interest in her, and she had never thought of him that way either.
"Spirit Hall's Holy Son? You're Li Qinglian?"
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing simultaneously widened their eyes, their beautiful gazes fixed on Li Qinglian.
Dai Mubai also stared in shock at the youth in the distance.
Six years ago, Li Qinglian had defeated Spirit Hall's genius, Yan, and been named Holy Son, shaking the entire continent.
Naturally, they had heard the legends surrounding Li Qinglian.
If Tang San was a genius capable of putting pressure on them, then Li Qinglian was a legendary monster!
Six years ago, Li Qinglian had already been able to defeat a Soul Elder!
"Spirit Hall's Holy Son!"
"Are you kidding me?"
Ma Hongjun's face turned green.
Although they often looked down on Spirit Hall in private, they still held deep respect and fear for such a colossal force.
Had he just provoked Spirit Hall's Holy Son?
"Spirit Hall..."
The moment he heard that name, Tang San's heart suddenly stabbed with pain.
An uncontrollable irritability spread through his heart.
Zhao Wuji and the three experts of the Unrivaled Dragon and Snake also looked at Li Qinglian, their eyes filled with shock.
Xiao Wu had been seized by that Titan Giant Ape, only to encounter Spirit Hall's Holy Son afterward? Her luck was too good.
"There must have been a Titled Douluo-level expert protecting the Holy Son. That's why Xiao Wu was able to be saved." Zhao Wuji's doubts instantly vanished without a trace.
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