You're Not Tang San? Gu Ling, Savior of the Suffering!

Hearing Gu Ling's voice, Zhu Zhuqing finally came back to her senses.

For some reason, when she thought about how she had been staring at him just now, a faint blush rose to her fair cheeks.

"Mm."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded lightly, her voice a little gentler than before.

Gu Ling did not notice any of this. Seeing that she had regained her senses, he took the nearly finished roasted rabbit from the fire, then rose and walked over to her.

"Hungry?"

"Have something to eat first?"

As he spoke, Gu Ling held the roasted rabbit out to her.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at the rabbit meat before her, then at Gu Ling, but did not immediately reach out to take it. It was not that she disliked it; rather, growing up in an environment like the Zhu Family had made her extremely wary.

Even though Gu Ling had just saved her, it was difficult for her to completely let down her guard in such a short time.

Seeing this, Gu Ling raised an eyebrow slightly and smiled.

"What? Afraid I poisoned it?"

"No..." Zhu Zhuqing was just about to explain when Gu Ling directly grabbed one of her hands and shoved the roasted rabbit into it.

"If I really wanted to harm you, wouldn't it have been easier not to save you just now?"

"Why go to all that trouble treating your wounds first, then waste poison on you afterward?"

Hearing that, Zhu Zhuqing froze slightly.

Thinking about it carefully... that did seem to make sense. With the strength Gu Ling had displayed earlier, if he truly harbored ill intent toward her, there was no need to make things so troublesome.

At that thought, the wariness in her heart finally eased somewhat.

"I wasn't doubting you. I'm just used to it."

Zhu Zhuqing explained quietly.

Gu Ling did not press her further. He merely said calmly,

"I understand."

"When you're out on your own, being careful is never a bad thing."

After saying that, he returned to the fire and sat down.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at the roasted rabbit in her hands, hesitated for a moment, and finally began taking small bites.

She had already been traveling for a long time, and today she had been chased all the way here. Her stamina and soul power had nearly been completely depleted. Now that she smelled the fragrance of roasted meat, she had long since become hungry.

At first, she ate with considerable restraint.

But after a few bites, her pace noticeably quickened.

Seeing that, Gu Ling could not help smiling.

"Looks like you really were hungry."

Zhu Zhuqing's movements paused slightly. When she looked up and saw the smile on Gu Ling's face, her cheeks warmed again. Still, she did not argue, merely lowered her head and continued eating the rabbit meat in her hands.

For a time, the forest fell quiet, save for the occasional crackle of burning firewood.

After a while, Zhu Zhuqing seemed to remember something. She suddenly looked up at Gu Ling, hesitated briefly, then said seriously,

"I forgot to properly thank you earlier."

"Thank you, Tang San."

"Pfft—"

When Gu Ling heard her call him Tang San, he nearly choked on the mouthful of water he had just swallowed.

"Wait."

"What did you call me?"

Zhu Zhuqing was stunned by his reaction. She said solemnly,

"Tang San."

"Didn't you personally tell those people just now that your name was Tang San?"

"And..." At this point, Zhu Zhuqing seemed to suddenly think of something. She asked tentatively, "You also said you were from Shrek Academy. Did Dai Mubai send you to meet me?"

At those words, the muscles in Gu Ling's face twitched slightly, and then he froze where he sat.

"Dai Mubai?"

"Sent me to meet you?"

The next moment, he finally understood.

Oh no. He had been so focused on shifting the blame onto Tang San that he had forgotten Zhu Zhuqing herself was right there, and she had heard every word he said! At the time, he had solemnly declared, "A real man never changes his name standing or sitting! Tang San of Shrek Academy!"

Zhu Zhuqing had clearly taken it seriously.

What made it even more awkward was that she had originally been planning to go to Shrek Academy to find Dai Mubai. Naturally, she now assumed Dai Mubai had learned she was coming and had specially sent Gu Ling to meet her.

Thinking of this, Gu Ling did not know whether to laugh or cry. He explained,

"No, you misunderstood."

Zhu Zhuqing frowned slightly, her face full of confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Gu Ling cleared his throat, sat up straight, and formally introduced himself again.

"Let's properly get acquainted. My name is Gu Ling."

"Gu as in ancient, Ling as in fierce."

"As for Tang San..."

Gu Ling paused briefly.

"That is someone else."

The hand holding Zhu Zhuqing's rabbit meat stiffened in midair. She stared at Gu Ling for several seconds, her mouth opening slightly as she asked in confusion,

"You... aren't called Tang San?"

"I'm not."

"And you're not from Shrek Academy?"

"I'm not."

"Then just now, you..."

Zhu Zhuqing seemed to finally realize something. Her beautiful eyes slowly widened.

Gu Ling said as naturally as if it were obvious,

"I just casually gave them a fake name. Those people insisted on asking me what I was called before they left. I couldn't exactly tell them my real name and wait for them to come seek revenge later, could I?"

Zhu Zhuqing: "..."

It sounded reasonable enough, but the problem was... the image of Gu Ling's righteous appearance from earlier resurfaced in her mind.

"A real man never changes his name, standing or sitting!"

"Tang San of Shrek Academy!"

He had even specifically reminded them to remember to seek revenge at Shrek Academy.

Zhu Zhuqing was silent for a long while before she finally could not help asking,

"So... does Tang San have a grudge against you?"

Gu Ling thought for a moment, then smiled somewhat awkwardly.

"It wouldn't exactly count as a grudge. We just don't get along very well. He's the student of someone I really dislike, and he was going to Shrek Academy anyway, so that's why I said it."

Zhu Zhuqing fell silent once more.

For some reason, she suddenly felt a little sympathy for the Tang San she had never met.

After Gu Ling finished explaining, the look Zhu Zhuqing gave him became noticeably strange, but she did not continue asking about Tang San.

After all, whether Gu Ling wanted to leave behind his real name was his own freedom.

Besides.

If Gu Ling had not saved her just now, she would probably still be fleeing from those people.

At that thought, Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head and continued eating the rabbit meat in her hands.

Before long.

The tense atmosphere gradually eased.

The two chatted idly. Perhaps because Gu Ling had just saved her and treated her wounds, Zhu Zhuqing was clearly far less guarded around him than when they had first met.

After a while, Zhu Zhuqing took the initiative to say,

"Oh, right. I haven't told you my name yet. My name is Zhu Zhuqing."

"Zhu Zhuqing?"

Gu Ling deliberately repeated it, putting on the appearance of hearing the name for the first time.

"Mm."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded lightly. She did not introduce her family or mention the Zhu Family of the Star Luo Empire. She only gave her name, since they had only just met.

Even if Gu Ling had saved her, that did not mean she would reveal every one of her secrets to him.

Naturally, Gu Ling would not expose her. After a moment, he casually asked, "You came all this way alone. Are you going to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt soul beasts?"

"No."

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. After a brief silence, she said,

"I'm going to Soto City."

"Soto City?"

"Mm." Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly. She looked at the flames dancing before her, remained quiet for a moment, then continued, "I'm going to an academy there—Shrek Academy, the one you mentioned earlier."

Hearing the words Shrek Academy, Gu Ling raised his eyebrows slightly. Everything was as he had expected: Zhu Zhuqing had left the Star Luo Empire this time to find Dai Mubai.

The relationship between Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai was far more than an ordinary engagement. Under the Star Luo Empire's cruel system of imperial competition, the Zhu Family had intermarried with the imperial family for generations.

As a prince, Dai Mubai had to compete against his elder brother. As the woman betrothed to him, Zhu Zhuqing likewise had to compete against her elder sister.

From the moment they were born, their fates had effectively been bound together.

If Dai Mubai lost, Zhu Zhuqing would find it difficult to meet a good end as well. If Zhu Zhuqing failed, it would likewise bring no benefit to Dai Mubai.

Put simply, they would rise together and fall together.

Yet Dai Mubai could not bear the pressure and fled the Star Luo Empire for Soto City ahead of time, leaving Zhu Zhuqing behind to bear the pressure imposed by her family alone. Now, Zhu Zhuqing had risked being hunted down to flee all this way. Naturally, she was not merely going to attend Shrek Academy.

The person she truly wanted to find was Dai Mubai.

Of course, since Zhu Zhuqing did not wish to speak of these matters, Gu Ling naturally would not deliberately reveal that he knew. He merely nodded, pretending to know nothing.

"So you're going to Shrek Academy too?"