Xiao Wu's Sense of Crisis

"Jiang Li! Who is this woman?!"

Xiao Wu puffed out her cheeks and glared angrily at Jiang Li.

She simply could not understand it.

Hadn't she asked Jiang Li to buy her candied hawthorns?

How had he hooked up with another woman after being gone for such a short time?

Nothing like this had ever happened during all their years at Notting Academy.

Why was it that, the moment they left Notting Academy, all sorts of random women started flocking to him?

"Xiao Wu, listen to my excuse..."

"No, listen to my explanation."

Facing Xiao Wu's resentful gaze, Jiang Li felt his scalp go numb and could only force himself to speak.

"Forget that for now. Where are the candied hawthorns I asked for?"

Xiao Wu held out her hand toward Jiang Li in a demanding gesture, but her eyes were locked firmly on the skewer of candied hawthorns in Ye Lingling's hand.

Though she did not say it outright, her meaning could not have been clearer.

Seeing this, Ye Lingling hurriedly apologized. "Huh? I'm sorry, I didn't know he bought that for you."

Although she was somewhat reluctant to part with the candied hawthorns Jiang Li had given her, Ye Lingling still held out the skewer to Xiao Wu.

But seeing Xiao Wu standing beside Jiang Li, the two looking like such a perfect match, she assumed they must be a couple. A trace of bitterness welled up in her heart.

"Hmph, that's more like it."

Seeing how tactful Ye Lingling was, Xiao Wu found her much more pleasing to the eye.

At least she was far better than that woman Jiang Li had contracted with before, Zhu Zhuqing. The moment she showed up, she had called Xiao Wu's sworn enemy Qian Renxue "Sister Xue." She had absolutely no shame.

With a cold snort, Xiao Wu reached for the candied hawthorns Ye Lingling was offering.

"Stop fooling around, Xiao Wu." Jiang Li quickly grabbed Xiao Wu's hand to stop her. "How can you take back something that's already been given away?"

"Here, these are the candied hawthorns I bought for you. They're all yours. You can have as many as you want."

As he spoke, Jiang Li took out a huge bunch of candied hawthorn trees from the Summoning Space and placed them in front of Xiao Wu.

Although he had taken out an entire candied hawthorn tree, he had not forgotten to secretly save a few skewers for Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing.

"You think I'll forgive you just because of this?"

Seeing Jiang Li suddenly take out so many candied hawthorns for her, much of Xiao Wu's anger dissipated.

At least Jiang Li had not forgotten the candied hawthorns he was supposed to buy for her and given them to someone else instead, right?

Xiao Wu secretly glanced at Ye Lingling, then complained in a deliberately knowing tone, "I told you to hurry. Why were you gone for so long?"

"I'm sorry. It was all because of me. I hope you won't blame him," Ye Lingling hurriedly said.

For some reason, hearing that made Xiao Wu feel even more uncomfortable.

Xiao Wu looked at Jiang Li irritably and asked, "What happened?"

Because of the years they had spent together, and because of Jiang Li's guidance, Xiao Wu had not grown into the person she had been in the original story. At heart, she was still a kind girl.

So Jiang Li had no intention of hiding anything from her. He briefly explained how Xue Beng had tried to bully Ye Lingling earlier, only to be stopped by him.

"So that's what happened. I thought things like that only happened in small cities like Notting City. I didn't expect they could happen even in a big city like Heaven Dou City?!"

After listening to Jiang Li's account, Xiao Wu nodded thoughtfully, then shot Jiang Li a glare. "Why didn't you call me for something like that?!"

Xiao Wu had always loved being in the spotlight. Even with Jiang Li's efforts to correct her, that part of her had not changed.

Otherwise, she would not have beaten all those students into submission the moment she arrived at Notting Academy in the original story, making them all call her Sister Xiao Wu.

It was only because Jiang Li had said that the little punk named Tang San at Notting Academy had a father at the level of a Title Douluo.

That forced her to restrain her showy nature, afraid that a Title Douluo might discover her and kill her for her soul ring and soul bone.

Then she could not help taking Ye Lingling's hand in shared indignation. "Don't worry. If anything like that happens in the future, leave it to me. Sister Xiao Wu's Martial Soul may be a rabbit, but Sister Xiao Wu is no pushover."

"Thank you."

Just moments ago, Xiao Wu had regarded her as an enemy, yet now she was saying she would protect her. Ye Lingling found Xiao Wu's flighty personality a little difficult to adapt to.

Still, she sincerely thanked Xiao Wu.

"It's nothing, as long as you don't try to steal Jiang Li from me." Xiao Wu patted her chest and spoke generously.

"Uh..."

Ye Lingling was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to respond.

"Ahem!"

Jiang Li quickly coughed twice, drawing both their attention and interrupting their conversation.

Then he introduced Xiao Wu to Ye Lingling. "Let me introduce you. Her name is Xiao Wu, a level 29 Soul Grandmaster. She is my..."

"My future wife!"

Before Jiang Li could finish, Xiao Wu grabbed his arm and declared it first.

"Future wife?"

Hearing that, Ye Lingling sighed inwardly. Just as I thought. Her heart immediately felt even more unsettled.

"Ahem..."

Jiang Li nearly spat out a mouthful of water. In the past, Xiao Wu only argued about being his future wife when she was competing with Qian Renxue out of spite.

He had not expected her to be so bold this time, directly proclaiming herself his future wife in front of someone else.

"You have a problem with that?" Xiao Wu widened her eyes at Jiang Li.

Back at Notting Academy, the only people Jiang Li had contracted with were her and Qian Renxue.

But Qian Renxue existed only as a soul body. Xiao Wu could see her but not touch her, so aside from verbally needling her, Qian Renxue posed no threat at all.

Xiao Wu had never expected that, after leaving Notting City, Jiang Li would contract with a pair of sisters in such a short time.

That made a sense of crisis rise within Xiao Wu.

Although she knew that, given the nature of Jiang Li's Martial Soul, he would eventually need to contract with more outstanding Soul Masters, she still felt deeply uncomfortable.

"How could I? You're Sister Xiao Wu, who punches Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts and kicks Title Douluos. How would I dare have an opinion?" Jiang Li hurriedly shook his head and flattered her.

It was true that he had his eye on Ye Lingling and her Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul, but unlike Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing, Ye Lingling had no reason to make such a choice.

Nor would she decisively sign a contract with him just because Jiang Li had saved her once.

So Jiang Li naturally chose to first placate Xiao Wu, the first person to sign a contract with him.

Xiao Wu nodded in satisfaction. "That's more like it."

Watching the two interact like a couple, Ye Lingling, who had been left out to one side, felt as though her presence here was somewhat unnecessary.

Jiang Li seemed to notice Ye Lingling's awkward situation. After soothing Xiao Wu, he said to Ye Lingling, "Miss Ye, are you heading home now? Or are you going somewhere else?"

"If you don't mind, I can give you a ride."