Massage My Legs Too

Zhou Ming had long since returned to the dormitory to cultivate. As he put it, cultivation was a race against time, and with his poor foundation, he had to let "the clumsy bird fly first."

Only Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and Huo Yuhao remained, strolling slowly toward the dormitory.

The road back to the dormitory seemed especially long. The evening breeze carried the scent of grass and trees from the training grounds, cool and pleasantly refreshing. Wang Dong had long since retracted her Light Goddess Butterfly wings. She rubbed her sore shoulders as she walked, her steps slightly unsteady, yet she deliberately stayed on the outer side, keeping Xiao Xiao in the middle—when Xiao Xiao had lost her footing from soul power exhaustion earlier, Wang Dong had instinctively reached out to steady her. Though she said nothing now, that protective stance had not relaxed.

Xiao Xiao stroked the hairpin in her hand. It was the defensive Soul Tool Huo Yuhao had just given her. She had been thrilled when she received the gift, but now she yawned every few steps, her head bobbing like an exhausted little squirrel. Tugging on Huo Yuhao's sleeve, she said softly, "Big brother, my feet are so sore..."

"Want me to carry you?" Huo Yuhao asked with a smile.

"No!" Wang Dong suddenly turned around. Her face was still pale from soul power exhaustion, but her tone was stiff. "You're already this old. If you can't walk, can't you rest on your own?" Though she said that, she shifted aside and deliberately slowed down to wait for Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao stuck out her tongue but did not argue. Instead, she edged closer to Huo Yuhao and whispered, "Wang Dong is all talk. She put a lot of strength into it when she held me up earlier."

Xiao Xiao fastened the hairpin more securely in her hair. The silver butterfly wings brushed against Huo Yuhao's sleeve as she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling under the streetlights. "Look, big brother. Wang Dong is just too embarrassed to admit it. When she held me earlier, her hand was clenched so tightly it turned red."

Wang Dong's steps abruptly halted. When she turned back, the tips of her ears were red enough to bleed, yet she stubbornly glared at Xiao Xiao. "What nonsense are you talking about? That's because I haven't recovered from soul power exhaustion yet!" As she spoke, her gaze swept over Xiao Xiao's ankle. Seeing that Xiao Xiao was indeed limping a little, she suddenly sat down on a stone step and patted the spot beside her. "Sit here and rest for ten minutes before we go."

Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up, and she was just about to run over when Huo Yuhao pulled her back. He crouched down, a thread of gentle Ice Soul Power gathering at his fingertips as he lightly pressed it against her ankle. "Don't sit on the stone bench. It's cold. I'll use Ice Silk to soothe your meridians. It'll work better than resting."

The Ice Soul Power climbed up from her ankle like a cool stream, instantly washing away the soreness and swelling. Xiao Xiao narrowed her eyes in comfort, swinging her feet as she hummed an out-of-tune little tune. The silver butterfly hairpin trembled gently with her movements, its blue crystal dancing like scattered gold in the light.

Wang Dong sat on the stone steps, watching Huo Yuhao lower his head in concentration, then looking at Xiao Xiao's contented expression. Suddenly, she pulled a clean handkerchief from her Soul Tool, folded it into a small cushion, tossed it onto the ground, and sat down on it.

"Come on. My legs are sore too. Massage mine as well."

When Huo Yuhao looked up, he met Wang Dong's deliberately composed gaze—that pair of eyes clearly held a hint of nervous probing, yet she insisted on widening them fiercely, like a kitten pretending to be ferocious. He chuckled softly. The Ice Soul Power at his fingertips did not stop, but he deliberately shifted a little to the side. "Your legs are sore? You charged harder than anyone else on the training ground just now, and only now you remember that it hurts?"

"Wh-who says it hurts!" Wang Dong lifted her chin stubbornly and settled more firmly onto the handkerchief, though her knee quietly edged half an inch closer to Huo Yuhao. "Can't I be exhausted from overusing my soul power? Is that any of your business?"

Xiao Xiao laughed beside them, swinging her feet as she teased, "Wang Dong, you're just jealous of me! When big brother was massaging my feet earlier, your eyes were practically glued to my ankle!"

"Nonsense!" The tips of Wang Dong's ears instantly flushed crimson. She reached out to cover Xiao Xiao's mouth, but Xiao Xiao nimbly dodged aside. Wang Dong turned irritably toward Huo Yuhao, stretching her leg forward a little. Her voice was stiff. "Hurry up. Stop dawdling."

Huo Yuhao shook his head helplessly. Another strand of Ice Soul Power gathered at his fingertips and gently settled on Wang Dong's knee. Ice Silk flowed along her meridians, carrying just the right amount of coolness as it slowly kneaded away the accumulated soreness. Wang Dong's body was tense at first, but before she realized it, she relaxed. Even her tightly furrowed brow smoothed out, though her mouth remained stubborn. "It's only... average. It's not much better than circulating my own power to soothe my meridians."

"Oh?" Huo Yuhao raised a brow. His fingertips suddenly added a trace more soul power, and the Ice Silk lightly tickled the inside of her knee.

"Ah—" Wang Dong abruptly pulled back her leg, her ears red enough to drip blood. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." Huo Yuhao withdrew his hand, smiling like a cat that had stolen some cream. "I just saw that someone was wound up too tightly, so I helped you loosen up."

Xiao Xiao laughed so hard that she slapped her thigh. "Wang Dong, you're blushing! Big brother is deliberately teasing you!"

Wang Dong clenched her fists and glared at Huo Yuhao, but when she saw the amusement in his eyes, her anger suddenly vanished. She only awkwardly stretched her leg out again, her voice dropping by half. "...Continue."

This time, she did not move around again. She merely lowered her head and stared at the tips of her shoes, pink-blue hair falling down to conceal her reddened ears. Huo Yuhao's fingertips were steady and gentle. Ice Soul Power flowed like a tender tide over her sore muscles, even easing much of the fatigue from the day's training. The evening breeze drifted over, carrying the fragrance of locust blossoms mixed with the crisp coolness of Ice Soul Power, creating an indescribable sense of peace.

"Alright, alright." Xiao Xiao suddenly clapped her hands and stood up. "If we rest any longer, they'll really lock the doors! Wang Dong, do you feel like you could charge three more rounds now?"

Wang Dong abruptly snapped back to her senses. She pulled her leg back as quickly as if she had been burned, then stood and brushed off her pants. "Wh-who wants to charge? Let's go!"

She turned and walked away, only to stop after two steps. Looking back at Huo Yuhao, who had yet to stand up, she said in a muffled voice, "Aren't you coming? Are you waiting to get locked outside?"

Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao exchanged a glance, both seeing the amusement in the other's eyes. As the three walked side by side toward the dormitory, Wang Dong's steps were noticeably lighter. Though she still walked on the outer side, she occasionally tilted her head toward Huo Yuhao, as if she wanted to say something but was too embarrassed to speak.

At the entrance to the dormitory building, Xiao Xiao hugged Huo Yuhao's arm and gave it a shake. "Good night, big brother! See you tomorrow!" Then she made a face at Wang Dong. "Good night, Wang Dong. Remember not to be so stubborn anymore!"

Watching Xiao Xiao's retreating figure race up the stairs, Wang Dong huffed, shot Huo Yuhao a fierce glare, and strode into the dormitory.

Huo Yuhao smiled helplessly and followed Wang Dong inside.

The instant the dormitory door clicked shut, a layer of pink-blue radiance suddenly blossomed around Wang Dong. Her soul power rippled as lightly as butterfly wings fluttering. As the glow faded, her formerly bound pink-blue hair spilled down like a waterfall to her waist; her fitted outfit transformed into a pale blue gauze dress, its hem embroidered with delicate butterfly patterns that made it seem as though countless luminous butterflies were fluttering whenever she moved.

She stood there without moving, her pink-blue eyes fixed fiercely on Huo Yuhao. Embarrassment, irritation, panic, and a trace of awkwardness she herself had not noticed churned in her gaze. None of the toughness from her male attire remained. All that was left was the unique coquettish anger and indignation of a young girl. Her eyes truly looked as if she wanted to "eat" him alive, yet she looked even more like a little beast whose secret had been exposed, baring its teeth and claws to hide its panic.

Huo Yuhao froze in place, his Spirit Eye narrowing slightly. Although this was not the first time he had seen Wang Dong in female attire, the girl's figure was so clearly reflected before his eyes that his heart still skipped a beat.

"Wait, why did you suddenly change back into women's clothes?"