Qiao Ranran patted Pei Ling's shoulder. "Put me down!"
But Pei Ling's arm tightened around her waist.
Qiao Ranran didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "If I give up now, all that lightning I took will have been for nothing! Besides, it only hurts a little. Look, Guai Guai's doing just fine in there. I can't do worse than Guai Guai, can I?"
Pei Ling laughed. "You're comparing yourself to Guai Guai? Guai Guai's a fool. Are you one too?"
Qiao Ranran: "..." Could he not just talk normally?
Pei Ling had come to his senses. He was the one who had pushed Qiao Ranran this far; feeling sorry for her now would be absurdly sentimental. The trouble was, Qiao Ranran put far too little effort into cultivation. If he didn't push her, she might spend every day absorbed in refining elixirs and never cultivate a moment longer than she had to.
He had been fine with it before. But the moment he thought of what she would suffer in the Thunderlight Pool, his heart ached first.
Pei Ling released her, and Qiao Ranran dropped back into the Thunderlight Pool. He smiled faintly. "Then stay in there like a good girl. I'm afraid it'll hurt so much you won't have the strength to climb out—or even to beg for mercy."
Qiao Ranran said, "It... it won't be that bad, will it?"
"Shall we wait and see?"
Pei Ling laid layer upon layer of restrictions around the Thunderlight Pool, then glanced at Guai Guai, who was soaking in it with a vacant look. "Behave yourself."
Guai Guai: ???
Then Pei Ling reached out and tapped Qiao Ranran's forehead. "I'll be gone for a while. Will you be scared?"
Should she say yes or no? If she said no, Pei Ling