"Mu Ziqing's here. Now this should be interesting."
"Meng Jieling wanted to undermine Mu Ziqing behind her back. Well, Mu Ziqing came in person."
"Not necessarily. I was planning to tonight..."
As Mu Ziqing arrived, the crowd erupted again. Quite a few female Disciples began whispering among themselves.
Qin Hao was at a loss for words. Ignoring the crowd's remarks, he turned toward Mu Ziqing, and his eyes brightened.
"Ziqing." Qin Hao waved.
"Mu Ziqing!" Meng Jieling looked at her too, but a cold gleam flashed in her eyes.
"Qin Hao." Mu Ziqing came to his side and first glared at him fiercely, as though blaming him for flirting with other women.
"Ziqing, don't misunderstand..." Qin Hao could have wept. He really hadn't done anything.
"I'll settle accounts with you later."
Mu Ziqing glared at him again. Then she lifted her chin, wrapped her arm around his right arm, and turned to Meng Jieling with a cold snort. "Back at the Myriad Phenomena Hall in the Southern Reach, Qin Hao was already my junior fellow disciple. We trained together and traveled together. Do you think he'll go with you just because you say so?"
Meng Jieling said nothing, but the cold gleam in her eyes intensified.
It felt like being caught trying to steal someone's partner—embarrassing and utterly infuriating.
Qin Hao nodded. "Sorry, I was waiting for Ziqing."
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Mu Ziqing glared at him again.
"I wasn't even paying attention to them." Qin Hao rubbed his nose.
"Hmph." Mu Ziqing snorted.
At the sight, Meng Jieling's expression darkened further.
"Let's go. I can't be bothered wasting words on them." Mu Ziqing glanced at Meng Jieling's increasingly grim face, linked arms with Qin Hao, and turned to leave.
It was as if she were declaring