Confession and Purification

In the corridor of the Star Emperor Hotel, a vein at Xiao Hongchen's temple throbbed three times.

He had lived fourteen years. As the acknowledged top genius of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and the grandson of the master of Bright Virtue Hall, what hadn't he seen?

Yet he was helpless against his own twin sister.

Meng Hongchen stared in the direction Huo Yuhao had gone, stars practically spilling from her ruby-red eyes.

She looked as though she had spotted a treasure rarely seen in the world.

"Seen enough?" Xiao Hongchen gritted his teeth and stepped aside to clear the passage, his voice as cold as the wind across the Far North Ice Plains. "Huo Yuhao, was it? Shrek's genius—we'll meet in the arena."

The boy at the end of the corridor did not slow. He merely turned his head and gave a faint nod, his voice utterly calm. "Suit yourself. Cao Jinxuan, let's go."

"Coming, boss!" Cao Jinxuan hurried after him. As he passed the siblings, he even scratched his head and grinned, looking for all the world like a little tagalong.

Only after the two had vanished around the corner did Meng Hongchen snap back to herself. She turned and glared at Xiao Hongchen. "Xiao, it's all your fault! You wore that sour face and scared him off!"

Xiao Hongchen: "..."

He drew a deep breath and forced the words through his teeth. "Get a grip! He's from Shrek! He's our opponent in this Continental Tournament!"

"So what if he is?" Meng Hongchen pouted, then could not resist another glance down the corridor. Her cheeks reddened slightly. "He's handsome."

"I—" Xiao Hongchen nearly choked. He swallowed the curse that had reached his lips.

He obviously could not hit her. She was his own sister. That left