Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing Meet Eyes

The night passed peacefully.

At dawn the next morning, the sky had only just begun to brighten, and the morning mist had yet to fully disperse. The air was cool, wonderfully refreshing as it filled the lungs.

Zhu Zhuqing got ready early and stood outside Lin Chen's dormitory door right on time.

After a quick wash, the two left the dormitory area side by side, instinctively heading toward Mo Yuan's little courtyard.

Along the way, Lin Chen was full of questions, grumbling inwardly.

Only the two of us agreed to go into town to pick out crystal stones. We could just head straight out of the academy gates. Why report to Teacher's courtyard first? There's no need.

Only when they entered the quiet courtyard and he saw not just Mo Yuan drinking tea, but also a beaming Yun Yan and a lively, bouncing Little Yu'er, did understanding instantly dawn on him.

Yun Yan's gentle laughter reached his ears, mingling with Zhu Zhuqing's soft voice, and the truth was plain as day.

Apparently, after arranging to go shopping with him last night, Zhu Zhuqing had turned around and invited his teacher's wife—and brought Little Yu'er along for good measure.

Lin Chen's scalp prickled on the spot, and his heart gave a heavy thud.

It's over. Completely over.

He understood girls' shopping habits all too well.

It was nowhere near as simple as adding more people. The more there were, the more excited they became, the longer they shopped, the greater the variety of stores they visited, and the more they bought.

Shopping with just the two of them yesterday had nearly left him, a Soul Elder over level thirty, flat on his back from exhaustion.

Today, with three girls outright, plus an energetic child who bounced around everywhere, this was unmistakably