The embarrassed younger sister

Chen Jie tilted his head toward her, a sly, wicked smile in his eyes, and reassured her in a whisper, "Don't be scared. She can't see."

The warm touch of his palm made Lan Luoluo's mind reel, and she couldn't hold back a soft little murmur. "Mm~"

The faint, sweet sound drifted through the air.

Up ahead, Lan Susu, who was focused on the Simulation, suddenly knitted her brows and asked in confusion, "Did either of you hear a strange sound?"

Lan Luoluo went rigid and instantly panicked. Raising her voice a little, she hurriedly waved her hand. "N-no! I didn't hear anything!"

Chen Jie remained perfectly composed, keeping a firm hold on her hand as he smoothly covered for her. "It was probably the wind rustling the leaves. There are plenty of branches and leaves in these woods, so you hear odd noises sometimes. Don't worry about it. Let's keep talking about the assessment."

Still somewhat doubtful, Lan Susu glanced around. Hearing nothing but the rustle of the wind, she set her suspicions aside for now and turned her attention back to the mental Simulation. "So it was the wind. Let's continue, then. What were you saying about when we should use our fusion skill?"

Lan Luoluo sat beside her, her heart pounding wildly. Not daring to make another sound, she could only listen silently to their conversation.

Lan Susu considered their tactics seriously, her gaze fixed on the simulated scene before her, never noticing anything unusual about her younger sister beside her.

Outwardly calm, Chen Jie continued laying out the plan methodically. "Once your hair spreads out to form the Heavenly Net, it'll be hard for an opponent to break through. I'll activate Spiritual Detection Sharing then and keep you updated on their movements."

As he spoke, his fingers traced lightly over Lan Luoluo's thigh. She trembled slightly and nervously pressed her legs together, her eyes darting toward her older sister, afraid Lan Susu would turn and notice. Secretly, she used her free hand to give Chen Jie's arm a gentle pinch, silently signaling him to behave.

Feeling her little gesture, Chen Jie glanced sideways at her, but his hand didn't stop.

Lan Susu pondered for a moment before saying, "Understood. Then we need to manage our Soul Power consumption carefully. We can't exhaust it too early."

Lan Luoluo forced herself to look composed and nodded along, but her heart was beating so fast it almost burst out of her chest. She could only struggle to steady her breathing, not daring to make the slightest sound.

Chen Jie nodded slightly. "Exactly. That's crucial. Your Martial Soul Fusion Skill consumes a lot of Soul Power, so you must wait for the right moment to use it. You can't afford to waste Soul Power."

Lan Susu lightly lifted a lock of her long, sea-blue hair. "Luoluo and I will keep an eye on each other's Soul Power. If either of us starts running low, we'll adjust right away."

Lan Luoluo listened quietly, ... being gently stroked by Chen Jie, and could only do her best to keep her expression calm so her older sister wouldn't spot anything amiss.

Chen Jie's fingertips pressed a little harder, and Lan Luoluo couldn't stop a somewhat louder "Ah~" from slipping out.

Lan Susu remained immersed in the mental Simulation, still watching the scene before her, but her keen ears caught the sound. She immediately asked, "Luoluo, what's wrong?"

Lan Luoluo's heart clenched. Thinking quickly in her panic, she hurried to explain, "N-nothing. My leg suddenly cramped, and it hurt so much I cried out."

Chen Jie put on a concerned expression and chimed in, "She was having trouble standing back in the bushes. She was probably nervous and tired earlier, and her muscles got too tense."

Lan Susu's gaze stayed on the Simulation, but worry entered her voice. "A cramp? Then stay seated and rest. Don't move around."

Lan Luoluo shot Chen Jie a quick, reproachful glare, but didn't dare do anything else.

The corners of Chen Jie's lips rose slightly. His hand still didn't stop, though his touch grew gentler as he continued discussing tactics with Lan Susu. "Once your Heavenly Net spreads out, prioritize restricting your opponent's movement. There's no need to rush into an all-out attack."

Studying the assessment arena's layout in Chen Jie's mental Simulation, Lan Susu thought it over and replied, "I understand. As long as we trap our opponent, we'll hold the initiative."

Chen Jie held Lan Luoluo's hand in his palm, and every tiny touch sent a shiver through her body. She bit her lower lip tightly, forcing herself not to make another sound, her anxious gaze locked on Lan Susu's profile for fear that her older sister would suddenly turn.

Chen Jie continued, "You'll face all kinds of opponents in tomorrow's assessment. Some have Soul Skills with tremendous explosive power. You two need to cover each other and avoid getting separated."

Lan Susu nodded lightly. "We know. Our Hair Martial Souls can link together, so even if we get separated, we can quickly regroup."

Lan Luoluo listened silently, both angry and embarrassed, inwardly resolving to settle the score with Chen Jie properly once they were out of her older sister's sight.

Leaves rustled in the woods, and sunlight slipped through the gaps between the branches to fall upon the blue-gray stone. With Chen Jie's mental Simulation before them, the three continued discussing how they would coordinate during the Freshman Assessment.

Before long, Chen Jie looked up at the darkening sky and spoke at an appropriate moment. "It's about time. I'll head off first. You two can work out the remaining details together."

With that, he slowly released Lan Luoluo's hand and rose to his feet.

As he turned, Chen Jie glanced out of the corner of his eye at Lan Luoluo, who was still flushed with embarrassment and badly shaken. A wicked, scheming smile of triumph curled his lips, then vanished in an instant. With an easy, composed bearing, he strode out of the woods.

Only when Chen Jie's figure had completely disappeared from the Small Woods did his mental Simulation dissipate along with him.

The illusion before Lan Susu's eyes faded, revealing the real Small Woods once more.

She turned toward Lan Luoluo beside her and keenly noticed her younger sister's unnatural stiffness. Slowly, she bent forward and lowered her head, fixing her gaze on Lan Luoluo's fair legs, where she clearly saw a dense layer of fine beads of sweat that had yet to dry.

Lan Luoluo instantly tensed all over, her cheeks burning hot.

Feeling aggrieved and mortified, she cursed inwardly: Chen Jie is absolutely awful! He didn't even quietly wipe me clean before leaving. He deliberately left all this sweat, and now my sister is staring at me, making a spectacle of me. He's gone too far!

Lan Susu's brows drew into a deep frown. Her voice full of confusion and concern, she pressed gently, "Luoluo, what's wrong with you today? You've been acting strange the whole time, and there's so much sweat on your legs. This doesn't look like just a simple cramp at all."

Lan Luoluo's cheeks turned scarlet. She hastily gathered her skirt around her, her voice faint and pleading. "Sister, please stop asking..."

Lan Susu looked at her younger sister's crimson face. Seeing that she didn't want to say more only deepened her doubts, but she couldn't bear to keep pressing her.