"Since you're all right, I'll be going!"
Chen Jue's words carried a deliberately solemn air, yet as he rose, a trace of barely perceptible cunning slipped into his movements.
"Don't!"
Xiao Wu parted her rosy lips, a hint of urgency in her voice. Her hand gently curled around Chen Jue's arm, quietly closing the distance that had been about to open between them.
A faint smile inadvertently curved Chen Jue's lips.
He had said that to test whether Xiao Wu had feelings for him.
Otherwise, he would have had trouble putting his next plan into action.
Now, however, the initiative was firmly in his hands.
"What is it? Is there something else?"
Chen Jue's smile grew more teasing, but his tone remained warm and refined, as though everything were under his control.
At his words, a faint blush rose to Xiao Wu's cheeks, like bashful clouds beneath the setting sun. She lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum.
"Didn't you... say you had a surprise for me?"
Her two rabbit ears bounced lightly, tracing an indescribable blend of allure and innocence through the air that made her utterly endearing.
The moment she spoke, she felt a little regret.
He might have only been joking back then!
And I actually took him seriously.
What if I've left a bad impression on him?
She still wanted Chen Jue to be her big brother~
"A surprise? Of course I have one. I just don't know whether you'll like it."
Mystery and tenderness colored Chen Jue's voice as he gently raised one eyebrow.
A hint of teasing lay beneath his unhurried composure.
Then, with an elegant motion, he took a translucent left leg bone from his Soul Tool, its surface glowing faintly.
"A fifty-thousand-year Earth Tiger Left Leg Bone. It has a control skill that can restrain an enemy for three seconds-a perfect complement to your power attack system!"
Chen Jue then placed the Earth Tiger Left Leg Bone in Xiao Wu's hand.
As Xiao Wu looked at the sparkling Soul Bone, surprise and secret delight shone in her eyes.
She knew full well how difficult it was to obtain a Soul Bone from a fifty-thousand-year Earth Tiger, yet he was willing to give it to her as a surprise.
Could Brother Chen Jue have feelings for me too?
I...
"Did you choose this surprise especially for me?"
An involuntary tremor crept into Xiao Wu's voice, and crystalline tears glimmered in her eyes.
Chen Jue's smile was as warm as the early spring sun. He gently brushed her silky hair, his touch brimming with unspoken tenderness and affection.
"Of course. You deserve the best!"
At those words, Xiao Wu could no longer hold back her emotion. Tears rolled down like pearls slipping from a broken string, yet they carried the warmth of happiness.
Tang San had been the first person she met after entering the human world.
But Tang San had not left her with a particularly good impression.
Especially compared with Brother Chen Jue, he seemed utterly worthless.
Her first impression of Brother Chen Jue was that he treated his women well.
Whether he was helping Zhu Zhuqing thrash that scumbag or being with Hu Liena, he showed meticulous care in every way.
Her second impression was his formidable strength.
Having been born a soul beast, Xiao Wu had understood deeply since childhood that the weak were prey to the strong, and the strong reigned supreme.
She also admired the strong, so when she saw Chen Jue display his terrifying strength, she developed a tremendous fondness for Brother Chen Jue.
And today, Brother Chen Jue had given her such a wonderful surprise that the last of her reserve vanished like smoke into thin air.
For soul beasts, love was simple, unlike the complexity of human love.
If you treated her well, she would treat you well.
Seeing Xiao Wu weep like pear blossoms drenched in rain, Chen Jue's heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked.
"Why are you crying?"
Xiao Wu looked at him through tear-blurred eyes, her voice trembling.
"Brother Chen Jue, I like you!"
As soon as she spoke, she suddenly threw herself at him, catching the unprepared Chen Jue off guard.
Things had progressed so quickly that he had already fallen before he even had time to launch his offensive.
Xiao Wu wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and took the initiative to offer him a passionate kiss.
Their lips parted.
Then.
Hiss... those legs... I'll go first, as a toast.
The battle between dragon and rabbit began...
[Ding! Target: Xiao Wu!] [Depth of intimacy: 60%] [Reward: One ninety-thousand-year Soul Ring (can be gifted, no side effects.)] [Reward: Dragon God Yin-Yang Art! Effect: Increases both partners' soul power levels through the union of yin and yang! Enhances combat prowess during the union.] [Reward: Soul Ring Age-Enhancing Potion, capable of turning one Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring into a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.]
That afternoon, a thick layer of dark clouds quietly enveloped Shrek Academy.
The drizzle gradually turned into a torrential downpour, mercilessly pounding every inch of land and quietly bringing the usual frantic training to a halt.
Otherwise, Chen Jue would have been forced to rise from his tender haven.
"Little white rabbit, white as snow, licking the carrot until it stood tall."
Chen Jue had fought two great battles, one the previous night and another just now.
He was already so exhausted that he was nearly drained dry.
As expected of a hundred-thousand-year Rogue Rabbit-she was truly terrifying.
Fortunately, the Dragon God Yin-Yang Art the system had given him allowed him to recover.
I have to say, this reward was practically made for a scoundrel like me with Cao Cao's tastes!
But the Soul Ring Age-Enhancing Potion was a fine thing too.
With it, he could turn all four of his Dragon God Martial Soul's first Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings into Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings.
Once all his triple martial souls had nothing but Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings...
The sight would simply be unimaginable.
Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and the others wanted to experience being out in the wild.
So they went outside to cultivate.
Meanwhile, upon learning that Chen Jue had not come to eat, Hu Liena gently lifted a food carrier and set off toward the boys' dormitory. The curling steam above it seemed to carry her unspoken care for her friend.
Along the way, the path happened to intersect with the quiet trail by the girls' dormitory.
Just as she passed the girls' dormitory, Hu Liena heard Chen Jue and Xiao Wu talking inside.
Hu Liena stopped at once.
"Brother Chen! He's actually with Xiao Wu..."
"I have to take a look... I can't let Chen Jue bully innocent Xiao Wu!"
Before you continue