Xue Tianyu was drenched in sweat. He had to make up several excuses in a row before he finally managed to fool her.
Ice Empress herself did not really care; she just had not expected to accidentally discover another side of Xue Tianyu.
"Alright, alright, I believe you." Ice Empress yawned, then lay down on the bed.
"It's time to sleep."
Xue Tianyu could only obediently cooperate with Ice Empress and follow her onto the bed.
"Hold me while we sleep." Seeing that Xue Tianyu was merely lying close to her, Ice Empress immediately grabbed his arm and wrapped it around her waist.
Xue Tianyu was now much sturdier than Ice Empress.
In his arms, Ice Empress was like a little bird.
Breathing in the faint fragrance from Ice Empress's body, Xue Tianyu felt utterly refreshed.
If Xiao Wu's discovery by Ice Empress had not barged in and ruined things, tonight should have been perfect.
Thinking of this, Xue Tianyu affectionately kissed Ice Empress's fair neck.
Ice Empress and Snow Empress were the most important family he had in this world.
Under Ice Empress and Snow Empress's guidance, Xue Tianyu's standards of beauty had been raised very high.
Even now, he did not think any woman could be more beautiful than Ice Empress and Snow Empress.
Feeling Ice Empress's warmth in his arms, Xue Tianyu's eyes gradually closed.
Sleepiness washed over him.
The sound of steady breathing rose.
Holding Ice Empress, he fell asleep.
Xue Tianyu and Ice Empress had fallen asleep, but Xiao Wu, in the bathroom, was destined to remain awake tonight.
She was tied up and locked in a corner against the wall.
Her mind was in chaos, and she was terrified.
"Third Brother... Third Brother will definitely come save me!"
Thinking of Tang San's dashing appearance when he had come to argue with Xue Tianyu, Xiao Wu's heart softened slightly.
But then she suddenly recalled how she had felt when she saw Ice Empress.
Her heart instantly went cold.
No, the pressure Ice Empress gave Xiao Wu had long surpassed that of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
Even if Da Ming and Er Ming joined forces, they would probably be instantly annihilated by that soul beast radiating icy energy, wouldn't they?
With such a powerful helper by his side, if Third Brother clashed with Xue Tianyu, wouldn't he just get utterly beaten up?
After all, even without that terrifying soul beast, Third Brother seemingly could not defeat Xue Tianyu.
No, I can't drag Third Brother down.
I should bear the consequences of my own mistakes!
She knew that the only way now was to make Tang San believe that she had fallen for someone else, so that he would give up on her.
Only then could Third Brother survive.
Xiao Wu was in unbearable pain. "I'm doing all this for Third Brother!"
Meanwhile, Tang San was already frantic.
My Xiao Wu!!!
She's gone!
Yu Xiaogang: I'm Done Pretending, I'm Coming Clean
Just as Xiao Wu was drowning in self-pity in Xue Tianyu's bathroom and considering severing ties with Tang San to protect him, Tang San finally realized that Xiao Wu had disappeared.
At first, he thought Xiao Wu had merely been delayed on the road and would soon return from Spirit Hall.
After all, for all these years, he had always let Xiao Wu go collect the money by herself.
There had never been any problems.
But now, it seemed the problem was serious.
Even at a slow pace, counting from when he met Xiao Wu that morning until now, she could have gone back and forth between the hotel and the Spirit Hall branch seven or eight times.
Yet Xiao Wu still had not returned!
This was not normal.
There could only be one reason.
Xiao Wu had gone missing!
Tang San could no longer sit still. He immediately dragged everyone from Shrek Academy who was staying at the hotel out of bed.
"Mubai! Did any of you see Xiao Wu this afternoon?"
Tang San stared at Dai Mubai with an urgent, burning gaze.
It was the first time Dai Mubai had seen such a look in Tang San's eyes.
Dai Mubai was dumbfounded as well.
"Huh? Xiao Wu?"
"Shouldn't she be resting in her room?"
Tang San gave a bitter smile. "If she were in her room, would I need to wake all of you up?"
Only then did Ning Rongrong realize that Xiao Wu was missing.
"That's not right. Wasn't she perfectly fine this morning?"
"I ran into her when I came back during the day." Tang San quickly relayed what he knew.
"You ran into her?"
Zhu Zhuqing rested her chin on her hand as she walked up to Tang San. "Did she say where she was going?"
Zhu Zhuqing had gone out during the day.
So she had not seen Xiao Wu at all that day.
Hearing that Xiao Wu had gone missing, Zhu Zhuqing grew anxious as well.
"She said she was going to Spirit Hall to collect her money." Tang San sighed.
Everyone exchanged looks. Could someone really disappear just from going to collect money?
Oscar cautiously offered his thoughts. "Did none of you check Xiao Wu's room? Maybe there are clues there?"
"I already did."
Tang San shook his head. "Nothing in Xiao Wu's room had changed. It didn't look like she was planning to leave for long, either."
"Then that's strange..." Ma Hongjun frowned deeply.
Tang San still had one concern he had not voiced.
Although Xiao Wu had told him that her injuries were mostly healed, no one knew exactly how well she had recovered.
Could Xiao Wu's injuries have relapsed by accident?
At that moment, Yu Xiaogang, whom Tang San had contacted, arrived at the hotel lobby with Liu Erlong.
"What's going on?"
The moment Liu Erlong arrived, she called out loudly at Tang San. "Xiao San, your message said Xiao Wu went missing. What happened?"
"Just what it sounds like." Tang San shrugged. "Xiao Wu went out during the day and still hasn't come back."
"Maybe she was having fun, or she saw something delicious and couldn't resist?" Oscar once again offered his thoughts.
However, the moment Oscar said that, Ning Rongrong immediately snapped at him.
"She couldn't have stayed there eating forever, could she? Wouldn't she come back after getting full? Where's your brain?"
Oscar was left speechless by Ning Rongrong's three rapid-fire questions.
At that moment, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were also discussing things at once.
The entire lobby was rather noisy.
Yu Xiaogang frowned and coughed heavily.
"Alright, quiet down!"
The Grandmaster's words still carried weight.
Everyone stopped and looked at Yu Xiaogang.
"Tang San, tell us exactly what happened." Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San solemnly.
Tang San nodded, then recounted everything concerning Xiao Wu that had happened that day.
"When I returned to the hotel from outside during the day, I happened to run into Xiao Wu as she was leaving."
"She said she was going to Spirit Hall to collect this month's money and would be back soon."
"Then Xiao Wu disappeared?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
"Yes." Tang San nodded heavily. "And I went to that branch to look for her, but they said Xiao Wu never came to collect any money at all..."
As he said this, Tang San's heart suddenly trembled.
Could Xiao Wu have been captured by Spirit Hall?
After all, Xiao Wu was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. If her identity had been exposed, Spirit Hall might very well imprison her.
Thinking of this, Tang San immediately voiced his guess to Yu Xiaogang.
"It's very likely that Spirit Hall did this. Xiao Wu might be at Spirit Hall."
Tang San was extremely anxious.
Spirit Hall had always coveted Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. Now that they had the chance to capture one, would they not torture her to death?
Yu Xiaogang could see Tang San's emotions, and he himself felt conflicted.
But for the sake of his disciple, he sighed.
"I have a way to deal with Spirit Hall."
"Teacher, you have a way to save Xiao Wu from Spirit Hall?" Tang San excitedly grabbed Yu Xiaogang's hands.
Yu Xiaogang nodded, then cleared his throat. "Do not spread this matter around. I'm coming clean."
He deliberately looked around. Only after confirming that no one was eavesdropping did he continue. "I am an honorary elder of Spirit Hall. With an elder's authority, if Xiao Wu really is at that branch, I will definitely be able to get her back."
An honorary elder of Spirit Hall!
Tang San was stunned. It was the first time he had learned that his teacher possessed such an identity.
Not only him—the other five Shrek Monsters were equally shocked, their mouths hanging open.
Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun in particular had known the Grandmaster longer than Tang San and Xiao Wu had, yet the Grandmaster had never revealed his identity.
Even Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing looked at Yu Xiaogang with admiration.
No wonder Ning Fengzhi had not worried about Ning Rongrong at all after she joined Shrek Academy.
Ning Rongrong understood her father's intentions now.
Liu Erlong looked at Yu Xiaogang, surrounded by everyone and shining like the center of attention, her eyes filled with adoration.
This was the man she loved.
Yu Xiaogang then instructed Tang San and the others, "I'm going to that Spirit Hall branch now. Stay here and do not go anywhere."
"Just wait for my good news."
"Mm-hm!"
Before you continue