Night.
Long Aoyu returned to his Side Hall and knocked on the door next to his.
"Knock, knock."
"Coming!"
A cool female voice rang out, followed by footsteps inside. The door soon opened, revealing a stunningly beautiful face.
A tight black leather outfit encased her snow-white skin, drawing the eye.
"What is it?"
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Long Aoyu and asked.
"We leave tomorrow. I'm taking you to Shrek Academy. My brother is coming too."
Zhu Zhuqing froze slightly. Rather than speak immediately, she stepped aside from the doorway, motioning for Long Aoyu to come in.
Long Aoyu entered the room and sat down at the table.
Zhu Zhuqing closed the door and sat opposite him. After a moment of silence, she said, "Actually, I don't care about those things anymore."
"I've been very happy spending these days with you."
"As for that coward Dai Mubai, how he's doing now has nothing to do with me."
Long Aoyu looked into her eyes and shook his head. "You should still go."
"Why?"
Zhu Zhuqing was slightly taken aback.
Long Aoyu looked at her, his tone softening a little. "I believe you when you say you don't care anymore, but there still needs to be a resolution."
"You... want me to go?"
"I want you to go, but whether you do is up to you."
Long Aoyu looked at her. "Besides, even if we don't take you to see him, we still have to visit Shrek Academy. My brother's Soul Ring is there."
"All right, I'll go."
"Mm."
Long Aoyu nodded. "Then it's settled. We'll leave early tomorrow morning. I'll come get you."
Long Aoyu stood up and glanced back at her as he reached the door.
"Get some rest."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded gently. "You too."
Three days later, outside Suotuo City.
There were more travelers on the main road, and the outline of the distant city walls was already clearly visible.
Long Aoyu walked in front, with Zhu Zhuqing just half a step away at his side. He could smell the delicate fragrance of her hair.
Long Aotian and Vina walked side by side behind them, chatting enthusiastically.
"That's Suotuo City up ahead."
Long Aoyu pointed at the city walls ahead. "Shrek Academy is in a village south of the city, but there's no rush to go there today. Let's look around first."
"All right."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, her gaze settling on the large characters on the distant city wall.
Long Aotian caught up from behind and patted Long Aoyu on the shoulder. "Xiao Yu, Vina and I are going to look around first. We'll meet up later."
"Bye-bye!"
Vina smiled and winked at Long Aoyu, then pulled Long Aotian off in another direction without giving him a say.
Clearly,
they were creating an opportunity for Long Aoyu and Zhu Zhuqing to be alone together.
Long Aoyu watched the two disappear into the crowd, then turned to Zhu Zhuqing beside him and smiled. "Let's look around too."
"Mm."
Zhu Zhuqing smiled and nodded.
Suotuo City was livelier than they had imagined, with street vendors' cries rising one after another.
Long Aoyu and Zhu Zhuqing walked side by side through the crowd at an unhurried pace, stopping to look whenever a stall caught their interest.
Zhu Zhuqing stayed beside him, occasionally stopping to look at the little trinkets on the roadside stalls.
Between the two of them,
there were few words, but the atmosphere was natural.
As they passed a vendor selling candied hawthorns, Long Aoyu casually bought two skewers and handed one to Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing paused, then took it and bit into one. The sweet-and-sour flavor made her eyes narrow slightly, and the corners of her lips unconsciously curved upward a little.
"Thank you."
"As long as you like it."
Long Aoyu took a bite of his own candied hawthorns and continued walking.
Zhu Zhuqing walked beside him, her steps a little lighter than before.
On another street.
Long Aotian and Vina stood in front of a jewelry stall.
Vina picked up a hairpin and turned it over in her hands. It was pale blue-green throughout, with an intricate orchid carved at the top.
Though the workmanship was nothing special, the hairpin's elegance made up for it.
The more Vina looked at it, the more she liked it. She turned to Long Aotian. "This one's pretty."
"Understood!"
Just as Long Aotian was about to take out money to buy it, a hand suddenly reached over from the side and plucked the hairpin straight from Vina's hand.
They turned to look.
A girl in a lavish blue-green short dress stood beside them, her features delicate and her large eyes lively.
But her chin was slightly raised, carrying an air of pampered entitlement.
At a glance, she was clearly a spoiled Eldest Miss.
Ning Rongrong examined the hairpin, then turned to the stallholder and said:
"I'll take this. Wrap it up."
The stallholder glanced at her, then at Long Aotian and Vina, and said awkwardly, "Miss, these two were here first."
Only then did Ning Rongrong turn to Vina and Long Aotian. She forced a smile, her tone still reasonably polite. "Big sister, could you let me have this hairpin?"
"No."
Vina looked at her expressionlessly.
The smile on Ning Rongrong's face stiffened. Then she dropped it entirely, exposing her true nature as her tone turned haughty. "There's nothing this young lady has set her sights on that she hasn't gotten."
Ning Rongrong stopped looking at Vina and turned straight to the stallholder, setting the hairpin on the table.
"Wrap it up, or I'll make sure you get a bitter taste of the consequences!"
"Heh."
Watching from the side, Long Aotian could not help letting out a laugh.
"What big talk!"
Long Aotian stepped forward half a pace, picked up the hairpin, and placed it straight into Vina's hand. He lowered his head toward the stallholder. "How much?"
Vina's eyes curved with her smile, quite pleased with Long Aotian's response.
Ning Rongrong's expression changed. She stepped forward and glared at Long Aotian, demanding:
"Who said you could take that!"
Long Aotian was more than a full head taller than Ning Rongrong. He looked down at her, his voice icy. "I suggest you improve your attitude. Otherwise, I won't mind teaching you a lesson!"
Intimidated by Long Aotian's icy gaze, Ning Rongrong instinctively retreated two steps.
Once she recovered,
Ning Rongrong felt humiliation and anger mingle.
She had grown up cradled in everyone's palms. As the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, when had she ever been treated like this?
Yet this handsome young man before her looked at her with utter contempt.
Long Aotian ignored Ning Rongrong and turned to the stallholder, frowning. "Say something. How much is this hairpin?"
The stallholder glanced at Ning Rongrong, then at Long Aotian, and hurriedly named a price.
"Here. We're taking it." Long Aotian took out a few silver coins and placed them on the stall, then took Vina's hand and moved to leave.
Ning Rongrong's expression changed. She stepped forward and reached to grab Long Aotian's arm.
The sight instantly ignited Vina's anger. Her gaze turned cold, and she raised her hand and slapped Ning Rongrong across the face.
Smack!
The blow knocked Ning Rongrong's head to the side. She stood frozen, clutching her face, utterly stunned.
When had she ever been hit in her life?
Even her father had never laid a finger on her.
"You dare hit me?"
A distinct handprint soon appeared on Ning Rongrong's right cheek. Her eyes reddened, and she looked on the verge of tears.
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