"You don't have any friends, do you?"
"I..."
Qian Renxue's thoughts were interrupted, and then she flew into a fit of embarrassed anger. "What nonsense are you talking about! I, how could I possibly have no friends!"
"You have friends?"
Luo Chen said, "Are you sure?"
"..."
Qian Renxue really wanted to keep putting up a stubborn front, but Qian Daoliu's teachings had truly been lofty and righteous.
Justice, kindness, honesty, fearlessness...
The Little Angel, untainted by the habits of Heaven Dou's nobility, still couldn't lie without batting an eye.
But making her admit she had no friends?
That would be far too embarrassing!
And so, Qian Renxue fell silent.
She really wanted to say haughtily, "I don't need friends."
But Qian Renxue couldn't even fool herself with that.
Thinking of the nervous anticipation she had felt upon learning that Luo Chen might be her younger brother, Qian Renxue knew she longed for more companionship.
"Go on, Xiao Xue."
Just as Qian Renxue was pondering how to answer Luo Chen, Qian Daoliu's voice rang out beside her ear. "That child is right. Grandpa was wrong."
Qian Daoliu had been so single-mindedly focused on protecting Qian Renxue that he had forgotten that, besides being a descendant of the Qian Family and the Angel God's successor, she was also an innocent, carefree young girl.
A 150-year-old man could teach his granddaughter knowledge, but he couldn't give her childhood and youth.
He was old. He shouldn't keep the Little Angel clutched in his hands anymore.
Before, there had been no suitable person to entrust her to, but now...
What a clear-sighted child.
Qian Daoliu finally understood why Bibi Dong was so utterly taken with Luo Chen. If it were me, I'd adore him too!
At that moment, Qian Daoliu once again regretted not going to Nuoding City immediately after receiving the information, allowing Bibi Dong to get there first.
"Fortunately, it's still not too late."
Qian Daoliu suddenly thought, "As long as this child ends up with Xue'er, won't he be no different from my own grandson?"
"Mm, very good, very good."
With his hands clasped behind his back, Qian Daoliu turned into a streak of light and departed. "You must do your best, Xue'er."
"Grandpa!"
Qian Renxue felt a surge of shyness, but Qian Daoliu had already left without waiting for her reply.
"Going too far is as bad as falling short. It's time to let go and let the children run wild."
His granddaughter was Qian Daoliu's very life, and he couldn't bear to let her get hurt.
But was Bibi Dong's love for Luo Chen any less than his?
If even Bibi Dong could let Luo Chen out, what did he, Qian Daoliu, have to fear!
If anyone truly dared harm his grandson or granddaughter...
He was Angel Douluo Qian Daoliu, once invincible in the skies. His peerless demigod-level cultivation wasn't just for show!
"Come on."
Luo Chen took Qian Renxue's little hand.
Mm, soft, tender, and smooth. It felt absolutely wonderful.
"I, what should I do?"
Now that the moment had come, Qian Renxue didn't know what identity she should use to get along with Hu Liena and the others.
"Just do whatever feels easiest to you."
Luo Chen didn't push Qian Renxue too hard. He had already changed her destiny, and she would no longer go to Heaven Dou to play crown prince as she had in the original story.
Honestly, going undercover in Heaven Dou was definitely the stupidest thing Qian Renxue had ever done.
She had level-20 innate full Soul Power, yet she had barely reached Soul Saint at twenty-nine.
Tang San had already become a god at twenty-five.
All Luo Chen could say was that Qian Daoliu really was worry-free, letting Qian Renxue run wild just because she was so talented.
With the Angel God's inheritance, Qian Renxue could complete the God Trials within a few years whenever she wished.
No matter how prepared Qian Daoliu was, he couldn't possibly have foreseen a cheat like Tang San appearing, becoming a god at twenty-five, and then turning the established order on its head.
"Easiest?"
The Little Angel didn't know what Luo Chen was thinking.
Nor would Luo Chen tell her the original course of her destiny.
Because it would be meaningless.
The Qian Renxue here was already no longer the one in Luo Chen's memories.
"Uh..."
But in the very next moment, Luo Chen didn't know what to say.
"Xiao Chen, do you think this will work?"
As Qian Renxue spoke, pure light radiated from her body.
When the light faded, a boy with short golden hair, exquisitely beautiful features, and a Spirit Hall school uniform appeared before Luo Chen.
This was precisely the ability of the Qian Family's inherited Soul Bone, allowing Qian Renxue to perfectly disguise her presence, appearance, Soul Power, and even her Martial Soul.
"..."
Looking at Qian Renxue's completely transformed appearance, Luo Chen was momentarily speechless.
Did Qian Renxue really have no soul unless she dressed as a boy?!
"Is it no good?"
Seeing no reaction from Luo Chen, Qian Renxue inexplicably grew a little nervous.
She had simply had a sudden flash of inspiration and thought she could disguise herself as a boy to interact with Hu Liena and the others.
She had concealed her Soul Power, keeping it at level 24.
Nine years old with level-24 Soul Power cultivation-undoubtedly a bona fide genius.
And being a boy would also allow her to get closer to Luo Chen, avoiding plenty of unnecessary trouble.
Little Angel: A thumbs-up for my own brilliance!
Originally, Qian Renxue had been very confident, but now...
"Should I change back?"
Before Qian Renxue could transform again, Luo Chen spoke. "No need. This is pretty good too."
Qian Renxue both yearned for and feared the outside world.
She wasn't afraid of danger or the unknown.
What the Little Angel cared about was her grandfather's expectations. She believed she couldn't be willful, much less let down the Qian Family and the Angel God.
So Qian Renxue had actually always held herself back.
She cultivated diligently, letting her grandfather and mother see her excellence, being a sensible, obedient child.
With a different appearance, no matter how wildly she played or how rudely she behaved, Qian Renxue would have some room to cushion the consequences, rather than truly tarnishing her family's reputation.
A girl who makes your heart ache...
With that thought, Luo Chen began circling Qian Renxue.
He carefully examined the boy the Little Angel had transformed into, clicking his tongue in wonder. "What a great transformation. If my Martial Soul weren't special, I probably wouldn't even be able to see what you really are."
"Oh, right."
Luo Chen said, "Since you've changed your appearance, why not give yourself a new name?"
"A new name?"
Qian Renxue wasn't surprised that Luo Chen could see through her disguise.
After all, in her understanding, Luo Chen's Martial Soul was unfathomable. No matter how outrageous it was, she could accept it.
"Then..."
Qian Renxue said, "How about Tian Xue?"
"Sure."
Tian Xue was actually quite a gender-neutral name. Luo Chen said, "The 'Tian' from angel and 'Xue' from snow-Tian Xue. Whenever you appear like this, I'll call you Tian Xue."
"No!"
"???"
"Ahem!"
Qian Renxue was somewhat dissatisfied with how Luo Chen addressed her. "Call me Brother Xue!"
"..."
Luo Chen looked at Qian Renxue, whose face was full of smugness. You'll call me big brother now, and in a couple of days, I'll have you call me big sister.
But Luo Chen ignored her, turned around, and walked away.
"Huh?"
"Why are you leaving?"
Qian Renxue caught up with Luo Chen in just a couple of casual steps.
It couldn't be helped. His current physical condition had barely reached the point where he could do without a crutch. He simply couldn't compare to Qian Renxue, a Soul Elder.
"I'm older than you anyway. You don't lose anything by calling me big brother."
Along with changing her appearance, Qian Renxue had altered her voice to sound more like a boy.
But since they were all still young, it remained rather gender-neutral.
"Just say it once."
"Whatever you need in the future, I'll agree."
But Luo Chen didn't answer, which only made Qian Renxue want him to call her big brother even more.
Along the way, the Little Angel offered who knew how many conditions.
Unfortunately, Luo Chen wouldn't budge, leaving the Little Angel fuming with no way to deal with him.
"Xiao Chen, you're here..."
And so, as soon as Hu Liena arrived, she saw Qian Renxue, disguised as a boy, following Luo Chen and looking as though she wanted to bully him.
"Who are you? Why are you bullying my Xiao Chen?"
The little fox marched forward angrily.
First, she shielded Luo Chen behind her, then glared warily at Qian Renxue.
A girl's natural intuition told Hu Liena that the boy before her was no good. She had to be on guard!
Likewise, Qian Renxue paused.
She had nearly reached an agreement with Luo Chen-or so she thought-but this little fox had suddenly jumped out and interrupted her good fortune.
"Heh."
This was Qian Renxue's first meeting with Hu Liena.
As the saying went, enemies' eyes blazed especially red upon meeting!
"You're Hu Liena, aren't you?"
Qian Renxue said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "My name is Tian Xue. Brother Chen and I hit it off at first sight today, and I'd like to be his friend."
"Brother... Chen?"
Wang Sheng, who had been standing behind the little fox watching the show, suddenly felt immense pressure.
What was going on?
He hadn't seen Luo Chen for just a little while, and someone had already popped up to fight him for his brother?
Wang Sheng: Uh, this... no, I...
"Really?"
Hu Liena looked at Luo Chen, who naturally wouldn't undermine Qian Renxue.
"Mm, Xue..."
Seeing Luo Chen about to speak, Qian Renxue hurriedly cast him a pleading look, as though saying, "I'll agree to anything."
Unable to withstand the Little Angel's gaze, Luo Chen said, "Brother Xue has innate full Soul Power, just like us."
"Innate full Soul Power!!"
Not only Hu Liena but the other three little ones also looked astonished.
The corners of Qian Renxue's lips rose slightly. Then, quite naturally, she clasped her hands behind her back and let her level-24 Soul Power pour out, instantly drawing sharp gasps from the four little ones.
"Th-this Soul Power fluctuation should be above level 20, right?"
"So amazing!"
"Is he an upper-year senior?"
"Tian Xue? I've never heard of him."
At that moment, listening to Wang Sheng and the others' praise and exclamations, Qian Renxue felt some emotion stirring restlessly within her.
She didn't know that this emotion was called the joy of showing off.
In the original story, Qian Renxue had spent twenty years undercover in Heaven Dou. Though she should have been the most talented person of her generation, she could only watch Tang San and the others become the focus of everyone's attention.
Like a rat, she skulked about, unable even to reveal that she was a woman.
Of course, the current Qian Renxue knew nothing of her original future.
Right now, she rather enjoyed being admired by everyone. She felt clear and unburdened in body and mind, and even the circulation of Soul Power within her became considerably easier.
"Oh, not at all. My cultivation is still far from enough."
Qian Renxue signaled Luo Chen with her eyes, meaning, Quick, pick up where I left off.
Luo Chen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
But considering that the Little Angel was only nine now, still a little girl unfamiliar with the world, Luo Chen smiled and said, "Brother Xue is three years older than us, but he's already a level-24 Soul Grandmaster."
"Rank 24!"
"Nine years old!"
Those two numbers truly gave the four people present a taste of the shock of rank-20 innate full soul power.
"Is this really the young mistress?"
In the shadows, the Seventh Enshrined, Demon Subduing Douluo, whom Qian Daoliu had originally sent to protect Luo Chen and who now guarded Qian Renxue as well, and the Sixth Enshrined, Qian Jun Douluo, both stared at the scene before them, dumbfounded.
Although Qian Renxue was disguised as a boy, that heartfelt smile truly struck them as both refreshing and comforting.
"Now this is the life that child should have."
"What kind of life was it, spending all day with old fellows like us?"
The seven Enshrined doted on Qian Renxue immensely, and precisely because of that, they hoped all the more that she could live a life of her own.
"Things are just fine like this!"
"Yes, all thanks to that boy named Luo Chen. No wonder the boss and Bibi Dong both treasure him."
Luo Chen had led Qian Renxue out of the shadows to walk together in the sunlight from then on. That move truly impressed Qian Jun and Jiang Mo, who inwardly praised the boy for a job well done.
"How did you two meet?"
Hu Liena marveled at Qian Renxue's talent, but she cared more about her relationship with Luo Chen.
Besides, Hu Liena found the boy before her rather familiar, as though she had seen him somewhere before.
Huh?
Hu Liena naturally could not have met Qian Renxue, but she saw traces of her teacher, Bibi Dong, in her features.
Especially those amethyst-like eyes-they were practically identical to Bibi Dong's.
"I just saw little brother Chen reading alone."
"It's truly rare to see someone so young come to the library."
Qian Renxue slipped into character remarkably quickly. Imitating her grandfather Qian Daoliu's manner of speaking, she fashioned herself into a refined, easygoing senior.
According to her account, she had initially been curious about Luo Chen, so she had approached him to strike up a conversation.
Unexpectedly, as they chatted, she discovered that Luo Chen had many unique insights into Soul Master theory and was utterly astounded.
"Also, little brother Chen looks very much like my late younger brother."
Good grief. Luo Chen was stunned by Qian Renxue's trick of conjuring a younger brother out of thin air.
Seriously, aren't you afraid Bibi Dong will come beat you up when she finds out you've inexplicably given her another son?
"Ahem, cough!"
Luo Chen hurriedly interrupted Qian Renxue. He was genuinely afraid that Little Angel might get carried away and throw in "same father, different mothers" or "same mother, different fathers."
Bibi Dong would be fine; at least she was alive and could beat this unfilial daughter.
Qian Xunji, however, would be in a miserable position.
Surely they couldn't have Qian Daoliu dig his son up and then have him clarify that he had never cheated?
"Brother Xue, let me introduce everyone."
That single "Brother Xue" from Luo Chen made Qian Renxue's heart blossom with joy.
Little Angel immediately quieted down and stood obediently beside him, waiting for Luo Chen to help her get to know his friends.
"."
The sight truly left the four people present rather bewildered.
Just what exactly was their relationship?
They had only just met, yet this Senior Tian Xue listened to Luo Chen so readily. It was simply inconceivable!
What's so strange about that?
Wang Sheng thought, Our Xiao Chen's domineering presence spills out everywhere. One shudder of his mighty frame, and a mere senior naturally bows his head in worship!
Mm, exactly.
Hu Liena nodded. As long as it was praise for Xiao Chen, nodding was the right thing to do!
As for Xie Yue and Yan, who had only just met Luo Chen, admiration rose in their hearts.
Just listen-even a senior with such outstanding talent had been won over by Luo Chen's wisdom. Just how amazing was this friend of theirs?
(End of chapter)