Xiao Xiao felt the pressure weighing on her like a mountain.
She muttered under her breath, encouraging herself deep down.
The living room had already been awkward, but now the atmosphere dropped to freezing point, and everyone was at a loss for words.
In the end, Zhang Yang broke the deadlock. He smiled in a friendly manner. "Senior Sister Ling, what were you about to say?"
Ling Luochеn came to her senses and immediately remembered why she had come. She explained again, "Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan asked me to pass on a message while I was here. Get ready and meet at the academy gates early the morning after tomorrow..."
She was naturally referring to obtaining a Soul Ring.
Zhang Yang understood at once, and he grew somewhat excited.
Even though he had gained some ability to protect himself through his continued sign-ins, his cultivation level remained crucial.
He had to add a Soul Ring before he could advance to a higher level. Since Zhang Lexuan hadn't forgotten her promise, things would be much easier.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing."
"You don't know, do you? Eldest Senior Sister helped you vent your anger."
"Last night, she personally went to find Dai Yueheng and gave him a vicious beating!"
"That guy is Dai Huabin's older brother. I hear he was beaten badly and will probably need ten days to half a month to recover."
Ling Luochеn suddenly remembered something.
She deliberately brought it up, her voice carrying a hint of teasing.
Her light blue eyes carefully studied Zhang Yang, full of curiosity and puzzlement.
Just how outstanding did a man have to be to make the proud Eldest Senior Sister's heart flutter? She wanted to find out.
[Ling Luochеn: Shrek Inner Court disciple, affection: 30 (curious admiration) (sign-in unavailable)]
Zhang Yang received the feedback at the same time.
Sure enough, the mature beauty before him had been recognized by the system.
Unfortunately, her initial score wasn't particularly high, which meant signing in was still a long way off.
Perhaps her reservations were due to the unspeakable relationship between him and Zhang Lexuan.
One look at Ling Luochеn told him she wasn't the wild type. Someone like her was relatively hard to win over and would require more effort.
"Huh? Eldest Senior Sister got revenge for Zhang Yang?"
Meanwhile, everyone else was lost in their own thoughts.
Zhang Lexuan, the Inner Court's Eldest Senior Sister, was quite famous. Even those who had never met her had heard of her.
Hearing it from Ling Luochеn, they all looked surprised and recalled what they had first heard.
That was right! Zhang Yang had joined Shrek Academy through her backdoor connections. The two of them must be very close.
"That's so satisfying!"
Huo Yuhao clenched his fists in excitement.
Feeling immensely gratified, he silently made a vow.
In the future, he would grow stronger too and beat those brothers up with his own hands.
Both Dai Huabin and Dai Yueheng counted as enemies to him. If he hadn't been brainwashed by Tang San, he would even have put them on his must-kill list.
"Even Eldest Senior Sister likes Zhang Yang?"
Wang Dong'er and Tang Ya had high and low affection scores, respectively.
But their hearts fluttered with the very same thought.
They frowned at her words, naturally understanding what they implied. The competition is fierce.
Xiao Xiao, the current "official girlfriend," was even more troubled. She pouted, feeling the pressure increase.
Only their homeroom teacher Zhou Yi didn't mind such things. With Zhang Yang's immense charm, how could he possibly settle for just one?
"Student Zhang Yang, I've delivered the message, so I'll take my leave." Ling Luochеn smiled, completely unaware of everyone's thoughts.
"Thank you for making the trip, Senior Sister Ling. Please tell Senior Sister Zhang that I'll be there on time." Zhang Yang nodded gently, his face warm and friendly.
With the Charm God's Body and the beguiling influence of the Law of Music...
Even Ling Luochеn, whose thoughts had yet to stray in any strange direction...
Felt her heart beat a little faster at the sight of Zhang Yang like this. She thought he really was charming.
No wonder Eldest Senior Sister seemed like a different person. Zhang Yang wasn't simply handsome; his bearing was extraordinary too.
[Ling Luochеn affection +10, current: 40 (sign-in unavailable)]
"Teacher Zhou, everyone, go back and get some rest."
"I can stay and take care of Zhang Yang..."
An idea suddenly struck Xiao Xiao, and she made this suggestion. Everyone present was taken aback.
Well, aren't you a bold little loli, planning to use your status as his girlfriend to drive away the competition?
If we leave you two alone in a room, heaven knows what might happen. We can't allow that in broad daylight.
"How could one girl manage everything? Yuhao and I will stay too." Wang Dong'er grinned mischievously. She was doing it on purpose.
"Huh? M-me?" Huo Yuhao was dumbfounded, having never expected this. But he was simple-minded and didn't object.
"Do you little ones even know how to take care of someone? I'll stay too. After all, as Zhang Yang's homeroom teacher, I bear some responsibility for the danger he faced." Even Zhou Yi volunteered.
In the end, almost everyone stayed.
Xiao Xiao's dainty little face twitched bitterly.
How annoying! What are you all doing? Can't you see I'm exercising my rights as the "official girlfriend"?
Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, you two are grown boys. You can't really be planning to fight me for my boyfriend, can you?
Teacher Zhou Yi is even worse. At her age, why is she joining in? This is just too bizarre!
Ling Luochеn still hadn't left.
She took in the whole scene.
She felt as though her head were full of question marks. She couldn't make sense of what was happening. Why had they all suddenly decided to stay?
I... should I stay too? The strange thought surfaced inexplicably, and she hurriedly dismissed it.
She glanced at everyone bustling about. The more she watched, the stranger it seemed, and she wondered whether she should tell Eldest Senior Sister.
"Ahem, Student Zhang Yang, I'd better take my leave."
Ling Luochеn wiped away her cold sweat. She didn't understand, but she chose to respect it.
With that, she turned and hurried away as though startled, heading straight back to the Shrek Inner Court.
Zhang Lexuan wasn't in her room. She was sitting alone by Sea Lake, resting as the breeze brushed through her hair, giving her a disheveled, fragile beauty.
"Luochen, did you deliver the message? What did he say?" Zhang Lexuan turned toward the approaching Ling Luochеn, her smile enough to make even a girl's heart flutter.
"Eldest Senior Sister, Zhang Yang agreed to be there on time." Ling Luochеn hesitated, but still kept her thoughts to herself. Zhang Yang was far too popular with women!
Eldest Senior Sister, oh, Eldest Senior Sister, you can't be so laid-back about this.
Otherwise, with that man's charm, who knows when someone might whisk him away?
As she pondered how to offer a tactful warning, Zhang Lexuan gave a serene smile.
"Mm, thank you for making the trip... Speaking of which, what do you think of Zhang Yang?"
The question really caught Ling Luochеn off guard.
What do I think of Zhang Yang? Handsome and distinguished? A heartthrob?
But wouldn't it be strange to describe the man Eldest Senior Sister loved that way? It didn't seem quite appropriate.
"Never mind. Your temperament is much like mine. There's no point asking you."
Seeing her hesitate, Zhang Lexuan smiled casually and rose to return to her cultivation.
She had been resting by the lake to await the news, and now she had received a satisfactory answer.
She had just turned and was about to call Ling Luochеn to leave when her keen eyes suddenly turned toward a spot not far away.
On the only road leading onto Sea God Island, an all-too-familiar figure abruptly entered her sight.
The excellent mood she had been in after receiving Zhang Yang's answer soured because of him, and her face grew a little paler.
"Bei Bei... what is he doing in the Inner Court?"
Zhang Lexuan frowned, thinking of a possibility.
After all, she wasn't free now. She bore the title of a "child bride."
And the man she was bound to was none other than Mu En's descendant, Bei Bei, the bastard who looked down on her!
"I hope... he isn't here because of Zhang Yang..."