"Did you hear? Senior Sister Ling Luochеn was making out with a man at the academy gates!"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible! Senior Sister Luochen is the goddess of my dreams. How could she? You must be lying to me!"
"What? That's not what I heard! I heard Senior Sister Luochen stole Senior Sister Xiaotao's man, and now the two senior sisters have severed all ties and sworn never to see each other again."
"Fake news! False information! That has to be false information! I saw the two senior sisters fighting with my own eyes. The Great Dao was almost obliterated!"
"Hey, hey, hey, where are you going?"
"Boo-hoo, I don't care! How is Senior Sister Xiaotao any worse than Senior Sister Luochen? I'm going to challenge that man! He has to choose Senior Sister Xiaotao!"
Yu Tianqing had his arm around Ling Luochеn's waist as they walked side by side through the Shrek campus. Ma Xiaotao followed a few steps behind them.
The three of them quickly became the center of attention, and passing students cast curious looks their way.
Ling Luochеn was resting her head against Yu Tianqing's chest, her face blissful and enraptured. She clung to him like a little bird, showing none of the aloof pride with which the Ice Fairy kept people a thousand miles away.
Ma Xiaotao occasionally hurried forward a few steps to glance at Ling Luochеn, then quietly fell back and switched to the other side to observe her. Her expression grew stranger and stranger:
Is this what a love brain is like? It's terrifying!
Before long, the three arrived at the academy's office building. Ling Luochеn led Yu Tianqing to an office, straightened her clothes, and knocked on the door.
"Come in-"
A gentle, warm voice came from inside, mature and magnetic, with a lilting touch of coquettish charm.
Ling Luochеn pushed the door open, and the three entered the office just as a woman looked up.
Her short black hair curled slightly away to either side, revealing the clean, capable lines of her face. She was intellectual and elegant, yet her foxlike eyes were bewitching and full of allure.
The two temperaments blended perfectly on one face, without seeming at all incongruous.
"Hello, Dean Cai!"
"Hello, Shiniang!"
Seeing the three arrive, Cai Mei'er rose unhurriedly and came around the desk to stand before them.
She was tall and slender, dressed in a vintage white blouse with blue and gold stripes on the front. Her fitted white trousers accentuated her graceful figure.
Cai Mei'er looked Yu Tianqing up and down for quite a while, nodding repeatedly, seemingly very pleased. Only then did she smile and say:
"Tianqing, you're here! You really are my junior sister's son, so good-looking. You do look a bit like her."
When she noticed Yu Tianqing and Ling Luochеn holding hands, she covered her red lips and giggled:
"You're your father's son too, all right. Girls like you just as much as they liked him."
"Hello, Senior Martial Aunt!"
Yu Tianqing bowed slightly to Cai Mei'er.
"No need to be so formal. Counting your mother, Teacher only took five disciples. From now on, call me Aunt Mei, or... you can call me Sister Mei'er!"
Cai Mei'er winked at Yu Tianqing, her alluring foxlike eyes full of vivacity.
She really didn't put on any airs as an elder.
"Sister Mei'er!"
Yu Tianqing called out loudly. He wasn't some stuffy, naive youngster; if he could call her sister, he would.
Women all cared about their age. Who wouldn't want others to address them as if they were younger?
Sure enough, hearing him call her Sister Mei'er, Cai Mei'er seemed immensely gratified and was overjoyed.
"Good, good, good~" Cai Mei'er waved a hand, and an object appeared in it. "This is a welcome gift from Sister Mei'er."
In Cai Mei'er's hand was a golden fruit. Its skin had a scale-like texture, and it looked ancient, solid, and heavy.
Yu Tianqing had always cultivated in the Earth Dragon Sect. When it came to knowledge of the Soul Master World, apart from knowing a little more about the Far North, he might not even measure up to a fourth-year student at the Shrek Outer Court.
Seeing that Yu Tianqing showed no particular reaction, Cai Mei'er explained:
"This is a Dragon Scale Fruit. Just eat the flesh inside, and it'll strengthen your body, increasing the Soul Ring age you can withstand by about five thousand years. But generally, you can only use it after becoming a Soul King."
"Mm, thank you, Sister Mei'er!"
Yu Tianqing's voice grew even sweeter, with a hint of spoiled pleading.
When an elder gave a gift, one dared not refuse. Accepting it was a sign of a close relationship.
Yu Tianqing had long since developed a tried-and-tested method for dealing with mature women.
When they gave you something, you accepted it.
All they wanted was emotional value, the satisfaction you gave them.
Sure enough, when Yu Tianqing accepted the fruit, Cai Mei'er's smile grew even brighter. She turned to Ling Luochеn, thought for a moment, then took out a lead box and offered it to her.
The lead box opened, revealing an arm-shaped bone. It looked as though it were made of ice crystals, constantly giving off cold air.
"Luochen, since you and Tianqing are a couple now, I don't have much to give you. Here's the left arm bone of a thirty-thousand-year Ice Dragon. Go ahead and take it."
"Dean Cai, this is too valuable. I can't accept it!"
Ling Luochеn was just about to wave it away when Yu Tianqing patted her arm:
"What do you mean, Dean Cai? From now on, call her Sister Mei'er like I do!"
Ling Luochеn looked at Yu Tianqing in surprise, then turned to watch Cai Mei'er. Only when she saw her nod did she understand what Yu Tianqing meant.
Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog.
As Yu Tianqing's girlfriend, she could naturally share his connections.
The way she addressed Cai Mei'er was no longer that of a student addressing the academy's vice dean, but reflected a closer relationship through their shared master, as intimate as family.
She accepted the lead box, lowered her head, and said:
"Thank you, Sister Mei'er!"
Her voice was quiet. Her skin wasn't as thick as Yu Tianqing's yet, but Cai Mei'er's heart still blossomed with joy.
Having finished feeding gifts to the two juniors, Cai Mei'er was naturally in an excellent mood.
"Come on, Tianqing. I'll take you to your grandmaster now. The old man misses you very much too."
Cai Mei'er waved her hand and started toward the office door.
"Wait-"
Cai Mei'er turned around. It was Ma Xiaotao who had called them back. She looked back and asked in puzzlement:
"Xiaotao, what's wrong?"
Ma Xiaotao blinked and looked at Ling Luochеn and Yu Tianqing. Both of them had something in their hands. She spread hers, showing that they were empty:
"Shiniang, they both got gifts. What about mine?"
Cai Mei'er blinked too, tilting her head:
"What?"
"Shiniang, a gift..."
Cai Mei'er placed a finger against her lips and tilted her head in thought. After a while, she waved Ma Xiaotao off:
"You unlucky child, go ask your master for one yourself."
Seeing Cai Mei'er turn away, Ma Xiaotao slapped her thigh, as if she had suddenly thought of something:
"Sister Mei'er! I can call you Sister Mei'er too."
"Xiaotao, the moment you called me Shiniang the second time, it was already too late!"