Dongzi Grows Suspicious

The morning mist had not yet dissipated when Liu Erlong paced back and forth in the bedroom of the Spirit Hall's villa for the umpteenth time.

The dull exchange at Brother Jie's mansion last night, and Qian Xunji's assertive words, Entanglement in her mind.

"Was Xiao Gang really doing it voluntarily?"

Liu Erlong's face turned pale and then flushed.

There was a very light knock on the door, so light that it was as if they were afraid of disturbing the people inside.

The door hinges clicked softly, and Flender entered carrying a wooden tray, a cautious smile on his face, his expression full of concern.

"Last night you went out with Xiao Gang, and when you returned at dawn you looked very unwell. I made some hot soup before dawn and simmered it over a low flame for several hours."

He picked up the bowl, held it with both hands, and handed it to him.

"Try a couple of bites. If you find it too salty or too bland, I'll go to the kitchen and cook it again."

Seeing Flender's ingratiating expression as he leaned in, Liu Erlong's already stifled feelings grew even more irritable.

She desperately wanted to question Yu Xiaogang, but how could she bring herself to do it?

Should she walk up to Yu Xiaogang and confront him directly about why he carried her and the other four last night to "study Martial Soul Theory"?

Regardless of Yu Xiaogang's fragile and prideful self-esteem, Qian Xunji's words, "He's avoiding you," were enough to throw Liu Erlong into turmoil.

Now that Flender is being so attentive, it feels like he's reminding her how embarrassed she is.

"Take it away, and don't wave it in front of me."

Frustrated, Liu Erlong pushed Flender away, rushed out of the room, and ran towards the seminar room.

Flender was pushed and swayed slightly, but he wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, he craned his neck and shouted towards the door:

"Sister Erlong, slow down. It's chilly this morning; you should wear an outer robe. I've kept this soup warm with my Soul Power. Come back anytime if you get hungry."

The footsteps outside the corridor gradually faded away, the gate of the villa swayed gently, and only the cool morning breeze swept across the empty threshold.

Flender looked down at the steaming bowl on the tray, a bitter feeling welling up inside him.

Ever since they arrived at the Spirit Hall together, Liu Erlong's thoughts have been entirely focused on Yu Xiaogang.

She was constantly preoccupied with finding him, her mind preoccupied with how her Xiao Gang was doing, and she rarely spoke a single ordinary word to Flender.

Recalling the short time he spent traveling the mainland with Liu Erlong after their first meeting, his Sister Erlong would occasionally smile at him.

Now that they've entered the Spirit Hall, the distance between them feels even greater than that between towering mountains.

Flender shook his head, his heart heavy with a bitter feeling.

But what could he do? He had set his sights on this goddess of his dreams, and no matter how much he had to swallow his grievances, he had to make sure she was taken care of.

As long as he can protect Sister Erlong, he would be happy to stay by her side and suffer some cold treatment.

Meanwhile, Liu Erlong, who had been traveling at a fast pace, had already arrived near the side hall's discussion room. She decided to observe secretly.

However, after observing for several days, the way things were unfolding made Liu Erlong's heart sink deeper and deeper.

Inside the seminar room, Yu Xiaogang not only did not escape from the four scholars, but instead stayed with them all day long.

In fact, Yu Xiaogang was also suffering in silence, unable to express her bitterness.

At the time, he was immersed in the supreme honor and felt deeply moved, thinking that although the Pope Qian Xunji was hateful in his previous life, he was actually a pretty good person in this life.

Who would have thought that these weren't true friends at all, but clearly just lusting after his body?

Just thinking about how, back at Brother Jie's mansion, they had agreed to drink fine wine and discuss Martial Soul Theory all night long, but after the strong liquor was down, the door was locked, and the four of them changed their attitudes in an instant.

These people have absolutely no sportsmanship; they tried to trick and ambush him, a level 29 Soul Grandmaster.

What made him tremble was that the dozens of Image Recording Stone that recorded his Deng Dua Lang image were like dozens of guillotines hanging over his neck.

If he dared to show even the slightest sign of disobedience, Brother Jie would smile and toss the Image Recording Stone in front of him a couple of times, gently reminding him, "You wouldn't want these Image Recording Stone to be shown and played all over the continent, would you?"

Moreover, Brother Jie even said he would produce a TV series, a storybook, a collection of stories, etc., leaving Yu Xiaogang angry but unable to speak out.

Facing four philosophical scholars whose Soul Power Level were all above his, even if Yu Xiaogang, who was only level 29, unleashed Luo Sanpao, he would at most give them one more person to pick up the soap.

Under duress and enticement, Yu Xiaogang had no choice but to comply.

During the day, the seminar room door is always tightly locked from the inside, making it impossible for outsiders to see what's inside.

As evening fell, Brother Jie tossed around Image Recording Stone while pulling Yu Xiaogang back to the mansion to continue their discussion of Martial Soul Theory.

Yu Xiaogang was staying out all night more and more often, and her steps were visibly unsteady.

Liu Erlong saw this and felt pain in her heart, but Qian Xunji's words, she did not dare to step forward rashly.

Seeing Yu Xiaogang's thin and frail body sandwiched between four burly men every day, Liu Erlong felt a surge of frustration and sorrow. He thought to himself that this boy really had to protect himself when he was out in the world!

However, Liu Erlong was not the only one who noticed this unusual behavior.

Inside the Saintess's bedchamber, Bibi Dong's delicate brows were tightly furrowed.

Why has Xiao Gang been going out late at night lately?

As the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, if she wanted to, Yu Xiaogang's every move would be impossible to miss.

For several days in a row, Yu Xiaogang not only avoided her during the day, but also frequently stayed out at night. When she did show her face, her eyes were dark, clearly indicating that she hadn't slept well all night discussing theories.

Bibi Dong was filled with doubts.

"Could it be... that Xiao Gang is carrying me on her back, secretly having an affair with that slut Liu Erlong outside?"

The thought that Liu Erlong might be taking advantage of the situation ignited a burning jealousy within Bibi Dong.

However, her intelligence report did not contain any information about Liu Erlong traveling with her, but a woman's suspicions often need no reason.

At midnight, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

Bibi Dong changed into a light and practical outfit and silently followed the clues from her subordinates, sneaking all the way to Brother Jie's spacious mansion.

As they crept in, strange noises could be faintly heard.

Bibi Dong held her breath, preparing to leap onto the roof to investigate, when suddenly a figure quietly appeared beside her.

The two women looked at each other, their gazes meeting in the dim night.

Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes narrowed; the furtive figure was none other than Liu Erlong, who looked embarrassed.

"What are you doing here?" Bibi Dong asked coldly via telepathy.

Liu Erlong was startled by Bibi Dong's sudden appearance, and immediately replied telepathically, "If you can come, why can't I? Enough nonsense, don't make too much noise if you don't want to disturb those inside."

Although the two women disliked each other, they surprisingly tacitly put an end to their argument at this moment because it concerned Yu Xiaogang's secret, and tiptoed to the back window.

Through the window, the scene inside the room was laid bare before the two women's eyes.

The spacious and bright room was filled with rolled-up carpets and various weightlifting equipment placed around the perimeter.

Surrounded by Brother Jie and his three companions, Yu Xiaogang was strangely discussing various academic theories with them.

Bibi Dong, standing outside the window, was so shocked that her mind went completely blank.

What's this?

Her beloved Xiao Gang brother, who she longed for, didn't return to his bedchamber in the dead of night; he was actually engaged in a theoretical struggle with this group of burly men?

What made it even more unbelievable to Bibi Dong was that although Liu Erlong beside her was also pale, her expression revealed a hint of indifference, as if she had known all along.

"You knew all along?" Bibi Dong turned her head abruptly, her voice trembling slightly. "Since you knew all along, why didn't you say so sooner?"

Liu Erlong gave a bitter smile. If Xiao Gang had been thinking about other women in her past life, she could have at least comforted herself that he had only made a mistake that all men in the world would make...

But what's going on here? This culprit looks completely wrong!

"If you were in that situation, could you even bring yourself to ask?"

Liu Erlong said bitterly, "If I went to tell you that Xiao Gang is studying theories with four scholars every day, would you believe me?"

"..."

Bibi Dong felt a raging fire burning in her chest, her romantic mind being trampled on like never before.