Xiao Se's mouth twitched. "On heaven and earth as my witness, I'm really not that promiscuous. Didn't you hear what Liu Erlong said? Xiao Huohuo saved her mother. Saving someone shouldn't count as 'leading her on,' right?"
Hearing that, Little Medical Fairy, Zhu Zhuqing, and Qian Renxue all rolled their eyes at him in perfect unison.
Saving someone might barely pass as not leading them on—but saying Xiao Se wasn't a flirt? Even pigs would climb trees before they believed that.
Based on what they already knew, there were Little Medical Fairy, Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Yu, and Bibi Dong—four already. Add Dragon Kui, who absolutely could not be ignored, and that made five.
And if they counted the ones they didn't know about—Ya Fei, Li Hanyi, and Yun Yun, who hadn't even been "taken down" yet—
Holy hell.
That was enough people for two full mahjong tables.
"Xue'er," Xiao Se said, smoothly changing the subject, "you said Dong'er would come. Are we going to that same teahouse as last time?"
"Mm!" Qian Renxue nodded with a smile. "Mom should be arriving any time now."
Xiao Se nodded lightly, said nothing more, and took the three of them flying toward the teahouse.
It was the same familiar private room. This time, Bibi Dong was already there, tea freshly brewed.
"Xiao Se—you're here." The moment he stepped inside, Bibi Dong greeted him warmly.
Xiao Se smiled faintly. "I probably delayed you quite a bit. I originally planned to come find you right after settling Zhuqing's matter."
Bibi Dong's delicate face softened into a gentle smile, her eyes brimming with affection. "Nothing is more important than you. Besides, the Spirit Hall has Nana now—she's already capable of handling things on her own."
"Dong'er-jiejie, long time no see!"
A streak of blue light floated out from the demonic sword emblem on Xiao Se's right hand, landing on the floor and transforming into a perfect, graceful figure that immediately threw herself into Bibi Dong's arms.
Among everyone Xiao Se knew—aside from Medusa—Dragon Kui was the closest to Bibi Dong.
Of course, Red Kui didn't count. She only cared about Xiao Se, Blue Kui, and Qian Renxue.
"Dragon Kui… long time no see." Bibi Dong gently patted her back, touching the half-illusory soul body with eyes full of tenderness and heartache.
"Dong'er, there's something I want to ask you." After everyone sat down, Xiao Se lifted the fragrant tea Bibi Dong had brewed.
"You're asking about Liu Erlong, right?" Bibi Dong said with a soft smile.
"You were nearby back then?" Xiao Se asked, a little surprised.
Bibi Dong nodded. "I actually arrived when Zhuqing was teaching that Star Luo kid a lesson. I just didn't show myself. Halfway through, I noticed an uninvited guest lurking nearby and took the opportunity to deal with him."
"That explains it," Xiao Se nodded.
"Can you tell me about Liu Erlong?" he asked seriously. "I didn't do anything irresponsible, did I?"
This was what concerned him most. If he really had taken the initiative and caused all this, then he would have to take responsibility—no matter what. As for whether he had feelings for Liu Erlong… that could only be cultivated slowly over time.
"Relax," Bibi Dong said calmly. "In this world, aside from me, you didn't lead anyone else on. Zhuqing is a special case. And even if you had wanted to—do you think I would've agreed back then?"
A rare trace of sly amusement appeared in her beautiful eyes.
"That's true." Xiao Se finally let out a long breath of relief.
"Then what's going on with Liu Erlong?" Little Medical Fairy couldn't help asking. "From how she looked, her heart was clearly stolen by 'Xiao Huohuo'—which is just Xiao Se, after all."
"You must be Little Medical Fairy," Bibi Dong said, turning to her with a smile. "The one Xiao Se went out of his way to find soul bones for."
"Yes," Little Medical Fairy nodded lightly. "Those two soul bones helped me immensely."
Bibi Dong smiled warmly. "That's fine. As long as you sincerely treat Xiao Se well. I trust his judgment."
"I will." Bibi Dong's words made Little Medical Fairy's face flush bright red as she replied shyly.
Bibi Dong swept her gaze across everyone and smiled. "I imagine you're all curious about what happened back then, right?"
Everyone nodded instinctively—even Qian Renxue turned into a bundle of curiosity.
"Yes, Mom. You told me to keep an eye on Liu Erlong back then, but you never explained the details. I'm curious too—what exactly happened between her and you guys?"
Bibi Dong smiled gently. "It went like this…"
She then recounted the entire sequence of events in detail, not leaving anything out.
After hearing it all, everyone finally understood.
"So back then, Brother was controlling your body, hiding your appearance and identity, and saved Liu Erlong's mother?" Dragon Kui asked in disbelief.
"That's exactly what happened," Bibi Dong said, equally helpless. "Even I don't understand how Xiao Se managed to attract Liu Erlong. During that entire period, he barely spoke to her. Even the name he used was something he made up on the spot when Liu Erlong's mother asked."
"Maybe it's just Brother's charm," Dragon Kui said thoughtfully. "He always draws girls to him without realizing it. Sometimes, a bit of care that seems insignificant to others is enough to capture a girl's heart."
Hearing this, all the women—including Bibi Dong—fell silent.
As they recalled their own experiences with Xiao Se, it really did seem to be exactly like that.
Night fell.
Blue Tyrant Academy—no, it should now be called Shrek Academy.
On the roof of the dormitory building, Dai Mubai sat alone, drinking heavily in silence.
"Boss Dai, still thinking about what happened this evening?"
A fat figure and a lean one hopped up onto the rooftop.
"Fatty? Tang San? What are you doing here?" Dai Mubai's eyes flickered with surprise and a dull haze as he tossed two bottles of strong liquor toward them.
The one who spoke was the Brothel Phoenix, Ma Hongjun. He and Tang San caught the bottles, popped them open, and took a swig.
"Evil fire flaring up—I couldn't sleep," Ma Hongjun said. "Ran into Tang San on the way, and he said you were up here drinking alone, so I came along. Cough! Damn, that burns. What kind of alcohol is this?"
"Orchid Brew," Dai Mubai replied lazily, taking another swig. "Don't waste it. One thousand gold soul coins a bottle. Expensive."
"One thousand gold coins? My god." Ma Hongjun's eyes widened. "My monthly allowance is only ten gold soul coins. Tonight, even if I drink myself unconscious, I won't waste a single drop."
He took another huge gulp. "Ah—so damn spicy!"
What the Brothel Phoenix didn't know was that this would be the most expensive alcohol he would ever drink in his life—and the price he'd pay for it would be enough to make him regret it forever.
"Mubai," Tang San said, patting him on the shoulder, "Zhu Zhuqing leaving you is her loss. With your talent, I believe you'll eventually defeat Dai Weisi."
"Good brother," Dai Mubai said, warmth finally spreading through his chest. "Just for that, tonight we drink until we're dead drunk. Let Zhu Zhuqing go to hell."
He clinked his bottle against Tang San's and then tipped it back, gulping down the liquor in long, desperate swallows.
(End of Chapter)
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