Inside the top-floor suite of the Star Emperor Hotel.
"You've already withdrawn from school, so what are you doing back here? To laugh at me?!"
Looking at the grinning Huo Yuhao at the door, Ma Xiaotao spoke testily, though she didn't close the door. Instead, she walked back into the room on her own. Huo Yuhao replied with a smile, "I came to see Sister Xiaotao, and while I'm at it, to comfort Sister Xiaotao's wounded soul."
Just as she sat on the sofa, Ma Xiaotao irritably threw one of the high-heeled shoes from her feet at him. "Who needs your comfort! Aren't you supposed to be leaving? Get lost already, looking at you is annoying!"
Frankly speaking, the match against Star Luo could have actually been won, unless Huo Yuhao was also on the field...
But there are no "ifs" in this world. Huo Yuhao reached out and caught Ma Xiaotao's high heel. After closing the door, he walked over with an indifferent expression and sat down beside Ma Xiaotao.
"Humph!" Ma Xiaotao crossed her legs, picked up a wine bottle from the table, and began pouring it down her throat.
Given her boisterous personality and the fact that she was of age, drinking was naturally no big deal for Ma Xiaotao, and Huo Yuhao did nothing to stop her.
Though her tongue was sharp, Ma Xiaotao was quite sincere.
She wore a high-slit red long dress; sitting so carelessly caused the dress to naturally pull open, revealing a pair of full, elastic, beautiful legs clad in black silk stockings. Ma Xiaotao was tall, standing at over 1.8 meters, with a graceful figure and perfect proportions.
Especially these two legs—outlined by the slim-fitting black silk, the lines were smooth and powerful, straight and well-proportioned. A fraction more would be too voluptuous, a fraction less too thin; they perfectly fused feminine softness with the efficiency of a mature woman. Huo Yuhao leaned over, grasped those slender ankles, and put the red high heel she had thrown back onto Ma Xiaotao's foot. Ma Xiaotao pouted and shook her foot as if unwilling, but she still didn't stop Huo Yuhao's actions. Huo Yuhao nodded in satisfaction. These legs... were a work of art.
After Ma Xiaotao had downed three bottles of wine, Huo Yuhao spoke.
"Now that the tournament is over and the wine is finished, I finally have some free time. Before I leave, I want to take a good stroll around Star Luo City." Huo Yuhao naturally extended his hand. "I wonder if Sister Xiaotao would do me the honor?"
Before leaving... Ma Xiaotao looked at that palm, which was almost impossibly slender, pursed her lips, and instinctively placed her hand in his.
Coolness, peace of mind—these familiar sensations immediately traveled through her palm to Ma Xiaotao's heart. After Huo Yuhao gripped it firmly with a smile, he led her out onto the street.
After walking side-by-side for a distance, Ma Xiaotao suddenly felt as if even this most ordinary stroll was soaked in a sweetness she had never experienced before.
Does this... count as a date? Ma Xiaotao glanced at Huo Yuhao's profile. The impeccably handsome silhouette made her nearly lose herself again, and the reluctance in her heart almost swallowed her whole.
Instinctively, Ma Xiaotao tightened her grip on Huo Yuhao's hand again, holding it very hard.
Given that they were both "celebrities" in every sense of the word, Huo Yuhao applied a layer of [Simulation] to cover their appearances, while also masking Ma Xiaotao's provocative long dress.
It was enough for him to appreciate it himself; he couldn't let others see.
Their fingers intertwined as they walked and paused.
At noon, they found a restaurant with an elegant environment. Ma Xiaotao ordered several dishes she remembered Huo Yuhao liked. Ma Xiaotao didn't eat much herself, only smiling as she watched Huo Yuhao feast, occasionally placing a few pieces of meat in his bowl.
In the afternoon, the two strolled slowly along the riverbank outside the city.
The river water gurgled and the breeze brushed their faces, carrying the scent of green grass.
They talked about many things: future plans, the storm of public opinion they would face upon returning to Shrek, and occasionally saying nothing at all, just walking quietly, feeling each other's temperature. Ma Xiaotao felt that the bitterness of defeat and the sadness of losing Shrek's glory had faded significantly during this warm day...
Actually, maybe this defeat wasn't so bad after all...
It wasn't until the sun set and brilliant evening clouds appeared on the horizon that Huo Yuhao escorted Ma Xiaotao back to the Star Emperor Hotel.
"Right, this is for Sister Xiaotao." Huo Yuhao took out a deep blue diamond-shaped pendant from his belt and handed it to Ma Xiaotao. Ma Xiaotao took it and looked closely; it was an exquisite pendant, finely wrapped with silver silk thread and hanging from a scale that looked like crystal.
The scale was shaped like a dragon scale, decorated with a pair of small dragon wings around the edges. It felt cool to the touch, and her entire spirit felt a jolt of clarity. Ma Xiaotao's heart skipped a beat. "Is this your dragon scale?!"
Huo Yuhao nodded candidly. "Although I have faith in Sister Xiaotao, if your evil fire becomes uncontrollable, use this as an emergency measure."
He actually gave her his own dragon scale!
To a dragon, scales are a symbol of their dignity and the embodiment of their bloodline and power; it was no different for a Dragon Soul Master.
Any true dragon scale on the continent could fetch an astronomical price at an auction house, and many Soul Masters could even obtain extraordinary opportunities from within a dragon scale. The quality of Huo Yuhao's [martial soul] was so high that, in Ma Xiaotao's understanding, it was likely even above the Holy Dragon of Light. Losing a scale was by no means a trivial matter, which showed how much heart Huo Yuhao had put into her. Ma Xiaotao tightly gripped the pendant in her hand, then solemnly put it around her neck.
"...You brat, this sister of yours is sticking with you for life!"
Then Ma Xiaotao threw her arms around Huo Yuhao's neck and lunged forward with overwhelming momentum.
...
Beep... beep... beep...
A soft yet efficient voice came through. "What is it?"
The [voice-transmission soul tool] finally connected!
Dai Yueheng's whole body shuddered. Gritting his teeth, he whispered, "Jiujiu... Princess Jiujiu, I want to ask a favor of you... I plan to join the Empire's Northern Army Group to make a living, starting from the bottom, to contribute to the revitalization of the Empire."
He knew that as a Princess of the Royal Family, Xu Jiujiu admired those who gave everything for the nation most of all.
Therefore, only by saying this could he move her.
"Now that my Dai family has fallen, even if I go to the Northern Army Group, I will be in an unfamiliar place. In such a situation, even if I have the heart to burn my bridges, I fear I would die in vain."
"So... so... for the sake of the friendship from fighting together, I hope you can give me a hand..."
As he spoke, a hint of hard-to-describe hope rose in Dai Yueheng's mind.
After all, he hadn't done anything to betray Star Luo; he had even contributed significantly to Star Luo reaching the finals.
However, in the next second, a bucket of cold water was poured over him.
"Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."
The originally soft voice instantly turned icy and indifferent. "Also, please do not contact me again in the future."
"I am currently discussing the Way and cultivating with Yuhao. I don't want him to misunderstand."
Crack!
The next second, the [voice-transmission soul tool] shattered.
Dai Yueheng stood dazed on the spot, unable to regain his senses for a long time. Only much later did his face gradually distort, and a roar erupted from between his teeth.
"NO—!!!"