Moments later, Lin Jie released Liu Erlong from his embrace, her cheeks still blushing red.
Looks like he hadn't made the wrong choice after all.
It turned out the fastest and most effective path to a woman's heart… really was that one.
Gazing at the bashful, incomparably alluring woman in front of him, the desire he had just barely suppressed began to stir again.
"Erlong-jie, you're truly beautiful."
"You've probably said that to countless girls. I'm not falling for that," Liu Erlong replied softly.
"You don't know just how captivating you are right now, Erlong-jie. I—" Lin Jie stopped mid-sentence, choosing instead to show her with action just how much she affected him.
Already having tasted the sweetness, Liu Erlong responded again with passion. Slowly, the tension in her body eased. As Lin Jie's lips found hers, a new wave of changes rippled through her. Her face flushed deeply, glowing with shy allure.
Her gaze became hazy, drifting like mist. Her apricot eyes shimmered with watery light, and her jade-like arms instinctively wrapped tightly around Lin Jie.
In the early morning, bright sunlight streamed in, and the chirping of birds filled the air. Lin Jie, who had been sleeping soundly, opened his eyes and felt a wave of contentment looking at Liu Erlong sleeping deeply in his arms.
Moving carefully, he got out of bed, trying not to disturb her. But despite his gentleness, Liu Erlong still stirred.
Seeing him get up, she averted her eyes quickly, her face flushed, still a little unsure how to face him.
After getting dressed, Lin Jie watched as Liu Erlong shyly slipped out of bed as well. Watching a beauty dress herself had its own kind of charm.
Once she was clothed, Lin Jie walked over to the plum blossom branch on her windowsill and carefully clipped a single bloom. With a flick of his finger, the flower vanished into his soul tool ring. To him, this plum blossom was well worth keeping.
Liu Erlong watched in silence as Lin Jie stored the flower that had represented her. She wasn't sure why, but her heart fluttered strangely at the sight.
Lin Jie left her room and told her not to get up too soon—she should rest more.
Liu Erlong agreed. Truth be told, she really didn't want to get out of bed just yet. If it weren't for needing to clean up a bit, she would've stayed asleep.
She didn't want to get up so quickly for two reasons: first, she didn't want to face Zhu Zhuqing just yet; and second—her body was still sore.
Even though she was a powerful Spirit Master, some kinds of pain couldn't be healed so easily.
After Lin Jie left, Liu Erlong lay back down in the bed they had shared the night before. The sheets still carried a faint scent of indulgence. She closed her eyes quietly.
Outside, Lin Jie stepped out of the secluded cottage, breathing in the crisp morning air. The drowsiness from the night before faded away, replaced by a sense of refreshed clarity.
Not long after, Zhu Zhuqing emerged from her own room. Seeing Lin Jie outside, she smiled and walked toward him.
As her graceful figure approached, for some reason Lin Jie felt a flicker of guilt. Things had gotten pretty heated between him and Liu Erlong last night. Though she had held back her voice, and no loud sounds had escaped, he still worried Zhu Zhuqing might have noticed something.
Suppressing his unease, he quickly regained his composure and greeted her with his usual smile. "Zhuqing, are you hungry? Let's go grab some breakfast."
"Mm. By the way, where's Erlong-jie? She's not up yet?" Zhu Zhuqing asked curiously. Liu Erlong was usually the earliest riser among them.
"She might be a bit tired," Lin Jie replied calmly. "She's resting in her room. Better to let her sleep a little longer."
"I see." Zhu Zhuqing nodded. After all, Liu Erlong had been watching over her and Lin Jie as they cultivated and absorbed Spirit Bones these past few days. It made sense that she'd be tired. Zhu Zhuqing didn't think too much of it.
Lin Jie gently took her hand. "Come on, let's go."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded and leaned in a little closer. Now that they were a couple, she no longer felt shy about physical intimacy. Besides, Lin Jie had said he wanted to take her home tomorrow. That thought made her feel nervous... but also a little excited.
Shrek Academy had taken first place in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament and was now renowned throughout the land.
It hadn't even been a full week since Lin Jie and the others returned, yet the number of students coming to apply to Shrek Academy had exploded. Flander and Zhao Wuji were already overwhelmed with the influx.
Flander had once insisted on accepting only "monsters," but now that Shrek had gained royal endorsement and widespread fame, the enrollment standards had been relaxed slightly.
What's more, instead of suppressing them, the Spirit Hall seemed to be leaving them alone—for now. Shrek Academy was thriving more than ever.
After breakfast, Lin Jie brought back some nourishing food for Liu Erlong. He and Zhu Zhuqing made their way back to the secluded cottage.
Now that both were famous as champions of the Continental Tournament, Lin Jie and Zhu Zhuqing were practically celebrities at Shrek. Their names had already been inscribed on the Academy's Hall of Fame, along with the other twelve participants.
The new students watched them with admiration, whispering among themselves—but no one dared approach them directly.
Returning to the cottage, Lin Jie carried the breakfast into Liu Erlong's room, with Zhu Zhuqing following behind.
Liu Erlong, having mostly recovered, had already gotten up. But when she saw Lin Jie walk in, her face flushed again.
After all, just last night, they had been sworn siblings. Even though they had always been close, she had seen their relationship as purely familial.
But now, after everything that happened—after the things she'd done—she couldn't help but feel embarrassed seeing him.
And then Zhu Zhuqing walked in.
The flush on Liu Erlong's face instantly deepened. Her expression turned awkward, and she averted her gaze, unable to meet Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.
Lin Jie noticed her unease and walked over to sit beside her. "Erlong-jie, I brought you some breakfast. It's still warm, so eat it while you can." He placed the nourishing meal on the table.
Zhu Zhuqing also sat down beside Lin Jie. She could sense something different about Liu Erlong today—though she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. It was just a gut feeling.
"Alright, thank you." Liu Erlong nodded. Truth be told, she was a bit hungry. Last night's "exercise" had been intense, and her energy reserves were a little depleted.
She began eating the breakfast slowly and delicately. As she ate, her eyes drifted between Zhu Zhuqing and Lin Jie, and a strange, complicated feeling welled up in her chest.
Then Lin Jie spoke again. "By the way, Erlong-jie, I'm planning to take Zhuqing home tomorrow. Do you want to come with us?"
Cough—!
Liu Erlong choked on her porridge, startled by his words.
What was Lin Jie thinking? Taking Zhu Zhuqing home wasn't enough—he wanted to take her too? She couldn't handle that.
She already felt awkward just seeing Zhu Zhuqing this morning. Going home with Lin Jie and Zhu Zhuqing together? She couldn't even imagine how strange that would feel.
"No, that's okay. You and Zhuqing go ahead," she said quickly. "I have some things to take care of. Give my regards to your mother and Xiao Ran."
Lin Jie's mother had met Liu Erlong twice before. His younger sister, Xiao Ran, had seen her several times.
"Alright then," Lin Jie replied.
He had originally wanted to use this moment to chat with Liu Erlong more and deepen their connection—but with Zhu Zhuqing present, he had to give up.
The next day, after saying a few parting words to Liu Erlong, Lin Jie took Zhu Zhuqing with him and headed toward his home.
As she watched Lin Jie's figure disappear into the distance, Liu Erlong's gaze flickered with confusion. But that confusion quickly cleared, replaced by a quiet light.
Lin Jie had come to see her again last night—not for what they'd done before, but to talk about feelings. And now, she realized... she had already begun to place him in her heart.
Heaven Dou City was enormous, divided into inner and outer districts. Nobles and Spirit Masters resided in the inner city, while the common folk lived in the outer city.
The deeper into the city, the more prestigious it became.
Though Lin Jie's family lived in Heaven Dou City, they didn't reside in the inner district. His mother was an ordinary civilian. While they had some assets, it wasn't enough to qualify for residency in the inner city. The divide between noble and commoner in Heaven Dou was absolute.
In fact, with Lin Jie's current strength, he was more than eligible to move into the inner city. But his mother had long been accustomed to their modest home and had no particular desire to relocate.
After all, Lin Jie had never been interested in titles or nobility. As a champion of the Continental Tournament, he had been offered the chance to be ennobled—but he refused.
Accepting would have bound him to the Heaven Dou Empire for life, and Lin Jie wasn't foolish enough to become a pawn for those nobles. Besides, he had no particular affection for the empire anyway.
Hand in hand, Lin Jie and Zhu Zhuqing walked through the bustling streets of Heaven Dou City. As they neared his home, Lin Jie noticed that Zhu Zhuqing seemed nervous.
Her palm was slightly damp with sweat.
"Zhuqing, are you nervous?" Lin Jie asked with a chuckle.
"Who's nervous? I'm just tired from walking," Zhu Zhuqing replied, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Lin Jie smiled playfully. "Really? Not nervous at all? That's good—I thought you might be."
Shrek Academy was located in the inner district of Heaven Dou City. Since the city was so massive, and Lin Jie and Zhu Zhuqing weren't walking particularly fast, it took them nearly five or six hours to finally reach Lin Jie's home in the outer city.