After returning to Spirit City, Bibi Dong and Li Chang'an went their separate ways. Regardless of their personal relationship, they couldn't afford to appear too close within Spirit City—not at this stage, anyway.
Moreover, Bibi Dong had been away for quite some time, and naturally had a mountain of affairs waiting for her. So, after giving Li Chang'an a few instructions, she hurried back to the Pope's Palace.
Li Chang'an, seeing that it was still early, headed straight to the Spirit Hall Academy. After all, fairness matters—he was starting to miss his fox and the shy girl.
Although he hadn't yet reached the official graduation age, both his soul power and knowledge far exceeded the required standard. The only reason he hadn't graduated was because the academy wanted him to participate in the Elite Continental Soul Master Academy Tournament.
When he arrived at the academy, it was just in time for lunch. After some thought, he made his way to the cafeteria and found Mu Xi in a quiet corner, just returning with her meal.
Mu Xi, as always, wore a simple outfit and modest shoes, with her hair tied in a ponytail. She kept her head slightly lowered, as was her habit.
As soon as she saw that it was Li Chang'an, her peach blossom eyes softened, and she said gently, "You're done with everything? I'll go get your food."
Seeing her like this, Li Chang'an couldn't help but pinch her cheeks and said with a smile, "Silly girl."
Mu Xi knew there was no escape from Li Chang'an's mischievous fingers, but still tried to dodge instinctively. Once he was done, she gave him a soft, slightly resentful glance with those peach blossom eyes before obediently going to get his meal.
Li Chang'an was used to this dynamic with Mu Xi, so he sat down leisurely and waited for her to return with his food.
With a girl like Mu Xi, refusing all her help would actually be the greatest disrespect. When it came to the small things, Li Chang'an thoroughly enjoyed the care she gave him. But when it came to more important matters, he took care of her in every way he could.
From the cultivation resources Mu Xi now had access to, to her accommodation, to her storage-type soul tool, and even her safety—Li Chang'an had personally made arrangements for everything.
Mu Xi knew exactly what Li Chang'an liked to eat. After bringing over the food, she even adjusted the utensils and the position of the plate just right for him.
"Hehe, thanks, cutie." Li Chang'an grinned and gave her cheek another playful pinch. Mu Xi could only let him, then returned to her seat.
But instead of starting her meal, she carefully picked out a few pieces of braised pork—lean cuts, just the way he liked—and placed them into his plate.
"You… you like lean meat, so eat more. You've been gone so long, you probably didn't eat properly…" she said softly, mustering her courage to look at him.
"Alright. Oh, by the way, I might be going away again in a month. It could be for a while." Li Chang'an picked up a piece of pork she had given him and casually dropped the news.
Xiao Wu would be turning twelve soon, and Li Chang'an had promised to accompany her to enroll in a spirit master academy. Besides Zhu Zhuqing, he also wanted to meet Tang San and the others—those so-called "children of destiny."
Although he had already made many preparations, there were still plenty of unknowns. He had no plans to kill anyone this time; he just wanted to see how much he could alter the course of Tang San's growth.
And of course, there was another important reason for going to Shrek Academy—he had a score to settle on behalf of his teacher. Yu Xiaogang? He was going to make sure that man was finished.
Mu Xi froze as her chopsticks tapped against her tray. Her eyes glistened with moisture as she asked in a trembling voice, "Did I… do something wrong?"
Although Li Chang'an often left the academy, it had never been for long. Hearing he might be away for an extended period, her first reaction was fear—and to blame herself. She was the kind of girl who never asked questions, and always assumed the fault was hers.
So silly…
Li Chang'an gently took her small hand, feeling its soft warmth. "Silly girl, you've never done anything wrong. I really do have something important this time."
As he spoke, he reached up to wipe away the tears welling in her peach blossom eyes, finally managing to calm her down.
"Then… you have to be careful. Promise me you'll take care of yourself," Mu Xi said, looking at him with reluctant eyes.
That look made Li Chang'an feel a little guilty. After all, he was going away to accompany another girl. Yet here Mu Xi was, not asking anything, only urging him to be safe.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine. You really are my white moonlight…" he murmured, unable to resist stroking her delicate skin once again, savoring the sensation beneath his fingertips.
Mu Xi's skin was the softest he'd ever touched—bar none. Her hands especially were like silk.
---
After finishing lunch with Mu Xi, Li Chang'an made his way back to class. It was a good excuse to spend some time with his fox—Hu Liena. He also needed to let her know about his upcoming departure. That wasn't going to be as easy to get past.
All the afternoon classes were practical combat sessions, so finding a quiet moment alone with Hu Liena wouldn't be hard. After listening to the teacher's instructions, Li Chang'an slipped away to a peaceful corner, waiting for her to return.
He no longer participated in the combat drills—his soul power and task completion rate had long proven he didn't need them. Of course, if a Titled Douluo or a top-tier Spirit Douluo ever came to teach, he'd happily attend. There was still much he could learn from elite battle experience.
Sure enough, Hu Liena came bounding over after her training session, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead but a smile on her lips.
With a waft of her familiar fragrance, she sat down beside Li Chang'an, casually fixing her hair. Stretching her slender frame, she gave him a seductive look and said:
"So, you still remember to come back, huh? Finished your business?"
That tone—why did it sound like a wife complaining about a husband coming home late?
Even with his strong willpower, Li Chang'an couldn't help but waver under her charm. Stealing a glance at her alluring figure, he responded seriously:
"Yeah, I'm done. So, I came back right away—to see someone special."
As expected, Hu Liena was pleased by the words, but still rolled her eyes and said, "Hmph, who wants to see you anyway? Are you heading out again soon?"
Ever since Li Chang'an had advanced to four soul rings, he rarely attended regular classes. Hu Liena still missed those days when they used to attend together.
"No, I'll be staying put for a while—focusing on classes. Senior Sister, let me treat you to dinner tonight."
In the end, Li Chang'an chose not to mention that he was leaving again. Bringing it up now would definitely upset her. Timing matters, after all.
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