Ye Lingling lightly patted Fang Ling and said cheerfully, "Come on, let's go say hi."
She was far more outgoing than before.
Although she had been spending time at the Great Spirit Arena with Fang Ling these past few months, the improvement in her personality had also helped her get along better with her teammates.
Being fellow girls, her relationship with Dugu Yan had naturally become the closest.
Now that she saw her, of course she wanted to greet her.
Fang Ling's relationship with Dugu Yan was also decent, they could exchange a few words now and then.
Well... not that decent.
They were more familiar now, but it wasn't much different from his relationship with Yu Tianheng.
Still, this was a good opportunity to leave another impression, so that when the time came and she came looking for him…
The two of them quickened their pace and walked over to her.
"Yan-zi, why are you alone?"
"Yan-yan-jie." The team members generally got along well, even if Fang Ling and Oslo had some rivalry.
Everyone else called Dugu Yan "Yan-zi," but since Fang Ling was younger, he was required to address her as "jie" (big sister).
"Not competing in the spirit battles today?"
"Hehe, already finished. Look at this!" Ye Lingling smiled smugly, her face under the black veil as bright and radiant as a blossom in spring.
With a graceful turn of her wrist, a silver-and-white metal badge slid from her soul tool into her palm.
The surface was engraved with intricate and delicate patterns, gleaming under the sunlight.
"A Silver Spirit Arena Badge..."
"Huh?"
Dugu Yan had expected something else and was genuinely surprised.
She took it, flipping it over in her hand and examining it carefully.
She had played with Fang Ling's badge before, this one was real.
Her emerald-green eyes shifted between the badge and Ye Lingling's graceful figure, full of amazement.
"Well? Pretty impressive, right?"
Ye Lingling smiled in satisfaction, feeling as sweet as if she had eaten honey.
This was exactly the effect she had wanted.
The shock value of holding a Silver Spirit Arena Badge.
It felt amazing to show off in front of others.
"Silver Spirit Arena Badge..." Dugu Yan rubbed the exquisite design on the badge before tossing it back to Ye Lingling.
"What's it got to do with you? Fang Ling's the strong one."
"Right, little junior brother?" Dugu Yan turned her head toward Fang Ling, only to find him slightly frowning while staring at her.
But when she looked again, his expression had returned to normal.
"Haha, Ling-jie is strong too. In our duo, she's indispensable."
That look again?
Dugu Yan wasn't focused on what he said. The faint impression she had buried in her mind resurfaced once more.
She felt like she wasn't mistaken.
Even if the kid put on a good act and looked completely normal now, there was definitely something wrong.
The way he looked at her wasn't normal. His expression wasn't normal.
It wasn't like Yu Tianheng's obviously purposeful affection, it was stranger than that, in an indescribable way.
Dugu Yan let out a soft chuckle, her flirtatious voice carrying a trace of mystery. "Maybe."
"What do you mean 'maybe'? I _am_ a Silver Duelist now!" Ye Lingling was clearly displeased by Dugu Yan's vague response.
Dugu Yan gently pulled her hand and gave Fang Ling a playful glance, her voice soft and sweet:
"Little junior brother, why were you looking at me like that? Do you like big sister?"
"He says he already has someone he likes," Ye Lingling chimed in to explain, not knowing what had happened.
"Ah, no, no. I was just lost in thought," Fang Ling hurriedly denied.
As long as he piqued her curiosity, it would be easier later. A denial like this would only heighten that curiosity further.
Then when she came to ask again someday, her instincts would kick in.
"What were you thinking about that had you so absorbed?"
"Haha, nothing much." Fang Ling scratched his head and laughed it off.
"Really?" Dugu Yan pressed further.
"Really," Fang Ling started to answer, but Ye Lingling jumped in again, "He says he has a crush, but it's one-sided. He's also slick with words and not exactly honest."
"I am honest, dedicated to cultivation and training hard in combat. Beauties are like clouds passing by."
His topic was derailed by Ye Lingling again, and Fang Ling found himself in another back-and-forth with her.
"Hmph~ No one said you don't train hard, but do _you_ believe that last part?" Ye Lingling locked eyes with him.
Seeing that the two of them were about to start bickering again, Dugu Yan smiled gently, like a breeze passing by:
"Are you two in a relationship now?"
"No, no!" Ye Lingling's ears turned slightly red as she denied it again and again.
"She's drooling over my good looks, but I turned her down," Fang Ling replied confidently, flipping his head.
Unfortunately, he kept his hair short to avoid any weak points during combat, so there was no flowing hair to enhance his flair.
"You're the one drooling over _my_ good looks!"
Ye Lingling couldn't hold back and tugged at his face.
"Help! Crazy woman's trying to kill me! See you later, Yan-yan-jie!"
Fang Ling shouted his goodbye as he ran off ahead. Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan also called out a farewell and hurried after him.
"Don't run! Get back here!"
"Hehe, such childish kids." Dugu Yan chuckled with a hint of envy and lost the mood for shopping.
She decided to go home and talk to her grandfather.
Fang Ling's gaze had made her uneasy.
At the Dugu Estate, a tall, thin, javelin-like man with green hair and beard and a powerful presence looked puzzled.
"You've only been out a short while, Yan-yan. Why are you back so soon?"
"Didn't bring enough money? They won't let you buy on credit? I'd like to see which shop dares disrespect me!"
Dugu Bo's eyes glinted with fury as he suddenly stood up.
Dugu Yan quickly stopped him. "Grandpa, that's not it."
Standing gracefully, she hurriedly said, "Grandpa, I ran into that Fang Ling again today, the one I mentioned before."
"The crippled kid who went from Level 23 to 26 in three months?"
Dugu Bo remembered immediately.
After all, one level per month was abnormally fast.
"What about him?"
Dugu Yan hesitated for a moment before saying:
"I don't know exactly, but I feel like there's something off about the way he looks at me. It's not affection, but something I can't quite describe."
"An illusion?" Dugu Bo's green-glowing eyes lit up, instantly intrigued.
Dugu Yan shook her head. "I don't think so. This isn't the first time. At least three times that I've noticed, once right when he first joined the team."
"Then why didn't you say something earlier?" Dugu Bo scolded lightly.
With a leveling speed like that, Fang Ling might be a fallen spirit master.
What if something happened to his precious granddaughter?
The school board at Heaven Dou Royal Academy was full of idiots!
"I'm going to eliminate that brat right now."
Just the thought of a fallen spirit master being near his granddaughter made Dugu Bo uncomfortable.
Dugu Yan's heart jumped, and she quickly grabbed his arm to stop him. "Grandpa, don't!"
"I just confirmed it today. I even tried asking him directly, but he didn't answer."
"But the joy he shares with Lingling can't be faked, and the energy he gives off, it all seems genuine. Please don't rush to kill him."
"That would also be hard to explain to the academy."
Seeing Dugu Bo slowly calm down, she breathed a sigh of relief and immediately made her request:
"Grandpa, just test him yourself. Even if he's hiding it really well, a fallen spirit master can't possibly fool someone like you."
"That works." Dugu Bo relented for his granddaughter's sake and gave up the idea of killing Fang Ling immediately.
"I'll go tonight then."
"Okay, thank you, Grandpa."
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