"Bah, baah…!"
"Ah—stop it! It's too spicy!"
Zhu Zhuqing wiped away the tears welling at the corners of her eyes. This bastard actually stuffed that unnaturally spicy beef jerky into her mouth!
"You all lost!" Lu Yuan smirked triumphantly. "This time, I'm the champion of the Spicy Challenge!"
"Wh-what…"
Xue Ke gasped, her pink tongue flickering slightly as her two delicate hands fanned frantically in front of her face. Her eyes were glazed with tears. It was brutal!
"It's too spicy!"
"Lu Yuan, where have you been these past few years?" Xue Ke asked between sniffles, still flushed from the spice.
Because of their bet, the loser had to answer a question honestly.
"Me?" Lu Yuan coughed twice. "I stayed in the Star Dou Great Forest for a few years."
His taste buds were still in revolt. Damn this girl! Who would've thought that this delicate, adorable princess could handle something that burned worse than fire itself?
"That must've been so hard, right?" Xue Ke said gently, her big eyes softening as she leaned closer. Her fingers brushed his shoulder, and her warm cheek pressed lightly against his arm.
"It wasn't hard." Lu Yuan smiled faintly. "The Star Dou Great Forest is actually quite nice. I'll take you there someday."
He gulped down two glasses of water in quick succession. He had come to Tiandou Palace just to have a relaxed afternoon drink with the princess—how did it turn into this fiery torture session?
This girl's sense of fun was deadly.
"You drank so much, can you even walk after this?" Xue Ke teased with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
She didn't get to finish her sentence—Lu Yuan swept her up effortlessly into his arms.
"Did you just say I can't leave?" he asked with a wicked grin. "Last time, you tricked me. You think I'll let it slide again?"
"No way!"
He turned toward Zhu Zhuqing, who had been awkwardly standing to the side the whole time.
"Little cat, what are you staring at? Don't think this has nothing to do with you!"
Zhu Zhuqing blinked, exhaling softly. "…Why does it feel like I'm getting dragged into this again?"
Deep Within the Star Dou Great Forest
In the tranquil core of the forest, beside the Lake of Life, Xiao Wu sat silently, gazing at the water's glowing ripples.
"Sister Xiao Wu, are you missing someone again?" Er Ming's enormous figure loomed beside her. His innocent eyes were full of concern.
"How could I miss that bastard?" Xiao Wu snapped back, shaking her head.
"But you've been gloomy ever since he left. I think your spirit's almost fading!"
"Don't talk nonsense!" she huffed. "I was just… thinking about Lu Xiaoyu. I wonder how that little guy's doing now."
Her voice grew faint and wistful.
Since she'd left Tiandou City, she'd thought she could stay apart from the world of spirit masters forever. But lately…
She sighed softly.
"…Yeah," Er Ming mumbled, sprawling across the ground. "I miss Xiao Yu too. Without that little guy, even honey doesn't taste sweet anymore."
As he spoke, Xiao Wu reached into her robes, intending to take out the delicate flower Lu Yuan once gave her.
But—
"Hiss!"
She winced as a thorn pricked her fingertip. A single droplet of blood rolled down, landing on the flower's red-and-white petals.
Before she could react, the flower trembled, glowing faintly. Its stem detached itself from the rock where it had rooted and drifted gently into Xiao Wu's palm.
Her heart squeezed tight.
"Ah…"
Tears slipped from her eyes.
"Sister Xiao Wu! What happened?" Er Ming jumped up in alarm, scanning the surroundings. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
Before he could even calm down, a deep roar echoed from the lake. A gigantic tail lashed out of the water, slamming into Er Ming's back with a heavy thud that nearly toppled him over.
"Er Ming! What did you do to make Sister Xiao Wu cry again?"
Daming's thunderous voice rumbled as he surfaced from the lake.
"I didn't do anything!" Er Ming protested, rubbing his sore back. "She just started crying all of a sudden!"
"Idiot! You must've said something stupid again!" Daming growled.
Xiao Wu shook her head quickly. "Da Ming, don't. It's not Er Ming's fault…"
She carefully cradled the flower in her hand. Her tears glistened on its petals.
"Look," she whispered.
Daming leaned closer. "Isn't that the flower Lu Yuan gave you before?"
"Do you notice anything different about me now?"
Xiao Wu twirled lightly in place, her long hair flowing like silk. Daming's eyes widened in shock.
"Your… your spirit beast aura—it's gone!"
A hundred-thousand-year spirit beast could transform into human form, yes—but even after transformation, their beast aura still lingered. To hide that aura entirely required reaching full maturity… and even then, it was almost impossible.
Yet Xiao Wu hadn't even reached full maturity, and her spiritual aura had completely vanished. It defied common sense!
"Yes," she nodded. "The flower somehow concealed it. Lu Yuan once told me—it would protect me, and one day, guide me to him…"
Her voice trembled slightly. As she remembered his teasing tone, her eyes softened again.
"Sister Xiao Wu," Daming asked gently, "you like Lu Yuan, don't you?"
Xiao Wu fell silent for a long moment, then nodded, her cheeks faintly red.
"I guess I do," she admitted in a whisper. "After he left, I tried to forget him. But when this flower fell into my hand today… I knew."
For five years, that feeling had quietly grown inside her.
Er Ming tilted his large head. "So… are you going to find him?"
Daming and Er Ming had already talked about this before—both had suspected this day would come.
"I… don't know yet," Xiao Wu murmured.
Daming smiled knowingly. "Sister Xiao Wu, don't be afraid to go. Sometimes, when you start walking down a road, it means fate is already calling you."
"Yeah—" Er Ming began, before Daming's tail smacked him straight into the lake again.
"Go if you want to, Xiao Wu," Daming said warmly. "And when you see that brat Lu Yuan, tell him he'd better come visit the Star Dou Great Forest again!"
Xiao Wu gazed at the full moon's silver reflection in the lake. Her heart fluttered softly.
Under her breath, she murmured, "Lu Yuan… what are you doing right now?"
Tiandou Palace
"Huuh huuh huuh~"
Boom boom!
Someone pounded on the door outside.
"Princess Xue Ke!" a male voice called. "Your Highness?"
Inside the room, Xue Ke jerked upright. "Wh—what's going on?"
"Your Highness, we heard some… noises from inside and came to check." The guard's voice was full of polite concern.
"I'm fine! Everything's fine, you may leave!"
"Are you sure? Your voice doesn't sound quite right…"
"I—I just ate beef jerky!" she stammered.
Outside, the guards exchanged puzzled glances.
"…"
The sound of muffled laughter escaped through the heavy door as the palace hall returned to silence.
--
Loving the story? Read 200+ extra chapters on my Patreon — link's in the description! 🚀
Loved this fic? 🔥 Then you'll absolutely binge my other hits — "Douluo Dalu: Ten Thousand Years Early System!" & "Douluo Dalu: My Harem System is Bugged!" — don't miss out!