"Okay, this place is far enough. Are you taking me to your house now?"
Once Su Ruyue dragged him away from the crowd to a quiet spot far from the Affairs Hall, Zhiran suddenly stopped in his tracks.
To be honest, seeing her anxious for him couldn't help but make him smile unconsciously. But he couldn't just let her drag him out of the sect after all.
He had already taken care of the issue and wanted to go extract some brains with his system.
"Hmm? What do you mean? We're still inside the Outer Sect. If you don't leave, the guards will take you down for violating sect rules."
But Su Ruyue didn't know that and thought Zhiran was being unreasonable.
"Why did you have to fight anyway? Not to mention using talismans to blow up your cottage."
"Why are you so careless?"
She couldn't help but complain in a sweet voice laced with blame and even more concern, her eyebrows fluttering in clear anxiousness.
Of the three people who joined the Divine Cauldron Sect from their Mo Clan, Zhiran's talent was the worst.
After one year of training, he was still only at the third stage of Qi Condensation, while she was already in the middle stage, and Tianyu had even entered the late stage.
And one thing she knew, even in her innocence, was that in this sect, poor talent had no say in anything.
If you lacked power, talent, and background, then it was your fault for getting bullied.
And if such a person did something against the rules, even if it wasn't their fault, they could still be held accountable.
Ruyue had already seen such scenes countless times in this sect. That was why she was so anxious now.
"Forget it. What's done is done, and you can't change it. Hide for a while this time, and I'll ask Tianyu to help clear up the trouble. Then you can come back."
"Let's go."
Su Ruyue said this, offering what seemed like the most reasonable solution.
She thought only Tianyu, a budding genius, could help Zhiran out of this situation.
"Wait… there's no need to go anywhere."
But just as Su Ruyue was about to drag him again, Zhiran suddenly pulled her instead, making her stumble slightly.
"Ouch!"
In her hurry, she couldn't keep her balance and was pulled directly into Zhiran's arms, both hands landing on his shoulders.
"W-What… what are you doing?"
The situation suddenly turned unbearably awkward as she felt her chest pressing firmly against his. With her hands on his shoulders, she looked as if she were hugging him.
In an instant, her face flushed completely red with shame, and she stammered unconsciously.
"There's no need to say anything to Tianyu. I'm in this situation only because of him."
But Zhiran didn't seem to care about her gaffe, nor was he bothered by how close she was.
Instead, his face turned cold the moment Ruyue mentioned asking Tianyu for help.
After all, this was exactly what had always happened in his previous life.
First, Tianyu would provoke someone, and he would be the one to bear the wrath because of their ties.
In the end, Tianyu would swoop in to help at Ruyue's request, acting as if he were doing him a favor.
Hadn't he been sick to the core of such schemes, left alone and unwilling to play the role of a pawn in his previous life?
Why would he allow it to happen again now that he was reborn?
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
Sure enough, Ruyue was stunned when she heard him and even forgot to struggle out of his embrace for a moment.
Zhiran could already see the thick doubt on her face, as if she thought he was just trying to shift the blame.
Zhiran had to admit that the cute, round face with wide, suspicious eyes looking quietly at him, paired with her short figure draped over him and those massive bosoms pressing against his chest, really did make her look beautiful.
'No wonder I had a crush on her before.'
Zhiran thought with a smile, then suddenly flicked Ruyue's glabella.
At the same time, the hand holding hers conveniently slipped to her waist, lightly supporting her as though preventing her from falling.
"Ouch!"
He was so smooth that Ruyue didn't even realize she had ended up in his arms, too busy rubbing the spot on her forehead where he had flicked her.
"Sigh… Silly girl, why do you think Wu Kang and his people came into my residence? I didn't even know them before; why would they try to harm a weakling like me out of nowhere?"
He spoke without giving her a chance to complain. Still, he couldn't help but notice how small and smooth her waist felt under his palm.
'Maybe this is what they call a willow waist?'
The thought crossed his mind as he tightened his grip slightly, before continuing his explanation to the already pouting Ruyue.
"That guy Tianyu tried to play the hero, saving a damsel in distress, and in doing so, he offended Wu Kang."
"Since Wu Kang can't touch him, he came after me for revenge."
"Do you think I should just let him do as he pleases? Tell me, who do you think is responsible now?"
Zhiran asked as Su Ruyue finally stopped rubbing her forehead, her big eyes lifting to him, faint anger already bubbling within.
"Who told you to hold me like this?"