Tang San always felt that Xiao Wu seemed inexplicably strange today.
Her concern for Fu Qin seemed to somewhat exceed the boundaries of 'a sister for a younger brother.'
What made his heart feel even more stifled was her attitude when she refused to share a room.
It was like an invisible wall, completely shutting him out.
"Am I really overthinking it?" Tang San raised a hand to rub his brow, trying to suppress that inexplicable irritation.
Xiao Wu had always doted on Fu Qin like a biological younger brother; showing more concern was only natural.
As for refusing to share a room... perhaps since she had returned through rebirth, she hadn't adapted to this body yet, nor had she adapted to being close to him again.
He tried to comfort himself this way, yet his heart remained deeply uneasy.
Before long...
In the end, he forcibly suppressed his thoughts and shifted his attention to the Dragon Beard Needle in his palm.
Memories of his past life were as clear as yesterday. This seemingly slender hidden weapon was his winning trump card during the Continental Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. Only by mastering it as soon as possible could he firmly establish himself in the early stages.
His fingertips rubbed the cold, hard texture of the Dragon Beard Needle as the inner power of the Mysterious Heaven Skill quietly circulated, attempting to reclaim the rapport from his previous life.
He was completely unaware that the atmosphere in Room 301 next door was starkly different from the solemnity on his side.
Xiao Wu stood before the full-length mirror, her fingertips gently smoothing the wrinkles on her skirt. The girl in the mirror had flushed cheeks, like a layer of peach blossom color spreading out, yet her eyes were filled with an unmistakable anticipation that shone brilliantly.
She took out a bottle of glazed-colored perfume from her storage spirit tool. With a light press of her finger, a crisp floral scent enveloped her, carrying a hint of seductive sweetness.
At dusk.
The conflict between Tang San and Dai Mubai at the Rose Hotel erupted as expected.
Tang San and Dai Mubai were like a copy-paste of the original story.
They started fighting after a single disagreement.
Unlike the raw greenness of his debut in the original story, the current Tang San had lived through three lives; his state of mind and strength were no longer what they used to be.
He skillfully evaded Dai Mubai's heavy attacks, his Blue Silver Grass Binding like a Spirit snake.
"Good lad! You actually managed to break my White Tiger Light Wave!" Dai Mubai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Instead of being angry, he grinned widely, his eyes full of admiration.
"So young yet your spirit power isn't weak, and your Spirit is so bizarre. Are you also here for Shrek Academy?"
Tang San nodded, the warm sensation of the Mysterious Heaven Skill's circulation still lingering on his fingertips.
"Indeed." He deliberately restrained the mental energy impact of the Purple Demon Eye. His victory just now was certainly supported by strength, but it relied more on the memories of his past life.
If they had clashed head-on, the outcome would still be uncertain.
Dai Mubai raised an eyebrow and reached out to pat Tang San's shoulder, the force so heavy it made Tang San stagger slightly.
"Come here alone? Come, big brother will take you to see the world." A hint of playfulness flashed in his eyes, his tone carrying a bit of temptation.
"The brothels in the south of our city are top-tier. The soft waists of those little ladies can hook a man's very soul away."
"brothels?" Tang San's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
Xiao Wu's cute face instantly surfaced in his mind, along with the phrase she always kept on her lips, "Third Brother can only be good to me." Her soft, sweet tone seemed to still linger by his ear.
But since their reunion after rebirth, although Xiao Wu was still clingy, she always skillfully avoided him whenever he wanted to get close. The girl's body carried a sort of aloof greenness, leaving the heat and grievances he had accumulated with nowhere to be vented.
The unforgettable bond of husband and wife from his past life versus the vague, distant distance of this life was like a fine thorn pricking his heart, causing a dull ache.
"What? Don't tell me you're afraid to go?" Dai Mubai's teasing voice pulled him back to reality.
A flash of decisiveness crossed Tang San's eyes. The fierce inner power of the Mysterious Heaven Skill surged within him, overriding the hesitation in his heart. "Why wouldn't I dare?"
Dai Mubai laughed loudly, threw an arm around his shoulder, and swaggered toward the south of the city, their conspicuous backs causing passersby to look askance.
This scene happened to fall behind the small window of Fu Qin's room.
Xiao Wu stood beside Fu Qin, her fingertips tightly clutching the hem of her clothes until her knuckles turned white. However, there wasn't a hint of sadness in her eyes; instead, a flash of cold amusement passed through them.
She had thought that after rebirth, Tang San would cherish this hard-won opportunity and be wholeheartedly good to her. She hadn't expected to see such an eyesore of a scene after only half a day.
Once, she too had naively believed that Tang San would always be good to her.
But what was the result? How ironic. After Tang San became the God King, he had more than once selected stunningly beautiful women from the continent to be consecrated as divine officials under his command.
Divine officials under his command... Heh.
Xiao Wu sneered in her heart; they were nothing more than canaries kept beneath his crotch.
"Tang San..."
She had already guessed that the reborn Tang San might not necessarily be honest, but she hadn't expected him to actually dare to go off seeking pleasure with others right in front of her.
She slowly turned around and looked at Fu Qin behind her.
The youth was leaning on the sofa flipping through an ancient text. The setting sun fell on his profile, outlining a soft silhouette and making him look exceptionally focused.
Although she was dissatisfied with Tang San's actions, she also knew clearly that she no longer had the right to criticize him.
During those tens of thousands of years in the God Realm, she had had enough of enduring, enough of deceiving herself.
After being reborn, she would never again foolishly hope for Tang San to be single-minded.
"Fu Qin, tell me, is the book in your hand better looking, or is Sister Xiao Wu better looking?"
A flash of surprise crossed Fu Qin's eyes, which was immediately replaced by the ignorance and nervousness unique to an adolescent youth.
He lightly gripped the book in his hand, his gaze somewhat evasive, his voice carrying a hint of shyness.
"Sister Xiao Wu, didn't you say there was no hot water in your room? I still have some here, why don't you..."
...
At seven o'clock the next morning, Tang San sneakily crept back to his room.
His clothes were disheveled, his hair was as messy as a haystack, his face still carried the lingering scent of alcohol, and he was panting like an ox.
His eyes were bloodshot with heavy dark circles, and he walked unsteadily with floating steps, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.
Last night in the brothel, those ladies took turns toasting him. With soft jade and warm fragrance in his arms and warbling voices in his ears, he didn't manage to break free until the latter half of the night, relying on a shred of sobriety.
But as soon as he circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, he found his inner power sluggish and obstructed—clearly a sequela of the excessive 'exercise' last night.
"Damn it." Tang San leaned against the doorframe, cursing under his breath, his heart full of regret for his lack of self-control.
...
At dawn.
Xiao Wu wrapped herself up tightly and returned to her room with a flushed face.
As soon as she returned to her room, she could no longer hold herself up and collapsed onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep.