Chapter 126: Sound

In the bedroom, Zhu Zhuqing leaned against the headboard, her face full of disbelief.

"You clearly just..."

She wanted to say that Qin Jian was only trying to get close to her, but she felt too embarrassed to say it directly.

After all, the two of them were in a very hazy stage of interaction, and neither had taken the initiative to pierce that layer of paper.

Although they had inexplicably ended up lying on the same bed... but that was all an accident.

Seeing her expression, Qin Jian smiled and said, "If you don't want to act, you don't have to; I'm not forcing you."

"Then what should I do?" Zhu Zhuqing asked immediately.

Qin Jian shifted his position on the bed, moving slightly closer to her: "Then don't act, just follow your heart."

Zhu Zhuqing was a bit dazed: "Follow my heart?"

"Yes, follow your heart."

Qin Jian nodded with a serious expression.

Zhu Zhuqing: "......"

Nothing worth describing or indescribable happened that night; after all, their relationship was still in a hazy, ambiguous state, and crossing the line too much would only be counterproductive.

Qin Jian could still grasp this sense of propriety quite accurately.

So, early the next morning, the two walked out of the hotel together, and after finding out the location of Shrek Academy, they headed over.

As it turned out, it was indeed the poorest academy; the two didn't find that small village until evening, and the day's enrollment had long since ended.

"Qin Jian, what should we do tonight? Do we still need to go back to Soto City to stay for the night?" Zhu Zhuqing asked coldly.

Qin Jian scratched his head a little: "If we go back now, it will probably be the middle of the night; let's just find a household in the village to make do for the night."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded and said: "That's fine."

Having finally found a household with a spare room, it was naturally impossible for the two to be coy and say they wanted two separate rooms.

After all, the village was very small, and there probably wasn't any household that could provide two spare rooms.

In the room, watching Zhu Zhuqing carefully tidying up the bedding, Qin Jian asked with some curiosity: "After all, you come from a wealthy and powerful family; won't you mind that the conditions here are so simple?"

While smoothing out the bedding, Zhu Zhuqing said nonchalantly: "Of course not. I've rarely had a good night's sleep since I was little. Being able to have a safe place to sleep is already very good; I wouldn't be picky."

"Forests, wilderness, and even areas where Soul Beasts roam..."

Zhu Zhuqing looked back at Qin Jian and said: "I've slept in all those places; compared to those, this is already much better than I know."

"Is that why you didn't avoid sleeping in the same bed as me last night?" Qin Jian's voice was very soft.

Zhu Zhuqing nodded and said softly: "During this time with you, every night I've slept by your side has been the best sleep I've had in years... I feel very safe."

This was the second time she had said "I feel very safe," but it was the first time Qin Jian understood how precious those four words were to the girl before him.

"Then sleep peacefully..."

Qin Jian lay down on the narrow bed with her.

This bed was undoubtedly much smaller than yesterday's, but the way Zhu Zhuqing closed her eyes was very content, just like a sleeping little kitten...

Qin Jian turned on his side to look at her, his expression soft.

But this night could not be spent well; soon, Qin Jian and Zhu Zhuqing were woken up by the moaning sounds from next door...

"What... sound..."

Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes a crack, bleary with sleep, her brows tightly furrowed; she was clearly in a terrible mood from being disturbed.

"Ugh..."

Her face flushed red in an instant.

Originally, sleeping together was very warm and safe, but with this accompaniment, the atmosphere became extremely ambiguous.

Added to the fact that Zhu Zhuqing's figure was already perfect, and she was lying right beside him under the same quilt, with her cool, faint scent drifting into his nostrils, Qin Jian's breathing became heavy.

"Qin... Qin Jian..."

The two were very close, and Zhu Zhuqing could naturally sense Qin Jian's change, but she didn't know how much of an impact this panicked call had on Qin Jian at that moment.

Qin Jian only felt a surge of heat rush into his mind, and even his breathing seemed to carry heat.

"Zhu... qing..."

His voice trembled slightly, and his upper body slowly leaned in.

Zhu Zhuqing's face burned bright red; she didn't know if she should resist, nor did she know how to resist.

But she also knew that she couldn't really have anything happen with Qin Jian right now; it was just... just... too fast...

But just then, a pair of warm hands suddenly covered her ears, blocking out those annoying, thought-provoking sounds.

Zhu Zhuqing raised her eyes and saw Qin Jian looking at her gently, saying: "It's okay, sleep well, my... little kitten..."

Zhu Zhuqing stared at him blankly, the flush on her face fading away before she knew it, but a growing moisture was gathering in her eyes.

She suddenly raised her own hands as well, gently covering Qin Jian's ears.

"Let's... sleep together..."

She closed her eyes, not wanting Qin Jian to see the tears she couldn't suppress in her eyes.

Tears flowed down the corners of her eyes, slowly falling onto the pillow, soaking in, and disappearing...

Waking up in the morning, Qin Jian discovered that his soul power had increased to level 34.

"It increased by another level... for others, soul power increases slower the further they go, but for me, it seems to be getting faster and faster..."

There was no joy on Qin Jian's face.

Because he didn't want to do those things just to increase his soul power level; that would make him feel disgusted with himself...

"Your soul power increased again?"

Zhu Zhuqing walked out of the room, looking like she had slept quite well, her face bright and cheerful.

Qin Jian nodded.

"This is my first time seeing a Soul Elder as young as you, and such a fast rate of improvement is unheard of; why do you look like you aren't very happy?" Zhu Zhuqing asked curiously.

Qin Jian scratched his head in some embarrassment: "You can just consider me pretentious..."

It really was quite pretentious...

Knowing clearly that what he did last night came from his heart and wasn't for the sake of his soul power level, yet his first reaction upon discovering his level had increased early this morning was to feel a bit put off...

He shook his head with a self-deprecating smile and said: "Zhuqing, Shrek Academy should be starting enrollment now, let's head over together."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded, then walked gracefully beside him with a cat-like gait.

Thinking of what happened last night now, she still felt a sense of palpitation in her heart.

Qin Jian's restraint, Qin Jian's gentleness, Qin Jian's thoughtfulness...

Every one of his actions and every one of his expressions replayed continuously in her mind, causing Zhu Zhuqing to involuntarily curl her red lips in secret.

Just like a... little kitten secretly feeling pleased with itself...

Qin Jian helplessly glanced at Zhu Zhuqing beside him.

What on earth is this little kitten thinking about...

Why is her soul power starting to fluctuate again, looking like it might break through at any moment...

(End of this chapter)