Chapter 272: Kiss | Sincerity

"Let me settle the bill; it was agreed that I would treat this meal," Yu Tianheng said quickly with a smile.

"Then I'll leave it to you!" Dugu Yan said with a grin.

Then she pulled Ning Feiliu out of the restaurant.

Yu Tianheng, however, looked at Ye Lingling first, but Ye Lingling was staring the whole time in the direction where Dugu Yan and Ning Feiliu had left.

"Lingling, let's head back to the academy together later," he said, his eyes flickering, but he still spoke to Ye Lingling with a smile.

Ye Lingling seemed to wake up with a start, but she refused Yu Tianheng, saying distractedly, "No... I'm going home later."

"Is that so..." Yu Tianheng wore a forced smile.

On the other side, Ning Feiliu and Dugu Yan, having left the restaurant, continued to hold hands as they had been, walking slowly toward the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Both of them appeared quite natural, as if they had been lovers for a long time.

They had already tacitly accepted this relationship; after all, since it was something everyone knew, there was no need for them to make it so complicated.

"Hmph, can you tell me now where you've been all this time?" Dugu Yan looked at Ning Feiliu and asked, "And why has your hair turned white? It's even whiter than an old grandfather's hair."

"Ahem." Ning Feiliu coughed, then saw that there was no one around where they had arrived.

So he whispered in his heart, saying, "Xue Di."

Then, from within Ning Feiliu's body, a white light filled with chill flowed out.

It transformed into a stunningly beautiful young girl with long white hair, appearing before Dugu Yan's eyes.

"This is..." Dugu Yan looked at the Xue Di before her with great curiosity and confusion.

If Xue Di hadn't appeared before her in this manner, she would likely have directly misunderstood, thinking that Ning Feiliu and Xue Di had an unusual relationship.

After all, Xue Di was truly too beautiful; Dugu Yan even felt a sense of inferiority in front of her.

"Xue Di, my Soul Spirit." Ning Feiliu smiled and explained again the relationship between Soul Beasts and Soul Spirits, as well as the fact that he had absorbed Xue Di's Soul Ring and soul bone.

He then attributed the change in his hair color to Xue Di, "... so my hair color turned snow-white because I absorbed Xue Di's power."

Xue Di glanced at him at this moment.

Ning Feiliu felt helpless and gave a slight signal with his eyes.

Fortunately, Xue Di had a cold personality and didn't offer any further explanation, tacitly accepting it.

Finally, Dugu Yan believed Ning Feiliu's explanation, and she immediately said with a smile, "But Feiliu, this white hair of yours is actually quite good-looking."

In Ning Feiliu's past life, many people were fans of white hair; after all, pure white would highlight the refinement of someone with delicate features even more.

Just like pink, it was a color exclusive to good-looking people.

If one's looks were slightly lacking, it would be a disastrous combination.

But clearly, Ning Feiliu's looks could fully support such a noble and cold hair color as white.

"So there's no need to worry too much; I'm really fine," Ning Feiliu said with a smile.

"Then where have you been these past two years? And didn't you say you'd come back once a year? Why did you suddenly say you weren't coming back last year? Where did you go?" Dugu Yan asked again, curious and dissatisfied.

Ning Feiliu hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell Dugu Yan about Shui Yue'er and Shui Bing'er.

"Actually... Sister Yan, I have something to tell you." He took a deep breath; compared to his previous nonchalance, he was now speaking with utmost seriousness.

"What is it?" Dugu Yan looked at him strangely and said, "Just say it directly; why are you suddenly acting so strange?"

"I actually... met a group of friends after leaving the Star Dou Great Forest two years ago." Ning Feiliu then detailed these experiences.

At first, Dugu Yan really didn't feel anything different, because when Ning Feiliu first met Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er of Tianshui Academy, he had treated them as ordinary friends.

He hadn't had any thoughts about Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er back then.

Even when Dugu Yan heard that he had joined Tianshui Academy to be a teacher for a few months, she had teased him with a smile.

"Yo, yo, yo, Feiliu, you even became a teacher. But being a teacher at an academy full of girls, that must feel pretty good, right?" she said, feeling a bit jealous yet amused.

"I just wanted to summarize my own thoughts and theories." Ning Feiliu could only smile helplessly at this, but said quite seriously, "I actually didn't have any thoughts about them, but I didn't expect them to follow me for training later."

At this moment, Dugu Yan realized that something was slightly off.

These... how did it feel like these girls were interested in Feiliu?

And if they followed Feiliu out for training, spending long periods together, accidents would inevitably happen.

Ning Feiliu continued, "... After that, we arrived at Extreme North City."

"Coincidentally, what I didn't know was that the blessing of the God of Ice and Snow within me made even Xue Di feel it..."

"I activated my 【Summon of the God of Ice and Snow】, and so Xue Di approached..."

"It's just that we didn't know it was the arrival of Xue Di, and Xue Di didn't realize how terrifying her power release was at the time..."

"I almost fell into the blizzard, but Bing'er and Yue'er risked their lives to save me..."

"If it weren't for them, I might not be here in the end..."

"It's possible I would have been safe and sound, but in any case, Bing'er and Yue'er saved my life."

"And later, Bing'er and Yue'er almost died because of this, so I..."

When Ning Feiliu said this, he still felt guilty inside.

However, as Dugu Yan looked at his guilty eyes, her previously tense expression suddenly relaxed.

"If they saved your life, Feiliu, then it is only right for you to be this way," she said with a smile. "I should even thank them for saving you; otherwise... I would have lost you."

"Sister Yan, but I..." Ning Feiliu still felt guilty.

One could even say that if Dugu Yan had resented him or scolded him, he might have found it easier to accept.

But Dugu Yan had chosen to forgive him...

Ning Feiliu felt even worse in his heart, because wasn't this a betrayal?

But just then, Dugu Yan suddenly stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against Ning Feiliu's.

At this moment, Ning Feiliu saw Dugu Yan's slender eyelashes up close; the long lashes trembled lightly, as if a butterfly were brushing across the surface of water, stirring up layers of ripples. This was their first... kiss.

Unlike his kisses with Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er, this kiss from Dugu Yan made him...

His breathing became increasingly rapid. Dugu Yan had long since closed her eyes, her long lashes sweeping gently across Ning Feiliu's cheek like a fan.

The moment their lips touched, everything around them seemed to vanish, leaving only their heartbeats echoing in each other's ears.

Xue Di, standing to the side, was watching this scene with curiosity.

However, she had actually seen Ning Feiliu "eating" lips with Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er before; it was just... why did she feel that Ning Feiliu was so agitated while eating lips this time?

Yet, not long after, Ning Feiliu suddenly felt a sharp pain on his lips.

Dugu Yan separated her lips from his, and Ning Feiliu subconsciously touched his own lips, only to find a shocking smear of blood on his hand.

"Hmph! But I'm still very angry!" Dugu Yan looked at Ning Feiliu immediately, her expression somewhat fierce as she said, "How could you do this! Provoking other girls! And... and you even let them get your first kiss before me!"

"S-sorry..." Ning Feiliu still felt guilty and didn't know what to say, though he could see that Dugu Yan didn't seem to truly mind the matter of Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er.

"Sister Yan... do you really not mind Bing'er and Yue'er?" he asked again, puzzled.

"Of course... actually, if I ask myself honestly, if you didn't want me anymore, I would be truly devastated." Dugu Yan looked at him earnestly and said softly, "They are willing to give their lives for you, so they are the same as me; they both love you very, very deeply, even to the point of being willing to sacrifice their own lives."

Ning Feiliu felt somewhat helpless about this; in truth, he didn't even think that his year or so of time spent with Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er was enough to make them willing to die for him.

This was likely the Dao law of a world where everyone was a "love-brain."

But even though he felt it was very strange, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er had indeed sacrificed their lives for him.

It was impossible for him to let them down.

"And you are so outstanding; naturally, an outstanding man is bound to have many women." Dugu Yan suddenly hugged him again, seemingly listening to his heartbeat, and said, "As long as you have me in your heart, and I am one of the most important people to you, that is enough."

"Sister Yan... I... will not let you down. You will always be the most important one in my heart, without exception." Ning Feiliu hugged her back and said solemnly.

He meant every word of this; there was not a shred of falsehood in it.

After all, Dugu Yan had done this much for him, and combined with his previous sense of indebtedness, Dugu Yan was the most special and important one in his heart.

"Very good! I am already satisfied enough." Dugu Yan said with a smile.

In fact, when Ning Feiliu was out training, she had thought about this matter constantly.

Ning Feiliu was so outstanding, so handsome, and his family background was almost top-tier.

Originally, the only flaw in him was that he might be an Auxiliary System Soul Master, but that was merely a potential shortcoming.

But now that he could manifest as a Battle Soul Master or an Auxiliary System Soul Master, one could say he had absolutely no flaws left.

How could such a man not have women who liked him when he was out in the world? At first, she had also been anxious and had even had thoughts of monopolizing Ning Feiliu.

But until just now, when she saw Ning Feiliu confessing all of this to her with a look of guilt and unease, she had let it go.

A man as outstanding as Ning Feiliu was simply not something an ordinary girl could monopolize.

Compared to Ning Feiliu, she felt the same as Ye Lingling; she was far too inferior to him.

Without Ning Feiliu, she feared she wouldn't even have been able to break through to the Soul Ancestor realm by now, right? So how could someone like her possibly monopolize Ning Feiliu?

It was just like an ordinary Spirit Master wanting to monopolize a Ten-thousand-year Soul Bone; in the end, they would only lose that soul bone under the pressure of a powerful Spirit Master's immense strength.

Therefore, Dugu Yan let go of her resentment.

Moreover, Ning Feiliu had her in his heart, and she was still the most important one; that was enough.

Just like that, the two embraced, and Ning Feiliu whispered, "Sister Yan, I will treat you well."

Dugu Yan closed her eyes, her pretty face wearing a smile as she enjoyed Ning Feiliu's embrace.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes again and said to Ning Feiliu, "Then what about Lingling next? What do you plan to do about Lingling?"

"What... what to do about Lingling?" Ning Feiliu was stunned for a moment, his gaze somewhat dazed as he spoke.

"Don't tell me you didn't notice! Lingling definitely likes you!" Dugu Yan widened her eyes and said.

"Ah, this... you noticed that too?" Ning Feiliu said helplessly.

"Of course... I actually discovered a long time ago that Lingling has always liked you." Dugu Yan sighed and said, "I'm not a fool. After you left, she barely even returned home these past few years; she just lived the same life in that medical clinic of yours."

"This is, of course, because she likes you; because of a single word from you, the medical clinic is still being kept open by her to this day."

Dugu Yan was deeply moved; she had indeed discovered Ye Lingling's different feelings for Ning Feiliu a long time ago.

But at that time, she still wanted to monopolize Ning Feiliu, which was why she chose to turn a blind eye.

But now, things were different.

After all, since she could already accept Ning Feiliu taking in two other women, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er, then Ye Lingling naturally posed no problem at all.

Furthermore, Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan were already good friends and besties; since Dugu Yan could accept Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er, she would naturally consider Ye Lingling now.

Since she was already sharing Ning Feiliu with other women anyway, having one more, Ye Lingling, was no problem.

After all, Ye Lingling also loved Ning Feiliu deeply.

"But like this... Sister Yan, why are you instead pushing me out to other women?" Ning Feiliu was helpless and said.

"Hmph hmph! Lingling and I are good sisters; what do you mean 'other women'? Lingling has also known you for a long time." Dugu Yan looked at him and retorted, "I don't believe you aren't moved by Lingling. Isn't Lingling beautiful? Isn't Lingling's personality good?"

"It's not that..." Ning Feiliu suddenly didn't know how to respond.

But Dugu Yan's way of putting it always made him feel... as if he were being pushed out by Dugu Yan to entertain guests.

"Isn't that right?" Dugu Yan said with satisfaction, "When the time comes, you can just confess to Lingling! Lingling will definitely be willing too!"

Ning Feiliu hesitated for a moment and said, "But would Lingling be willing?"

Shui Yue'er and Shui Bing'er were willing because they knew they were the latecomers, and he had already spoken to them, which was why there was no problem.

Now he had also confessed truthfully to Dugu Yan and moved her with his genuine feelings, so that was also fine.

But Ye Lingling... would she be willing to share Ning Feiliu with other women?

"Lingling... she will definitely be willing." However, Dugu Yan looked at him and said, "After all this time, do you still not understand Lingling's heart for you?"

(End of chapter)