Chapter 168: Ling Luochen Leans Against the Wall and Steps Out, Familiar Words

At dusk, Shu Yan leaned on the bed, his eyes fixed on the fiery sunset outside the window, a little lost in thought.

Ling Luochen lay quietly on one side, her pale collarbone and shoulders exposed to the air, covered with suspicious red marks; the strange smell in the air had completely dissipated, and the scattered clothes on the floor and the disheveled bed all testified to how fierce the recent battle had been...

Shu Yan rubbed his temples, and now he roughly understood why Ling Luochen had suddenly become so strange this morning.

The wondrous changes that occur when a martial soul advances had stirred the desire in Ling Luochen's heart, and Shu Yan also had a good idea why her desire was linked to him.

Earlier he had briefly let Ling Luochen experience the overwhelming power of ultimate ice, and her reaction then had been intense; now the stimulation was hundreds of times stronger than before, so it was no wonder Ling Luochen was a bit out of control.

The room fell quiet again for a moment, and only when the sky grew dim did Ling Luochen slowly open her eyes.

She looked around in a daze, but when she felt the warmth behind her, her body suddenly stiffened.

Countless memories surged into her mind like a torrent; Ling Luochen only felt a buzzing in her brain, and the faint ache in her body finally transmitted smoothly to her perception. In an instant, she realized what had happened.

"Awake?"

Shu Yan's gentle voice came from behind, and at the same time an arm lunged forward, forcefully pulling her into a warm embrace.

Ling Luochen's body stayed rigid, her gaze flickered away, unwilling to look at Shu Yan. Her mood was complicated; although she hadn't restrained her desire this morning and had taken the initiative, she hadn't meant to plunge all the way in at once...

Yet for some reason, even though Shu Yan's opportunistic behavior was unethical, she should have felt angry, disappointed, or even slapped him outright, but she had none of those thoughts; instead she felt an inexplicable sense of grievance and bewilderment.

"What happened today was my fault; I apologize to you."

Shu Yan's voice continued, sincere to a degree, but then his tone shifted as he added, "But the die is cast; I hope you can let it go. If you want, I'll take responsibility…"

Ling Luochen: "…"

Shu Yan's words left her silent for a while; only then did Ling Luochen speak softly, her voice hoarse and rough, her throat dry and sore as she spoke.

"So, what is our relationship now?"

Shu Yan paused briefly, then said:

"We are boyfriend and girlfriend."

As he said so, he fetched a cup of warm water from the bedside table and handed it to Ling Luochen's lips.

Ling Luochen silently drank half of the clear water, then suddenly lifted her head, stared intently at Shu Yan, and said, "I won't be the lesser one, and moreover, I don't want to share my future boyfriend with anyone."

She was naturally aware of Shu Yan's relationship with Xu Jiu Jiu, but now that she had this deep, intimate contact with Shu Yan, she had to reconsider the relationship between them.

Should she now tell Shu Yan that she wants to leave them, return to her clan, or go back to Slyke Academy? Ling Luochen felt she couldn't utter such nonsense; Shu Yan and his companions had helped her so much that she could never repay them in a lifetime. She could never be ungrateful, but to sabotage the bond between Shu Yan and Xu Jiu Jiu was something she wouldn't even dare to contemplate.

Anyone with eyes could see that Shu Yan wasn't a proper gentleman; setting aside the relatives he just recognized, if one were to ask who Shu Yan truly cared about, it would undoubtedly be Xu Jiu Jiu. Ling Luochen even speculated that even if Xue Di joined in the future, it probably wouldn't shake Xu Jiu Jiu's primary position.

Excluding those possibilities, being forced to bow and be the lesser? Her pride and self‑respect wouldn't allow it. At this moment, she handed the decision over to Shu Yan, both as a test for him and to avoid internal conflict herself.

Shu Yan rubbed Ling Luochen's slightly disheveled black hair, then said:

"In my heart, you both are equal; there's no big or small distinction."

"As for sharing... after we become gods, the years will be long; wouldn't having a few companions be fine?"

The familiar excuse, previously used on Xu Jiu Jiu and Xue Di, now fell on Ling Luochen.

Ling Luochen gently pushed Shu Yan away; her previously cold face now bore a hint of allure from today's indulgence. She curled her lip corner and, with a slightly mocking tone, said, "Aren't you afraid Princess will be hurt by hearing this?"

Shu Yan raised an eyebrow, curled his lip in a smile, and then said:

"Just now Xu Jiu Jiu already dropped by once; you and I vanished for a day. With Xu Jiu Jiu's cleverness, would she be unable to guess what happened?"

Ling Luochen's body stiffened again; she looked at Shu Yan in disbelief, and after a long pause asked softly:

"How did you persuade her?"

Shu Yan sighed lightly, used soul power to gather the clothes scattered on the floor, and then said:

"I didn't persuade her; she had foreseen it herself and convinced herself."

She lowered her head to put on her clothes, but as soon as her foot touched the ground, her leg went limp uncontrollably, and she almost knelt right there.

Shu Yan quickly steadied Ling Luochen. Today they had indeed been overly indulgent, trying almost every position and posture. Ling Luochen had only just tasted flesh, and even though her physique was not inferior to the Soul Emperor's, she still appeared extremely disheveled, eventually even fainting, murmuring pleas for mercy in her sleep.

Ling Luochen gave Shu Yan a slightly embarrassed, angry glare, then said she needed to think, slipped out of his arm, and leaned against the wall to walk out. Her odd gait made Shu Yan chuckle helplessly; when she got downstairs later, he wondered whether she could still glare.

……

On the winding wooden staircase, Ling Luochen's brows furrowed slightly, her steps light and odd. After finally descending from the bedroom, she turned her head and saw Xu Jiu Jiu leaning at the doorway, his expression unreadable.

Ling Luochen felt a buzz in her brain; the hand gripping the stair rail tightened suddenly, almost reflexively, and she quickly lowered her head, hesitant to face Xu Jiu Jiu.

Xu Jiu Jiu closed his eyes briefly, sensing the aura of Shu Yan surrounding Ling Luochen and her abnormal gait; as someone who had been through this, how could he not know what happened? Ling Luochen's nervous thoughts tangled into a mess. Before she could speak, Xu Jiu Jiu quickly took a few steps, grabbed her hand, and said in a concerned tone:

"Luochen, I've put you through hardship…"

Ling Luochen lifted her eyes, unable to believe Xu Jiu Jiu, whose genuine concern was unmistakable. The speed of these changes was too fast; she had originally thought…

Seeing Ling Luochen remain silent, Xu Jiu Jiu didn't get angry; he sighed lightly, his tone turning somewhat plaintive as he said:

"This isn't your fault; it's that Shu Yan guy who's overly sentimental and lecherous. You're also a victim; don't put too much pressure on yourself. You two were originally good friends, and now it's fine; that guy eventually made a move on you, and you two have become sisters…"

Ling Luochen kept her head down, unable to speak. She couldn't now tell Xu Jiu Jiu that she had taken the initiative that morning, and that Shu Yan had lost control, leading to this situation…

The plan now…

"Sorry, Shu Yan. Since you ate so well today, taking the blame shouldn't be a big deal…"

At that moment Shu Yan yawned and came down the stairs. Seeing the faint smile at Shu Yan's mouth corner, Xu Jiu Jiu seemed to have pent-up anger with nowhere to vent. He grabbed Ling Luochen, shielded her behind him, and snarled at Shu Yan:

"Luochen told me how you bullied her, you filthy scumbag… you rotten bastard, for the next three months you won't be getting on our bed…"

As he said, Xu Jiu Jiu led Ling Luochen outward, continuing:

"Luochen, from now on you sleep with me, so this guy won't have any more ulterior motives to bully us. Let him be a trash man; if we don't give him a lesson this time, who knows what he'll become later…"

Ling Luochen's stiff steps were led by Xu Jiu Jiu, completely oblivious to Shu Yan's meaningfully lingering expression behind them…

……

(End of Chapter)