Chapter 512

Faced with Gong Gong Shenjun's invitation, Li Luo was clearly hesitant.

But more importantly, it was Jiang Jiang Qinge's earlier conversation with him—she said she felt Gong Gong Shenjun didn't want to win.

Why wouldn't Gong Gong Shenjun want to win? There seemed to be no reason at all; not even Vice Dean Su Xin or anyone else had ever entertained such a suspicion.

Li Luo had never considered this angle either, because helping the Sacred Mystery Star Academy win the Dragon Bone Sacred Cup would benefit everyone—after all, the Dark Caverns suppressed by the academy were the greatest hidden threat within Great Xia; if the Dark Caverns failed, no one could remain untouched.

Not to mention, Gong Gong Shenjun was of the imperial clan.

Yet Jiang Jiang Qinge had this feeling.

Others might laugh off Jiang Jiang Qinge's intuition, but trusting her, Li Luo believed it was far from baseless.

Jiang Jiang Qinge possessed the Ninth-Rank Light Phase, granting her acute perception of human intent.

Perhaps she had sensed something?

Li Luo's mind churned, unsure whether to refuse Gong Gong Shenjun's offer—after all, from a purely strength-based perspective, Gong Gong Shenjun was undoubtedly the best choice; partnering with him, plus Jiang Jiang Qinge, would form an awe-inspiring team.

As Li Luo hesitated, a clear, cold, familiar voice sounded from behind him.

"Senior Gong, let's wait until Vice Dean Su Xin announces the rules and structure of the Mixed-Class Tournament before making any decisions."

Li Luo turned his head and saw Jiang Jiang Qinge standing behind him, her exquisitely smooth, flawless face expressionless as a deep pool.

Seeing Jiang Jiang Qinge, Gong Gong Shenjun's handsome face brightened further, smiling: "Perfect—you've arrived too. My invitation wasn't just for Li Luo; you're also part of my ideal team."

He looked sincere, about to extend the invitation to Jiang Jiang Qinge as well.

But before he finished speaking, Jiang Jiang Qinge suddenly reached out and grabbed Li Luo's hand.

Then she pulled him away.

Around them, everyone froze in brief shock.

Broken pipe? What did she mean by borrowing his room?

Jiang Jiang Qinge was going to Li Luo's room to bathe?!

In that instant, the air in the area seemed to solidify; countless gazes, burning with flame, locked onto the retreating figure of Li Luo, forcibly dragged away.

A cry of "You beast, stop!" rolled in throats—but none dared utter it.

Lü Qing'er's eyes were filled with shock; the wine in her cup had instantly frozen into ice from her uncontrolled cold qi.

Gong Gong Shenjun's pupils contracted sharply; even with his composure, he nearly lost control of his expression—he even felt an urge to stop them—but in the end, he forced himself to calm down.

Jiang Jiang Qinge and Li Luo were betrothed; whatever they did was perfectly legitimate.

If Jiang Jiang Qinge chose to bathe in Li Luo's room, even Vice Dean Su Xin had no grounds to object.

Thus, in this eerie silence, they watched helplessly as Jiang Jiang Qinge and Li Luo disappeared into the distance.

After a long while, sounds of merriment from elsewhere broke the stillness.

Gong Gong Shenjun's expression shifted slightly; he turned away, his interest in the invitation utterly gone.

The others exchanged uneasy glances.

"Tsk, Senior Jiang is truly my idol—her actions are always so uniquely unconventional. I love it," Bai Bai Doudou laughed.

Nearby, Seeing Yu Lang immediately grew tense. "What good is it if you love it? Senior Jiang has no interest in that."

Bai Bai Doudou glanced at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Seeing Yu Lang stalled, then chuckled awkwardly: "N-nothing… I mean, Senior Jiang doesn't seem interested in teaming up with Senior Gong."

Bai Bai Mengmeng also pondered aloud: "There does seem to be something to that… but why? If you want a championship team, Senior Gong is clearly the best choice—Senior Jiang has no reason to refuse."

She then turned to Lü Qing'er, who had been staring at the spot where Jiang Jiang Qinge and Li Luo had vanished, and offered a pure smile. "What are you thinking about, Qing'er-Zhong Jie?"

Lü Qing'er gripped her cup tightly, murmuring: "Will Senior Jiang do something to Li Luo?"

Bai Bai Mengmeng blinked her long, thick lashes. "I don't know… but I heard Senior Jiang once said that if the team leader earns the title of strongest student in the First Star Division, she'll give him some kind of reward."

Lü Qing'er's heart leapt. "Really? How do you know that?"

"I accidentally overheard it," Bai Bai Mengmeng smiled.

"Qing'er-Zhong Jie, if you're going to do something, you'd better act fast."

Lü Qing'er glanced at the girl's pure, adorable face and sensed a hint of provocation in her words—she immediately grew wary. This little miss looked harmless on the surface, but she was secretly cunning.

She'd have to be more careful from now on—couldn't afford to be tripped up by a minor slip.

Li Luo was pulled by Jiang Jiang Qinge straight back to his room.

"Thanks for stepping in—I really didn't know how to respond to him," Li Luo said with a smile once inside, yet his hand didn't release hers; his thumb gently rubbed the silken skin of her delicate hand.

Jiang Jiang Qinge said coolly: "That depends on whether you care about winning the Sacred Cup."

"I have no obsession with the championship title—it doesn't really matter. After all, earning the 'strongest' title would still satisfy the Sacred Mystery Star Academy," she added.

Li Luo frowned. "But you say Gong Gong Shenjun doesn't want to win—that makes no sense… I can't think of any reason he wouldn't. If he wins, he gains the academy's gratitude, boosts his reputation across Great Xia, easily surpasses the Crown Princess, and might even benefit his father—the Regent Prince."

Jiang Jiang Qinge furrowed her delicate brows. "Honestly, I don't understand it either."

Li Luo fell silent.

"But I just feel it."

Jiang Jiang Qinge said: "If you want to win the Sacred Cup, we must avoid teaming up with Gong Gong Shenjun. If you don't care about the championship, then it doesn't matter."

Li Luo hesitated, then answered honestly: "I do want the Sacred Cup championship—I promised Senior Pang."

"Pang Pang Qianyuan?" Jiang Jiang Qinge blinked, glancing at him. She hadn't known he had any connection with the academy head, but she wasn't one to pry, so she didn't ask further.

"If you want the championship, we'll have to team up with the Crown Princess. But we can wait until tomorrow to see the Mixed-Class Tournament's rules and structure before deciding."

Jiang Jiang Qinge paused briefly. "I'll help you, regardless."

Li Luo was deeply moved. "Qing'e-Zhong Jie, you're so good to me."

Jiang Jiang Qinge said coolly: "Can you please stop being so forward when you say things like that?"

She shot him a scolding glance—his grip on her hand had grown increasingly brazen. Earlier, he'd only been sneaking touches; now he was openly bold. If not for his outstanding performance in the Academy-Level Tournament, she'd already enforced family discipline.

Hearing this, Li Luo reluctantly released her delicate, jade-like hand.

Jiang Jiang Qinge stood up and asked, "Where's the bathroom?"

Li Luo froze for a moment, then pointed blankly at the side room on the right. "Why?"

Jiang Jiang Qinge glanced at him. "The water pipe in my room really is broken."

Then she took her long legs in stride, pushed the door open, and went into the bathroom.

Li Luo stared at her slender, graceful, tall figure and couldn't help swallowing hard; he felt his mouth going dry.