Chapter 92: The Special Relationship Between the Two

Because they were already quite close to Daxia City, the convoy slowed its pace, traveling smoothly along the main road. At the same time, the surroundings began to liven up, with a bustling flow of people coming and going, showing the prosperity and popularity of Daxia City.

Inside the carriage.

Li Luo recounted what had happened during the academy's grand examination in a very calm tone, and at the end, he added: "Originally, I just wanted to sneak into the top ten and grab an admission slot."

"But these people just had to push me."

Jiang Jiang Qinge was lying on the table, propping up her pointed chin with one hand. After listening, she smiled and said: "Sounds like this Lü Qing'er has quite an interest in you."

Li Luo nearly threw out his back — your focus is a bit off, isn't it?

"We're just pure classmates," he clarified.

Jiang Jiang Qinge laughed and said: "That's nothing to worry about. I saw that Miss before and thought she was quite nice too. The fact that someone could take a liking to you also shows your charm is not small."

Li Luo stared at Jiang Jiang Qinge's exquisitely beautiful, fair face, those golden pupils so dazzling and brilliant. He could tell that she really didn't seem to care much about it.

But this lack of caring actually made Li Luo feel a bit unhappy, because it showed that in Jiang Jiang Qinge's heart, she hadn't truly defined their relationship as one between a man and a woman.

Her feelings toward him should be extremely complicated — there was the bond of childhood companions, but more of it was like an older sister's indulgence and tolerance toward a younger brother.

Perhaps sometimes, even she herself couldn't quite tell them apart.

But one thing could be confirmed: the current Jiang Jiang Qinge was nominally his fiancée, and could trust him unconditionally, doing many things for him, but in reality she hadn't treated their relationship as that of lovers.

It might be that in her own view, the kind of relationship between a man and a woman was not even more trustworthy than this complicated one between her and Li Luo.

Li Luo sighed inwardly. He knew such matters couldn't be rushed; he needed to follow his own pace, step by step. And if he wanted this complicated relationship between them to break through and change, then what he had to do was first dissolve the engagement between them.

Only when the engagement was dissolved would Jiang Jiang Qinge's heart step out of this complicated relationship, and then truly begin to consider their feelings.

Capturing Jiang Jiang Qinge's heart — a long road ahead.

"But I still have to congratulate you. The results you achieved in this grand examination are really impressive," Jiang Jiang Qinge said with a light laugh, not noticing the emotional turmoil inside Li Luo.

"I've perfectly completed the first step you set for me, right?" Li Luo said with a smile.

Jiang Jiang Qinge gave a slight nod of her pretty head and said: "It exceeded my expectations."

She truly hadn't expected Li Luo to take first place in the Tianshu Prefecture grand examination. After all, Li Luo two months ago had only been an Empty Phase, and the fact that he could catch up in just two short months and surpass the other students showed his talent and effort.

"Any benefits as a reward?" Li Luo asked.

Jiang Jiang Qinge thought for a moment and said: "Then I'll reward you with a sparring match against me."

The corners of her lips curved slightly: "If you win, there's really a reward."

Li Luo looked uneasy. Sparring with you — isn't that purely asking for a beating? If I could beat you, would I still be sitting here talking this nonsense with you? I'd just pin you across my lap first and give you a good thrashing, getting back all the grievances I've suffered over the years.

"But what surprised me even more is that you actually pushed Lu Lan Mansion's revenue in Tianshu Prefecture to the highest it has ever been. Cai Wei-Zhong Jie sent word to tell me all about it — the Tianshu Prefecture revenue was all thanks to your contributions to Xiyang House." A look of amazement appeared on Jiang Jiang Qinge's pretty face.

"Can't be helped. If I didn't boost Tianshu Prefecture's revenue, I'm afraid I couldn't even support myself," Li Luo said helplessly.

"Cai Wei-Zhong Jie should have told you that I need a large amount of Spiritual Water Wonder Light, right? These past two months, I've consumed quite a lot."

Li Luo stretched out his palm, and blue water-phase power gathered in his palm. The purity surging within that phase force made Jiang Jiang Qinge's expression shift slightly.

"That day at the old residence, when you had just resolved the Empty Phase problem, your Affinity Rank didn't seem as high as it is now," she said.

Judging from the purity surging in Li Luo's phase force, she would believe it if someone said he possessed a Seventh Rank Water Phase.

But she clearly remembered that when Li Luo resolved the Empty Phase problem that day, his phase was nowhere near this quality.

And the current result should have been caused by consuming that large amount of Spiritual Water Wonder Light.

However, Jiang Jiang Qinge was slightly puzzled — in just over two short months, how could Li Luo have digested such a large amount of Spiritual Water Wonder Light?

"Because of the Acquired Phase, my phase palace's ability to withstand impurity erosion is much stronger than others, so I can use Spiritual Water Wonder Light wantonly to raise the rank of my phase quality," Li Luo said with a smile. Facing Jiang Jiang Qinge — the only person he could now trust without reservation — he didn't deliberately keep it secret.

"I see."

Jiang Jiang Qinge was somewhat surprised. So the Acquired Phase could have such benefits — no wonder Li Luo had improved so greatly in just two short months.

"Now my Affinity Rank has already reached Sixth Rank, so I'll still need a large amount of Sixth Rank Spiritual Water Wonder Light going forward. You know, Lu Lan Mansion's revenue in Tianshu Prefecture has already started to be unable to support me."

Li Luo winked at Jiang Jiang Qinge and said with a beaming smile: "So… Jiang Qinge-Zhong Jie, please support me."

Jiang Jiang Qinge gave a light laugh, not minding his teasing, and said: "How much Sixth Rank Spiritual Water Wonder Light do you need to advance?"

"Conservatively, probably around two hundred vials," Li Luo said quickly. As expected, only Jiang Qinge-Zhong Jie can handle it — Cai Wei-Zhong Jie is too delicate, she simply can't stand being squeezed dry by him.

"Two hundred vials?"

Jiang Jiang Qinge estimated — one vial of Sixth Rank Spiritual Water Wonder Light costs around thirty thousand gold, and two hundred vials would be six million gold?

So she shook her head and said: "Forget it, can't afford it. I'll just have someone send you back to Nanfeng City."

Li Luo was dumbfounded and scolded: "Jiang Jiang Qinge, my Lu Lan Mansion is a big and prosperous house — did you secretly squander all the money? It's only six million, how could you not produce it!"

Jiang Jiang Qinge shot an exasperated glance at the furious Li Luo and said: "What big and prosperous house? This big mansion of yours leaks everywhere. I've been busy patching up the leaks for you, and that's not been easy. The savings from before have been dwindling day by day these past few years."

"And that Manager Pei Hao directly split the three halls — finances and personnel are all controlled by him alone, he's practically taken the three halls for himself. You heard it that day too — his three halls won't send a single coin of tribute to headquarters anymore. So tell me, how rich do you think Lu Lan Mansion still is?"

Li Luo was a bit dumbfounded. He had come to Daxia City full of expectations, hoping to fleece Lu Lan Mansion's headquarters, only to find that they weren't well-off either?

Then what's the point of being the young mansion master!

"Two hundred vials — I'll purchase them for you bit by bit, it just needs to take a bit longer," Jiang Jiang Qinge said.

Li Luo sighed. It could only be that way.

"However, given your enormous contribution to Xiyang House in Tianshu Prefecture, I plan to let you take a post at Xiyang House headquarters. Manager Pei Hao has been fighting for control of Xiyang House headquarters. If you can later take control of Xiyang House headquarters and make it one of the top ten Spiritual Water Wonder Light houses in Daxia, I think a mere two hundred vials of Spiritual Water Wonder Light should be a small problem." Jiang Jiang Qinge clenched her delicate little hand and made a cheering gesture toward Li Luo.

"Well, thank you very much for the promotion," Li Luo said expressionlessly.

Make Xiyang House into one of the top ten Spiritual Water Wonder Light houses in Daxia — Jiang Jiang Qinge, you heartless goose.

A smile played on Jiang Jiang Qinge's exquisitely beautiful cheeks. Then, hearing the gradually noisy sounds outside the carriage, she opened the window. Through it, one could see a towering, massive city that exuded a sense of age and weightiness.

Her golden pupils gazed at Li Luo, the young and slightly immature face reflected in her irises.

Then Jiang Jiang Qinge reached out and covered the back of Li Luo's hand. A cool, delicate touch came through, like fine jade.

At the same time, her soft voice, amid the clamor outside the carriage, was like cool moonlight, seeping into the heart, gradually calming the spirit.

"Li Luo, welcome to Daxia City."

"Also, I'm really happy that you could come here."

The corners of her lips curved up gently, and the sharpness between her brows and eyes faded considerably at this moment, showing that she was genuinely delighted within.

A beauty's smile is also a kind of blade, especially Jiang Qing'e's smile — it is an unrivaled divine weapon, so Li Luo simply lost himself in it.

He wished he could draw his blade right then and there.

Tell me, Sister Qing'e — who do you want to chop down?

(I see everyone's reaction to the picture of Jiang Qing'e is: she's pretty, but it doesn't match the price I mentioned. Actually, that price was for a series of pictures, not a single image, and among all the illustrators I approached, this was the finished product with the best value for money. Please don't compare it to those high-quality game illustrations — the prices are completely different, and I really couldn't book a slot.)

(End of this chapter)