After spending two intense hours with Xiao Wu at the hotel, Li Chang'an lingered a bit longer for some pillow talk. Before parting ways, he gave her a Valentine's Day gift—a Mental Power Fruit he had exchanged for a whopping 100,000 points. After all, spirit masters have always struggled with spiritual power, and this gift hit just the right spot.
Naturally, Xiao Wu was absolutely thrilled. She clung to Li Chang'an, showering him with kisses. One thing led to another… and once again, they nearly broke the hotel bed.
———
Back at the academy, Xiao Wu went straight to rest and do some laundry. She even waved Li Chang'an off, telling him to go deal with his own stuff since she was completely out of energy. She wouldn't be back on her feet until at least tomorrow.
Li Chang'an didn't head to find Ning Rongrong right away. Instead, he reached out to Zhu Zhuqing using his spiritual power and waited for her at the academy gate.
Truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure she'd come out—but he was more than 90% confident she would.
Sure enough, about ten minutes later, Zhu Zhuqing emerged from Shrek Academy. Dressed in a form-fitting black-and-purple leather outfit, thigh-high boots clacking on the ground, her expression as cold as ever, with her hair tied back in a half-ponytail—she was as striking as ever. Only when her eyes fell on Li Chang'an did her icy demeanor soften just a little.
"What do you want? Don't you need to be with Xiao Wu?" Her voice still carried that crisp, chilly tone—but it was a beautiful kind of cold, one that attracts rather than repelled.
"She went to rest. I wanted to take you out for a walk, maybe grab dinner. Do I have that honor?" Li Chang'an made no attempt to hide the topic of Xiao Wu. Just like he'd done with Mu Xi and Hu Liena, he planned to let Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing become close—good sisters, even.
"…Alright, let's go." Zhu Zhuqing was caught off guard by how straightforward he was. After hesitating for a moment, she nodded in agreement.
Zhu Zhuqing couldn't quite figure out how she felt about Li Chang'an just yet. But what was certain was that she had completely given up on Dai Mubai. Ever since awakening her martial soul—the Midnight Shadow Cat—her position within the Zhu Clan had skyrocketed. No one could force her into a political marriage anymore.
Li Chang'an grinned and shrugged, then pulled a small gift box from his Nullspace.
"What are you giving me a gift for? I'm not your girlfriend," Zhu Zhuqing said casually as she walked ahead, barely sparing a glance at the box.
There was still a wall between her and Li Chang'an—one named Xiao Wu. That was their biggest barrier, and one that couldn't be crossed.
Zhu Zhuqing's pride wouldn't let her settle for being second. And she certainly wasn't someone who'd easily share.
"Oh come on, just take a look. Let's just say it's a gift between friends, how about that?" Li Chang'an kept pace with her, shamelessly grinning all the while.
"…Fine." In the end, Zhu Zhuqing didn't want to hurt his feelings. After all, without Li Chang'an, she wouldn't be who she was now. She wasn't ungrateful.
She accepted the pale lavender gift box and opened it, revealing a sleek, cylindrical metallic object. She stared at it, confused—it looked finely crafted, but she had no idea what it was.
"This is something you can't find on the market. It's a piece of cutting-edge tech. By classification, I'd say it's roughly equivalent to a Grade 3 Soul Tool," Li Chang'an explained from beside her.
"Grade 3 Soul Tool?" Zhu Zhuqing was well aware of what that meant. Soul tools in today's world were divided into two categories—ancient relics from the past, which varied greatly in quality and were often unusable now, and the newer, man-made ones.
But artificial soul tools were still under tight monopoly—only the Spirit Hall had the knowledge to create them, and even then, the highest grade available to the public was Grade 2. So where the heck did this guy get a Grade 3 one?
"This one's function isn't complicated," Li Chang'an said with a chuckle. "Just think of it as an insulated cup powered by soul energy—it keeps drinks warm and can also function as a flashlight at night. So… do you think this counts as an acceptable gift between friends?"
He had actually put quite a bit of thought into choosing this gift. Given the ambiguous nature of their relationship, he couldn't get her anything too luxurious—she'd refuse it on principle. After thinking it through, he had this high-grade cup-slash-flashlight custom-made.
After all, in this feudal version of Douluo Continent, a thermal cup soul tool like this was basically top-tier luxury.
At the bottom of the box, nestled neatly beneath the gift, was a small note that read:
"May this light guide your path through the night. Please drink more hot water, avoid cold food, and take care of yourself…"
What had become a cliché line in Li Chang'an's past life was still a touching piece of sentiment here in Douluo Continent.
After she packed the gift away, Zhu Zhuqing walked side by side with Li Chang'an toward Suotuo City. Being the smooth operator he was, Li Chang'an naturally kept the conversation flowing. Though they didn't talk too much, the air between them never turned awkward. Occasionally, Zhu Zhuqing would even crack a rare smile at one of his jokes.
Their topics were all over the place—dreams for the future, bottlenecks in cultivation, and even the occasional ridiculous comment from Li Chang'an that made Zhu Zhuqing's icy façade melt into a smile, like a snow lotus blooming on a frozen cliff.
"What are we doing here?" she asked once they entered the city. Zhu Zhuqing had spent her life immersed in study and obedience, drilled endlessly with thoughts of serving the clan's interests. She'd never really gone out for fun before, so she honestly didn't know what to expect.
"We're going to Suotuo City's only amusement park," Li Chang'an replied instantly, immediately understanding what she was getting at. Freedom was a luxury children from powerful clans rarely enjoyed.
And yet, so many people were desperately trying to claw their way into those clans...
People inside want out. People outside want in. It's always been that way.
As for the amusement park—they'd actually built it on Li Clan investments in Suotuo City. By now, the infrastructure was complete, and many of the attractions even used soul tool technology. Only a family like the Li could enjoy such privileges.
"Alright, lead the way," Zhu Zhuqing replied. She didn't object since she had no idea what an amusement park was in the first place. And besides… she trusted Li Chang'an.
———
Happy World Amusement Park—that was the name of their destination.
To Li Chang'an, it couldn't compare to what he'd experienced in his past life. But for people in this world, it was downright miraculous.
The park wasn't just rides and games. There was a lake with paddle boats, weird and wonderful stage performances, and even little DIY ceramic dolls you could paint yourself…
Staring at the festive scene before her, Zhu Zhuqing looked a bit overwhelmed, unsure what to do next. Thankfully, Li Chang'an was quick to act—he grabbed her sleeve and gently tugged her forward.
"What are you doing?" she asked, puzzled, glancing down at the hand holding her sleeve.
"There's a big crowd. I don't want us to get separated," he said, his expression the picture of innocence.
"Come on! Let's go try the log flume first, then paint a ceramic doll together, and after that, we'll hop on some scooters…"
"Uh… okay…"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't know what came over her. She wanted to say no, but her body didn't resist. Seeing the laughter and joy around her… a part of her wanted to join in too.
After all, this was something she had never experienced before.
____
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