Chapter 4 Zhu Lu: Hua Bin, you seem to have changed.
Are you counting ants?
Dai Huabin joked.
"Hua...Hua Bin?"
Zhu Lu stared at him blankly, somewhat taken aback.
When did you arrive?
"Just arrived."
Dai Huabin stepped forward.
This step is a bit too far.
Zhu Lu instinctively wanted to take a half step back to maintain the established "master-servant" distance, but Dai Huabin didn't give her that chance.
Dai Huabin reached out and wrapped his arm around her slender waist. With a little force, he pulled this usually aloof little kitten into his embrace.
The surroundings fell silent for a few seconds.
Immediately afterwards, several gasps of shock were heard, followed by the crisp sound of several boys' hearts breaking on the ground.
Zhu Lu froze completely.
Her face was pressed against Dai Huabin's chest, and she could clearly hear his steady and powerful heartbeat.
Is he hugging me?
In public?
Dai Huabin used to hate intimate contact in public, feeling it was unbecoming of a nobleman and frivolous.
He would only touch her routinely when he needed to practice his Martial Soul Fusion Technique.
"Don't move."
Dai Huabin felt the stiffness in the person in his arms, leaned close to her ear, and whispered...
"Let me hold you for a while."
The hot breath on her sensitive earlobe made Zhu Lu's body go limp.
"But...so many people are watching..."
Zhu Lu's voice was so soft it was like a mosquito's hum, and her cheeks quickly flushed red. Her icy aura that kept strangers at bay instantly collapsed, and she turned into a bewildered little kitten.
"Go ahead and look."
Dai Huabin said nonchalantly, even tightening his grip on his arm in a malicious manner.
"I am a white tiger, and you are a spirit cat. We are a match made in heaven."
Since we're going to practice the Martial Soul Fusion Technique, then being in sync is the most basic requirement.
I was immature before; we need to communicate more from now on, understand?
Zhu Lu was dizzy and didn't hear what profound truths he was talking about at all. All that was left in her mind was the phrase "we should communicate more in the future."
Not far away, two senior students passing by had constipated expressions on their faces.
"Damn, are all the freshmen this arrogant these days? Showing off their love right after entering the Academy?"
"Comparison is the thief of joy. I also want a piece of something this good."
"Come on, with your pathetic martial spirit, you couldn't even catch a cat."
Hearing the whispers around him, Dai Huabin didn't go too far and let go after hugging her for a while.
After all, kittens are sensitive, and if he held her any longer, she'd probably get all hot and bothered.
"Have you picked up your dorm key?" Dai Huabin naturally took Zhu Lu's hand.
Zhu Lu lowered her head, looking at their clasped fingers, and felt her palms burning:
"I...I've received it. It's in room 403."
"I'm number 103."
Dai Huabin waved the brass key in his hand. "Put your things away, I'll take you to eat. Are you hungry?"
"I'm not hungry..."
"Gurgle!"
Zhu Lu had barely finished speaking when her stomach let out a loud growl.
Her face, which was already flushed, turned even redder, almost as if it were about to bleed; she wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.
Dai Huabin couldn't help but laugh out loud.
He reached out and gently stroked Zhu Lu's nose:
"Alright, stop pretending with me. Let's go to Shrek City, I've heard there's a nice restaurant there."
...
Half an hour later.
East Street, the most bustling street in Shrek City.
Inside a high-end restaurant.
The table was laden with exquisite dishes, all in the style of the Star Luo Empire, clearly ordered by Dai Huabin.
Zhu Lu held her chopsticks but barely touched them. Her gaze remained fixed on Dai Huabin, as if she wanted to see every detail about him.
"What? Is there food on my face?" Dai Huabin asked with a smile.
"Hua Bin..."
Zhu Lu bit her lip, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Did something happen to you?"
"Um?"
Dai Huabin picked up a piece of steak with a fork and held it directly to her mouth.
Why do you ask that?
Zhu Lu subconsciously opened her mouth and ate it, chewing it a couple of times, her eyes flickering slightly:
"I just feel...you've changed. You wouldn't have treated me like this before, and you wouldn't...laugh so much."
In the past, Dai Huabin was preoccupied with how to surpass his half-brother Dai Yueheng and how to seize power and profit within the family.
His eyes were always filled with ambition, gloom, and arrogance. When he looked at Zhu Lu, it was as if he were examining whether a tool was suitable for him.
But Dai Huabin has been very different these past few days.
That ease and gentleness that emanated from him made Zhu Lu feel unreal, even somewhat panicked.
She feared this was just a flash in the pan, or a pretense before he planned something bigger.
Dai Huabin put down his knife and fork.
He wiped his mouth, looked at the bustling crowd outside the window, and remained silent for a few seconds.
"Is everything done?" Zhu Lu added cautiously, referring to his earlier insistence on acting alone.
"Yes, it's done."
Dai Huabin turned his head and his gaze fell on Zhu Lu's anxious little face.
"Lulu, I'm sorry to keep you waiting."
The sound of "Lulu" sent a shiver down Zhu Lu's spine.
"Actually, I've come to understand a lot of things since this trip."
Dai Huabin tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his tone becoming somewhat deep.
"I used to focus on those unattainable goals and always felt that the whole world owed me something. In order to become stronger, I neglected many people and things around me."
Dai Huabin reached out and grasped Zhu Lu's hand, which was resting on the edge of the table, across the table.
Zhu Lu's fingers were icy cold, but the moment he grasped them, she snapped them back, gripping them tightly.
"You are my fiancée, the one I will stand at the top with in the future."
Dai Huabin looked directly into her eyes, his heterochromatic pupils reflecting the girl's slightly flustered face.
"If I don't even know how to cherish the people who are best to me, then even if I become a Title Douluo, I will still be a lonely person."
"Hua Bin…" Zhu Lu's eyes immediately reddened.
Zhu Lu had been longing to hear these words for a long time.
She worked hard to cultivate and catch up with Dai Huabin. Even when Dai Huabin neglected her and scolded her, she never thought of leaving.
Zhu Lu thought that this was how her life would be.
Unexpectedly, happiness came so suddenly.
"Okay, stop crying. You'll look ugly if you keep crying."
Dai Huabin chuckled and handed her a tissue.
"It was my fault before, I was blind. I won't be like that anymore. Eat up, and then we'll go for a walk by Poseidon Lake."
"Um!"
Zhu Lu nodded heavily, swallowed back her tears, and began to eat the food on her plate with gusto.
The food today tasted especially delicious.
After dinner, it was getting late.
The lights of Shrek City illuminated the ancient city, making it shine with dazzling colors.
The two walked side by side on the path by Poseidon Lake.
A gentle evening breeze carried the moist scent unique to the lake. Occasionally, couples in yellow school uniforms could be seen peeking out from among the trees.
[end of the chapter ]