CHAPTER 239: CHAPTER 239: FELL INTO IT

EDITOR: DRAGON BOAT TRANSLATION

"How-old-are-you."

"Let’s not use such an old joke anymore."

In the restaurant, Qiao Muyi, sitting next to Dong Chengling and biting on a straw, looked at Ren Suo with a smile. "What, you have a problem with having a meal with us? Two beautiful Second Stage Cultivators. If you have any doubts about cultivation, just ask away. This is a rare chance for questions."

Ren Suo tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I was actually planning to treat..."

"Tsk, as if having one more person would cost you so much money." Qiao Muyi waved her hand dismissively. "Don’t think I don’t know. It’s quite easy to check your pay stubs; they’re right there in the Tactical Bureau’s internal system. Your bonus and salary combined are almost double mine, and you’re even less busy than I am, with more time for cultivation..."

"I also want to watch ’Demon-Slaying Blade’, but unfortunately, I can’t spare the time~"

Ren Suo knew Qiao Muyi often looked out for him within the Tactical Bureau system, so he could only sigh. "You’re making me feel guilty..."

"Well, well, if there’s any news from the Tactical Bureau in the future, I’ll definitely look out for you." Qiao Muyi waved her hand and picked up Ren Suo’s milk tea to examine it. "Super sweet milk tea, with loads of sugar. Watch out, or you’ll get fat."

"I’ll just eat something salty later to balance it out."

"You think it’s like neutralizing acid and alkali? Besides, shouldn’t bitter be the thing that neutralizes sweetness?"

After Ren Suo left for the restroom, Qiao Muyi propped her chin on her hand, sighed, and looked at Dong Chengling helplessly. "Miss Dong, the atmosphere was nice. Why did you insist on me coming over? You made it sound so urgent. I thought you had encountered demons."

"I... I’m a bit nervous." Dong Chengling whispered, "If you hadn’t come, I think I might not have been able to say a word later..."

She clutched the hem of her skirt, finally showing a hint of shyness in front of her friend. "This is the first time I’ve worn this kind of clothing since I became an adult..."

"My god." Qiao Muyi rolled her eyes. "What did you wear during college? Didn’t you ever go out for fun?"

"Trousers and shirts," Dong Chengling replied. "I usually spent my time in the library, rarely participated in activities, and didn’t like to go to parties with my roommates."

Qiao Muyi scoffed. "Tsk, then you definitely weren’t an all-around excellent student in morality, intelligence, physique, aesthetics, and labor... But didn’t you already watch a movie with him? Isn’t that normal?"

Dong Chengling was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Watching movies... you don’t have to talk."

"In fact, halfway through, I wasn’t watching anymore. I was using the corner of my eye to see if he was looking over..."

Dong Chengling lowered her head, her ink-black hair covering her face. But just from her slightly trembling voice, Qiao Muyi knew her heart must be about to leap out.

"When we were shopping earlier, he seemed to finally notice I was wearing strange clothes today. He didn’t speak the whole time, so I called you over... After all, when dining, we’ll have to make eye contact the entire time..."

"Miss Dong, it’s not that he noticed you’re wearing strange clothes, but that he noticed you’re very pretty and cute!"

Qiao Muyi complained. Dong Chengling chuckled, turned her head to look at her with wide eyes, tucked her hair behind her ear, and said with a blush and a smile, "Xiao Qiao, aren’t you my relationship advisor? Of course, I’d come to you when I need help."

Qiao Muyi was taken aback by this scene and, quick as lightning, took out her phone and snapped a picture.

"Hmm? What’s wrong?" Dong Chengling asked curiously.

"No, nothing..."

Qiao Muyi turned away, uploaded the photo to her cloud server, and set it as her phone’s screensaver and wallpaper. Alright, you’re my ’girl of the week’.

"Later, when inviting him to the Cultivation Ground for training, can you come along too, Xiao Qiao?" Dong Chengling pleaded, her hands clasped together. "Since you’re already here, you might as well..."

Qiao Muyi waved her hand. "Honestly, I’d rather you two go sing karaoke, go ice skating, or at the very least, take a stroll and see the Lianjiang Spire..."

Dong Chengling responded, "Those activities are less preferable than cultivation. Ren Suo has clearly stated he doesn’t like those kinds of activities. Even when Zhao Huo invited him, he wouldn’t go."

Qiao Muyi pursed her lips and silently lamented, Two hardcore life Online RPG players, then asked, "So, you still haven’t said what the plan is after this?"

"Well, didn’t you say, Xiao Qiao, to reveal the plans step by step?"

Dong Chengling blinked, drawing circles with her index fingers. "Saying it all at once is like asking someone on a date. Revealing it step by step leaves some buffering time... But it seems the buffering time wasn’t very useful."

I inadvertently came up with such a reasonable excuse,

Qiao Muyi thought, spreading her hands. Suddenly remembering something, she pretended to ask casually, "By the way, what about that female student who always sticks to you?"

"She has something on tonight and told me in advance she won’t be coming to my place for dinner."

"You two seem to have a good relationship."

"She was my first friend when I came to Lianjiang," Dong Chengling replied. "She’s like a little sister to me."

Smiling, she continued, "I’m an only child, and I’ve always wanted a little sister."

"It shows," Qiao Muyi said. "Of the two Type-3 Spiritual Energy Preservers the Tactical Bureau gave you, one is with her... I won’t even bring up Ren Suo. But as a friend, is she worth you doing so much for her? You’ve only known her for two months, right?"

"She’s worth it," Dong Chengling said. "Two months ago, when I first started as an instructor guiding students, I was a bit flustered at first. It was Xiao Yan who helped me maintain classroom discipline. Later on, a big reason why teaching became so relaxed for me was because of her assistance."

"She cared for me, helped me, acknowledged me, liked me, and supported my ambitions. That sincerity was definitely not fake. I’m not made of iron; how could I possibly remain unmoved?"

Dong Chengling stirred her iced black tea with a straw. "Maybe it’s because I don’t have many friends, so I treasure the relationships and feelings I have now."

"Having a goal to pursue, a friend to confide in, a sister to dote on... Even if these things might sour in the future, before that happens, I want to fully enjoy these encounters."

Qiao Muyi fell silent for a moment. Just then, Ren Suo finally returned, sat down, and said, "Just now, for some reason, I suddenly..."

"Stop! We’re about to eat. Don’t talk about toilet stuff," Qiao Muyi said, annoyed.

The meal proceeded calmly. After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Ren Suo glanced at the time, felt it was about right, and said, "It’s time to head back."

"Do you have something to do later?" Dong Chengling asked, pausing.

"Yeah. I have to—"

"Great!" Qiao Muyi assertively interrupted their conversation, pulling Dong Chengling to her feet. "Next up is our girls’ time! You can pay the bill yourself. If you’re short on cash, go wash dishes in the kitchen or sell a kidney or a lung."

"Sell a lung for the restaurant to make ’Husband and Wife Lung Slices’?" Ren Suo waved his hand dismissively. "Cheng Ling, you’re not going back? Then see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Dragged away by Qiao Muyi, Dong Chengling remained silent the entire way. Only when they were far from the restaurant did she ask, "Xiao Qiao, didn’t you say..."

"The moment I arrived, your date was already a complete! Utter! Failure!" Qiao Muyi declared. "It’s better if I take you shopping now to pick out a few outfits that won’t make you feel awkward on a date. I was confused last time; your level is too low right now to wear that particular outfit."

Dong Chengling looked bewildered. "There’s a level requirement?"

"Not for others, but there is for you," Qiao Muyi responded irritably. "And since Ren Suo happens to have something to do, let’s not give him the chance to reject you."

Dong Chengling smiled and proactively linked arms with Qiao Muyi. "Thank you, Xiao Qiao."

"Tch..." Qiao Muyi turned her head away, murmuring softly, "I really don’t want to be the main culprit here..."

Dong Chengling asked, "What?"

"Nothing." Qiao Muyi turned back to look at her, then suddenly asked, "Speaking of which, I’ve always wanted to ask you, what exactly do you like about him? Lazy, poor talent, lacking motivation, low EQ, and his IQ doesn’t seem to be that high either... I can list a ton of Ren Suo’s flaws."

Dong Chengling blinked, hummed thoughtfully, and said, "He helped me when I was in trouble? He saved my life? He likes the food I cook? He trusts me, respects me? His sense of responsibility?..."

"I don’t really know." She spread her hands. "It’s the one thing where I can’t sort out the priorities. It just happened naturally, like water carving a channel. By the time I realized it, I had... fallen for him."

Qiao Muyi touched her forehead, sighed, and said earnestly, "Don’t worry. As your love advice consultant, I will definitely help you!"

Qiao Muyi silently made up her mind—No more meddling, at least not actively like this.

She didn’t want to be the one to disrupt their relationship. Of course, she wouldn’t go out of her way to protect it either.

She had started this, and she would see it through this time.

As for what came after, Qiao Muyi planned to sit quietly in the audience, cheer on the contestants, and wait with hopeful anticipation for—

The future she was looking forward to.

***

"The heroine of ’If You Are Strong, Climb Ten Thousand Meters,’ the Magician’s Truth Seeker, an official member of the Fairy Palace..."

On the platform above the Black Sea, a group of Transcendent Warriors, looking as if they were on an outing, stood around the platform, watching the Female Seeker split off an external avatar and fiercely pummel two terrifying enemies with her fists.

They had thought the World Tree’s Magicians were already strong: capable of teleporting, immune to bullets, and incredibly powerful in combat, defense, movement, healing, and scouting—a one-person army. Many countries believed that if a Magician were to carry out a destructive operation in a city, apart from sending top-tier Awakeners to surround and kill them, there would be no other way—if directly destroying the city didn’t count as an option, that is.

Then, the Fairy Palace’s Truth Seeker refreshed their understanding once again!

This was especially true for the Changjiang Monks Corps—because the abilities the Truth Seeker used were basic spells that the Mystery Country Legal Network would sell!

Moreover, the sense of Affinity emanating from the Truth Seeker resonated vaguely with them: it was the connection between Cultivators of the ’Mysterious Sovereign’s Secret Records’!

「Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Ren Zuo was looking at a report on his computer.」

"Based on the conversation records of four male magicians, we can deduce from their grammar and word usage that their language habits originate from the southeast coastal regions of the Mysterious Country. If we narrow it down further, there’s a 60% probability they’re from the Lian Province area, and a 14% probability they’re from..."

"Hmm..."