Lili stared at the city entrance, her gaze still completely indifferent—like the entire place could disappear and she wouldn't care.
Tang San walked toward the woman Lili. She was tall, so he had to look up slightly to talk to her.
Xiao Wu stayed behind Tang San but followed closely.
"Ahem… we're in Suotuo City now," Tang San said. "We're planning to find a place to stay. What about you?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Tang San froze.
…He didn't even know her name yet.
Lili looked at the duo in front of her, her expression unreadable.
Before the silence could stretch further, Tang San spoke again.
"I-I'm sorry, we forgot to introduce ourselves. My name is Tang San, and this is my sister, Xiao Wu!"
Lili raised an eyebrow.
Her hoarse, deep voice replied casually,
"Oh. Siblings… so you can't do it in bed?"
She said it the same way someone would say good morning.
Tang San and Xiao Wu froze.
Their faces instantly turned red, imaginations running wild in completely different—and very chaotic—directions.
Before any drooling, hardening, or wet thoughts could spiral out of control, Lili spoke again.
Her voice was calm. Flat.
Deep and hoarse.
" Lili."
♤
"O-oh… Lili…" Tang San said, still flustered. "Well, we're going to find some shelter first. What about you?"
Xiao Wu repeated the name softly in her mind.
Lili…?
Lili answered casually, her destination simple and direct.
"Shrek."
The moment the word left her mouth, both of them froze.
"W-what? You're also going to Shrek?" Tang San blurted out, genuine shock clear on his face. He hadn't expected all three of them—not only to arrive in the same city, but to head toward the exact same place.
Xiao Wu felt a chill crawl up her spine.
Another coincidence…?
She couldn't help but feel something was wrong. Too many things were lining up perfectly.
Lili looked at them.
She already knew where these two were going—but she didn't care.
She stayed silent.
Her dark purple eyes settled on them, calm yet heavy, as if conveying something without words.
Don't pry into my business.
Tang San and Xiao Wu both caught it.
That gaze didn't escape them.
From those deep purple eyes, they each interpreted something different—but arrived at the same conclusion.
She's suspicious of us.
In there minds the thought was simple.
She was suspicious of us that were following her.
That was how they interpreted the silence.
That was how they read the stare.
♤
To clear the suspicion, Tang San coughed lightly and said, "Oh, don't get it wrong. We're also enrolling in Shrek Academy. My great master recommended it to us. Tomorrow is the enrollment, so we're planning to look for a place to stay first. If you want, you can come along. We'll go together."
Xiao Wu finally relaxed a little. She had thought she was the one being chased—but no, it turned out the woman was also suspicious of them, thinking they were tailing her instead. That realization made Xiao Wu let out a deep breath.
"Huuu…"
Lili looked at the two lovebirds. Her voice came out naturally, deadpan and corpse-like.
"I'm not a third wheel. But if you're also going to Shrek, you might as well be my tour guides."
Tang San and Xiao Wu stared at her.
Her face and voice showed no interest in them at all—but they heard the word guide.
Which meant…
She was going to follow them.
♤
Tang San then looked at his bunny and said, "Let's go, Xiao Wu. We'll look for a place to stay."
He was clearly being protective of his future wifey, his guard on high alert around this woman—and around this city full of men.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such a possessive one.
The two of them acted like tour guides for Lili, walking slowly while looking around for any place to stay. Lili remained silent, one eye closed. He wasn't staring or sightseeing; his gaze lingered only on the one leading the way.
Along the way, many people noticed the odd trio walking together.
A couple? And a beautiful lady behind them?
Unlike the couple, the woman walking behind them was on an entirely different level—just like how Old Jack had felt before. The people around could sense it too. She was no ordinary soul master or normal person. The way she carried herself, every stride she took, symbolized royalty and power.
This was a city where seeing rich people was normal, yet at a single glance, anyone could tell—this girl was not someone they could mess with.
♤
The people around them stared in bewilderment and caution.
Tang San and Xiao Wu, of course, noticed the gazes—but those looks weren't directed at them. They were all focused on the person walking behind them.
That, however, wasn't their problem.
If anything, it helped. The crowd naturally parted, people subconsciously giving way and paving a path through the busy street. No one wanted to get too close.
After ten minutes of searching for a place to stay, Xiao Wu suddenly noticed a building painted in pink, its wooden exterior standing out from the rest.
"Brother, look!" she said, pointing excitedly. "That place—let's see if they have a free room!"
Xiao Wu was back to her usual cheerful self. The tension she felt earlier had faded once she realized Lili wasn't really into her—or at least, not physically.
…Okay, that was starting to sound weird. But you get the idea.
Tang San followed her gaze and immediately felt his face flush.
He knew exactly what kind of hotel that was. A place like that—where couples went for their private, hentai moments. And Tang San? He was still a virgin, lol. Only a truly scared guy would refuse Xiao Wu when she was the one suggesting it. Honestly, even an idiot wouldn't say no in that situation.
So Tang San followed Xiao Wu—straight into the motel, hotel, brothel… whatever you wanted to call it.
What they didn't notice was that Lili had stopped walking.
He wasn't following them anymore.
His gaze shifted toward a dark corner of a narrow alley nearby. Someone was standing there—watching him.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
And neither of them looked away.