Dugu Yan was looking at her with a mocking expression.
Ye Lingling also put down her book, her gaze lingering on her.
Even Zhu Zhuqing, who was being held in Dai Mubai's arms, had a faint smile on her lips.
"What's wrong?"
Xiao Wu looked down at herself.
"Is there something on my face?"
Dai Mubai looked at the confused little rabbit and was in a great mood.
He reached out and ruffled Xiaowu's messy head until it became even messier, then withdrew his hand with satisfaction.
"nothing."
Dai Mubai said:
"There was a great show on the sky just now, but unfortunately you lazy rabbit slept like a dead pig and missed it."
You're the dead pig!
Xiao Wu glared at him, and her two rabbit ears instantly stood up.
She plopped down on the stone bench next to her and said angrily:
"Isn't it all your fault last night?!"
"After working until the wee hours of the morning, their backs are practically broken, and they're not even allowed to get a little more sleep?"
These words were spoken.
The air in the courtyard fell silent for a second.
Dugu Yan's smile deepened, her eyes full of teasing.
Ye Lingling blushed deeply, buried her head in her book, and dared not look up again.
Even the usually aloof Zhu Zhuqing had her ears blushing.
Dai Mubai, however, remained completely calm.
He even seemed a little smug.
"That's because this God of War has good stamina."
"What? You're not convinced?"
"Continue tonight?"
Xiao Wu immediately chickened out.
She shrank her neck, and her ears drooped down again.
"No...no more."
"I give up, okay?"
Seeing Xiao Wu's cowardly appearance, everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter again.
The courtyard was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
This relaxed, comfortable, and even somewhat extravagant daily life stood in stark contrast to the oppressive and awkward atmosphere of the dark world seen from the sky just moments before.
Despite the laughter around them, the atmosphere in the courtyard did not become agitated; instead, it exuded a rare sense of languor and tranquility.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the grape trellis, dappling the bluestone ground.
A gentle breeze rustled through the air, creating a soft, whispering sound that separated it from the distant clamor emanating from Tian Dou City.
This is Courtyard Number One.
It is the most prestigious place in the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy, and also an absolute forbidden zone.
Xiao Wu shrank her neck, and seeing that no one was bringing up the previous topic anymore, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She cautiously raised her eyelids and stole a glance at Dai Mubai, who was leaning back in the recliner.
The man was half-closing his eyes, enjoying Zhu Zhuqing's service. His matter-of-fact manner would have been considered arrogant and disgusting by anyone else.
But when applied to Dai Mubai, it exudes a natural and domineering aura.
It's like... he was born to be this way.
Sitting on the clouds, looking down upon all living beings.
Xiao Wu pouted, but her stomach betrayed her and growled.
The sound wasn't loud.
But in the courtyard filled with high-level Soul Masters, it could be heard clearly.
"Gurgle..."
The air, which had just calmed down, seemed to freeze for a moment again.
The grape that Dugu Yan had just peeled was left hanging in mid-air before she could hand it over.
She turned her head, her emerald green eyes filled with a hint of mockery, staring intently at Xiao Wu's lower abdomen.
"oops."
Dugu Yan drew out the last syllable, her voice alluring and captivating:
"Is our Soft-Boned Rabbit hungry again?"
"That's true. We were so exhausted last night, we definitely need to replenish our energy."
As she spoke, Dugu Yan gently tossed the grapes in her hand.
The grape traced a green arc through the air and landed precisely in... Dai Mubai's mouth.
Dai Mubai chewed the grape, and the juice burst in his mouth, incredibly sweet.
He opened his eyes, looked at Xiao Wu who looked embarrassed, and waved.
"come over."
His tone was calm, yet it conveyed an air of undeniable authority.
Xiao Wu hesitated for a moment, but still obediently moved over.
She walked to the stone table, looked at the exquisite pastries and spiritual fruits on it, and swallowed slightly.
"Want some?"
Dai Mubai asked.
Xiao Wu nodded honestly.
"If you want to eat, help yourself. Do you expect me to feed you?"
Dai Mubai smiled and raised an eyebrow.
Xiao Wu felt like she had been granted a pardon. She immediately reached out and grabbed a piece of crystal cake, not caring about her image, and took a big bite.
The soft, sweet taste instantly filled her mouth, and Xiao Wu happily squinted her eyes, her two rabbit ears swaying with each chewing motion.
Eat slowly.
Ye Lingling whispered a reminder from the side.
She put down the ancient book in her hand, picked up the purple clay teapot, and poured Xiaowu a cup of tea.
The tea soup is clear and bright, with a delightful aroma.
"Sister Lingling is still the best."
Xiao Wu mumbled indistinctly, took the teacup, and gave Ye Lingling a sweet smile.
Dai Mubai watched this scene with a slight smile on his lips.
This is life.
There was no backstabbing or infighting, and no so-called "sacrifice for the team".
His woman should be carefree, able to eat and sleep whenever she wants.
As for wind and rain?
With him there, the wind and rain cannot enter this courtyard even a step.
"Mu Bai".
Zhu Zhuqing's voice suddenly rang in my ears.
She was sitting on Dai Mubai's lap, practically nestled in his arms.
Because of the laughter and commotion just now, her cool and pretty face still had a slight blush that hadn't faded, making her look exceptionally alluring.
"Um?"
Dai Mubai lowered his head, his gaze falling on the face of the beauty in his arms.
Zhu Zhuqing stretched out her slender fingers and gently straightened Dai Mubai's slightly disheveled collar, her movements incredibly gentle.
"Me in that world..."
Zhu Zhuqing paused, seemingly considering her words:
"Am I really that stupid?"
Although she only caught a fleeting glimpse of the scene on the sky, the disappointment and struggle in the eyes of "Zhu Zhuqing" in that world resonated deeply with her.
That is powerlessness against fate.
It is also a form of despair at having entrusted oneself to the wrong person.
Dai Mubai reached out and took her small hand, which was circling his chest, and gently rubbed it in his palm.
It has a delicate feel and is soft and boneless.
"stupid?"
Dai Mubai chuckled softly:
"It's not that I'm stupid, it's just that I had no choice."
"Dai Mubai in that world was a good-for-nothing. He didn't even have the courage to resist; all he did was run away."
"In order to survive, and for the sake of so-called family destiny, you have no choice but to force yourself to adapt and compromise."
At this point, a hint of disdain flashed in Dai Mubai's eyes.
"The weak adapt to the environment, while the strong change the environment."
"Just because that good-for-nothing can't do it doesn't mean I can't."
"Like now."
Dai Mubai released his hand and instead wrapped his arms around Zhu Zhuqing's slender waist, pulling them even closer together.
"It's enough that you're in my arms."
Zhu Zhuqing's body trembled slightly.
She raised her head, and her eyes, which were usually cold, now seemed like melting spring water.
She didn't say anything.
She simply leaned in and gave Dai Mubai a light peck on the corner of his lips.
Dragonflies skimming the water.
It speaks louder than a thousand words.
"Tsk tsk tsk..."
Then Dugu Yan's voice came from the side.
"Hey, can you two tone it down a bit?"
Dugu Yan rested her chin on her hand, half-lying on the stone table, her tight-fitting school uniform outlining her breathtaking curves.
She looked at the two lovey-dovey people, her eyes filled with teasing, but mostly with envy.
"In broad daylight, are you trying to kill us?"
"Lingling is still reading a book. Don't set a bad example for the children."
Ye Lingling, who was innocently caught in the crossfire, blushed and lowered her head even further.
Actually, she had long lost the ability to read.
Tang San's hand was suspended in mid-air.
His fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles, and he was usually very steady when handling hidden weapons, but now they seemed a little stiff because his grab had just missed.
Dai Mubai shook off his hand.
It was very powerful.
It even stirred up a gust of wind, making Tang San's sleeves flutter.
"Mu Bai?"
Tang San frowned slightly, his voice carrying a hint of confusion, as well as the usual authoritative air of someone accustomed to giving orders.
What are you doing?
Dai Mubai turned around.
Those peach blossom eyes, which always carried a hint of wickedness, were now bloodshot.
He stared intently at Tang San, his chest heaving violently, like a bellows about to burst.
The scene on the sky just now was like a red-hot branding iron, fiercely imprinted on his fragile self-esteem.
Is that him?
Was the person who groveled before Tang San like a lapdog really Dai Mubai, the prince of the Star Luo Empire?
That ingrained servility was witnessed by hundreds of millions of viewers.
Tang San, standing right in front of him, also witnessed this.
"do what?"
Dai Mubai chuckled.
His voice was hoarse, as if there was sand stuck in his throat.
"Tang San, are you feeling quite smug right now?"
"Do you feel a great sense of accomplishment watching me fawn over you like a dog, treating your words as gospel?"
Tang San's face darkened.
He glanced around.
The area was surrounded by Soul Masters and civilians who came to watch the spectacle, and even many students from other academies.
In such situations, one must never lose one's composure.
"Mu Bai, calm down."
Tang San sighed, adopting a tolerant and magnanimous demeanor:
"I know the scene in the sky must have embarrassed you, but it's just… another possibility."
"We are brothers."
"The Shrek Seven Devils are a united force; I have never looked down on you."
"Never?"
Dai Mubai took a step forward.
He was half a head taller than Tang San, but at this moment he had no imposing presence, only a kind of hysterical frenzy as if he had been stripped naked.
"What were you thinking when those people called me a spineless coward?"
"You're thinking, 'It's good that I'm such a spineless coward, but it makes your brilliance and might stand out,' right?"
"For the team?"
"To hell with the team!"
"Why am I always the one who has to sacrifice my dignity? Why do you get all the limelight?"
Dai Mubai roared.
That shout silenced all the surrounding chatter.
Tang San's eyes turned cold.
He never expected that the seemingly generous Boss Dai would be so narrow-minded.
Can't you even handle this little setback?
If you can't even see through this basic sense of honor and disgrace, how can you achieve great things in the future?
"Dai Mubai."
Tang San's voice was no longer gentle, but carried a hint of warning.
"You've lost your composure."
"This is in public. Do you want Shrek Academy to lose face because of you?"
Upon hearing the word "shameful," Dai Mubai reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
He pointed to his own nose and gave a bitter laugh:
"I'm ashamed?"
"Yes, I, Dai Mubai, am a disgrace."
"I'm just a coward who escapes reality, a good-for-nothing who only knows how to play around with women, and a prince who works as a henchman for a blacksmith's son!"
"Since you're so aloof and perfect, then go play by yourself!"
After saying that.
Dai Mubai turned around abruptly.
Without glancing at anyone again, he pushed through the crowd and staggered away into the distance.
That figure looked utterly disheveled.
It was even more desolate than the figure fleeing Zhao Wuji's assessment site on the sky just now.
The scene was deathly silent.
Then, an even more jarring murmur erupted.
"Tsk tsk tsk, they've already turned on us?"
"What Shrek Seven Devils, what unbreakable bond, it was all an act."
"I think Dai Mubai may be a coward, but what he said makes sense. Who wants to be someone's sidekick every day?"
"Exactly, look at Tang San, the way he looked at Dai Mubai just now clearly showed that he looked down on him."
These voices were not deliberately lowered.
Tang San stood there, his face ashen.
But he quickly regained his composure, took a deep breath, and his face returned to calm.
It even carried a hint of helplessness and heartache.
It's as if it's saying: I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shines on the ditch.
"Third Brother..."
Oscar leaned closer, glanced in the direction Dai Mubai had left, and then looked at Tang San.
"Should we just ignore him?"
Before Tang San could speak...
Ma Hongjun, who was standing next to him, threw the chicken bone in his hand on the ground and cursed:
"What's there to control?"
"Brother Dai has really gone mad. Third Brother tried to comfort him, but he not only didn't appreciate it, he also embarrassed Third Brother in public."
"They really don't know what's good for them."
Ma Hongjun is now very clear about this.
Dai Mubai is finished.
His reputation is ruined, his mentality is broken, and he will probably never be able to hold his head up in the world of Soul Masters again.
But Tang San is different.
Tang San is exceptionally talented and meticulous; only by following Tang San can you get by.
At this point, even a fool would know who to choose.
Yu Xiaogang also walked over with his hands behind his back.
His stiff face was full of seriousness.
"You don't need to blame yourself, mistress."
Yu Xiaogang said in a deep voice:
"The path of the strong is destined to be lonely."
"Dai Mubai has a bad temperament and can't handle setbacks; that's his own problem."
"If he can't even overcome this inner demon, then he doesn't deserve to be a true strongman, much less your partner."
In Yu Xiaogang's view.
Tang San was his disciple and his only hope of proving his theory.
Anyone or anything that might affect Tang San's state of mind should be eliminated.
Dai Mubai's current performance has clearly become an unstable factor.
Rather than keeping him running wild in the team, it's better to let him get out of here on his own.
Tang San nodded.
"The teacher is right."
"I will adjust my mindset."
The group quickly shifted all the blame onto Dai Mubai.
It seems that the person who was publicly humiliated just now was not Dai Mubai, but Tang San, who had suffered a great injustice.
Not far away.
Ning Rongrong gently bit her lip.
She looked at Tang San, who was surrounded by the crowd, and then glanced at the chicken bone that Ma Hongjun had carelessly discarded on the ground.
I suddenly felt a tightness in my chest.
Is this what they call partners?
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(End of chapter)