Chapter 50: Can You Really Talk to Me About This?
“Wait, that…”
Su Lan Qian stopped Bai Feng, who was getting ready to leave. Her eyes subconsciously darted to the side, and her expression was a bit awkward.
“Is there something up?”
Bai Feng halted, looking a tad helpless.
Is she still not over our last match and wants a rematch in array techniques?
“Um… I’m sorry.” Su Lan Qian bit her lip, her voice barely a whisper. “I shouldn’t have said that about you before.”
Before Bai Feng could respond, she lifted her head, trying hard to maintain eye contact. “If possible, please… please let me be by your side.”
Before she could finish, her face turned a startling shade of red, and Bai Feng almost panicked at the thought of her fainting right then and there.
Whatever her reasons were, he had to say no!
Their relationship was already a bit rocky; adding this kind of trouble was a no-go. He seriously couldn’t think of a reason to agree.
So, he shook his head. “Did you change a bit too much? I preferred your previous ‘lively’ self.”
“I… I really am sorry.” Su Lan Qian completely dropped her previous brash demeanor, now resembling someone on the verge of tears. “I will do anything I can do, I promise. Please…”
“You’re making this sound all kinds of wrong!” Bai Feng’s corner of the mouth twitched. “Can I ask why?”
“I… I’ve been afflicted by a Heart Demon.” Su Lan Qian hunched her shoulders, wrapping her arms around herself. “Now, every time I encounter an array, I just think of you. I can’t be an array master anymore!”
“Is it really that serious?”
Bai Feng’s eyes widened. This seemed like a severe case of Heart Demon—she was just a step away from being completely consumed!
What kind of fragile mind is she working with?
“Yeah…” Su Lan Qian nodded, gripping Bai Feng’s sleeve, her head down, voice tiny. “I want to find a way to break this Heart Demon, so even if it means being close to you…”
“Stop right there!” Bai Feng interrupted her directly. “I have no interest in that!”
Su Lan Qian’s panic levels went through the roof. “I…”
“Shush, let me speak first.”
Bai Feng wasn’t feeling polite; he flicked her forehead as she edged closer.
Perhaps sensing his firmness, she quieted down immediately.
“Out of respect for our master, I’ll allow you to stick around while you seek a way to deal with your Heart Demon…” Before Su Lan Qian could express her gratitude, he quickly changed the subject. “But only during class! Don’t disturb me during my personal time, okay?”
Su Lan Qian nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes! Thank you, junior brother! I… I’ll be obedient!”
“…”
Don’t just throw yourself into the role of a servant, okay?
Bai Feng rubbed his forehead, realizing he regretted setting up that illusion array more than anything.
He had intended to teach this haughty little brat a lesson but found her so fragile instead. With a little push, she crumpled.
Moreover, they held no deep-seated grudge, so a few shared classes wouldn’t hurt.
“Okay, I’m off to rest now. Don’t bother me unless it’s urgent.”
“Understood!”
As Su Lan Qian watched Bai Feng walk away, she realized she had told a little fib; she wasn’t just reminded of him when encountering arrays.
Since exiting that illusion array, voices had been buzzing in her ears, as if another her was chatting away.
When she closed her eyes, she’d see Bai Feng—the moment he broke the Fire Dragon array was also the moment she lost.
Now, the voices in her head grew louder, causing her brain to pound painfully.
Yet every time the voices started to pull her in, she felt a sudden pang at her forehead, followed by a voice that burst through it all:
“This is an illusion; come back to reality!”
Su Lan Qian touched her forehead, which had just been flicked, feeling quite conflicted about how to face Bai Feng.
She had clearly lost to him, typically she should feel resentment or anger, but when Bai Feng “saved” her, such thoughts seemed impossible to form against her savior.
Gratefulness? Sure, a bit. But more than that, it was helplessness.
Perhaps it was because he saved her from the Heart Demon that her fragility made her naturally cling to Bai Feng?
But, hey—being by his side sure kept the Heart Demon at bay! She didn’t even get why; was her Heart Demon unrelated to Bai Feng?
“Look at you, all weak and pitiful now. Is there any trace of your former genius swagger left? Let go of everything, entrust it all to me, and I’ll help you defeat him and reclaim all that belongs to you.”
A voice echoed precisely in her ear, yet she ignored it as she walked toward her residence.
“Oh… right. You’re completely out of steam now. You’re no longer the genius you once were, just a fragile nobody. Instead of drifting along like this, just let go and trust me; you won’t feel any pain again…”
“This is… an illusion.” Su Lan Qian rested her hand on her forehead, mimicking Bai Feng’s tone from that day, whispering the words.
Was it her imagination or did the voices actually quiet down just a smidge?
…
“Junior Brother!!!”
As Bai Feng, who was just ‘getting off school,’ reached for the door, a small creature suddenly charged at him.
At this point, it was too late to dodge. His legs involuntarily tensed, activating his mini array.
But the expected impact didn’t hit him; though Yu Yao crashed into him, it felt soft and squishy. He wondered how she managed such a gentle landing.
“Is there something you need, Senior Sister?”
Bai Feng reached down to lift the ‘sticky’ Yu Yao, cradling her under her arms as he reflexively hoisted her up.
“Junior Brother, even if you’re my adopted father, I’ll still be angry if you hold me like this!” Yu Yao glowered at Bai Feng, her little legs starting to kick as if debating whether to give him a swift kick.
“Ahem, sorry!” Bai Feng quickly set Yu Yao down and continued in a low voice, “What’s up, Senior Sister?”
“Nothing much, I just got a little too excited and wanted to share something,” she said, directly pulling out a set of clothes from her storage bag. “Look, isn’t it stunning?!”
Bai Feng glanced down at the outfit in Yu Yao’s hands and felt a rush of déjà vu—wasn’t this the outfit from that anime about bunny girls?
You whipped this up overnight?
While Bai Feng was still in shock, Yu Yao rambled on. “Wow, Master Chun Qiu is something else! Just thinking about it makes me blush. It’s just a simple little character, but wow, so cheeky! And this outfit? I’ve never seen anything like it! Way bolder than what those perverts in the Hehuan Sect come up with! How does he even think up such fun designs?”
Bai Feng couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the overly excited Yu Yao. “Is this really something you can just talk to me about?”
