Is This How You Recognized Me?

On the bustling streets of Suotuo City, a young man and woman stood side by side.

The young man was dressed in luxurious clothing. He looked around twelve or thirteen years old, over 1.7 meters tall, and wore a black suit with a flaming fan pattern on the back. His blue-silver hair hung down to his shoulders, and his skin was fair, with delicate and handsome features. However, his face was slightly sullen as he glanced occasionally toward the girl beside him, suggesting that his mood was related to her.

The girl was shorter than the boy. Her long black hair flowed over her shoulders, and her fair skin contrasted with her curvaceous figure that seemed mature for her age. Her expression was somewhat cold, and her black eyes appeared lifeless, which contrasted with her otherwise beautiful face. 

Her limbs were long and well-proportioned, and although an icy coldness emanated from her that made it hard to approach, she could communicate normally with the boy. She didn't smile often, but when she did, it was genuine and not at all fake.

These two were none other than Zhu Zhuqing and Zuzong, who had been fighting fiercely not long ago.

Zuzong was stunned when Zhu Zhuqing said, "Zhu Qing of the Star Dou Forest."

Back then, after treating the little girl in the cave for a few days, he took her to a nearby town and found a healing spirit master to treat her.

Not long after, they even contacted her "elders," who came to take her away.

However, before parting, she seemed to have said, "Zuzong, one day, you'll come to save me."

The two had spent less than a month together, and Zuzong had taken it as a child's jest, casually replying, "Sure! You're always welcome to come find me."

It turned out to be true—she really did come looking for him.

Zuzong looked at Zhu Zhuqing beside him, his gaze drawn downward due to the force of gravity.

"Gulp." He swallowed. This was the difference between a chicken egg and an ostrich egg—it was too stimulating.

Noticing Zuzong's gaze, Zhu Zhuqing shyly lowered her head. Her face flushed red, and even her neck quickly turned a shade of pink.

Glaring at Zuzong, Zhu Zhuqing gritted her teeth and said, "What are you looking at? Who was the one who said I looked like a chicken egg before and that there was nothing to see?"

Zuzong smiled awkwardly. It seemed that he had indeed teased her about this before. He quickly changed the topic, "By the way, Zhuqing, how did you... I mean, how did you end up joining Shrek Academy?"

Darn it! He almost let his inner thoughts slip.

Zuzong clearly remembered that in the original story, Zhu Zhuqing joined Shrek to escape Zhu Zhuyun's pursuit and because she still had some hope for Dai Mubai. Now it seemed that he had unknowingly intervened, and it was interesting to hear that Zhu Zhuqing had come looking for him.

"Didn't you say before that you were at Nuoding Elementary Spirit Master Academy? So I went there to find you. But the academy teacher told me you had already graduated, so it was a wasted trip for me."

There was one thing Zhu Zhuqing didn't say: Zhu Zhuyun's recent assassination attempts had become increasingly frequent. She didn't want Zuzong to worry about her.

"Huh?" Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's words, Zuzong realized it was true. He had taken Xiao Wu to enroll at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, and then Zhu Zhuqing came along. This was like the classic romantic trope where the protagonists just miss each other.

"Then how did you end up at Shrek Academy?" Although not many people knew that Zuzong had joined Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, a few did. It shouldn't have been hard to find out by asking around.

Zhu Zhuqing pouted and complained, "A flat-headed uncle told me that you had enrolled at Shrek Academy. But after I joined, I didn't see you at all. Instead, I met—"

At this point, Zhu Zhuqing's expression turned forlorn, and she glanced sideways at Zuzong.

Zuzong suddenly understood.

Darn it! It was that "Master" Yu Xiaogang again. Back then, Yu Xiaogang kept pestering him, either to take him as a disciple or to recommend Shrek. To get rid of him, Zuzong had indeed casually said he would join Shrek. In the end, he dug a hole for himself and sent the girl right to his rival.

He glanced at Zhu Zhuqing's forlorn expression and shook his head helplessly, "Are you talking about that golden-haired bootlicker from today?"

"Bootlicker?" Black lines appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's forehead. Was that some kind of pet? It seemed Zuzong had invented a new term again. But none of that mattered; what she cared about was Zuzong's feelings. "Don't get the wrong idea. There's nothing between me and him."

Before Zhu Zhuqing could finish speaking, Zuzong pulled her into his arms, giving the most direct answer with his actions.

Right now, Zuzong's heart felt soft, sour, and filled with tenderness. He didn't know why, but even though their relationship was more than friends but not quite lovers, he couldn't help but hug Zhu Zhuqing when she mentioned Dai Mubai.

Zuzong admitted he was jealous. Despite his firm belief that the girl he met in the Star Dou Forest had nothing to do with Dai Mubai, he was still jealous.

If their first meeting today had left him with only a liking for a two-dimensional character, knowing she was "Zhuqing" made it a genuine love. A love for someone real, with flesh and blood. Looking back on their month together two years ago, he realized this girl had unknowingly taken root in his heart.

"Zuzong, you..." It was her first close contact with the opposite sex, and Zhu Zhuqing was extremely nervous. Although Zuzong had held her in the Star Dou Forest, that was when she was unconscious. Now, the male scent enveloped her senses, making her mind go blank.

Zuzong smelled nice, and his embrace was warm and reassuring. That was Zhu Zhuqing's most direct impression.

With her eyes half-closed, Zuzong whispered softly into Zhu Zhuqing's ear. She trembled all over and immediately went limp, leaning against his chest.

Zuzong whispered into her ear, using a voice only they could hear, "I don't care who that Dai Mubai likes or what his identity is. I only know that you're the 'Zhu Qing' who told me to 'save you' before we parted. And I promised you. So, you are mine. You'll never escape."

"Mm!" Zhu Zhuqing nodded, her small face pressed against Zuzong's firm chest. So love at first sight really does exist in this world! Back in the cave in the Star Dou Forest, maybe she had fallen for him from the first moment she laid eyes on him.

Dai Mubai (choking on water): Why do I feel like I should dye my hair green?

Xiao Wu (crying in the restroom):Six years, I slept next to you for six years. And in the blink of an eye, you put on your pants and ran off with someone else

"From now on, I'll call you Xiaozong. Saying Zuzong feels a bit awkward!"

"Alright, Zhuqing!"

"By the way, Xiaozong, you didn't recognize me at the gate of Suotuo City earlier. How did you recognize me in the dark just now?"

Hearing this, Zuzong subconsciously lowered his head, his gaze fixated on the deep ravine of Zhu Zhuqing's cleavage. Although it was covered by black leather, it still revealed a patch of white.

"Gulp." He swallowed. So big!

Hearing no response from Zuzong, Zhu Zhuqing thought he was lost in thought. Showing a puzzled expression, she looked up and made eye contact with Zuzong. She noticed a change in his gaze—though still tender, there was a hint of something else. She had seen this look on Dai Mubai before.

Recalling their previous conversation, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly understood. Good grief! After two years of thinking about you, you only remembered my chest!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Zhu Zhuqing broke free from Zuzong's embrace, lifted her ten-centimeter high heels, and stomped hard on Zuzong's foot.

"Aaaaaaah!"

That night, half of Suotuo City heard Zuzong's scream.

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