Chapter 76: Leaving the Supreme Pontiff Palace

Upon learning that Bibi Dong was aware of his relationship with Hu Liena, Lu Yuan displayed surprise on the surface, yet internally, he remained composed.

He had long deduced Bibi Dong's intentions, which wasn't difficult with a little thought.

She had wanted to win him over from the beginning, and Hu Liena was one of her most important cards in ensuring his loyalty.

Why else would she make arrangements for them to stay in the same room right away? This result had always been her goal.

Did this imply that Bibi Dong valued Hu Liena so little that she would use her like this?

Lu Yuan was certain this was not the case. He suspected that Bibi Dong had been watching him closely, gaining a thorough understanding of his character. This would have allowed her to make sure he was a good match for her disciple.

This realization also explained why Hu Liena had been so kind to him from the beginning. Bibi Dong had most likely shared information about him with her, fostering that sense of goodwill even before they met.

Although Lu Yuan was aware of her cunning actions, he did not misinterpret them. He was familiar with Bibi Dong's approaches - schemes, much like Qian Renxue's. Both were adept at arranging events to achieve their goals, not wanting to leave anything to chance.

And over time, he was sure to have won Bibi Dong's trust and affection, so these "measures" had long since ceased to be important.

Hu Liena, however, was blissfully ignorant of these plots, and she was genuinely drawn to him. As a result, Lu Yuan never turned down their relationship's advances.

Of course, if he hadn't known the backstory, he might have been hesitant to approach Hu Liena and would have been more wary of both of them.

"So, what did Teacher say?" Lu Yuan inquired with a hint of "caution".

Observing Lu Yuan's seemingly apprehensive expression, Hu Liena's lips curled. She decided to take revenge on this stinky younger brother of hers. "Hehe, what's the matter, Xiao Yuan? Are you feeling a little anxious?"

Before Lu Yuan could retort, Hu Liena's voice chimed in once more, "If you're feeling anxious, then why did you kiss me so fiercely last night? Now you're trying to evade responsibility..."

"Oh, now I'm the one who kissed you so fiercely, huh? Who was the one who seemed to forget how to breathe just to prolong the kiss?" Lu Yuan retorted teasingly.

"...Hmph, you didn't object either. And besides, besides... you continued kissing me so passionately afterward!" Hu Liena's cheeks blushed deeply. Couldn't her younger brother just let that incident fade away?

"You're being unreasonable," Lu Yuan rolled his eyes. He certainly wouldn't have held back against her enthusiasm. Did she expect him to give her the cold shoulder?

"So, how did it feel to kiss me?" she asked abruptly, stepping closer to him and blowing a teasing breath his way, her big eyes locked on him.

Lu Yuan shook his head slightly and replied, "It was alright..."

"What do you mean, just alright?!" Hu Liena's voice held a trace of irritation at his seemingly nonchalant response.

Lu Yuan's hand cupped Hu Liena's cheeks in an instant, causing her to pout her lips in a duck grimace. "Hehe, it obviously felt amazing, silly girl. Or would you like us to repeat it for additional verification?"

"Uwuwuu... Mhmm," Hu Liena's shyness resurfaced, and tried to say some words to pretend to protest, but her words dissolved into unintelligible sounds as their lips met once more...

Hu Liena's flushed and intoxicated face parted from his after a lingering moment, her arms draped around his neck and her slender thighs encircling his waist like an octopus.

"Indeed, Nana, your kisses are something else," Lu Yuan beamed.

"Bully, you smelly..." A muffled retort escaped from Hu Liena's rosy lips as she continued to catch her breath, but her gaze was brimming with affection.

"So, the Teacher approved of our relationship?" Lu Yuan asked casually.

"Mhmm..." She replied softly, nestling her face into the curve of his neck.

After a brief period of rest in his embrace, a thought crossed her mind, and she couldn't resist asking with a hint of sourness, "Have you also shared a kiss with Qian Renxue?"

In the end, the competitive streak in her couldn't resist surfacing!

"Hmm..." Lu Yuan simply nodded, not hiding it. It had been a fleeting kiss, but a kiss nonetheless.

"You, you actually kissed her? So last night wasn't your first kiss?" Hu Liena's hand pressed against his chest as she turned to look at him, her eyes glistening with a trace of wetness.

"Silly girl, why trouble yourself with such thoughts?" Lu Yuan moved a hand to caress her cheeks tenderly.

But she dodged his hand and moved to his shoulder, opening her mouth to bite down hard.

"Ow! You little fox, what's gotten into you!"

"It's not fair that only I have a mark, why must you have such a sturdy body? My teeth hurt!" she pouted in mock annoyance. Yet, as her eyes were drawn to the slight mark on Lu Yuan's shoulder, a smile spread across her cheeks.

Her moment of triumph was short-lived, however, as a sudden tingling sensation shot through her lower half, prompting her to yelp, "Ouch! You..."

"That being the case, I should follow suit. You aren't going to complain, are you? Don't worry, no one will notice it here..."

"Don't even think about it! Xiao Yuan... wuu..." Before Hu Liena could say anything else, her lips were captured by Lu Yuan's once again, while his hands began a different exploration...

...

A few hours later, outside the Supreme Pontiff Palace, the carriage that would take them back to Nuoding City was already prepared and quite luxurious.

Glancing at Hu Liena, who didn't seem to have the slightest abnormality in front of him, Lu Yuan's eyes flickered mischievously as he said, "Big Sister, I'm afraid we'll be seated for quite a while during the travel..."

"Don't say it, you big dummy!" Hu Liena immediately understood what he meant and reacted angrily.

Lu Yuan secretly laughed at the sight of her big sister's appearance but stopped teasing her.

Hu Liena chose to ignore this stinking younger brother of hers and shifted her attention to Bibi Dong, who was making her way toward them. Standing behind Bibi Dong was an elderly man dressed in black, his head adorned with patches of white hair - none other than Lu Yuan's mentor, Golden Crocodile Douluo.

"Greetings, Teacher. Greetings, Elder Crocodile!" Hu Liena's sweet voice rang out.

"Greetings, Teacher. Greetings, Grandpa Crocodile!" Lu Yuan quickly greeted as well.

Bibi Dong waved her hand dismissively and said, "No need for excessive formalities, Xiao Yuan, Nana. This time, during your journey to Nuoding City, you'll be accompanied by the Second Worshipper. Listen to his guidance along the way."

"We understand, Teacher!" They both responded in unison.

"We appreciate your assistance, Grandpa Crocodile!" Lu Yuan expressed his gratitude. Although inside, he felt quite conflicted.

Golden Crocodile nodded, a faint smile gracing his lips. "No trouble at all. This old man is also curious about Nuoding City – curious to see what kind of place nurtured a genius like you."

Gazing at Lu Yuan, a smile twinkled in Golden Crocodile's eyes. After over a year of teaching, he was thoroughly content with Lu Yuan's progress. With no descendants of his own, he had come to regard Lu Yuan as his own grandson.

Moreover, it was Lu Yuan's presence that considerably eased the tension between the Supreme Pontiff Palace and the Douluo Consecration Hall. Otherwise, this time, neither Bibi Dong nor Golden Crocodile would have come together.