Chapter 21: Changes

Liu Erlong's heart was extremely complicated at this moment. The man who had helped her so much and even saved her life was the same man she once refused to confess her love to.

Yet, she loved him deeply. Every day, she acted as if she was unappreciated, pretending to be deep and always hiding behind Flender and him when something happened. It wasn't until the three of them performed the Trinity Martial Soul Fusion Technique that he became truly useful. He had nothing but theoretical knowledge and common sense about soul masters, and he was extremely cowardly in his actions.

Moreover, they were cousins and couldn't be together. Even if Liu Erlong didn't care, Yu Xiaogang certainly would. He cared a lot about his reputation. Did Liu Erlong really want to be scorned as a shameless woman who seduced her cousin? Liu Erlong had reached the Soul Emperor level at a very young age, in her thirties. With her talent, she could definitely reach the Soul Saint level before the age of forty. She was close to achieving it—just this month, in fact.

Her benignly mutated red dragon martial soul, combined with an innate soul power of level eight, gave her incredible potential. Liu Erlong had immense talent, but her cultivation had been hampered by her longing for a heartless man.

"Erlongmei, where are you going? We've already passed the school district. Why are you heading towards the forest?" Flender asked simply, but when Liu Erlong heard it, her heart started pounding.

"Um, um... Boss Fu, this is the way to my secluded place. I usually live there," Liu Erlong stammered nervously, finishing her sentence. She didn't dare to look at Flender now; she was deeply ashamed.

She had actually developed a crush on the man who had rejected her love confession. She felt as if she had betrayed Yu Xiaogang and was also unfair to Flender, who had helped her even after she had rejected him.

The man she loved so deeply had been missing for a long time, vanishing without a trace as if he had evaporated from the face of the earth, abandoning her just to preserve his reputation.

Liu Erlong thought carefully. Even though she and Yu Xiaogang had been married, they were cousins. Rumors and family expectations would never allow them to be together. But she wondered if Boss Fu would despise her for it.

Soon, they arrived at Liu Erlong's cabin. The environment here was tranquil, far from the worldly chaos, with only the peace and quiet of nature.

"Boss Fu, I don't have much to offer you. I'll go make some tea first," Liu Erlong said hurriedly, before running off.

"Dean, it seems you are quite charming. Senior-Uncle Erlong has been captivated by you. The way she looks at you is full of mixed emotions—gratitude, apology, and love.

I told you, I can definitely help you spruce up your image. You're not bad looking; you just don't take care of yourself. Tsk, tsk, tsk, it seems like it won't be long before you have another woman in your life," Li Luochen sent a voice transmission to Flender, as Liu Erlong was still in the room and could overhear them. Soul Masters who reach level 25 can use soul power to send voice messages (according to Baidu, so it should be a secondary setting).

"What are you talking about, kid? Be careful, or I'll beat you up."

"Just tell me, do you like Uncle Erlong or not?"

"I do."

"Isn't that enough? If you like her, just pursue her. You don't need to confess directly. Spend time with her, do things together, talk to her, let her get used to your presence, and she'll come around."

At that time, Li Luochen would give Flender and Liu Erlong a strong push. He had studied medicine for so long that he knew how to make a colorless and odorless aphrodisiac.

If the timing was right, Li Luochen wouldn't mind helping Flender. After all, the idea of cousins being together was intriguing, and Flender was clearly a good match. The main thing was that Li Luochen despised Yu Xiaogang, a man who pretended to be a master.

Li Luochen planned to humiliate Yu Xiaogang, making him unable to say a word in protest because, if he did, it would mean he was coveting his cousin.

Soon, Liu Erlong returned with the tea. She and Flender sat opposite each other, but she didn't dare to look at him. She feared that her emotions would be shaken if she did, filling her with guilt.

Flender didn't mind. Though he was as nervous as when he first began pursuing Liu Erlong, he had thick skin and didn't dwell on it. Liking someone was simply that—he had no guilt or anything like that.

As for Yu Xiaogang? Flender felt nothing but disdain. Liu Erlong was given to him at the start. She was practically delivered to his bed. Who could he blame for failing to keep her? And he abandoned her to face the rumors alone. Flender wanted to punch Yu Xiaogang.

. . .

Li Luochen felt out of place. "Am I a little redundant here? I should leave. But where to? Never mind, I'll just take a walk. Staying here might interfere with their progress. Yeah, it's time to go."

"Hey, Dean, Uncle Erlong, I'm going to take a walk around Tiandou City. You two can chat. I'll be off," Li Luochen quickly made his exit, practically running for his life, leaving the two of them staring at each other in surprise.

". . ."

"Boss Fu…"

"Erlongmei…"

". . ."

"You speak first. ×2"

The scene was awkward for a moment, but then the two of them began talking. The specifics of their conversation were unknown, but both their hearts were silently stirred.

Liu Erlong developed new feelings for her boss. Comparing the two men, she realized that she had indeed not done enough for Flender. Apart from her mother, Flender was the only one who truly treated her well.

Yu Xiaogang only cared about his theories, driven by a desire for success and fame. He was too utilitarian. In the past, Liu Erlong had been a hopeless romantic, seeing beauty in everything. But now, sober and reflective, she realized that Yu Xiaogang had never brought anything positive into her life. It was she who had loved him to death.

Meanwhile, Flender felt useless. He clearly liked Erlongmei very much, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. He had even been willing to step aside to help Yu Xiaogang. However, Yu Xiaogang couldn't handle it and abandoned Liu Erlong.

Hiding in a small town and never checking on his wife's current situation—what a coward. Was a man who took someone's heart and then ran away truly worthy of Erlongmei's love?

Although their relationship had changed, the bond between the two old friends was moving in an indescribable direction. Both had a better impression of each other, but neither said it outright. The atmosphere was strange, but time was on their side. The longer Li Luochen stayed in Tiandou City, the better.

On the other side…

Li Luochen had fled from Lanba Academy and looked back at the academy gate behind him, feeling that it all seemed so unreal.

Shouldn't Liu Erlong be a hopeless, love-struck woman? She was so obsessed with Yu Xiaogang, so why did she look so shy when she saw the newly transformed dean?

The dean now had a scholarly air, and Yu Xiaogang, the "master," also had a scholarly air. Could it be that Liu Erlong was attracted to this type?

Anyway, everything was going smoothly. If things really didn't work out, he could always add fuel to the fire. He'd do the dirty work and bear the consequences.

He was happy. He wanted them to become a couple, no matter what... even the gods couldn't stop them.

But if you think about it carefully, drugging her was really too dirty. Still, with their personalities, it would be difficult for them to get together without making things clear. Although Liu Erlong was carefree, she was actually very shy.

The dean was also a taciturn person, so it probably wouldn't work. Let's wait until Liu Erlong obtains the seventh spirit ring and then have the dean accompany her to get along with her. Let them get used to each other first.

Li Luochen walked toward the downtown area of Tiandou City while thinking about all of this. However, he didn't realize that being distracted on the road could be dangerous.

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