Chapter 29: Demon Cult Maiden |
【Although He Xianzi will soon leave the sect again to venture with you, she missed you too much and secretly ran out to meet you in advance. She also brought the Black Blood Paste she carefully crafted to share with you.】
【You consume the exquisite Black Blood Paste: Strength +3, Charisma +2, Stamina +4, Level +2.】
【Current Spirit Level: 36.】
The next morning, warm sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating He Qing’s face. She groggily opened her eyes.
She paused for a moment, staring at the unfamiliar surroundings before remembering where she was.
Turning her head, she saw Lin Zhengran still fast asleep. Her small mouth held her breath as she took in his features under the soft light—his sharp jawline looked even more handsome from the side than from the front.
A shy He Qing noticed that part of his blanket had slipped off. She reached out to pull it back over him, but as she moved her hand, she accidentally bumped into something hard in Lin Zhengran’s pocket.
A card?
Curious, she lowered her gaze. Since a corner was already exposed, it was easy to pull it out.
"Children’s Talent Agency? What’s this?"
She flipped the poster over and suddenly felt a strange substance on her fingers. It was from the poster—colorless but with a familiar scent. She brought it to her nose and sniffed.
It smelled nice and somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t immediately place it.
Her movements stirred Lin Zhengran awake. Instinctively, she hurriedly shoved the poster back into his pocket.
Lin Zhengran rubbed his eyes. "You're awake?"
He Qing sat up. "Yeah." She smoothed the stray hairs on her face, worried about looking messy in front of him. "Did you sleep well? I slept really well next to you."
Lin Zhengran yawned and checked the time. "Not bad." He sighed internally—being young really was great. Even in such an environment, he could sleep soundly.
"It’s seven o’clock. I’ll take you for breakfast, and then you should catch your train back."
"Okay." She nodded eagerly, helping him fix his messy hair.
The two of them left the courtyard and grabbed a simple breakfast. Lin Zhengran bought He Qing’s ticket for her.
The whole time, the little girl remained cheerful, though she was still trying to recall where she had smelled that scent before.
It wasn’t until they waved goodbye and boarded trains in opposite directions that He Qing's eyes suddenly widened in realization.
"Hand cream… a girl’s hand cream!"
—
By evening, there was one more heartbroken person in this city.
In Han Wenwen’s bedroom, the "fox" hugged a pillow and stared at the tearful He Qing in confusion.
"You… what’s wrong?"
"Nothing," He Qing sniffled, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Didn’t have fun with your ‘good big brother’ yesterday?"
He Qing wiped her tears but spoke nonstop, her voice both happy and aggrieved. "It was fun~ We ate noodles, and he even ate the chocolate I made. He said it was delicious. We talked for a long time last night—I was so happy!"
Han Wenwen frowned. "Then… did he bully you? Did he do something you didn’t want?"
"No! He treats me very well. He’d never do anything like that." Her voice grew more pitiful.
Han Wenwen blinked her fox-like eyes in confusion. "Then why are you crying? Don’t tell me you’re crying because you’re too happy?"
He Qing whimpered, her voice choked with sobs. "It’s all my fault… I should’ve been by his side all these years… but…" Her face crumpled. "I think… I think there’s another girl around him now! And she’s probably really pretty! What do I do, Wenwen?!"
Honestly, He Qing had long expected Lin Zhengran to be popular. He was already like that before she left, and over the past four years, she had noticed from their phone calls that there always seemed to be girls around him. She had mentally prepared herself for battle.
But when she personally—with her own nose—smelled another girl’s scent on him, she just couldn’t hold back her emotions.
Still, He Qing was no longer the same little girl from years ago. Crying didn’t mean surrender. Until Lin Zhengran made a clear statement, she absolutely refused to back down!
—
A few days later, under the lingering heat of late summer, First Middle School officially started.
Lin Zhengran went to register with Jiang Xueli.
"Hey, idiot, do you even know where to go?"
"Just follow me."
Jiang Xueli clasped her hands behind her back, fantasizing to herself, but she refused to admit it aloud. "You don’t think we’ll be in the same class, do you? Ugh, I really don’t want to see you every day, but life is full of disappointments, huh?"
A few minutes later, they arrived at the registration area. Lin Zhengran pointed at the class list. "See? You got your wish. We’re in different classes. Happy now?"
Jiang Xueli clenched her fists in frustration and snapped, "Happy, my ass! You’re the worst!"
Women were such strange creatures. She got what she wanted, yet she still wasn’t happy.
But as Lin Zhengran looked more closely at the class list, he suddenly froze.
Something about it… seemed off.
Class 1: Lin Zhengran… and Han Wenwen.
Class 3: Jiang Xueli… and He Qing.
Sweat formed on Lin Zhengran’s forehead. Nothing had happened yet, but he already had a bad feeling about this school year.
Leaving the fuming Jiang Xueli behind, he headed toward his classroom.
—
Class 1 was lively and bustling. Though everyone was new, they already seemed familiar with one another. Small groups had already started forming.
Han Wenwen arrived a little late, and by then, the classroom was packed.
But the moment she walked in, Lin Zhengran knew—this fox was about to steal the attention of every boy in the room.
Her figure, her face, her eyes, her expressions—none were perfect on their own, but together, they achieved an almost perfect balance.
In the coming years, many boys would likely remember the middle school girl they never had a chance with. Some would sigh to themselves, "If only I had tried a little harder…" Not that it would’ve made a difference.
—
On the first day, every new student had to introduce themselves on stage.
Han Wenwen stood up there, smiling with her eyes narrowed. "Hi, everyone! I’m Han Wenwen. I hope we can all become great friends this year!"
Lin Zhengran watched from below, already predicting the inevitable—boys blushing left and right.
This girl really was dangerous. But fortunately, it had nothing to do with him.
Or so he thought—until the teacher announced:
"Alright, Han Wenwen, please take the seat next to Lin Zhengran. You two will be desk partners from now on."
Lin Zhengran froze. Even Han Wenwen raised an eyebrow in surprise, glancing at him.
As their eyes met from across the room, Han Wenwen gracefully walked over and sat beside him.
She smiled, her expression carrying a hint of flirtation. "Didn’t I say we’d meet again if we were destined to?" Her voice was smooth, playful. "Looks like fate really did bring us together, Lin Zhengran."
Lin Zhengran: "….."
【You have once again encountered the Demon Cult Maiden. The moment she appeared, she bewitched countless cultivators. You sense that, for some reason, she seems particularly interested in you. The world is truly full of dangers—you must tread carefully. Of course, this may also be a kind of opportunity.】
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