The Next Morning
Zhu Zhuqing arrived early to fetch Lu Feng, only to find him already awake, training in the courtyard.
The excitement of awakening his god-level martial soul had kept him up all night.
That, and the memory of his close encounter with the icy beauty herself.
No hand holding or hugs but direct kiss!
...
And the unexpected softness beneath her aloof exterior.
Despite her leather pants, he could still feel it.
The feel of her slender waist taut with not an ounce of spare flesh had been intoxicating. Taking that slap had been more than worth it.
More importantly, he could tell Zhu Zhuqing didn't actually despise him.
Just a little more effort and he believe he can feel it without her leather pants in middle…
There she stood now, arms crossed, every inch the untouchable goddess again, putting deliberate distance between them. On the surface, she still seemed angry about last night's transgression and his faked unconsciousness.
With anyone else, she'd have been furious.
But strangely, after Lu Feng's boldness, what simmered beneath her irritation wasn't disgust but a confusing, secret thrill.
That contradiction unsettled her.
It wasn't until she thought he was hurt that she realized his shadow had already crept into her heart. Her panic hadn't been about his status as the Zhu family's honored guest or a once-in-an-era genius, but sheer fear for him.
From their first meeting, Lu Feng had surprised her, bringing warmth and joy she hadn't felt in years.
But her reserved nature and stubborn pride left her defaulting to frosty silence.
Lu Feng wasn't bothered. He knew Zhu Zhuqing hated men who disrespected women, and last night's misunderstanding (thanks to her sister's under-the-table antics at the banquet) had painted him as exactly that.
Explaining would only make things worse.
How exactly do I say, "I groped you because your sister was playing footsie with me earlier" without sounding insane?
Explaining the truth would only make things worse and will bring him no benefit.
A man capable of ruling a commercial empire wasn't foolish enough to sabotage himself like that.
Time to change tactics. Slow and steady.
There was no rush. He had all the time in the world.
Zhu Zhuyun, just you wait. You're fucked.
Still, last night hadn't been a total loss.
Pillowing on her soft supple breasts was really.....a great feeling.
"Achoo!"
Far behind them, Zhu Zhuyun sneezed, rubbing her delicate nose. "Who's cursing me?" Her gaze lingered on Lu Feng's retreating figure, emotions tangled.
After last night's encounter, she couldn't shake the strange new dynamic between them, something intangible, impossible to define.
All she knew was that her curiosity about him kept growing.
That slap from Zhu Zhuqing would've crippled an ordinary person. Yet he walked away unharmed.
If Dai Weis hadn't interrupted, she might've insisted on inspecting Lu Feng's body herself, perhaps by removing his clothes.
And today, that same curiosity had driven her to follow them in secret.
...
The forest loomed ahead.
Lost in their own thoughts, Lu Feng and Zhu Zhuqing walked in silence, the air thick with unspoken tension.
The spirit beast forest outside Star Luo City was reserved for royalty, its creatures bred and guarded by experts. The leaves here were so dark green that the woods earned the name Black Forest.
After passing the imperial guards, they stepped into the outskirts.
The moment they entered, Lu Feng felt an inexplicable comfort, like coming back home.
His World Tree martial soul thrived here.
As the progenitor of all plants and the source of life, the World Tree resonated with the lush vegetation around them.
And the forest responded.
With every step, plants swayed toward him, their leaves brushing his path like subjects bowing to their king.
They recognize me.
The realization sent a thrill through him.
For the first time since awakening his martial soul, he relaxed completely surrounded by silent, reverent allies.
And best of all?
There was no one around.
A man should take the initiative unless he's given up on winning his goddess.
Slowly, Lu Feng reached out and gently took Zhu Zhuqing's slender, jade-white hand in his.
He offered a flimsy excuse to save face "Your hands are so cold. Let me warm them up for you."
The moment their skin touched, Zhu Zhuqing's fingers trembled as if struck by a spark of electricity. She tried to pull away, but Lu Feng tightened his grip just enough to be playfully insistent.
After a few half-hearted tugs, her resistance faded. She let him hold her hand, her cheeks burning as she stared at the ground, too shy to meet his eyes.
Last night had been sleepless for her too.
Lu Feng's image had haunted her thoughts, his boldness, his laughter, the way he'd chosen her over power and wealth without hesitation.
Falling for someone didn't always need logic. Though they'd just met, though he'd been reckless, her heart had already decided. She was his. The whole kingdom knew it now. And in this world, no one else would ever sacrifice so much just for her.
The moment he'd declared, "I only want Zhu Zhuqing," something inside her had snapped into place.
It was all just… too sudden. Too intense.
She needed time to adjust.
But after a night of reflection, she'd made peace with it and even forgiven his earlier boldness.
Now, as their fingers intertwined, the forest seemed to brighten around them. The crisp scent of leaves carried a new sweetness, as if nature itself celebrated their closeness.
Hand in hand, they wandered deeper into the woods, birdsong and blooming flowers painting the scene around them.
To any outsider, they looked like young lovers lost in their own world.
Including the very jealous outsider hiding in the trees.
'Another wave of dog food,' Zhu Zhuyun thought bitterly, watching from the shadows.
"About last night… I acted that way because of a misunderstanding," Lu Feng said suddenly, meeting Zhu Zhuqing's gaze.
"What misunderstanding?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.
Now that she thought about it, his behavior had been strange. The Lu Feng she knew was thoughtful, patient, why would he rush when she was already promised to him? And the words he'd muttered during their struggle…
"I'm still piecing it together," Lu Feng admitted, then smoothly pivoted. "But what's done is done, and I was wrong. So I brought you a gift to apologize."
"A gift?" Zhu Zhuqing blinked. "You didn't buy anything in town earlier."
Lu Feng grinned. "Didn't need to. It's been with me all along."
He reached into his robe-
"A soul bone."