Chapter 96: A Bit of Romantic Progress (If You Don’t Like Romance, Please Skip)

"Xiao Huo, don't you have something you need to explain to me?"

In the new student dormitory, Room 313, Wang Rui sat on his bed with his arms crossed, a half-smile on his face.

The match was over, and everyone had returned to their dorms. It was time to close the door and deal with the troublemaker.

Three-Eyed Golden Lion was ready to settle accounts after the fact.

"Uh…" Huo Yuqing unconsciously twisted her fingers so hard that the skin on them began to turn pale. She had indeed been hoping for a smooth opportunity to reveal her true identity, but wasn't this happening a little too fast?

"Ruirui, I…"

"Who are you calling Ruirui?" Wang Rui rolled his eyes and cut her off in a sarcastic tone. "Are we that close? I don't even know your real name…

And stop twisting your fingers! Don't you know that could cause joint pain in the future? What if your fingers stiffen up and you can't make soul tools anymore?"

Huo Yuqing quickly separated her hands. She looked at Wang Rui a bit pitifully, but then, as if she suddenly thought of something, she unexpectedly started laughing.

"Xiao Huo, what are you laughing at? Be serious!" Wang Rui slammed the table. "I'm seriously criticizing you right now, do you understand?"

"Alright, I won't laugh." Huo Yuqing wiped her face and forcibly pulled down the corners of her mouth. But she couldn't hold it in and soon let out another chuckle.

So cute, Wang Rui.

"Stop laughing! Hurry up and reflect on your mistakes!"

"Okay, okay, I was wrong." Huo Yuqing blinked.

"Tell me, what was your mistake?"

"Uh… I shouldn't have used a new move I've never used before during the match?" Huo Yuqing tried to deflect, hoping to pass this off with some cuteness.

"Oh, I almost forgot about that mistake too," Wang Rui saw right through her attempt and sneered. "That makes it even worse."

"Hey, hey, hey, don't do that!" The girl was shocked.

"Confess and you'll be treated leniently. Resist and you'll be punished more severely." Wang Rui tapped the table. "Huo Yuhao, explain to me why, after your martial soul fusion technique, your appearance turned into that of a stunning beauty?"

"Beauty? Ruirui, so you also think I look good?" Huo Yuqing's eyes lit up.

"That's what you're focusing on?!"

"Yes, yes, as you saw, that super beautiful girl is me. My real name is actually Huo Yuqing—'qing' as in 'sunny day.' I was just disguising myself as a boy temporarily for safety reasons on the road," she said with a mischievous smile.

Wang Rui thought, Well, the name is actually quite nice. Considering the poor security on Douluo Continent, where even slave auctions were common, it made sense for a young girl to take precautions to protect herself. So as long as she reflected a little and admitted that she shouldn't have kept misleading and hiding things from her friends, he'd forgive her on the spot.But then…

"A girl being forced to share a room with you for months…" Huo Yuqing dramatically wiped away nonexistent tears, making an exaggerated sobbing face before flipping the script. "Wang Rui, my innocence has been ruined by you. Boohoo, you have to take responsibility for me… No being a heartless jerk, Ruirui!"

Huo Yuqing deliberately said it in a joking tone, but she was secretly observing Wang Rui's reaction through the gaps in her fingers.

Wang Rui: ?

Clueless dormmates in the next room: ?

"Wait, do you even hear yourself? What do you mean I ruined your innocence?! What did I do?! If anything, you're the one slandering me with baseless accusations!"

Wang Rui shouted.

"Aiya, in my hometown, partners who perform a martial soul fusion technique together are supposed to get married! You can't escape, Ruirui, you must take responsibility!" Huo Yuqing cackled mischievously.

At first, she had felt a little shy, but when she realized that Wang Rui's face was turning red even faster than hers, she immediately stopped holding back.

"What marriage? Don't say weird things!" Wang Rui shrieked.

But then, he remembered that embrace. And that one delayed, comforting whisper. His ears started heating up against his will.

He couldn't deny it. At that moment, he had truly been moved.

So… actually… maybe… this wasn't such a bad idea?

Romance… Wang Rui had never considered anything like romance before.

As a soul beast with an extremely long growth cycle and a special bloodline, he had never experienced certain biological urges that most soul beasts had.

And ever since his reincarnation, he had spent all his time either in deep sleep, cultivating, or fighting various factions.

There was a saying: Life never stops, and neither does internal strife. Just dealing with endless conflicts had already consumed most of his energy—he had no time or interest in finding a partner.

Thinking about it this way… Huo Yuqing actually seemed like the perfect match.She could do all the household chores, cook meals that tasted so good they might as well be imprinted into the world's laws, had top-tier talent, outstanding comprehension abilities, a compatible personality, and would grow into an absolute beauty in the future.

Not to mention, she was his martial soul fusion technique partner…

What more could anyone want?

Especially considering the undeniable pull of fate between them.

Then Wang Rui looked at the girl standing in front of him, still dressed in the male uniform of Shrek Academy…

This is way too criminal, he scolded himself internally. You can't turn into a pervert like Xiao Wu or Gu Yuena.

[T/N: Bro has a Tomboy Fetish]

Looking at Huo Yuqing's smiling face, he suddenly felt an odd sense of fatherly concern. He sighed, "Talking about marriage at this age is way too early. You're still young. Besides, just because we have a martial soul fusion technique doesn't mean we have to be together. Don't joke around about things like this.

"Middle school kids joking about marriage…

Eating random food was fine, but throwing around jokes like this was dangerous! Someone like Wang Rui might actually take it seriously."

He took it seriously," Huo Yuqing murmured to Tian Meng Ice Silkworm in her mind. "I was joking, but he actually seriously considered it."

"Heh, told you my idea was solid," Tian Meng Ice Silkworm gloated smugly. "Watch and see. His first reaction wasn't to reject you outright—that means he's interested in you too."

"Mm." Huo Yuqing gave a short response.

Wang Rui… even though she had deceived him, misled him, and hidden things from him… This guy still instinctively considered her feelings first. How is that even fair?

Her emotions were complicated.

She knew she liked Wang Rui… He was too outstanding. Maybe he didn't even realize how dazzling he was, but the truth was, everyone was drawn to him.But her feelings were more than just romantic.

Beyond simple attraction, Wang Rui was also her most important friend, her battle partner with whom she shared a martial soul fusion technique, her guide to this new world, and even a family member without blood ties…

With all of this, the kind of love between a man and a woman almost felt like an extra layer on top of everything else.She wasn't sure if this kind of emotion could truly be called "love." But, given her mother's past experiences, she instinctively feared love just a little.

However, she knew she could never tolerate someone else replacing her, standing so close to Wang Rui.

Tian Meng Ice Silkworm claimed that this was love and told her not to worry because Wang Rui liked her too. But Huo Yuqing wasn't entirely convinced—after all, from what she could tell, this bug had never been in a relationship either.

Still, she was certain of one thing: she wouldn't let go. Never.

She had to get stronger…

Her mother hadn't been a soul master, hadn't had the strength to hold on to the person she loved, nor the power to push her rivals away.

If she became strong enough, all these problems would be solved.

Besides revenge, now she had another reason to become powerful.

Time to work hard, Huo Loli!