Chapter 33: Wild Thoughts

By the time Tang San returned, Ye Qiu was seated cross-legged on his bed, meditating.

Xiao Wu, on the other hand, was quietly sitting by her own bed, holding the fruit Ye Qiu had given her. She squinted her eyes, delicately licking and savoring it, clearly in a good mood—though her eyes were still slightly red.

Tang San immediately understood what had happened during his absence and let out a helpless smile.

"Xiao Wu, you didn't start another fight with Ye Qiu, did you?"

Xiao Wu pouted, glaring at Ye Qiu, and huffed, "Hmph! It's all his fault—he keeps bullying me!"

"You were the one who attacked first, weren't you?" Ye Qiu opened his eyes and shot an annoyed glance at her.

"If you hadn't made me angry, I wouldn't have hit you first!" Xiao Wu gritted her teeth, looking furious.

Tang San sighed, rubbing his forehead. He could never quite figure out their conflicts, but after spending so much time with them, he had noticed something odd—every time Ye Qiu fought Xiao Wu, he would feel a strange heaviness in his head.

"Ye Qiu, maybe you should pick a different spot next time. Xiao Wu is a girl, after all," Tang San suggested.

Xiao Wu eagerly nodded in agreement.

"Well, hitting the softer parts hurts less. Otherwise, this silly rabbit would end up crying," Ye Qiu shrugged, looking a little exasperated.

Tang San had told Ye Qiu similar things many times before.

Ye Qiu even suspected that Tang San's frequent sparring sessions with him were partly because he wanted to stand up for Xiao Wu after she got beaten.

Besides, Tang San was a little strange.

When Ye Qiu fought Tang San, even if Tang San didn't use hidden weapons, he was obviously stronger than Xiao Wu. Yet, whenever he sparred with her, he lost more often than he won. What was even weirder was that right after fighting Xiao Wu, he could still challenge Ye Qiu without even breaking a sweat.

Ye Qiu knew exactly how strong this little rabbit was, so the real issue was obvious.

Tang San sighed again, already expecting Ye Qiu's response. However, he still forced a smile and teased, "Just be careful not to go too hard on her. If you break Xiao Wu, you'll have to carry her on the journey tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I know my limits," Ye Qiu chuckled. He never hit her too hard, and he always healed her afterward.

"Hmm?"

Xiao Wu was momentarily stunned by Tang San's words. Then, her face flushed, and her eyes sparkled—only to dim a moment later.

If only Ye Qiu didn't have healing abilities… that way, she could make him carry her for miles and miles. Then, she could snuggle up to him—wait, no! That would be a perfect punishment for him!

"Alright, Xiao Wu, let's go eat," Ye Qiu called out as he got up.

But Xiao Wu didn't respond. She remained sitting with her head down, nibbling on her fruit as if she hadn't heard him.

"Xiao Wu…? Xiao Wu?!"

"Silly rabbit!"

"Huh? Ye Qiu, what did you say?"

Ye Qiu had raised his voice, finally snapping Xiao Wu out of her daze. She blinked in confusion, not even reacting to the nickname he gave her.

Tang San also looked at her curiously.

"What were you daydreaming about?" Ye Qiu asked, puzzled.

"I—I wasn't thinking about anything!"

Xiao Wu's face quickly turned red. She averted her gaze, avoiding eye contact with Ye Qiu, looking guilty.

"It's getting late. We should go eat. But… why is your face suddenly so red?" Ye Qiu raised an eyebrow and reached out to cup her cheeks, studying her closely.

"Ah! Go away! I—I'm fine! It's just a little hot, and I'm not feeling well!" Xiao Wu frantically shook her head like a rattle drum, her face growing even redder. She reached up to push Ye Qiu away but, in the end, simply pulled her blanket over her head, muffling her voice.

"You go eat by yourself! I'm not hungry!"

"Not feeling well? That doesn't seem right…"

Ye Qiu frowned. He had only smacked her butt a few times, and he had already healed her entire body.

"Haha, maybe she's just too sore to walk properly after your beatdown," Tang San chuckled. However, there was an odd, almost imperceptible bitterness hidden in his laughter.

"Alright then," Ye Qiu sighed, glancing at Tang San before shrugging. He didn't insist. Instead, he lightly patted Xiao Wu's blanket and asked, "Do you want me to bring you something to eat?"

"Yes! Xiao Wu wants fresh, long, and straight carrots!"

Xiao Wu poked her head out, her face still flushed red. She avoided Ye Qiu's gaze but quickly made her request.

"Got it. Rest well," Ye Qiu replied softly before stuffing a lollipop into her mouth.

"Mmm~ thanks," Xiao Wu mumbled through the candy, her voice unusually soft.

"Xiao San, coming to eat?" Ye Qiu asked as he reached the door.

"No need, I already ate with Teacher."

"Alright."

Ye Qiu waved lazily and headed toward the cafeteria.

Xiao Wu, still sucking on her lollipop, absentmindedly rubbed her backside, her cheeks still tinged with pink.

Ye Qiu could be quite considerate at times, though most of the time, it was just him cleaning up his own mess. And, to be fair, she was always the one who started the fights.

She knew she couldn't win against him. Every time she pounced on him like an angry little beast, she ended up getting thoroughly beaten. But she just couldn't help herself! Ye Qiu was just too annoying! He never let her have her way—hmph!

—

The Next Morning

Tang San, Ye Qiu, and Xiao Wu left the gates of Nuoding Academy together.

Xiao Wu hopped along beside Ye Qiu, tugging at the strap of his shoulder bag, giggling as she bumped into him now and then.

She caught his eye-roll but just responded with a sweet smile before reluctantly restraining herself—she didn't want to provoke him too much, or she'd end up getting spanked on the road. That would be way too embarrassing!

Tang San walked on the other side of Ye Qiu, occasionally glancing at Xiao Wu, who was laughing so carefreely. She really was too innocent and full of life.

After hopping around for an entire hour under the scorching sun, the energetic little rabbit finally ran out of steam. Sweat dotted her forehead as she instinctively clung to Ye Qiu's arm, leaning against him weakly.

"Ye Qiu, how much farther? Xiao Wu is exhausted…" she whined.

"That's what you get for bouncing around the whole way. Just hang in there," Ye Qiu sighed, shaking his head.

Xiao Wu shielded her eyes from the glaring sun and let out a dramatic groan.

"Ugh, it's so hot… Ye Qiu, can't you use your martial soul to transform into an umbrella or something? Let Xiao Wu hide from the sun, pretty please?"