Chapter 48: The Harem Dream Is a Long Road

Chapter 48: The Harem Dream Is a Long Road

Zu Zong took a deep breath. He didn't want to lie to Zhu Zhuqing, so he looked serious and said, "Xiao Wu is my family."

Zhu Zhuqing frowned slightly. Zu Zong's answer was too ambiguous, clearly not satisfying her.

"Family" could mean siblings—but it could also mean a wife. Which kind was it?

"Then… do you have feelings for her, as a man toward a woman?"

Straight ball pitch—Zhu Zhuqing came in with a direct strike.

Outside the teahouse, Xiao Wu's heart leapt to her throat.

She was happy when Zu Zong said she was family. After all, they'd lived together for years. That bond was finally acknowledged.

And if it went a step further? Heh, becoming "more than family" would be perfect. She'd been eyeing his body for a long time.

Ye Lingling, standing beside her, also felt a little breathless.

She had a slight fondness for Zu Zong—that was certain—but nothing as far as romantic love.

She was more interested in the gossip. From the looks of it, both girls liked Zu Zong.

No—more like Zu Zong was two-timing. Hmph!

Just as Zu Zong made up his mind to say "Yes," he noticed Xiao Wu and Ye Lingling spying outside the door.

He thought, "No way. If I say yes now, that old rabbit's going to go flying through the roof."

He rolled a small paper ball from a tea wrap and flicked it toward Xiao Wu's forehead.

"Ouch! Pain, pain, pain!" came Xiao Wu's voice from outside.

Zu Zong rolled his eyes. "Rabbit, and Lingling—if you want tea, come inside. What are you two lurking around for?"

Nice job, rabbit. Now I can change the subject.

"Hee hee," Xiao Wu giggled, knowing she'd been caught.

She made a silly face and walked in, cheeks red and adorable. Even Ye Lingling gave a sheepish look.

Under Zu Zong and Zhu Zhuqing's gaze, the two entered and sat down at the table.

Zhu Zhuqing narrowed her eyes. "Don't change the subject. Speak."

Xiao Wu didn't even bother pretending anymore. She raised her hand and shouted loudly, "I wanna know too! I wanna know too!"

Even Ye Lingling gave him an expectant look.

All their eyes were fixed on Zu Zong, making his back itch like a thousand needles.

As he cursed his luck, he couldn't help but admire the seniors of this harem path.

How did those transmigrators keep their harems harmonious? The heroines even helped them expand the harem. Teach me your ways, seniors!

Forget it. If I die, I die.

Zu Zong drew in a breath and replied firmly, "Yes."

The moment those words landed, the three girls reacted differently.

Ye Lingling gave a knowing look. Her expression toward Zu Zong changed—from earlier friendliness to… disdain.

That look, Zu Zong recognized—it was the same look he gave Dai Mubai.

Xiao Wu, as expected, blushed fiercely. Her whole face turned red, even her neck dyed pink.

Proud and smug, she immediately began taunting Zhu Zhuqing. "See? See? Looks like Xiao Wu-jie wins again!"

She soon drifted into her own fantasy world—see Chapter 18 for reference.

As for Zhu Zhuqing, she ignored Xiao Wu's provocations entirely. Her expression remained calm.

Even that earlier tension in her gaze disappeared.

Xiao Wu and Ye Lingling reacted as expected.

But Zhu Zhuqing's response left Zu Zong confused.

"You're not angry?" he asked cautiously. He was already bracing himself to get punched.

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head… then nodded. She sighed. "Angry? Of course I'm angry. My boyfriend has someone else in his heart. Who wouldn't be?"

The calmer she was, the more unsettled Zu Zong felt.

It was the quiet before a storm—and that was the most terrifying, most unpredictable kind.

"Zhuqing, then why didn't you…" he asked.

"Didn't beat you up, right?" she interrupted.

Zu Zong nodded.

"At least you didn't lie to me. A cute girl, always by your side—almost no man could resist that. If you'd told me you didn't have feelings for her… maybe I'd smile. But deep down, I'd just be disappointed."

She stopped speaking then, falling into silence.

She had expected this, but it still didn't feel good to hear it out loud.

Zu Zong stood up and pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her forehead.

—With a wife like this, what more could a man want?

Zhu Zhuqing's side of things seemed to settle, but Xiao Wu was not having it.

Ye Lingling nudged her back to reality from her delusional high… and what did she see?

Zu Zong was hugging that "wild woman."

Xiao Wu said, "Xiao Zong, what are you two doing? Shameless!"

Damn—Zu Zong nearly forgot there was still a certain lovestruck rabbit around.

The moment he remembered, a wave of headache hit him hard.

His first reaction was to let go of Zhu Zhuqing.

But then came her icy voice, sharp as a blade. "Don't let go. If you let go now, don't even think about hugging me again for the rest of your life."

As she spoke, she tightened her embrace even more.

Hmph! Serves you right. Let's see if you dare flirt around again.

So the little kitten was still mad.

—

That night, the Huangdou team, including Zu Zong and Xiao Wu, gathered at the Soto City Great Spirit Arena.

Everyone sat in their private box, chatting and laughing.

Strangely, Xiao Wu—who usually stuck to Zu Zong like glue—was now deliberately keeping her distance.

Xiao Wu was mad. And when she got mad, the consequences were serious.

Who would've thought? The wooden block of a man who'd guarded his chastity for six years had finally awakened—only to be scooped up by someone else first.

If Zu Zong hadn't once said he liked her, she probably would've been heartbroken.

So, Xiao Wu made a decision: she would ignore him for three days.

…Or at least half a day.

She sat down next to Dugu Yan and said in a serious tone, "Yan-jie, pair up with me for tonight's duo battle."

Dugu Yan gave her a surprised look. "Not going with your little boyfriend?"

Originally, Dugu Yan had planned to team up with her own boyfriend, Yu Tianheng.

It wasn't like she couldn't team with Xiao Wu—but shouldn't that spot belong to her so-called little lover, Zu Zong?

"Hmph! Who wants to team up with that two-timing scumbag," Xiao Wu snorted.

Looks like the couple was fighting again.

Dugu Yan raised her brow with interest. "Alright, sounds good. I'll let Tianheng know."

"Thanks, Yan-jie!"

Not far away, Zu Zong had heard the exchange between Xiao Wu and Dugu Yan.

He could only smile bitterly and mutter in his mind, "Looks like she's really mad this time."

He didn't understand how things had changed so much in just one or two days.

First, he finally got to meet several of the characters from Douluo Dalu.

Then, he discovered that Zhu Zhuqing was actually "Zhu Qing," the girl he hadn't seen in two years.

They reunited and confirmed their feelings for each other.

As a dual-souled cultivator of the "Suyuntao Martial Soul," Zu Zong had finally gotten a girlfriend—one of the most beautiful girls in Douluo Dalu, no less.

It should've been something worth celebrating.

But then the next day turned into a wreck.

Zhu Zhuqing caught him in an intimate moment with Xiao Wu… and everything spiraled into a dramatic battlefield between the girlfriend and the childhood friend.

He looked up at the ceiling, the brilliant lights of the arena glinting in his eyes.

Zu Zong sighed deeply.

This harem path… really is a long and difficult road.

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