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"It seems my earlier antics in Tian Dou City—intentionally keeping her hanging, then leaving without a word—had an unexpectedly powerful effect."
"The result being that this fiery-tempered 'Female Tyrannosaurus' endured her anger and chased me all the way from Tian Dou City to here, even waiting here like a hunter lying in ambush?"
"Interesting."
"In her heart, this Soul-Shaping Pill must be of utmost importance to her."
Dai Chengfeng chuckled inwardly, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Good. This meant that the initiative was still firmly in his hands.
The more anxious Liu Erlong became, the greater the "reward" he could extract from her.
With that thought, Dai Chengfeng made his decision almost instantly...
Pretend not to see her!
Since Liu Erlong had come to him with a request, Dai Chengfeng decided to make her speak first!
Let her take the initiative!
Let her lower her stance even further!
This would be more entertaining and advantageous for his upcoming… "negotiation."
After all, the one who spoke first on the negotiating table was always at a disadvantage.
Thus, the look of surprise on Dai Chengfeng's face quickly faded, replaced by an air of calm.
It was as if he had merely glanced at some irrelevant stranger. His gaze lingered on Liu Erlong for less than a second before moving away without a ripple.
He took another step forward, walking toward the stairs without hesitation.
This completely ignited Liu Erlong's fury!
She had assumed that when Dai Chengfeng saw her, he would stop and ask in surprise, "Eh? What are you doing here?"
Then she could smoothly "bump into him," pretend to be surprised, and elegantly segue into the main topic.
But she hadn't expected…
After waiting so long, enduring so much, and finally catching Dai Chengfeng coming downstairs, even making noise to draw his attention—the result was…
He didn't see her? He was just going to walk away?!
"Bastard!"
Liu Erlong nearly shattered her teeth in frustration!
In an instant, a surge of uncontrollable rage erupted in her mind, blazing upward like wildfire!
Screw your patience!
Pretending to bump into him?
I'll burn you alive, you little tiger! How dare you ignore me like this! I want to beat that handsome face of yours until you cry! Beat you until…
For a moment, countless thoughts of punishing Dai Chengfeng surged in Liu Erlong's mind.
Her body tensed, her knuckles cracking audibly as her soul power began to stir uncontrollably, generating subtle gusts of wind around her, radiating scorching heat. The few scattered customers nearby instinctively shrank back.
But, just as she was about to lose control and unleash her fury on Dai Chengfeng—
"No… I can't… I can't act rashly…"
Liu Erlong forcibly suppressed her emotions once again.
She understood…
If she acted now, she wouldn't gain anything. After all, she couldn't afford to provoke the forces behind Dai Chengfeng. Doing so would only escalate things irreversibly, completely ruining her chances of obtaining the Soul-Shaping Pill!
Soul-Shaping Pill! Xiaogang!!
For Xiaogang…
She had to endure! She had to keep up the act no matter what!
And just as Dai Chengfeng placed his foot on the second step of the staircase, a split second before he was about to disappear around the corner—
"Eh? Dai Chengfeng?!"
A voice, perfectly balanced with seven parts genuine surprise and three parts subtle probing, rang out from the corner.
The speaker—Liu Erlong herself.
By now, her expression had shifted seamlessly into one of natural astonishment at encountering an old acquaintance, even tinged with a touch of delighted fatigue from her journey. It was as if the woman who had been ready to kill someone moments ago wasn't her at all.
As she spoke, Liu Erlong slightly turned her body, fully facing the staircase.
At this moment, Dai Chengfeng's steps finally halted.
He paused on the stairs, neither ascending further nor turning around immediately, but remained silent for two seconds.
During these two seconds, Liu Erlong's heart nearly leapt into her throat.
She knew he had definitely recognized her. Was he… surprised? Or silently mocking her?
If it was mockery…
Thinking this, Liu Erlong almost lost her carefully maintained expression of "surprise" and "delight."
Finally, Dai Chengfeng slowly turned around.
Standing above, he looked down at Liu Erlong in the corner of the lobby, his face still calm, almost indifferent.
His gaze fell on Liu Erlong's face, carrying just the right amount of curiosity and scrutiny.
"This bastard, can't he show even a hint of surprise?" Liu Erlong cursed inwardly.
Yet her body had already risen, standing tall. Her sleek outfit accentuated her voluptuous curves, and she met Dai Chengfeng's gaze, striving to make her expression of "pleasant surprise" appear more genuine.
"Oh? Principal Liu Erlong?"
Dai Chengfeng finally spoke, his tone devoid of any emotion, as if stating a simple fact. "What a coincidence."
Upon hearing the phrase "What a coincidence," Liu Erlong forcefully suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, forcing a bright smile onto her face—though only she knew how stiff her jaw felt.
"Yes, I never expected to run into you here."
She took a step forward, placing herself fully under the brighter light in the center of the lobby. Her tone was casual, as if complaining about her journey. "I had to handle some urgent matters at the academy in Tian Dou City, then planned to take a shortcut to Spirit City to purchase some urgently needed materials for soul-guidance tools. I stopped here at this small town for a rest!"
"There's only one decent place to stay around here, right?"
"And I never expected to run into you here."
She even picked up the cup of cold water from the table and took a sip, her tone of complaint sounding completely natural.
It seemed as though she were genuinely exhausted from traveling and had simply chosen this place to rest, accidentally bumping into him—not deliberately seeking him out.
As she spoke, Liu Erlong suddenly remembered something and gave Dai Chengfeng an apologetic look. "Oh, that's right!"
"Look at my memory. Back in Tian Dou City, you said… you'd visit in person the next day, right?"
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, there was a slight grittiness in Liu Erlong's voice when she mentioned "visit in person the next day," though her expression remained natural.
She continued, "But I had urgent matters and left the same day, so I made you waste a trip. I apologize for that."
"Here's what we'll do…"
"Since we've coincidentally met here today, let me treat you to dinner."
"While we're at it, we can discuss the matter of the Soul-Shaping Pill."
"But don't complain about the conditions here. Once you visit Tian Dou City in the future, I'll definitely treat you to a grand meal at the largest restaurant. How does that sound?"
Dai Chengfeng watched Liu Erlong, who appeared genuinely apologetic for making him travel in vain, and chuckled inwardly:
"This Female Tyrannosaurus is truly experienced in the ways of the world. She knows that whoever speaks first in a negotiation puts themselves at a disadvantage."
"However, trying to use this tactic to mitigate the disadvantage of speaking first—how interesting!"
"But what if… I refuse to play along?"
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