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"Sniffing too?"
Xiao Wu watched Dai Chengfeng's gesture—his subtle inhale after touching her—and felt even more flustered.
Her cheeks burned as if aflame; her heart hammered wildly in her chest, like a fawn crashing through the underbrush.
She couldn't meet his eyes. Her gaze dropped instead to her own thigh—the very spot his hand had just left.
That patch of skin still seemed to hum with the lingering warmth of his palm…
She bit her lower lip, struggling to steady her breath.
She could feel his gaze still resting on her—tangible, heavy—sending tiny shivers across her exposed skin.
"I—I just remembered…"
Xiao Wu suddenly stood up, movements hurried. Her heel clicked sharply against the stone floor, and she swayed slightly from the abrupt motion.
She steadied herself by gripping the edge of the stone table, knuckles whitening.
"Remembered what?"
Dai Chengfeng arched a brow, watching her with calm amusement.
"I—I have something to do!"
Her mind was a jumble—she couldn't think of a proper excuse, so she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"Zhu Zhuqing said… said she'd find me today! Yes—to train together! I need to go meet her!"
She spoke in a rush, words tumbling out without pause, terrified that even a second of silence might betray her racing thoughts.
Without waiting for a reply, Xiao Wu turned and nearly fled, her white skirt swirling in a graceful arc—revealing once more those long, fair legs.
"Xiao Wu." Dai Chengfeng called after her.
She froze mid-step, back still turned, shoulders tensing.
"Your face is very red."
There was a teasing lilt in his voice, barely concealed. "Need some cool tea? It'll help you cool down."
"N-No, thank you!"
Xiao Wu practically ran out of the courtyard, her heels clattering against the path in a frantic, uneven rhythm—quickly fading into the distance.
Dai Chengfeng watched until her figure vanished beyond the gate. He shook his head with quiet exasperation and lifted his teacup for another sip.
The tea was stone-cold now—bitter at first taste, yet leaving behind a faint, unexpected sweetness.
He traced the rim of the cup, lost in thought.
He understood Xiao Wu's feelings well enough. A girl on the cusp of love—her bashfulness, her panic—was written all over her flushed cheeks and those eyes that dared not meet his.
And his own actions just now…
He glanced down at his hand. The ghost of her soft, warm skin still lingered in his palm.
He truly had grown accustomed to it—used to Bibi Dong, Liu Erlong…
But to someone else, such familiarity might easily be mistaken for something far less innocent.
"I'm really not a good person…" he muttered under his breath—then immediately corrected himself with a self-deprecating scoff, "Pfft. Of course I am! I am a good person!"
With a sigh, he set the cup down and rose to leave.
Phoenix leaves rustled softly in the morning breeze; sunlight dappled the stone path through gaps in the branches.
Just then—rapid footsteps approached from outside the courtyard, accompanied by a bright, urgent voice:
"Dai Chengfeng! You're here—perfect!"
Ning Rongrong burst into the courtyard like a gust of wind, her pink skirts fluttering, long hair whipping through the air in wild arcs.
Her cheeks were flushed, fine beads of sweat dotting her forehead, her chest rising and falling from her sprint. Her bright eyes sparkled with urgency—and unmistakable excitement.
"What's wrong? So urgent?"
Dai Chengfeng halted, genuinely surprised.
Ning Rongrong skidded to a stop before him, braced her hands on her knees, and took a few quick breaths before straightening up.
Her gaze swept over his face—then landed on his hand. Her eyes lit up.
"Do you remember," she asked breathlessly, "that ring I gave you back at the edge of the Great Star Dou Forest?"
Dai Chengfeng nodded and raised his hand. On his slender finger rested a smooth jade ring.
It glowed with a pale moon-white hue, its surface intricately carved with delicate, ancient patterns that shimmered softly in the sunlight.
"I've been wearing it. What about it?" he asked.
Ning Rongrong's eyes gleamed as if she'd uncovered a world-shattering secret. She grabbed his wrist—her touch cool, yet the ring radiated a gentle warmth against her palm.
"Come with me!"
Without waiting for consent, she yanked him toward the courtyard exit. Her grip was astonishingly strong—Dai Chengfeng nearly stumbled, forced to match her hurried pace.
"Where are we going?" he asked, half-amused, half-exasperated.
"To my room!"
She didn't even glance back, her voice bubbling with barely contained glee. "Huge discovery! An absolutely massive breakthrough!"
"Miss Ning, slow down a little," Dai Chengfeng tried gently.
"No time!"
She barreled forward. "I've waited so long for this! Do you have any idea how many ancient texts I've scoured, how many people I've questioned these past days?"
She shoved open an ornately carved wooden door, dragged him inside, slammed it shut behind them—and locked it.
The room was elegantly arranged, every detail reflecting a young lady's refined taste.
Pale pink gauze curtains hung by the window, where potted greenery sat neatly on the sill. The desk overflowed with scrolls and books—some open, others stacked haphazardly, creating organized chaos.
The air carried a light fragrance—floral, mingled with the scent of ink and aged paper.
"Look!"
Ning Rongrong released his wrist and snatched a thick, leather-bound tome from the desk. The cover was dark brown, its corners worn, revealing yellowed pages beneath.
With reverent care, she held it out to Dai Chengfeng and flipped to a marked page.
The parchment was brittle and stained with age, covered in dense archaic script and intricate diagrams filled with esoteric symbols.
"I've been researching the effects of this soul-guided ring nonstop," she explained, voice trembling with excitement. Her fingertip tapped a specific line of text. "I combed through the entire library vault and even had people send me rare manuscripts from outside."
"Persistence pays off," she declared triumphantly. "And I finally found it!"
Dai Chengfeng leaned closer. The ancient characters were obscure—he squinted, deciphering their meaning with effort.
"This is…"
He frowned, reading carefully.
Ning Rongrong couldn't wait for him to puzzle it out. She blurted the answer, eyes blazing with revelation:
"This ring is called the 'Soul Source Pact—crafted by a legendary artifact master from antiquity! Extremely rare!"
She paused, took a deep breath, then delivered the climax:
"It can forge a special connection between soul masters!"
"A special connection?" Dai Chengfeng raised a brow, shifting his gaze from the page to her eager face.
"Yes!" She nodded vigorously, her ponytail swaying with the motion.
"It's subtle, but profound," she continued, choosing her words with precision. "When two soul masters each wear a matching pair—one the 'mother ring,' the other the 'child ring'—they form a resonance between them."
"Resonance?"
"Exactly!"
Ning Rongrong pointed to a diagram on the page. "See here? It says this resonance allows them to sense each other during cultivation—and even… to some degree, perceive each other's emotions and physical states!"
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